I am currently writing a diagnostic guide on how to troubleshoot and repair all the reasons why the 103 engine can quit on you. This 6 cylinder single cam gas engine was installed in the 190E 2.6, 300E, 300TE and 300CE. This guide will cover issues such as not starting at all, quitting cold, starting and then quitting, quitting slowly and just plain quitting whenever it feels like.
Don't get me wrong. This is a good engine, but I have seen some strange things in the years I have been around it, including the last time my own 300CE quit on the freeway just after passing a State Patrol car. The woman state patrol officer actually drove me to the auto parts store to get what I needed to fix the problem (How is that for service and a happy ending!)
I would like to use this forum to have input from our readers. Please feel free to jump in here and post your experiences and solutions with the 103 engine. Helpful tips will be included in my new manual.
Kent Bergsma