Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum and I came here to look for tips on my Uncle's 1984 380SEL with the 3.8L V8. I usually like to spenda bit of time in a forum getting the gist of everything, however I am home on military leave and need advice. The car is a beautiful sedan but she just dosen't run correctly. I know that he keeps the car serviced, however he came to me with the problem at hand. It is very difficult to start in the mornings and takes about 3-4 minutes before you can put the car in gear w/o it dying. Also, the car will randomly die at stoplights. I am mechanically experienced, however not well versed in Mercedes. If anyone has any tips on where to look it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Vacuum leak. To find it, spray SMALL amounts of ether (starting fluid) at points along the intake tract and also the vacuum hoses. Listen for it to rev up. Be very careful, ether is highly flammable and if you use too much you can damage your engine.