89 560SEL cel is on, hard start, hesitates

[benz560sel4u2nv]

Hello everyone, I am a newbie here and wow, what a place to be. awesome forum. I have a 89 560SEL that has over time developed some problems that I would like to fix. first off this is not a daily driver for me, it spends most of the time parked in the garage. I bought the car back on 6-7-08 and was running great when i drove it home. but soon after I got it, the car started having very serious problems. so I am here trying to get a few of them worked out. here is a little history on the benz that I have records for. the car has 235K on it now. I bought it with 231K on the odometer. at 201K PO had the heads rebuilt with new seals, gaskets, timing chain, guide rails, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, new front tires, new front rotors, calipers, pads, sensors. at 203K transmission was rebuilt. at 206K he had the car re painted. the total cost for the work I have records for show a total of $8,649.82 WOW. when I first got the car, I noticed a strong gas oder in the car after I stopped for feul. but after a few months of this it just went away. no more fumes in the car when I fill up, and thats when things started to go down hill. the car would start within the first 2 seconds of turning the key before.. then one morning I went to work and the car started to stumble at maybe 40mph. and then would clear up and run fine all day. the transmission got to where it would not shift unless I took my foot off the pedal. I dont like to let the rpms get over 3,500 to 4,000 as I dont need to know how fast it will get up and go, i have found a few post on here where guys are asking why the rpm stop at 5,500 or the red-line, so, the car would do the same thing everyday at the same time in the morning going to work. then a few months later I had to stop at the parts store to get some things and when I went to start the car it wouldnt start, turned over just fine, after about 5 minutes it did start but was running very rough. no smoke at all. knowing this was not good i knew it was time to get it fixed. so on the way home I stop at a red light and it stalls out, it started right back up and then I noticed the check engine light was on. about 3 miles from home it got so bad on hesitation that it wouldnt go more than 30mph. what I have dont to it over that time to try and pin point the problem. replaced feul filter, pump relay, air filter, checked many times for vac leaks. new radiator, new drive belts, changed oil and filter, the problem still exist and I cant drive it on the road this way. in the past few days that I have been thumbing through the many great post on here, I decided to try a few of the things that were suggested. so first I disconnected the ECU or ECM computer, noticed the check engine light was off when key was turned on. and when car was running, it seemed to run halfway normal again once the engine was up to normal temp but was still hard to start. my next step will be to check the cap, rotor and plugs and wires. o2 sensor on the cat converter. thats my 2cents for starters, I got the car cheap and now i know why, I am gonna be paying for it in repairs but this is one awesome driving car.anyone want to chime in with any ideas, sorry for such a long post guys. Thanks in advance from a fellow benzer.

To remove this ad, register today or login if you already are registered!

[benz560sel4u2nv]

ok, after I posted the first thread about the problems with my 560, I went and put the car on ramps so that I could get under there and inspect the vac line going to the transmission, I took it all the way out and cleaned it up and pressure tested it with a air compressor and found it to be in good condition, I put it back in and then went to do the same thing on the top end, but before I did that, I used carb cleaner to spray around the intake again, nothing changes. I then pulled off the vac line one at a time, cleaned, inspected and air tested, all vac lines are ok. I am going to do a compression test next. I tried to remove the distributor cap but the screws are frozen so I have lubricant on them, will see if they come loose after awhile. one thing I did notice though, while at idle, if i pulled the throttle and pushed down on the air flow meter, the engine would run like a champ, as in it had very quick pick up and race, but I didnt let it get to high up. seems like the airflow meter struggles to perform? but thats just a thought though, I dont think the engine has had a good tune up in a long time hence the stuck screws on the cap. I will also check the resistance on the plug wires.

[benz560sel4u2nv]

here are some pics of the 89 I am trying to save. no luck so far. but have not given up yet.

[idamanjax75]

That's a long list. But I think i can help steer in a positive direction.

Dies when stopping to idle and starts back up - Check your ICV (idle control valve) most likely this part is gummed up and needs to be cleaned thoroughly with carb cleaner.

My bad idle issue was resolved today by installing a new fuel distributor.

fuel smell could have been caused by a worn out warm up regulator (WUR) which sits under the fuel distributor. My best guess is because I think i have it too...