1982 240DL dies occasionally????

Martin Dombroski · Post by **Martin Dombroski** » 21 Mar 2003, 13:28

My 82' 240 has the bad habit of totally and unexpectedly dying..This happens at anytime, unaffected by weather,fuel,car temp (hot or cold),sometimes at idle or slow down, sometimes on the highway, sometimes at warm up. When it does happen it feels like the car is running out of fuel and then dies. Car will turn over but won't start for several minutes. Fuel pump was very noisey and was replaced along with wires at the site checked and cleaned. The problem is intermitent and difficult to trouble shoot when it happens. When it happens it resurrects itself too quickly to trouble shoot it...Any ideas????????

Martin NH USA

PGFaini · Post by **PGFaini** » 21 Mar 2003, 14:17

This may be a long shot, but I had the same thing happen to me many years ago, in my "Detroit Iron". It turned out to be a heavy film of "varnish" in the fuel tank, which occasionally, flapping around, covered the fuel outlet screen. The suction holds it fast, untill the engine quits, and the vacuum in the line subsides, alowing it to fall away. I believe this usually happens when a car has been in mothballs long enough for the fuel to evaporate, but this wasn't the case with mine. Just some bad gas, I guess.

arete · Post by **arete** » 24 Mar 2003, 10:38

Are you saying now that your fuel pumps are quiet, smooth and no cut-out/missing like it is going to die?