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Old 01-21-2002, 01:46 AM
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MikeTangas MikeTangas is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: So. Cal
Posts: 4,430
Major milestone today

Woke up today determined to make some headway on the 560. Started out with swapping the brake fluid reservior as the old one was cracked on the back edge. This was the reason there were no rear brakes. Once the reservior was installed I filled up with fresh synthetic DOT4 and hooked up my $12 "Donald Swinford special" pressure bleeder . Blew out a lot of nasty looking fluid, then ran plenty of clean stuff thru the lines. About the time I moved to the front brakes the 5 year old wanted to help, so I reverted to the two man method. After carefully explaining what she needed to do and what I would be doing, we set out. A few minutes later the fronts were bled and the pedal was firm. I figured if Larry Bible could make a great brake bleeder out of his daughter, I could do the same .

Once the brakes were bled, I fired the engine and dropped her in gear. Yep, the rear brakes were working.

That test out of the way, I disconnected the battery and finished out the steering column. Replaced the combination switch, face plate on the column, and the steering wheel. Reinstalled the steel plenum, underdash and trays. Pulled the replacement air bag from the trunk, made the connection and bolted it down. Then I made the crash sensor connection. Once that was all done, I hooked the battery back up and climbed in the passenger seat. Took a deep breath, reached across and hit the key.

The engine lit right off, my fingers crossed, the air bad did not deploy, YAAAHOOO, I did it right. Well, almost. I missed something because the SRS light is still intermitently lit. I'm thinking the seat belt tensioners went off when the bag did. So I have to round up a set of tensioners.

Feeling pretty damn good, I decided it was time to take her off the stands. Once I got the car on solid ground I got brave.



I inched her forward, let her see the light of day. Once out of the garage, my driveway slopes away fairly steep, I was feeling good and moved out a little farther, and decided before getting too far out I better check reverse. Stuck her in "R" and the car rolled forward, a little gas and she rolled forward a little more. I thought "S**T, after all that, I'm gonna hafta replace the tranny"!!! Then I remembered the same thing happened after the radiator repair on the 4.5, when I lost about 2 quarts of fluid.

Put a quart of ATF in, and reverse caught. Whew. I had gears in both directions I got brave again. This time took her all the way out to the street. Once on the street, I just had to go 'round the block. Did good, seemed like a little surge at about 20MPH, slow to engage reverse coming form drive, or vice versa. Got back to the house, checked the tranny and added yet another quart. Gotta take another spin. No surging at 20, and nearly instant engagement "R" to "D" and "D" to "R" .

Here she is out on the street.



First time since August that she has gone anywhere under her own power. What a feeling of accomplishment. I wonder if my HOA would frown on a "Mercedes Service" sign planted in my front lawn .

I nosed her in the drive and let her idle for a while. Then I did a power steering fluid and filter change and let her idle some more while I picked up tools for the toolbox and collected broken parts for the trashman. She looked nice sitting next to the 4.5.



Still need to do a fluid and filter change on the tranny and the differential needs a fluid change (if I can ever get the fill plug out), plus a timing chain, tensioner and upper rails. Also still need to locate a fresh set of rims and new tires. But first I have to find out more about the ETR and locate replacements to get that SRS light to go out and stay out. Maybe then I'll sit back and actually take a day off.
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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.
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