Tell my dad my tire is on fire! :eek:
 

It has been a rough week for Lurch, our '85 300D. Last week my 17 year old failed his physics experiment by realizing that a 300D breaks easier than a fire hydrant. Smashed tail light and slightly dented trunk. :mad:

Today, he has off school so I send him on an errand from DC to Baltimore. 20 minutes later my Office Manager is trying to get my attention while I am on a call and finally sends me an e-mail "URGENT!!!!! Your son called and said to tell you that his tire is on FIRE!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Needless to say I ended my call a little early and called him back. Turns out the master cylinder is going bad and caused the right rear caliper to stick to the point were the pads were on fire. The rear disk was glowing red hot. I was about to call a tow truck but instead called Mitch Carr's (my indy) who told me that if we just wait a little while it will release and the car will probably be drivable. Sure enough he was right. :) My son was able to drive it to his shop where I am waiting for an estimate. I have a fairly long list of other items that need attention on that car, so it will not be pretty. :o

I wish I had some of the time that you guys have to DIY, but if I have 2 hours to myself on a given weekend it is a miracle. :rolleyes:

Sounds like you need to reassess your priorities :D

Atleast he or a bystander didn't hose it down with a garden hose..
My father had a lady watering her flowers hose down a rear brake drum on a utility truck he used to drive when it was smoldering/light fire from the drive down a mountain with failed front brakes.
Needless to say, there wasn't much of the exploded drum left.
Sometimes, I guess, doing the 'right' thing is actually wrong :-p

And about your son and the fire hydrant, he shoulda got more inertia behind the automobile. Course then you get to pay for a hydrant :eek:
It tis sad regardless...my condolences..

Wow poor 300D. But it can only get better, it seems your son has been unlucky for the last few weeks. It happens to all of us, I got my Camry stuck sideways on a narrow icy hill. :o Advice don't pull the e brake on a steep icy hill. :eek: Nothing a tow truck couldn't handle. :D

Will your son be driving the SDL now that his 300D is in the shop? :D

Naaaa
 

Put him in the 1989 560 SL, his license will be gone in a week. :eek: :D
Vroom, Vroom. :eek: :eek: :D

Recovering from a brake pad fire isn't all that bad. You'll need a new caliper, pads, and rotor. The sway bar link will probably be melted and need replacing. Likely a good time to replace the flexible brake hose.

A more important question is why the brake(s?) locked on. Was it only the one side, or were both having the same problem? If both the master cylinder is suspect - this is a known failure mode. If only one side locked on it's likely the old flexible brake hose acting as a one way valve. In that case it's time to replace all four :) Could even be as simple as a stuck caliper piston. If so one of the charred brake pads will be much thinner than the other. It's important to find the root cause lest the problem occur again.

Many years ago my wife drove her 123 home 30 miles on the freeway with the rear brakes locked on. She had to call the fire department upon arriving home.

Surprisingly, the rear wheel bearings survived unscathed. A friend now owns that car; I think it has at least 150K more miles.

- JimY

2 days after backing the 300D into the hydrant he actually asked if he could take the 560 SL on his homecoming date. :eek:

I could not say yes ;)

This happened to me many years ago. My father had a 1967 Mercedes 200D w/ fins. I was probably 17 at the time! I could not believe how the "wheel/tire" actually had a flame around it!

That was our first of what would become a long series of Mercedes diesels in our family. Loved that body style though.

Best of luck with the repair.

Oh my gosh.
 

Sounds like your son needs the raw, untamed power of a W110 and a tool box. :eek: :D ROFL

1966 Mercedes-Benz 200D W110

Engine: 2000 cc diesel
Trans: manual
Horsepower: 55 bhp
0-60 mph: 27 sec
Top Speed: 80 mph
Fuel Eff: 35 mpg

http://www.motorcities.com/contents/00E2B240100702.html

Or perhaps a Mercedes-Benz Type W121 190D sedan
http://www.mbzponton.org/pax058/people/photogallery190.htm

whunter,

Heck, I would love one of those!

Actually, the boy is a pretty good driver. And the brake issue was certainly not his fault. The bigger test is he did not panic. He calmly dealt with it and calmly told me what happened. That is good :D

Oh scrap, here is the one for him.
 

Can't hurt that one. LOL :D :D
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6329&item=2494048906&rd=1&tc=photo

Love it. No you can't. Imagine driving that puppy around without a care about door dings, etc. Now that is heaven :D

That would be awsome you could triple park it or wedge yourself 2in from a big suv and not care! :D

Homecoming?
All school events I attended were in my 1990 Chrysler Voyager (6.5 million of them it seems on the road), different color body panels from various damages from P.O. and a pirate flag attached to a CB antenna on the roof..
you want to talk about style..
suprisingly, it was well recieved...
.besides if your SDL left with a star, it would never come back with on...
highschoolers *scoff*

Last year in school they never bothered mine. No one cares anymore Mercedes are everywhere.