Mercedes W124 E300D estate - progress, or not...
Discussion
Right then.
I'll get the 'two steps back' out of the way first: my propshaft bearing has shown up, and I've ordered the wrong part. Febi FE8539 seems to be the bearing carrier, rather than the whole thing. Back to the drawing board (and none too soon, and I suspect its recent inspection has caused it to start whining).
Anyway, the car has been dropped off with Sileck in sunny New Romney...
I had a good chat with the main man (Simon?) and, 120ish looms created for W124s later, they have a good handle on what they're doing! They're going to carefully remove the loom, disassemble the connectors, bin the wiring and build everything back up. I've seen a rebuilt loom and it looks brand new and factory, so I'm looking forward to having it on the car. They'll have a go of the glow plugs while they're at it.
The only fly in the ointment is that they'll need a replacement glow plug connector from me as they have no stock, so the job will reach a point of hiatus until I get the other secondhand loom to them, once it arrives from Lithuania. I have a line on another, and I'm tempted to grab it to give me spares... but it's more cost.
Sileck are currently working on an ex-works rally Focus, which is more their regular line of work and is looking serious:
Subject to connector supply, I'm hoping to collect the car again next weekend. The trip home is conventional albeit long - likely to take ~6 hours - but hopefully I can align the stars on the way back to take a more historic method of transport:
While the car is away, I've got the under-headlamp panels to sort out: stone chips need levelling out, then sprayed up ready for refitting in a couple of weeks. I managed to screw up the filler primer last night, when both panels fell face-down onto the newspaper underneath, so more sanding & spraying for little old me.
I'll get the 'two steps back' out of the way first: my propshaft bearing has shown up, and I've ordered the wrong part. Febi FE8539 seems to be the bearing carrier, rather than the whole thing. Back to the drawing board (and none too soon, and I suspect its recent inspection has caused it to start whining).
Anyway, the car has been dropped off with Sileck in sunny New Romney...
I had a good chat with the main man (Simon?) and, 120ish looms created for W124s later, they have a good handle on what they're doing! They're going to carefully remove the loom, disassemble the connectors, bin the wiring and build everything back up. I've seen a rebuilt loom and it looks brand new and factory, so I'm looking forward to having it on the car. They'll have a go of the glow plugs while they're at it.
The only fly in the ointment is that they'll need a replacement glow plug connector from me as they have no stock, so the job will reach a point of hiatus until I get the other secondhand loom to them, once it arrives from Lithuania. I have a line on another, and I'm tempted to grab it to give me spares... but it's more cost.
Sileck are currently working on an ex-works rally Focus, which is more their regular line of work and is looking serious:
Subject to connector supply, I'm hoping to collect the car again next weekend. The trip home is conventional albeit long - likely to take ~6 hours - but hopefully I can align the stars on the way back to take a more historic method of transport:
While the car is away, I've got the under-headlamp panels to sort out: stone chips need levelling out, then sprayed up ready for refitting in a couple of weeks. I managed to screw up the filler primer last night, when both panels fell face-down onto the newspaper underneath, so more sanding & spraying for little old me.
Edited by Northbrook on Friday 20th September 18:02
With very little to do on the 4 hours home so far, I've ordered the other available glow plug loom on the market. That's mostly to enable my loom to be repaired efficiently (because at least the plastic part of the connector is NLA).
As a matter of interest, does anyone know whether 3D sensing & printing could make replacement plastic housings? I wonder whether there's a business opportunity there for someone with the right gear, and it would give us enthusiasts a supply of currently NLA connectors.
As a matter of interest, does anyone know whether 3D sensing & printing could make replacement plastic housings? I wonder whether there's a business opportunity there for someone with the right gear, and it would give us enthusiasts a supply of currently NLA connectors.
Off to collect the car on Wednesday - another 8 hours of travelling for ~180 miles, and undoubtedly filthy weather to boot.
I had a chat with Simon of Sileck this afternoon: loom is done, and most definitely needed doing. He's been having a look at the glow plugs, including working with a blow torch - 3, 5 & 6 are fine and haven't been touched; 1 & 2 are open circuit and won't budge beyond minimal turning before they bind up and, given his line of work, Simon doesn't want to risk breaking them off (completely fair enough with me). #4, in addition to being the one with the odd motion implying it's seized & sheered, is also the culprit of the fried relay.
So, all will be connected to the new loom except #4, which is still sealing, and the car apparently starts on the three working plugs (which is itself a vast improvement on not starting at all without a sniff of aerosol). I'll need to get my Man to get His Man to give the plugs a jolly good seeing to, because I do want the car to be working fairly well by the time winter hits.
More expense, but not entirely unexpected expense, and at least the loom will be sorted (and sounds like it was quite overdue).
What else?
Well, the scooter I was selling to part-fund these shenanigans failed its MOT on the rear tyre, so that's been done and I'll be collecting in the morning (before I then dash off to Luton for work), putting it through a retest in the next few days.
And I've ordered a tyre (Kuhmo Ecowing ES31, I believe) to go on one of my 15-hole spare alloys, so I don't have to carry a bunch of dubious rusty steel-wheel bolts with me. Decent deal on the tyre via BlackCircles - £47 fitted with free brake, winter & tracking checks to boot, thanks to a 10% deal today.
So: bike collection tomorrow, working in Luton & Bracknell, trip to New Romney on Wednesday, book an IoW trip starting next Monday, bike MOT before the weekend, New Forest on Saturday, and arguing with people (it's my job) in between.
Whew.
I had a chat with Simon of Sileck this afternoon: loom is done, and most definitely needed doing. He's been having a look at the glow plugs, including working with a blow torch - 3, 5 & 6 are fine and haven't been touched; 1 & 2 are open circuit and won't budge beyond minimal turning before they bind up and, given his line of work, Simon doesn't want to risk breaking them off (completely fair enough with me). #4, in addition to being the one with the odd motion implying it's seized & sheered, is also the culprit of the fried relay.
So, all will be connected to the new loom except #4, which is still sealing, and the car apparently starts on the three working plugs (which is itself a vast improvement on not starting at all without a sniff of aerosol). I'll need to get my Man to get His Man to give the plugs a jolly good seeing to, because I do want the car to be working fairly well by the time winter hits.
More expense, but not entirely unexpected expense, and at least the loom will be sorted (and sounds like it was quite overdue).
What else?
Well, the scooter I was selling to part-fund these shenanigans failed its MOT on the rear tyre, so that's been done and I'll be collecting in the morning (before I then dash off to Luton for work), putting it through a retest in the next few days.
And I've ordered a tyre (Kuhmo Ecowing ES31, I believe) to go on one of my 15-hole spare alloys, so I don't have to carry a bunch of dubious rusty steel-wheel bolts with me. Decent deal on the tyre via BlackCircles - £47 fitted with free brake, winter & tracking checks to boot, thanks to a 10% deal today.
So: bike collection tomorrow, working in Luton & Bracknell, trip to New Romney on Wednesday, book an IoW trip starting next Monday, bike MOT before the weekend, New Forest on Saturday, and arguing with people (it's my job) in between.
Whew.
Off to collect the car on Wednesday - another 8 hours of travelling for ~180 miles, and undoubtedly filthy weather to boot.
I had a chat with Simon of Sileck this afternoon: loom is done, and most definitely needed doing. He's been having a look at the glow plugs, including working with a blow torch - 3, 5 & 6 are fine and haven't been touched; 1 & 2 are open circuit and won't budge beyond minimal turning before they bind up and, given his line of work, Simon doesn't want to risk breaking them off (completely fair enough with me). #4, in addition to being the one with the odd motion implying it's seized & sheered, is also the culprit of the fried relay.
So, all will be connected to the new loom except #4, which is still sealing, and the car apparently starts on the three working plugs (which is itself a vast improvement on not starting at all without a sniff of aerosol). I'll need to get my Man to get His Man to give the plugs a jolly good seeing to, because I do want the car to be working fairly well by the time winter hits.
More expense, but not entirely unexpected expense, and at least the loom will be sorted (and sounds like it was quite overdue).
What else?
Well, the scooter I was selling to part-fund these shenanigans failed its MOT on the rear tyre, so that's been done and I'll be collecting in the morning (before I then dash off to Luton for work), putting it through a retest in the next few days.
And I've ordered a tyre (Kuhmo Ecowing ES31, I believe) to go on one of my 15-hole spare alloys, so I don't have to carry a bunch of dubious rusty steel-wheel bolts with me. Decent deal on the tyre via BlackCircles - £47 fitted with free brake, winter & tracking checks to boot, thanks to a 10% deal today.
So: bike collection tomorrow, working in Luton & Bracknell, trip to New Romney on Wednesday, book an IoW trip starting next Monday, bike MOT before the weekend, New Forest on Saturday, and arguing with people (it's my job) in between.
Whew.
I had a chat with Simon of Sileck this afternoon: loom is done, and most definitely needed doing. He's been having a look at the glow plugs, including working with a blow torch - 3, 5 & 6 are fine and haven't been touched; 1 & 2 are open circuit and won't budge beyond minimal turning before they bind up and, given his line of work, Simon doesn't want to risk breaking them off (completely fair enough with me). #4, in addition to being the one with the odd motion implying it's seized & sheered, is also the culprit of the fried relay.
So, all will be connected to the new loom except #4, which is still sealing, and the car apparently starts on the three working plugs (which is itself a vast improvement on not starting at all without a sniff of aerosol). I'll need to get my Man to get His Man to give the plugs a jolly good seeing to, because I do want the car to be working fairly well by the time winter hits.
More expense, but not entirely unexpected expense, and at least the loom will be sorted (and sounds like it was quite overdue).
What else?
Well, the scooter I was selling to part-fund these shenanigans failed its MOT on the rear tyre, so that's been done and I'll be collecting in the morning (before I then dash off to Luton for work), putting it through a retest in the next few days.
And I've ordered a tyre (Kuhmo Ecowing ES31, I believe) to go on one of my 15-hole spare alloys, so I don't have to carry a bunch of dubious rusty steel-wheel bolts with me. Decent deal on the tyre via BlackCircles - £47 fitted with free brake, winter & tracking checks to boot, thanks to a 10% deal today.
So: bike collection tomorrow, working in Luton & Bracknell, trip to New Romney on Wednesday, book an IoW trip starting next Monday, bike MOT before the weekend, New Forest on Saturday, and arguing with people (it's my job) in between.
Whew.
Some progress! Kinda.
Sileck were very good, and I'd recommend them to anyone - Simon & Alan removed the loom from my car (which, in itself, is a fairly involved thing), worked with the loom's connectors along with the other two glow plug harnesses I sent over, and made a good one from the best bits. Plenty of connectors left over, which I donated to Sileck for the cause of keeping other diesels on the road.
They also had a very good go of the glow plugs while the IM was off - 1 & 2 are open circuit, 4 was short circuit so caused the relay to fry (and is the one which is partially sheared, but still sealed into the head), while 3, 5 & 6 are working. They tried their best to remove the first two without luck and didn't want to push too far; 4 they didn't touch per my instructions, and it made little sense to risk the other three. So the car has three working plugs, two connected but not working, and one disconnected so it doesn't blow the new relay.
Car now starts instantly in this colder weather, albeit on a few cylinders so smoky and missing for a little while, but then runs like a champ as always. Simon commented on the quality of the engine, which is better than an 80k example he's recently had in (mine turned 315k on the way home).
All in all, Sileck did a lovely job on the car, and Simon refused to charge me for glow plug labour despite clearly putting some hours into it. Total bill for supply & fit of the loom was £444 inc VAT, which I thought was reasonable considering the work that's gone into it. He also cleaned out the IM flaps while it was off.
We then chatted about various other bits and bobs, including the partially-decommissioned alarm system in the car (horn under the bonnet, LED in the dash, little else), bonnet support rubber missing from the driver's side causing some wobbling at speed.
That was Wednesday. Today I took the car to ATS for a BlackCircles-organised tyre to a spare alloy, winter check and alignment check. The wheel was buckled but not excessively so the tyre went on and was balanced (it'll just be a spare, but Sod's Law the other one I have will be straighter), alignment on the front was consistently out both sides (three ish degrees), everything else they checked was okay. ATS in Bracknell was helpful, and the FOH guy had his E30 325i convertible there today.
Car is booked for a trip to the Isle of Wight from Monday, and a run to Peterborough and back the following week. I'm looking forward to both trips.
Then I need to organise the glow plug work. That won't be pretty.
Sileck were very good, and I'd recommend them to anyone - Simon & Alan removed the loom from my car (which, in itself, is a fairly involved thing), worked with the loom's connectors along with the other two glow plug harnesses I sent over, and made a good one from the best bits. Plenty of connectors left over, which I donated to Sileck for the cause of keeping other diesels on the road.
They also had a very good go of the glow plugs while the IM was off - 1 & 2 are open circuit, 4 was short circuit so caused the relay to fry (and is the one which is partially sheared, but still sealed into the head), while 3, 5 & 6 are working. They tried their best to remove the first two without luck and didn't want to push too far; 4 they didn't touch per my instructions, and it made little sense to risk the other three. So the car has three working plugs, two connected but not working, and one disconnected so it doesn't blow the new relay.
Car now starts instantly in this colder weather, albeit on a few cylinders so smoky and missing for a little while, but then runs like a champ as always. Simon commented on the quality of the engine, which is better than an 80k example he's recently had in (mine turned 315k on the way home).
All in all, Sileck did a lovely job on the car, and Simon refused to charge me for glow plug labour despite clearly putting some hours into it. Total bill for supply & fit of the loom was £444 inc VAT, which I thought was reasonable considering the work that's gone into it. He also cleaned out the IM flaps while it was off.
We then chatted about various other bits and bobs, including the partially-decommissioned alarm system in the car (horn under the bonnet, LED in the dash, little else), bonnet support rubber missing from the driver's side causing some wobbling at speed.
That was Wednesday. Today I took the car to ATS for a BlackCircles-organised tyre to a spare alloy, winter check and alignment check. The wheel was buckled but not excessively so the tyre went on and was balanced (it'll just be a spare, but Sod's Law the other one I have will be straighter), alignment on the front was consistently out both sides (three ish degrees), everything else they checked was okay. ATS in Bracknell was helpful, and the FOH guy had his E30 325i convertible there today.
Car is booked for a trip to the Isle of Wight from Monday, and a run to Peterborough and back the following week. I'm looking forward to both trips.
Then I need to organise the glow plug work. That won't be pretty.
Have a look at this for some glowplug removal techniques:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9AO_cDdwS8
In fact the whole channel is particularly inspirational for S124 diesel fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9AO_cDdwS8
In fact the whole channel is particularly inspirational for S124 diesel fun.
Thankfully not! The car is currently doing sterling service on holiday (by the sea, so dissolving further with every passing second). Morning starting & running isn't flawless, but good enough for now.
The only problem I'm having - and this is only since the wiring work was done, although I'm not saying it's connected - is the oil warning light on the dash, which comes on for a couple of miles a few mins into each day's first journey. Level is fine (checked by ATS last week, checked by me on Tuesday) and it's been mildly topped up while away, so I don't know what's going on with that.
The only problem I'm having - and this is only since the wiring work was done, although I'm not saying it's connected - is the oil warning light on the dash, which comes on for a couple of miles a few mins into each day's first journey. Level is fine (checked by ATS last week, checked by me on Tuesday) and it's been mildly topped up while away, so I don't know what's going on with that.
Northbrook said:
Thankfully not! The car is currently doing sterling service on holiday (by the sea, so dissolving further with every passing second). Morning starting & running isn't flawless, but good enough for now.
The only problem I'm having - and this is only since the wiring work was done, although I'm not saying it's connected - is the oil warning light on the dash, which comes on for a couple of miles a few mins into each day's first journey. Level is fine (checked by ATS last week, checked by me on Tuesday) and it's been mildly topped up while away, so I don't know what's going on with that.
Good, maybe I was reading too much into the photo !The only problem I'm having - and this is only since the wiring work was done, although I'm not saying it's connected - is the oil warning light on the dash, which comes on for a couple of miles a few mins into each day's first journey. Level is fine (checked by ATS last week, checked by me on Tuesday) and it's been mildly topped up while away, so I don't know what's going on with that.
Serendipity.
Not just a game-winning Scrabble word.
Having had the bonnet open while away on holiday to check the oil level (not sure what's got into the warning light's head: level is fine), I noted that the bonnet insulation pad was once again hanging down, and about a third at least isn't attached to anything bonnet-shaped. This led me to looking at replacement pads (Febi, £35ish) and to the replacement piece of I-know-not-what on the leading edge of the underside of the bonnet, which my car has supplanted with a pitiful fragment of what appears to be burned marshmallow.
This fiddly closing piece looks to be semi-unobtanium, and is perhaps different across engine models (or is it AC vs not?) but is NLA for my car, as far as I can tell.
All of which is the long way to say that, the day after I set up an eBay search for the part number (1246820526, factophiles), a NOS one came up. It's now all mine, and will soon be winging its way from sunny Latvia.
I have no idea how to attach it.
I'll be grabbing a bonnet pad fairly soon, along with some appropriate glue and Silent Coat, and getting to work on another invisible but not-free part of the car.
Oh, and I've ordered a couple of the bonnet support/level jobs, because the rubber is missing from one of mine and the bonnet was wobbling at higher speeds. A couple of felt furniture pads has improved things, but Febi jobs at under a fiver for a pair is better.
Oh, and the newly-painted mirror cover on the new driver's wing mirror is not quite the right shape, keeps working its way slightly loose, and is snapped off a mounting tabs while trying to adjust it, so the thin piece now has a jaunty angle to it.
And, despite various mechanics not being able to find a problem, the rear right brake is dragging. Perhaps the handbrake shoe?
Not just a game-winning Scrabble word.
Having had the bonnet open while away on holiday to check the oil level (not sure what's got into the warning light's head: level is fine), I noted that the bonnet insulation pad was once again hanging down, and about a third at least isn't attached to anything bonnet-shaped. This led me to looking at replacement pads (Febi, £35ish) and to the replacement piece of I-know-not-what on the leading edge of the underside of the bonnet, which my car has supplanted with a pitiful fragment of what appears to be burned marshmallow.
This fiddly closing piece looks to be semi-unobtanium, and is perhaps different across engine models (or is it AC vs not?) but is NLA for my car, as far as I can tell.
All of which is the long way to say that, the day after I set up an eBay search for the part number (1246820526, factophiles), a NOS one came up. It's now all mine, and will soon be winging its way from sunny Latvia.
I have no idea how to attach it.
I'll be grabbing a bonnet pad fairly soon, along with some appropriate glue and Silent Coat, and getting to work on another invisible but not-free part of the car.
Oh, and I've ordered a couple of the bonnet support/level jobs, because the rubber is missing from one of mine and the bonnet was wobbling at higher speeds. A couple of felt furniture pads has improved things, but Febi jobs at under a fiver for a pair is better.
Oh, and the newly-painted mirror cover on the new driver's wing mirror is not quite the right shape, keeps working its way slightly loose, and is snapped off a mounting tabs while trying to adjust it, so the thin piece now has a jaunty angle to it.
And, despite various mechanics not being able to find a problem, the rear right brake is dragging. Perhaps the handbrake shoe?
I'll be able to give you an update tomorrow (because it's been raining all day today, and I just can't be bothered) but I'm talking about Febi 09765, which are the bolts with the rubber tops that screw into the radiator slam panel. Couple of quid each from ebay.
I'll fit them tomorrow, and let you know how I get on. Should be easy enough, as long as the current ones on the car aren't seized in place (which they will be).
I'll fit them tomorrow, and let you know how I get on. Should be easy enough, as long as the current ones on the car aren't seized in place (which they will be).
I thought you were joking, but mine were indeed painted - not sure about the rubber buffer (it was done, at least cack-handedly if not mostly flaked off) but certainly the locking nuts.
Twenty minute job for both sides, including Kurust on rusty bits on the slam panel and underside of the bonnet, and adjusting the buffers' height so the bonnet doesn't move when you press on it. Which means the bonnet panel height is marginally more than the wings, but I'll give it a try tomorrow to Peterborough and back. It's quite satisfying to be able to do a little but useful job like this - part of the reason I bought the car.
Turns out the rubber part isn't a thin overlay or overturned-bucket-shaped - it's about 1cm thick, which both goes to show why the bonnet was rattling and also why two stacked felt furniture pads was about right.
Something else for my list, and a quiet plea if any beards can help, is/are the plastics on the driver's side at the base of the windscreen - I think I have some missing so, if any kind soul can help with part numbers for whatever isn't there, it'd be much appreciated.
Twenty minute job for both sides, including Kurust on rusty bits on the slam panel and underside of the bonnet, and adjusting the buffers' height so the bonnet doesn't move when you press on it. Which means the bonnet panel height is marginally more than the wings, but I'll give it a try tomorrow to Peterborough and back. It's quite satisfying to be able to do a little but useful job like this - part of the reason I bought the car.
Turns out the rubber part isn't a thin overlay or overturned-bucket-shaped - it's about 1cm thick, which both goes to show why the bonnet was rattling and also why two stacked felt furniture pads was about right.
Something else for my list, and a quiet plea if any beards can help, is/are the plastics on the driver's side at the base of the windscreen - I think I have some missing so, if any kind soul can help with part numbers for whatever isn't there, it'd be much appreciated.
You’re missing parts number 26 on the diagram (https://mercedes.7zap.com/en/eu/fg/car/e-klasse/e+300+diesel/44r/124191/fg/0/0/62/0/105/0/0/).
You may need the drain tubes too - they were completely blocked on my car when I bought it.
On the bonnet buffers, can you lower them so the bonnet is flush with the wings and then adjust the bonnet catch to pull it tight?
You may need the drain tubes too - they were completely blocked on my car when I bought it.
On the bonnet buffers, can you lower them so the bonnet is flush with the wings and then adjust the bonnet catch to pull it tight?
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