Mercedes W124 E300D estate - progress, or not...
Discussion
Aren't cars fun?
More fun than work, I guess. My work, at least.
Car started fine yesterday morning, although I had to help it idle for a couple of minutes before no-throttle equalled not-immediately-stalling. I hope they can get the glow plugs changed over so the car just runs (... but at what cost??)
Exhaust is blowing again. I think it's under the driver's seat ish. I need to get someone to get it in the air, see if it's bodgeable for now while I sort out the right bit of pipe. Nuts, but not unexpected as it was bodged in several places shortly after I bought it.
I'm off to Florida soon, so I'm looking at what I could (or should) bring back. There'll be a few bits & bobs, which I need to order pronto, but it's starting to look like not a huge amount. Fuel shut-off bolt is looking likely, as my car is lacking, plus the bonnet insulation piece I was let down with from the Latvian seller recently - for £50ish I might as well.
Does anyone know if there's any useful difference between 1246701939 (and 2039) versus 1246730698? I'm considering getting the rear window seals when I can, but the EPC seems to show both.
I'd like to get the rear door seals, too (because I've made such a success of the front ones), but they're much harder to get hold of, and £140+ each. Likewise the rear hatch seal is expensive.
Pondering a set of aftermarket US spec indicator units, which I could grab for under £100 in the States. Not sure the quality would be all that - any thoughts?
More fun than work, I guess. My work, at least.
Car started fine yesterday morning, although I had to help it idle for a couple of minutes before no-throttle equalled not-immediately-stalling. I hope they can get the glow plugs changed over so the car just runs (... but at what cost??)
Exhaust is blowing again. I think it's under the driver's seat ish. I need to get someone to get it in the air, see if it's bodgeable for now while I sort out the right bit of pipe. Nuts, but not unexpected as it was bodged in several places shortly after I bought it.
I'm off to Florida soon, so I'm looking at what I could (or should) bring back. There'll be a few bits & bobs, which I need to order pronto, but it's starting to look like not a huge amount. Fuel shut-off bolt is looking likely, as my car is lacking, plus the bonnet insulation piece I was let down with from the Latvian seller recently - for £50ish I might as well.
Does anyone know if there's any useful difference between 1246701939 (and 2039) versus 1246730698? I'm considering getting the rear window seals when I can, but the EPC seems to show both.
I'd like to get the rear door seals, too (because I've made such a success of the front ones), but they're much harder to get hold of, and £140+ each. Likewise the rear hatch seal is expensive.
Pondering a set of aftermarket US spec indicator units, which I could grab for under £100 in the States. Not sure the quality would be all that - any thoughts?
Interesting to see how much less condensation I struggled with yesterday, after taking out the carpets & drying the front floors. Driver's side mat is still out as it's still wet - foam is soaked. I'm looking forward to sorting out the water ingress.
Did I mention I'd cleared out one of the drains? Used windscreen washer tubing. Not sure I did an effective job, but it's at least clearer. And the other bit of gutter has arrived, but I don't have the screws to attach it.
Did I mention I'd cleared out one of the drains? Used windscreen washer tubing. Not sure I did an effective job, but it's at least clearer. And the other bit of gutter has arrived, but I don't have the screws to attach it.
Parts order with MB in Miami is nearly ready, pending shipping time confirmation and my decision as to whether to order stuff I don't need yet.
The correct expansion tank for the car - 1245002049 - is thirty quid, and mine is long past its best, so that's on the list along with the overflow hose - 1245003275 - because that doesn't have a leg left. I'll probably go for a Meyle level sender, though, because it's available over here and I need to (try to) have some level of restraint. The expansion tank is a must, because the particular part number for this engine in this car seems unavailable in the aftermarket - lots look the same but the part number is different, so I assume there are differences.
Some clips.
The door check strap rubbers all round (because mine are quite knackered, and I need to do the check straps on both driver's side doors as they're now groaning - check straps themselves will be Meyle and UK-sourced).
The bit of bonnet insulation I'm calling 'the marshmallow' because that's what mine is like (1246820526 for the central bit, side pieces NLA so I'll review mine).
The fancy bolt going by the fancier name of "shut-off solenoid" - 6010700546 - is £45ish.
Then the tailgate seal (1247400078). I'm in at least two minds: I don't know that mine needs doing, I do know I'll probably not get the replacement right first time, it's a hundred quid... but it's 'only' a hundred quid when they're significantly more elsewhere.
Bearing in mind the car's going in for the glow plug work while I'm in the States, I'm not sure whether to proceed with the whole list. I'll most likely be in the US again fairly soon, as long as I don't tell my company (companies) where to stick their job, but then the shipping for this one batch is £45.
Hmm.
The correct expansion tank for the car - 1245002049 - is thirty quid, and mine is long past its best, so that's on the list along with the overflow hose - 1245003275 - because that doesn't have a leg left. I'll probably go for a Meyle level sender, though, because it's available over here and I need to (try to) have some level of restraint. The expansion tank is a must, because the particular part number for this engine in this car seems unavailable in the aftermarket - lots look the same but the part number is different, so I assume there are differences.
Some clips.
The door check strap rubbers all round (because mine are quite knackered, and I need to do the check straps on both driver's side doors as they're now groaning - check straps themselves will be Meyle and UK-sourced).
The bit of bonnet insulation I'm calling 'the marshmallow' because that's what mine is like (1246820526 for the central bit, side pieces NLA so I'll review mine).
The fancy bolt going by the fancier name of "shut-off solenoid" - 6010700546 - is £45ish.
Then the tailgate seal (1247400078). I'm in at least two minds: I don't know that mine needs doing, I do know I'll probably not get the replacement right first time, it's a hundred quid... but it's 'only' a hundred quid when they're significantly more elsewhere.
Bearing in mind the car's going in for the glow plug work while I'm in the States, I'm not sure whether to proceed with the whole list. I'll most likely be in the US again fairly soon, as long as I don't tell my company (companies) where to stick their job, but then the shipping for this one batch is £45.
Hmm.
By the way: thanks for your comments. This thread is useful partly to log what I've done, partly to (try to) find some humour in the challenging parts of using an interesting (to me) old (to most people) car, but being able to chat with like-minded people is what makes it.
Incidentally, I recently used the roof bars for the first time. Aside from the mild trauma of a could-have-been-better load securing method, the genuine MB roof bars are fantastic: once I'd realised they're spring-loaded, they're a doddle to fit onto the car and nicely secure. It's that kind of intelligent design that I love about this car, and drew me to it.
Incidentally, I recently used the roof bars for the first time. Aside from the mild trauma of a could-have-been-better load securing method, the genuine MB roof bars are fantastic: once I'd realised they're spring-loaded, they're a doddle to fit onto the car and nicely secure. It's that kind of intelligent design that I love about this car, and drew me to it.
Once I catch up with the maintenance backlog, it'll be cheap, right?
Right?
Exhaust is blowing in two (more) places. Right at the back of the front section, behind the cat, and at the Y joint just aft into the second section. My local generic exhaust & tyre place have suggested cutting out the rearmost cat (there are two 3-cylinder-each manifolds, then the two branches join together after each runs through its own small cat, then there's a combined cat for all 6) and replacing the middle section, which is probably original (good going!). I'm waiting for a price on Monday.
Great timing....
Right?
Exhaust is blowing in two (more) places. Right at the back of the front section, behind the cat, and at the Y joint just aft into the second section. My local generic exhaust & tyre place have suggested cutting out the rearmost cat (there are two 3-cylinder-each manifolds, then the two branches join together after each runs through its own small cat, then there's a combined cat for all 6) and replacing the middle section, which is probably original (good going!). I'm waiting for a price on Monday.
Great timing....
Arse - the seal is part of my order. I guess I could always sell it when I get back.
I've used weatherstrip adhesive on the door seals today. Passenger side seems pretty much sorted, jury's out of the driver's side. Hopefully sitting overnight will cure it (and allow it to cure). The problem seems to be that the round section of the seal is too big to fit into the door shut when the door is closed (and the rear door already shut), so the seal is pulled out of the channel. I'm currently opening the back door first, climbing in & closing the front door, then using a strap to pull the back door shut. Elegance personified.
Tried fitting the missing under-windscreen gutter piece earlier. The windscreen seal situation seems pretty dire - I'm not familiar with how the seals should look, but there seems to be more silicon sealant in my example than there should be, and the chunky seal doesn't have enough to clip down into. Gutter piece didn't fit, so may need some judicious trimming - it's come from Germany, so I wonder whether, despite being supposedly the right part number for my car, the fit may be slightly different. It's got two mounting tabs, but I can only see one on my car - the other may be under the half tube of sealant that's on there.
And there's still a water ingress problem. But I enjoy driving the car, so somehow it's forgiven again.
I've used weatherstrip adhesive on the door seals today. Passenger side seems pretty much sorted, jury's out of the driver's side. Hopefully sitting overnight will cure it (and allow it to cure). The problem seems to be that the round section of the seal is too big to fit into the door shut when the door is closed (and the rear door already shut), so the seal is pulled out of the channel. I'm currently opening the back door first, climbing in & closing the front door, then using a strap to pull the back door shut. Elegance personified.
Tried fitting the missing under-windscreen gutter piece earlier. The windscreen seal situation seems pretty dire - I'm not familiar with how the seals should look, but there seems to be more silicon sealant in my example than there should be, and the chunky seal doesn't have enough to clip down into. Gutter piece didn't fit, so may need some judicious trimming - it's come from Germany, so I wonder whether, despite being supposedly the right part number for my car, the fit may be slightly different. It's got two mounting tabs, but I can only see one on my car - the other may be under the half tube of sealant that's on there.
And there's still a water ingress problem. But I enjoy driving the car, so somehow it's forgiven again.
A few things to uodate:
My orders from MB Parts Miami & MercedesSource were waiting for me when I arrived at my Florida hotel last weekend, and safely made it back. The hose I ordered looks not to be the one I thought it'd be (I'm looking for the one from expansion tank to top of radiator, as it's ratty) but I'll offer it up to check. All other bits look like the right thing, but I'll check out the condition of the existing boot seal before considering taking it off.
Glow plug work is taking longer than planned. As of Thursday evening, two plugs were out, four had sheared, and my Man was waiting for the local guy to come out - he was delayed past the planned Thursday session. I was due to collect the car tomorrow morning, but that looks to be out of the window now - communicating will be easier now I'm not five hours behind and stuck in meetings.
I moseyed around Florida in a GMC Terrain, which was a reasonable way to get around, and reasonably economical for what I think was the 250bhp variant. I think I got around 45mpg for combined distance and local-ish driving, over 500 miles.
Oh, and I popped in to Daytona Speedway on my way past, and the sounds coming out of practice day for the Classic 24h this weekend were lovely.
My orders from MB Parts Miami & MercedesSource were waiting for me when I arrived at my Florida hotel last weekend, and safely made it back. The hose I ordered looks not to be the one I thought it'd be (I'm looking for the one from expansion tank to top of radiator, as it's ratty) but I'll offer it up to check. All other bits look like the right thing, but I'll check out the condition of the existing boot seal before considering taking it off.
Glow plug work is taking longer than planned. As of Thursday evening, two plugs were out, four had sheared, and my Man was waiting for the local guy to come out - he was delayed past the planned Thursday session. I was due to collect the car tomorrow morning, but that looks to be out of the window now - communicating will be easier now I'm not five hours behind and stuck in meetings.
I moseyed around Florida in a GMC Terrain, which was a reasonable way to get around, and reasonably economical for what I think was the 250bhp variant. I think I got around 45mpg for combined distance and local-ish driving, over 500 miles.
Oh, and I popped in to Daytona Speedway on my way past, and the sounds coming out of practice day for the Classic 24h this weekend were lovely.
Another little update: the current (most recent) work is done. Propshaft bearing changed, exhaust welded & gummed up (one hole is atop the pipe, so there's no access), and the glow plugs have been changed out for new Berus. Hopefully I'll get to collect tomorrow.
This batch of work has cost coughcoughcough.
This batch of work has cost coughcoughcough.
Yesterday's update mostly missed the point of the update - the old glow plugs were seriously, seriously coked up. To the point of needing some proper clearing out before the remains of the old plugs could be extracted.
Apparently the back two plugs were fine, but the front four were all jammed up with carbon, and were the ones that seized (in addition to 1&2 being open circuit, and 4 being short circuit). I have no idea if anything in the engine layout makes that usual, or indicative of anything. I'm just glad to be getting the car back in better condition than it was before, to counterbalance my wallet being (even) more threadbare than it was.
Hope it starts better!
Apparently the back two plugs were fine, but the front four were all jammed up with carbon, and were the ones that seized (in addition to 1&2 being open circuit, and 4 being short circuit). I have no idea if anything in the engine layout makes that usual, or indicative of anything. I'm just glad to be getting the car back in better condition than it was before, to counterbalance my wallet being (even) more threadbare than it was.
Hope it starts better!
....aaaaand onto the next phase in the saga.
Driving to work from the mechanic this morning, aside from the front door seals which aren't as secured as I was hoping they were, the car is now making a new and exciting noise. It's based mostly on road speed, and starts at 20mph ish. Not sure whether it dies out at higher speeds, as I couldn't go above 40. It's somewhere between a whine, a howl, and a grinding noise. I think it might be diff related, presumably prompted by the propshaft removal/refit for the centre bearing.
And the car starts first time now (hooray!) but the idle is pretty low in this cold weather.
So, a step or two forward, and at least half a step back....
Driving to work from the mechanic this morning, aside from the front door seals which aren't as secured as I was hoping they were, the car is now making a new and exciting noise. It's based mostly on road speed, and starts at 20mph ish. Not sure whether it dies out at higher speeds, as I couldn't go above 40. It's somewhere between a whine, a howl, and a grinding noise. I think it might be diff related, presumably prompted by the propshaft removal/refit for the centre bearing.
And the car starts first time now (hooray!) but the idle is pretty low in this cold weather.
So, a step or two forward, and at least half a step back....
Thanks all. (not sure on the 'great car' bit right now, but we'll see!)
Aero wiper: not a clue
. I do actually have a challenge with the windscreen, in as much that there's a small patch of screen that's only cleared by the blade when it's going in one direction....and that patch is directly in front of my eyes. Other than that, though, I have no complaints with the aero blade, and it's one fewer thing to catch leaves with.
Starting: it's been fine today, both cold (9am) and not-quite-cold (3pm). Granted the idle was low when cold, but it ran fine without any throttle, which is a huge improvement on a couple of weeks (and £770) ago. The mechanic commented as much when he got it back this afternoon.
So, the car is back with the mechanic, and was going on his ramp as I was driving away in my wife's Smart (17 years old, no MOT advisories beyond "engine cover fitted"...) after swapping them back over again. I haven't heard anything yet, but it might be something as simple as the heat shield over the propshaft dragging on the shaft, which both he suggested and I though as I drove it back to him. It probably isn't, but it could be!
I did manage to change two window outer weatherstrips in my lunch break. Fifteen minutes for the two: compare (and contrast), peel old corner back (started to split away from the bit clamped in the door frame), wrangle the vertical bit loose, peel rest back, clean, fit new one. Aside from making sure the new strip is lined up right (shh) and pressing it down firmly, it's pretty straightforward.
I do have pics of that, but they're not great and it's pretty dull. But, still, progress!
Oh, and hopefully by now the Man will have heard the brake drag I've been telling him about for months.
And I had an interesting one earlier: the car kept unlocking itself after being locked on the remote.... because the boot lock button was pressed in, and that prompted the car to unlock itself. I only found that out at work, so I had 5 miles of the boot being held closed solely by gravity & habit.
Aero wiper: not a clue
. I do actually have a challenge with the windscreen, in as much that there's a small patch of screen that's only cleared by the blade when it's going in one direction....and that patch is directly in front of my eyes. Other than that, though, I have no complaints with the aero blade, and it's one fewer thing to catch leaves with.Starting: it's been fine today, both cold (9am) and not-quite-cold (3pm). Granted the idle was low when cold, but it ran fine without any throttle, which is a huge improvement on a couple of weeks (and £770) ago. The mechanic commented as much when he got it back this afternoon.
So, the car is back with the mechanic, and was going on his ramp as I was driving away in my wife's Smart (17 years old, no MOT advisories beyond "engine cover fitted"...) after swapping them back over again. I haven't heard anything yet, but it might be something as simple as the heat shield over the propshaft dragging on the shaft, which both he suggested and I though as I drove it back to him. It probably isn't, but it could be!
I did manage to change two window outer weatherstrips in my lunch break. Fifteen minutes for the two: compare (and contrast), peel old corner back (started to split away from the bit clamped in the door frame), wrangle the vertical bit loose, peel rest back, clean, fit new one. Aside from making sure the new strip is lined up right (shh) and pressing it down firmly, it's pretty straightforward.
I do have pics of that, but they're not great and it's pretty dull. But, still, progress!
Oh, and hopefully by now the Man will have heard the brake drag I've been telling him about for months.
And I had an interesting one earlier: the car kept unlocking itself after being locked on the remote.... because the boot lock button was pressed in, and that prompted the car to unlock itself. I only found that out at work, so I had 5 miles of the boot being held closed solely by gravity & habit.
Well.
I have no problem with my Man - I know he's been very busy - but we haven't had much forward progress since last time.
He was putting the car on the ramp when I left last time, and then it all went a bit quiet, even after a gentle chaser on Wednesday. So I wandered in yesterday with the handful of cash I owed him for the glow plug drilling.
He'd fiddled with the covered betwixt propshaft & gearbox, had checked the oil to find it quite low, and hadn't got as far as road testing.
So I went back again at lunchtime, and.....
Well.
The extent of the noise is reduced - the immediate "there's something resting on the propshaft" is gone - but something's rotten in the state of propshaft, gearbox or diff.
It's clearest when lifting off, the only time it's seemingly not present is where the car is neither accelerating nor slowing, it's still around (road-speed, not engine-speed dependent) even down to a standstill, and I'm sure it's present when accelerating but it's harder to hear because the engine is working. It's something between a grumble, a whine, a noise and a feeling. If that makes any sense! Kinda harmonic, kinda rubby.
So he's still got it, and will have a look this coming week.
Oh, and I have an oil leak that, somewhere in the last 450 miles, has dropped a litre or two. Man says it's leaking, not burning, because it's now rust-preventing underneath. At least it's dual-purpose.
Any pointers for where OM606s like to leak?
But the car now starts first time (subject to a tickle of throttle when it's cold and it hasn't run for days) albeit there's a noise that quietens down, plus the aux tensioner needs a fettle.
I have no problem with my Man - I know he's been very busy - but we haven't had much forward progress since last time.
He was putting the car on the ramp when I left last time, and then it all went a bit quiet, even after a gentle chaser on Wednesday. So I wandered in yesterday with the handful of cash I owed him for the glow plug drilling.
He'd fiddled with the covered betwixt propshaft & gearbox, had checked the oil to find it quite low, and hadn't got as far as road testing.
So I went back again at lunchtime, and.....
Well.
The extent of the noise is reduced - the immediate "there's something resting on the propshaft" is gone - but something's rotten in the state of propshaft, gearbox or diff.
It's clearest when lifting off, the only time it's seemingly not present is where the car is neither accelerating nor slowing, it's still around (road-speed, not engine-speed dependent) even down to a standstill, and I'm sure it's present when accelerating but it's harder to hear because the engine is working. It's something between a grumble, a whine, a noise and a feeling. If that makes any sense! Kinda harmonic, kinda rubby.
So he's still got it, and will have a look this coming week.
Oh, and I have an oil leak that, somewhere in the last 450 miles, has dropped a litre or two. Man says it's leaking, not burning, because it's now rust-preventing underneath. At least it's dual-purpose.
Any pointers for where OM606s like to leak?
But the car now starts first time (subject to a tickle of throttle when it's cold and it hasn't run for days) albeit there's a noise that quietens down, plus the aux tensioner needs a fettle.
Car picked up from the Man this morning. Definitely still some noise.
I was hit by some inspiration on my route to work, though, and checked the ATF dipstick. Never done it before, so I may be wrong, but it looked quite like there wasn't enough fluid at all.
Off I walked at lunchtime, returning successful with a couple of bottles of Halfords' finest Dexron II (seems like it should be the right stuff, or the right-enough stuff), and I'll have a go at topping up after work. I don't want to drive more than necessary, with this noise, in case it's something important.
So, car will be run up to temp, moved to a flat part of the car park, level checked again and, if I'm right that there's a proper shortage of fluid, it'll get itself topped up. I guess I'll have to put some in, let it warm, then check the level. Sounds like it might take a little while!
Fingers crossed it resolves the noise, although that then means there's a fluid leak somewhere. So I'm not sure whether fingers should be crossed!
I was hit by some inspiration on my route to work, though, and checked the ATF dipstick. Never done it before, so I may be wrong, but it looked quite like there wasn't enough fluid at all.
Off I walked at lunchtime, returning successful with a couple of bottles of Halfords' finest Dexron II (seems like it should be the right stuff, or the right-enough stuff), and I'll have a go at topping up after work. I don't want to drive more than necessary, with this noise, in case it's something important.
So, car will be run up to temp, moved to a flat part of the car park, level checked again and, if I'm right that there's a proper shortage of fluid, it'll get itself topped up. I guess I'll have to put some in, let it warm, then check the level. Sounds like it might take a little while!
Fingers crossed it resolves the noise, although that then means there's a fluid leak somewhere. So I'm not sure whether fingers should be crossed!
Edited by Northbrook on Monday 9th December 17:07
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