When i start my 1981 280se it will not run smooth until it has been running for a few minutes i have changed dizzy cap wires and rotor arm any suggestions ?????????
thanks

 

Sounds like a bad idle stablizer. This is a small device located on the left side of the engine, towards the rear about half-way down the block. It has some vacuume hoses into it and somethines they leak or just fall off.

Does it run OK after you start it when the engine is fully warmed up? If so the idle stablizer just could be it. These are also called "warm-up valves" for obvious reasons, but they differ in every way from a true K-Jetronic warm up valve. Ask to see a photo before you buy or order one.

These are not cheap! You might look on-line for a used one or a rebuilt one before you buy one new.

Sam

 

hi Sam
when the weather is warm like now the engine will run good after a couple of minutes, but when it is cold and damp it may take upto 5 minutes before you can drive it. i will look for the valve.
thanx paul.

 

engine starts straight off and runs until you try to drive

 

This sounds like the stablizer valve. It only functions during warm-up and then really does nothing after that. But....

Check your vacuume hoses. The little valve I was talking about is in an area where there is a lot of heat and the hoses tend to dry out and crack. Also check the hoses to the distributor.

As I recall there are a number of sensors screwed into the head of this car that have hoses running to them. Check for a loose hose here as they tend to work loose before the others do.

A quick and cheap way to check these is to get a pair of wire cutters and cut off the very end of the vacumme hoses where they attach. The ends are subject to the most heat and tend to crack first. I just cut off about an inch and then reconnect the hose.

The dry and cracked part of the hose is gone and the reattached part is still pretty plyable. You may not have enough hose to do this everywhere, but hose is cheap.

Let's hope that is all it is.

Sam