Hi. My 89 240 GL has been plagued by frequently not starting up right away. On the first attempt in the morning or after the vehicle has been sitting for awhile, it starts right up, but if the car has been shut off for a short period of time (a couple mins, like say, at the gas station) it takes several attempts to start it up. I have checked the fuel pump relay and the fuel pump relay fuse behind the battery. Both are fine. Lately, when I turn the key to shut the engine light off, the battery light illuminates, which gives me the impression that perhaps either the battery of the alternator is going.

Secondly, today, on my way to work, I stopped at the bottom of my hill, idling for only 30 seconds at the most. As I pull out into the road, the car died and I just barely made it across to a parking spot on the other side. After about 2 mins and 3 attempts to start the car, it finally started, and the CHECK ENGINE light was illuminated on the dash. About an hour later I drove the car, and the CHECK ENGINE light was still illuminated. I stopped the car and was frustrated by it not starting immediately, and after another 2 mins I returned to work. When I left work about 20 mins later, the car started right up and the CHECK ENGINE light was no longer on.

Any ideas as to what the problem could be or what I should check to see if the alternator is going, or what else might be causing the vehicle to not start? Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.