190E idling issues/turns off
#1
03-25-2012, 04:06 PM
190E idling issues/turns off
hello everyone
my name is marko, I drive a 190E 2.3 and this is my first forum post. I have been having some issues with my car.
I was driving my car the other day. I drove it for 40 miles (which is usually long distance compared to how I drive) to my destination. upon arriving there I heard somewhat of snap or click come from underneath the car (could be relavent). I did not think much of it. Later on my way back on the highway my ABS and check engine lights turned on and my radio started dying out. I at that point realized something was wrong and that my goal was just to get home. But traffic hit and the second i started slowing down and using the brake the car turned off. I did a quick inspection of the OVP relay, got a jump and continued home with the car acting completely normal. I later tested it some more and the car had the same issues. turning off upon making a turn, and very rough idle.
something I found very strange was when i give it a little gas in idle the dash lights brighten then they go back to normal.
the alternator is rebuilt recently, and the battery is new. the battery holds charge well. last checked it read 12.5 volts.
i went to the junkyard this morning and grabbed a bunch of OVP relays to see if that would change anything. It did not. perhaps they could all be busted I dont know. I popped one open and it seems healthy to me.
one other strange thing i noticed this morning is that the charge on the battery is too high, when measuring the output i would see the healthy 14volts of output and every now and then it would jump to 17 volts or so.
when i turn it on it starts up easily as usual but when i leave it on the idle is quite rough and inconsistent.
I am leaning towards some electrical based issue but i dont know where else to look without ripping things out and replacing a whole bunch of things. I was wondering if there is something i am missing.
my name is marko, I drive a 190E 2.3 and this is my first forum post. I have been having some issues with my car.
I was driving my car the other day. I drove it for 40 miles (which is usually long distance compared to how I drive) to my destination. upon arriving there I heard somewhat of snap or click come from underneath the car (could be relavent). I did not think much of it. Later on my way back on the highway my ABS and check engine lights turned on and my radio started dying out. I at that point realized something was wrong and that my goal was just to get home. But traffic hit and the second i started slowing down and using the brake the car turned off. I did a quick inspection of the OVP relay, got a jump and continued home with the car acting completely normal. I later tested it some more and the car had the same issues. turning off upon making a turn, and very rough idle.
something I found very strange was when i give it a little gas in idle the dash lights brighten then they go back to normal.
the alternator is rebuilt recently, and the battery is new. the battery holds charge well. last checked it read 12.5 volts.
i went to the junkyard this morning and grabbed a bunch of OVP relays to see if that would change anything. It did not. perhaps they could all be busted I dont know. I popped one open and it seems healthy to me.
one other strange thing i noticed this morning is that the charge on the battery is too high, when measuring the output i would see the healthy 14volts of output and every now and then it would jump to 17 volts or so.
when i turn it on it starts up easily as usual but when i leave it on the idle is quite rough and inconsistent.
I am leaning towards some electrical based issue but i dont know where else to look without ripping things out and replacing a whole bunch of things. I was wondering if there is something i am missing.
#2
03-31-2012, 01:01 PM
It may be over charging. Did you check the fuses on all of the OVP's? (under the little flap on top of the relay, should be a 10A) if they're blown they are no good. I would NEVER put in a used OVP because of the high failure rate and how cheap new ones are, under $60 most places. Check your alternator output, if it's at 17V like you say, then the rebuilt unit has failed. That much voltage will almost certainly blow an OVP every time, that might be the pop you heard. There is an output limiter built into them. I'm a bit paranoid, but I'd recommend a Bosch re-man unit. They seem to be the only reliable ones, and they have a warranty.
Good luck,
Alex
Good luck,
Alex
#3
04-01-2012, 11:08 AM
I actually worked on the car yesterday. And yes you are correct Alex. The alternator was faulty. It took on some oil and it shorted out the coils. I got the alternator rebuilt and the car is fine now. I just have never been in a situation where Ive seen an alternator output too much charge so I had no clue initially what the issue could have been. I even began thinking it could have been the voltage regulator on the back of the alternator. As far as the OVP the fuse never blew so I am assuming the OVP is fine. Would that be a safe assumption? And as I understand troubleshooting it throughly is done by sending 12 Volts of power through it and seeing if it clicks. But I dont know which terminals to send it through.
And too late now but I will definitely keep that in mind as to which alternator is best if the future requires it. But my original rebuild was fine and this one should be as well, the reason of failure was due to exterior influences of the oil getting into the coils. I have to make it a priority to change all the seals on the engine this summer. There is not much oil but apparently the little amount that got in was enough. One more question, I recall from some 190E engines Ive seen they have alternator covers. I feel this would be a good idea in protecting my alternator (as well as making my engine bone dry of course) but I cant seem to find one anywhere online and a 190E in my local junkyards is quite a rare occasion. Any ideas on this?
Greatly appreciate the input.
Best Regards,
Marko
And too late now but I will definitely keep that in mind as to which alternator is best if the future requires it. But my original rebuild was fine and this one should be as well, the reason of failure was due to exterior influences of the oil getting into the coils. I have to make it a priority to change all the seals on the engine this summer. There is not much oil but apparently the little amount that got in was enough. One more question, I recall from some 190E engines Ive seen they have alternator covers. I feel this would be a good idea in protecting my alternator (as well as making my engine bone dry of course) but I cant seem to find one anywhere online and a 190E in my local junkyards is quite a rare occasion. Any ideas on this?
Greatly appreciate the input.
Best Regards,
Marko
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