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Ignition-killing dampness; Running woes
Topic Started: Thu May 10, 2012 8:17 pm (625 Views)
mercrocker
Newbie
[ * ]
Despite new MB genuine plug leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm my 1.8 is still getting condensation inside the cap. Today I nearly got rear-ended by that other German make as it fluffed away from the lights and would not pick up without putting the box in low... I have tried GT85 applied on a nice dry day (must have been a while back...) but today there was definite dampness in there - how come? Is there any use in putting some kind of RTV around the top rim of the dizzy before screwing the cap back on or is there some way moisture will find its way in through the dizzy itself? This really is the first kind of running problem I have had with the car so I suppose I can't complain..
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JustbeCoz
Part of things
[ *  * ]
me has a theory the moisture comes up from the engine via the dizzy driveshaft seal. even if you completely sealed the cap the air inside would heat up and pressurise/expand so it would tend to purge down into the crankcase when heating up and suck back moist air as it contracted and cooled down. worth changing oil if not recently done and making sure engine rockerbox breather is clear. check below round plastic cap below rotor arm for oil/water and clean.
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mercrocker
Newbie
[ * ]
Thanks for the info, JC I figured it must come in some internally...Is the drive seal just an O ring? I will try the rockerbox breather too. It only happens in damp weather - not necessary heavy rain and is worse when car has stood for a few days. The problem goes away once the oil, rather than just the coolant, is warmed up.
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mercrocker
Newbie
[ * ]
It happened again today! After not using Merc for a few days (leaving it out in the rain) it would not start.....Our local Mercedes specialist (highly recommended Pentangle, by the way) could not replicate the fault whilst they had the car for a suspension overhaul. Nor could they offer any likely cause other than the usual lead/cap/terminal suggestion all of which have been replaced with MB parts. AA Patrol arrived really quickly given the 5pm heavy rain combination and immediately suggested binning the black plastic shroud around the dizzy cap. Nothing to lose, so off it came, and after a wipe of the outside of the cap she fired straight up and ran like a sewing machine. Blasted thing was trapping moisture it would seem....Got one on my VW T25 as well so thats coming straight off in the morning, too....Apparently they were only fitted for radio suppression.
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THORP
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Part of things
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Ill try this in the morning, as iv replaced all my leads, spark plugs, dizzy, rotor arm and still runs like a pig on first start up until warms up abit. As you say worth a try :) jay
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stwat
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You know what, I think I am going to do the same. Mine was running like a bag of nails today after it had been sat a few days in the on and off downpours. It sounded like it was only running on 5 on the idle.

It took a while to start too.

Off with the pesky black suppression cover it is !
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PARI
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Addicted
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I think kenny's 3.0 suffers from this problem and changes caps every 6 months. He has the black shroud over his cap
My 2.6 I havent changed the cap or rotor in 3 years, never had any problems wet or dry and mine does not have the black shroud over the cap
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OneNineTee
BANNED
[ *  * ]
I have had the black shroud on Two of my 1.8s, I got through a Dizzy Cap a year on average?? INTERESTING!
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kentronix
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I'm only really here for the Kitchens

I would be amazed if the cap on a 2.6 is for supression. Its thin plastic, that wouldnt supress anything. I do have a similar problem though which i havent solved yet. Although the 2.6 is a very different set up. I sealed the ouside edges with grease and it still got damp so i started thinking it was coming from the seal too.. now i just consider it a bi-annual tax. The dizzy tax.
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JustbeCoz
Part of things
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Black cap is for suppression and is made out of conductive plastic ( graphite impregnated ? ) Ideal thing to help a bad lead end short to earth.
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kentronix
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I'm only really here for the Kitchens

Well I learnt something new today !!!

Yeah so if its conductive it seems pretty silly to have it on at all. Moisture around a connection and its asking to short to ground.
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