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1996 SL INTERMITANT NO START PROBLEM- NEED HELP

My '96 SL with about 190K on the clock has been running like a champ. About a week ago, I stopped at a store and it would not turn over. it was at night, and when I turned the key it made no click or any other sound, at the lights did not dim. It just seemed like the key switch was not doing anything. Since it is a standard transmission, I was able to easily push/bump start it and drive 3 miles home. When I parked it in the driveway, same thing, turn the key to start, and absolutely no reaction from the car. Lights were good and bright, and did not dim at all.

Then It sat for a week while I was out of town, and I went out to see what might be the problem, and the dang thing started right up! I shut it off and started it 2 more times and it worked perfectly. I guess I will keep driving it until it fails again, but hopefully I will be in a good place to bump start it.

What do you think it most likely could be? Key switch, relay, starter, or?

Larry

Reply to
Buzz
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Check the heavy wiring between the battery and starter. Sometimes you get a loose lug on the starter solenoid which makes it intermittent.

Chances are that the starter solenoid or starter motor are on their way out. Sometimes you get lucky when it won't start and can get it to crank by giving the starter motor a good rap with a breaker bar. If you short the heavy battery wire to the small stud on the starter solenoid, it should crank. This bypasses all the upstream stuff. Divide and conquer...

Reply to
Oppie

It could also be a battery on its last legs. I have experienced this phenomenon on several cars I have owned over the years. Sometimes the battery will short out internally; then the short will go away -- for awhile.

Reply to
Orval Fairbairn

OP claimed that the lights were bright and did NOT dim upon trying to crank. That implies a good battery and battery terminal connections.

Reply to
Oppie

Been driving the SL several days now and the starting problem has not occured again. A friend suggested that maybe the switch on the clutch pedal that locks out the starter if the clutch pedal is not depressed might have gotten stuck that one time.

Larry

Reply to
Buzz

Don't know it it applies to you, but it's been above freezing here in metro NY. Any water that might have gotten into the starter is no longer binding things up.

afik, the neutral safety switch and/or clutch down switches are both in series with the switched power from the ignition switch and the starter solenoid. When you can get to the starter, it is easiest to troubleshoot by shorting the terminals as I had previously written. My L300 has the starter so burried that to change it, I had to use a mirror to see what I was getting into. Not a fun task.

Reply to
Oppie

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