Weird issue with '88 245DL
The other night my 245DL stalled as I was making a sharp right turn into a parking lot. The engine stopped and all the dash lights came on. I was going fairly fast (20MPH or so) and there was a big bump in the road from where construction was taking place so I'm not sure if that might have jostled something and caused it. Immediately, I tried to restart it but it just cranked and never fired. I waited about 5 minutes and tried again and it started right up and ran like normal.
I thought maybe the battery was loose and shorted against the hood or something when I hit the bump, but it doesn't seem like it is loose enough for that to happen, but I secured it with a bungee just to be safe.
Has anyone else encountered such a thing before? Any ideas what might be going on?
UPDATE: I was able to replicate the same thing tonight by taking a fast right turn, exact same thing happened. It only seems to happen on right-hand turns so far.
Posted Sep 21, 2015, 7:59 PM UTC
What was your fuel level at? It might be your in tank fuel pump if it's relatively low.
Just saw this comment after posting mine. Haha
The fuel gauge is less than 1/4 tank but above the red line. Is that low enough to cause fuel starvation? Would that also explain the delay before being able to restart the car?
Absolutely. If your fuel pump sucks air, it'll take a minute or two to get enough fuel into the lines to start your car again. Try putting about a half tank into your car and making a hard right again. If it doesn't stall, you'll know that was your problem.
I filled it up a little over half a tank and then went to a parking lot and held an impromptu autocross session to try my hardest to replicate the issue and it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore. So, we may have found the culprit.
That being said, does this indicate that I might need a new pre-pump or a new main pump or both?
Well, it could mean that you need a new pre pump. It could also mean that you were a little lower than your gauge indicated. When you turn the key into the second position, before you start the car, try to see if you can hear the whine of the pump. If it sounds strained, or ridiculously loud, you might need to replace the pump.