Would appreciate some help on this issue: My 244DL started right up two weeks ago, then I drove it briefly (less than 1 mile). When I tried to start it again, it wouldn't start. It turned over, but wouldn't "engage". I went to the car the next day, and it started, albeit with some difficulty. I took it to my mechanic, who kept it for the day, and tried starting it repeatedly without problems. He let it run briefly, for some time, etc, all permutations, and wasn't sure what it was, other than possibly I had flooded the engine before with a poor starting method (the car is new to me, and I am used to a carburated engine). No problems for two weeks, I took the car on a 500 mile trip, no problems with starting at all again. Then tonight, I started it, ran it briefly for less than a mile, and when I tried to restart it, same issue, car wouldn't start, but cranked fine. I checked all the fuses mentioned in the owner's manual, checked the wires to the coil and distributor to make sure they were tight, jiggled the electrical connection to the device that is connected to the air cleaner (the air mass meter?), and tried again without luck. I'll try again in the AM, but I'm baffled. It hasn't been tuned since I've had the car (since April), but has been running fine when it's going. Mileage has seemed within the normal range, no other apparent problems. Help!

Thanks,

Eric V.
Chicago

Besides what the other writers have suggested (good suspects) give those fuses and the fuses holders a good cleaning. I lightly sand the fuse holders and fuses, bend the fuse holders to make them hold tighter, and lightly coat with silicone grease to reduce future corrosion. Since I've started doing this three 240s ago, the fuses have not been a problem. I've also had to replace/resolder that fuel relay.

Thanks to all, I cleaned some corrosion around the 25 amp fuse under the hood by the fender, and it started right up! I couldn't seem to get the fuse out, but simple cleaning some gunk around the wires entering the fuse did the trick. Thanks.

Eric
Check the fuel pump relay located on the firewall in front of the passenger seat. Tap on the relay and see if it starts if not you can re solder the relay or replace it if it's bad. Dan

Also check the 25 amp fuse just aft of the battery, follow the smaller red wire about a foot to the fuse. Clean and/or replace, it stumped me for a day.
Good pluck.