Hi,

I'm not really a very 'car' person, but after being fed up with expensive garage bills I'm trying to learn and save myself a bit of cash.

I have a C250D estate (1996 or 1998 can't remember which), and about 18 months ago I had a problem where if I parked it facing uphill and then left it for a while (usually overnight) then it would not start. Parked downhill, ti would start first time. I investigated and was told that this was common for my model at it's age as the fuels lines had started to corrode and air was getting in somewhere. The Fuel lines were replaced, problem solved. About 2 months ago I got the same problem. As a temporary measure I only parked downhill until I had time to look at it. However on Friday night I had to park it on the flat, which is usually ok, but on saturday morning it would not start. It almost started a couple of times but eventually the battery was too weak. Getting a friend to help me jump it I was able to get it going, but it didn't sound great whilst it was spluttering into life. I decided that I had to sort the issue out.

Working on the previous diagnosis that air was getting in somewhere I decided to check all the jubilee clips on the fuel lines. Not knowing where the fuels lines are I looked in my Haines manual and followed the line back from the fuel filter. Whilst doing this I noticed some liquid on a componant. I think this componant is the fuel injector (see picture below). I dried off the liquid and then let the engine run for a while. It got wet again. When it is not running it doesn't seem to get wet.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...jectorleak.jpg <-- picture of the area affected.

What I want advice on is:

1/ Is it dangerous to drive the car at the moment. I have read this thread https://mercedesforum.com/m_51621/tm.htm and so presumably it is?
2/ Are the two issues related? Or is it possible that the leaking fuel injector was caused by the rough start on staurday morning?
3/ Could the leaking fuel injector be the cause of the non starting when facing uphill? If not then where should I start to investigate to fix that problem? (any diagrams of where the fuel lines run would be a great help)
4/ Is the leaking fuel injector something that I could try and fix? ie could it just be a screw that needs tightening? Or should I take it into the garage? How much might I be expecting to pay for this sort of repair?

Sorry if this is a long post with a lot of questions, but any help would be much appreciated.

If I can provide any more information, just ask.

Many thanks

Sam

 

96 e300d here, from your picture, the area you have circled is the injector pump delivery valves. What I would suggest is wiping off the area you indicated with a paper towel. Make sure you get it good and dry, then start the engine, and watch the area you indicated. If the delivery valves seals are failing, you should start to see fuel weeping from the site. Let it run for a few minutes. If that area remains dry, the next step would be to dry the area right below the area you have circled. That black cap area is your shutoff valve, and there is an o ring behind that. If that o ring is failing, it will cause the issue you have regarding parking the car on an incline along with weeping fuel while the engine is running. I have provided a link to another forum where if you do a "delivery valve" search you will find a good deal of information regarding this problem and solutions.

http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforu...splay.php?f=15

 

Hi pimpernell,

thanks for the reply. I had already done as you suggested and there was indeed some weeping from the delivery valves. I'll have aread though some of the other posts, but think that it is a bit beyond my basic skills (plus don't have the tool for getting the injectors bits off) so I'll be taking it to a garage tomorrow. Hoping that my extra knowledge now will mean I'll be less likely to be ripped off.

Thanks again.

Sam

 

Thought I'd give an update and see if I can get a bit more advice. I took the car to a garage to have the delivery valve looked at, but for some strange reason it did not seem to be leaking any more. I have run the car for a while now an still no more wetness. Not sure why its stopped happening but I'm not complaining.

anyway, it seems from a few other threads that the main culprit for my not starting uphill is the pre filter o-ring, so I am going to replace that. I have the new o-ring and what I want to know is, is it simply a case of opening up the bolt on the top, removing the pre filter, changing the o-ring, popping the filter back in, putting the bolt back in and then starting it up? Or is there something else I need to be aware of?

Many thanks

Sam