Well, the MBZ doesnt start. Never never just not start. It just a soft click from under the hood. The engine does not turn over.
I pray that it's just that the battery is borderline dead but usually when the battery is on it's way to the coffin, it stills attempts to start and engien might turn over slowly as the interior lights dim out.

Now, no dimming of the lights but just 'click'.

I suspect it might be the starter seized and I know when replaceing that thing there is that one bolt that is a pain in the butt to get at.

Might be the ignition switch, but on another MBZ w126 when that went out there was nothing at all no sound as if the key wasnt even turned.

First I'ma try to charge the battery and test it and see what happens.
Secondly if no change, I might have to buy a new one to make sure and keep reciept handy.
If no change might start diagn. on starting system itself and take battery back.

Then I'll see from there.


I just have to last about 5-6 more months till I buy newer car and this car can go into retirement for total refurbishing (while there is not much to do). Ironically someone close to me said a black 2003-2006 CL600 would fit me like a glove.

 

alright ran some tests. Battery is good. ignition switch is good and the guilty party is the starter.

Electricity is getting to the starter but upon close inspection that "click" sound kind of sounds like the something is stuck inside the starter solenoid. Now I recll hearing this same sound on a mid 90s non-Northstar engine (yes not all Caddys was Northstar during that point, only one was traditional 5.7 Vette engined).

So I guess while I order a new starter and wait for it to get here I wondered this question.

What would cause a starter to lock up suddenly? I mean literally it was fine one minute, or two, enough to go inside a corner store for a soda, and be locked up the next minute? I dont mean like age or some vague answer that is vaguer than a repair book that says "open hood remove and installation reverse order"(probably why I dont bother using repair books, next to useless in information) or anything, but I mean like on a level of how a starter works and what is actually on the inside causing it to lock up. And since the Bosch is a relatively robust starter unit, I wonder do people routinely rebuild them? Well I know they do or there wouldnt be a core charge. Some poor chap probably will be spending a couple of hundred on my starter motor in a few months if I send it off for my core refund.

And what goes into rebuilding these starter motors? IF there just happen to someone who ACTUALLY rebuilt one before out there that can answer that.