Titivating my Mercedes 124
Discussion
Another 1,000 miles in 36 hours. Damned air con needs regassing. Not the sort of thing you notice in Northumberland in Aprill but it's pretty obvious stuck in stationary traffic on the Périphérique at 26.5 deg C. I shall waste a day of holiday looking for the Frenchie equivalent of Baister.
Edited by r129sl on Sunday 12th April 18:40
Needless to say, the air con has a leak. Still, it was worth a try and the (excellent) Frog garage refused to charge because they were out of green dye and so could not say where the leak is. I was there with my boys single-handed. While waiting, my youngest overwhelmed the capacity of his nappy by a factor of about ten. By the end of my feeble clean up efforts, we were all covered in it. Hey ho.
The first pic looks old because I stuck an iPad filter on it, either instant or processed, I don't recall. It is taken outside the Hotel de France in La Chartre-sir-le Loir, a small town south of Le Mans which, like most small French towns, puts the UK to shame in so many ways. On or near that square were two patisseries, a butchers, a fishmongers, several homeware shops and a clothes store. All independent, all chock full of good stuff. The Hotel de France was excellent, utterly excellent, and only 95€ for a night in an immaculate and stylish two-roomed suite. Check it out, it has a huge motor sports heritage. Here's the hotel transport and a link to the website.
http://www.lhoteldefrance.fr
The first pic looks old because I stuck an iPad filter on it, either instant or processed, I don't recall. It is taken outside the Hotel de France in La Chartre-sir-le Loir, a small town south of Le Mans which, like most small French towns, puts the UK to shame in so many ways. On or near that square were two patisseries, a butchers, a fishmongers, several homeware shops and a clothes store. All independent, all chock full of good stuff. The Hotel de France was excellent, utterly excellent, and only 95€ for a night in an immaculate and stylish two-roomed suite. Check it out, it has a huge motor sports heritage. Here's the hotel transport and a link to the website.
http://www.lhoteldefrance.fr
Edited by r129sl on Monday 13th April 18:10
Edited by r129sl on Monday 13th April 18:12
MOT passed yesterday with no advisories, the tester being pleasingly incredulous at the mileage. That has increased by over 28,000 since the last test almost exactly a year ago.
And the air con failure is down to a burst in the cheap condenser fitted by Baister. So not so cheap when it has to be thrown away after a year. I managed to source a genuine NOS item for £163 delivered, a pleasing saving on the dealer price of £340. Hopefully that will be fitted during the course of the next week or so.
It is running really sweetly, though I may replace the front lower control arms, the starter motor and the air con compressor, those being the only significant parts I can think of that haven't been replaced in my three years of ownership.
And the air con failure is down to a burst in the cheap condenser fitted by Baister. So not so cheap when it has to be thrown away after a year. I managed to source a genuine NOS item for £163 delivered, a pleasing saving on the dealer price of £340. Hopefully that will be fitted during the course of the next week or so.
It is running really sweetly, though I may replace the front lower control arms, the starter motor and the air con compressor, those being the only significant parts I can think of that haven't been replaced in my three years of ownership.
Mileage is 306,000 exactly.
I remember the London attempted bombing car. It's probably still in a police compound somewhere. It made me think of the VW Polo ad:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HnL-7x4n4d8
I remember the London attempted bombing car. It's probably still in a police compound somewhere. It made me think of the VW Polo ad:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HnL-7x4n4d8
Actually, the OM606 is a very fine engine indeed. It is smooth, efficient, strong and reliable. They last forever. I had it to bits for a timing chain and rails at about 260,000miles and it was unworn at the top and bottom. Were it to let me down, however, I have promised myself a turbo-charged OM606 together with a 722.6 five speed automatic transmission from a later w210 from www.dieselpumpuk.com . Nothing silly, just standard tune.
My four year old and I changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel pre-filter and the antenna mast this morning, all Merc parts. I bought 20 litres of 10w 40 semi-synthetic oil for £30 at Euro Car Parts the other day and had 2 litres already in stock (the car takes 7), so the whole business cost less than £50 and £20 of that was the antenna. The boy was genuinely helpful, holding stuff and passing tools. It was last serviced less than two months ago but it has done 5,000miles since then. We've got some heavy driving coming up so I thought I'd better see to it.
Same story this week. Engine oil and filter, fuel filter, air filter. Cost, about £25. Time, about 15minutes. I also swapped summer wheels for winters today. Some of the summers have been curbed but the winters are in pretty awful shape and, I suspect, won't hold pressure without the rims being cleaned up. We'll see. I can't think it has needed any expenditure since the last service 6,000miles ago. Fuel consumption hovers at 31mpg.
I had to put a new brake master cylinder on this car this morning. Cost £144 inc VAT, fitted. The pedal was losing pressure after a few minutes' driving. It was quite disconcerting. No loss of fluid. Anyway, the brakes feel a million times better. I then drove it to Manchester and back, taking the mileage to precisely 324,000 by the time I pulled into my yard. It's a great car. Still.
Four new wheels arrived today from Mercedes-Benz of Oxford (www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk). These were £105.53 each including VAT and shipping. Which I think is a pretty good deal. Bizarrely, they are no longer listing them. The best my local dealer could do was £125 each.
In other news, I replaced the front anti-roll bar bushes and one of the brackets yesterday. No bill yet, but shouldn't be too much. I think sleeping policemen really do in these bushes.
In other news, I replaced the front anti-roll bar bushes and one of the brackets yesterday. No bill yet, but shouldn't be too much. I think sleeping policemen really do in these bushes.
The existing ones (the winters) are really tatty. With a refurb costing at least £300 and being a bit of a faff, I looked at new. I've done a deal to sell these old ones for £150. And I recoup the VAT on the new ones, so they end up costing £170.
Edited by r129sl on Thursday 25th February 22:58
My Hirschmann antenna has been giving me a bit of gyp lately. For a while it remained in the up position, whether car or wireless was switched on or not. Then it started working again. Then it stayed in the down position. Anyway, it turns out that there is a little control box on top of the antenna unit. I replaced this today (disconnect wire, pull off old one by sliding towards the front of the car; connect wire, push on new one, very easy) and now it works fine. I recite this incredibly tedious tale just in case one day somebody with a w124 or a Hirschmann antenna has the same problem and googles it.
Here is the part. Cost £30 from the always excellent man at Car Masts UK. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360389063946?_trksid=p20...
I also gave the car a quick oil, oil filter and fuel filter change the other day. Usual sub-£30, sub-15minute cost. Current mileage is 326,500.
Here is the part. Cost £30 from the always excellent man at Car Masts UK. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360389063946?_trksid=p20...
I also gave the car a quick oil, oil filter and fuel filter change the other day. Usual sub-£30, sub-15minute cost. Current mileage is 326,500.
Two pics from my current Alpine trip. The car's doing well albeit I don't want to tempt fate. It was a pleasure to run it up the French side of the Col du Petit St Bernard today, even if it is somewhat under endowed. Testament to the engine's smoothness was my failure to notice once we were on the flat that it was still locked in third.
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