W202 C180, Duff Starter or something else?

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alan1304

Active Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2011
Messages
203
Location
Plymouth
Car
Mercedes Benz C180 Esprit 1998
Hi all.
New poster, long time reader. ( Excellent forum by the way I've learnt a lot from you guys. );)
My problem is this.... a few weeks ago my W202 C180 started making the most awful noise when trying to start, Solenoid clicking rapidly and also a metallic "Clanging " but it would start... eventually. Picked up a secondhand starter and had it put in by my local indie. A couple of clicks but then started fine. Started fine six times in fact, but then started the same trick again. Picked up and had fitted another secondhand starter. That one has worked fine for about four days and is now making the same noise.:crazy:
Funny thing is, the car does start and runs perfectly. I have had the battery checked by a professional and myself and it is holding around 12.4 - 12.6 volts. (When running it's reading 14.2v.) Could somebody please throw some light on this before it drives me insane.:confused:
Also, the car is a 1998 C180 Esprit Auto with Air Conditioning. Is there any way of removing the starter without having to get under the car
Many thanks in advance.
 
Very much doubt if you could remove the starter from above but then again I do not know the anatomy of the car. Bad battery results in the click and then no cranking, unfortunately, it sounds like worn ring gear which would give the results that you describe, very sorry and hope that I am wrong. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the reply Tinkerer.
The ring gear is what my indie suggested, just can't get my head around it. Wouldn't worn ring gear cause it to happen all the time? As I said, putting another starter in seems to cure it for a while. Would it be worth putting a reconditioned starter in as opposed to a secondhand one? I hate to think what it's going to cost to replace the ring gear.:eek:
 
The broken ring gear will probably damage any starter pinion you fit after a short space of time which sounds like what is happening here.Sometimes you can renew the starter pinion gear and associated components without replacing the entire starter. Best to take the starter off and inspect the ring gear- you may have to use an inspection mirror. This should let you know for definite before the expense of removing the gearbox/ fly wheel. :(
 
Thanks for that Grober, I didn't think of using an inspection mirror.
See.... I'm still learning :)
As soon as this weather allows it I'll have a go. I've found a flywheel/ring gear on ebay for £40, just gotta get someone to fit it. My local indie won't touch it. :doh:
 
The ring gear can sometimes get damaged in just one place which is why the problem can be intermittent, so if you are going to inspect it make sure you can turn the engine over slowly while doing it. ie take the plugs out.
 
Hi Tinkerer,
Just got back from town where the car still made it's rapid clicking noise but started first time.:confused: However, when we left at 8.30 this morning it took three attempts to get her started. Rapid clicking, starter cutting out, but when she finally caught, as she fired up I could hear the starter ring gear catching the starter:crazy:. So I'm still not convinced it is the ring gear.
What do you think?
 
I'd take another look at the battery. Although the voltages seem fine they could dropping under load (as the starter starts to spin) to a point where the solenoid is no longer held in and the starter jumps out of mesh. Quite common if your battery is on its last legs.
 
Thanks for that 300E.
It's funny, but none of this started until after a coil pack went in the pouring rain, in the middle of a dual carriageway and I had to keep starting the car to get it off the road. It wouldn't run for more than a few seconds on two cylinders, so it involved a lot of starting and stopping. Fitted a new coil pack the next day, started first time and everything seemed fine for about 4 days, then all this started.
One question..... the two end cells in my battery seem to be about 1/2 inch lower than the other four. Is this right or should they all be the same level?
 
forget the voltage in your battery,it's the amps that do the work,if the amperage is more than 30percent depleted replace. But it does sound mechanical though.good luck
 
Check both the +ve and -ve connections to the starter. If the voltage is falling then the starter will struggle to operate and the solenoid will click rapidly.
 
Thanks guys, that's a great help. I'll check that in the morning and get back to you. I'm really hoping it's not the ring gear.
 
Hi again people.
I have no way of checking the CCA of my battery so here is what I did.
I have an old battery that came out of my '96 Laguna that has 300 CCA. I put a charge in it and connected to the Merc battery via jump leads.
Turned the key, starter clicked VERY RAPIDLY, (about twice the speed it has been) for about 1 1/2 seconds then went dead. Turned key again, starter clicked VERY RAPIDLY for about 1 1/2 seconds and engine fired into life.
So I'm still left with the dilemma, Battery or Starter Motor:confused:. Or Both:eek:.
I wouldn't normally worry but a half decent battery is going to cost me between £80 and £100, and a new starter is around £110. It just seems a lot of money to throw around if it's not the problem.
 
WHILE £80-100 is quite a tidy sum on today's electronic biased cars a battery in tip top condition is never a waste of money IMHO. By buying a new battery- even if its not required- you will derive benefit for the next 3-5 years even that wasn't the problem Make sure you get the heaviest duty one that will fit. That said it does still sound like a starter/ ring gear problem. Only solution is to remove the starter and inspect the starter pinion and ring gear round the complete circumference of the flywheel. That's the only way to track down the problem.
 
Will do Grober. I'll rip out the starter tomorrow and let you know what I find.
 
By the way I assume you have checked the engine earthing strap is OK and making good contact with the chassis?
 
I have checked them and they appear to be alright, not frayed or loose or anything like that but I haven't taken them off and cleaned them yet, I haven't cleaned the wires that run from the starter to the footwell yet either, could that be the problem?
 
Those may be something to do with the immobiliser- not sure. The fact you are getting a "malfunction" rather than " nothing "would indicate that its not an immobiliser problem.
 
Definately not immobiliser, as I said, she runs like a dream. It's starting her is the nightmare. Ha Ha.
 
Well Guys. Got the starter out and this is what we have,

Picture072.jpg
Picture075.jpg


Used an inspection mirror whilst turning engine by hand very slowly and cannot see any signs of damage or wear on the starter ring gear. :confused:
 

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