what's the orange thing?

[stayalert]

I started a long slow process of developing a nice clean 300D. I started awhile ago, but just yestersday I bought my first benz and drove it home to my garage. I hope to have it ready for registration/use by the Fall....My first interest is removing components associated with a defunct Chapman alarm system. a few remaining wires go to this orange thing. I was about to remove it when I noticed that it says "Germnay" on it....

Is it something for the lights? its located on the passeneger side below the air cleaner...

Any cautions on removing an alarm system. I've removed most of it and the car still starts.....I suppose that a good thing....

Rob M Concord, MA USA
'85 300D (non CA) - 160K miles

[Pete Geither]

OH boy,,,,, I had that same issue with the TE when I bought it. Some bonehead put an aftermarket alarm in it and it would occasionally cause the car not to start or the lights to flash. I found the "brain" under the right front carpet, and went at it with a pair of side cutters and held my breath. Cut every wire going to it and miracle of miracles,,, the car started after that and have not had a problem since,,, about 2 years. There are no guarantees of course, you may cut wires and end up with a car that won't start. If I could have found someone who did alarms around here I would have taken it there, but I was on my own . Good luck !

[stayalert]

Do other folks with 300d's have this orange thing? I've been hacking out the alarms system as I want to start with a clean slate as I approach refurbishing this car.

[rg2098]

I have never seen anything resembling that on the 83. Unplug it first and see if anything changes.

[stayalert]

Thanks for the info!

[redbaronph123]

i dont have that under my air cleaner... yeah.. remove the relay and see what happens.

[mikemover]

Originally Posted by rg2098

I have never seen anything resembling that on the 83. Unplug it first and see if anything changes.

I've never seen one either....I dunno what it is, but I don't think MB put it there. I would advise the same thing....Unplug it, start the car, drive around a bit....If everything is OK, then trash it.

Mike

[stayalert]

Cool. It doesn't look mercedes to me (single phillips head sheet metal screw to the sheet metal) either but I've only spent about an hour under the hood of one mercedes that I just bought on Wed. so my experience is shall we say...limited...When I bought my 67 Landrover 10 or so years ago the first thing I did was remove old non-stock security stuff.....I amnot exagerating to say that I had a grocery bag full of mercury switches, wire,a siren, door switches, a paging system.....Thanks for the info...I'm convined to try and run the car with it removed....Rob Mconcord,MA '85 300D

[84300DT]

Originally Posted by stayalert

Do other folks with 300d's have this orange thing? I've been hacking out the alarms system as I want to start with a clean slate as I approach refurbishing this car.

nothing like that in my '84...

great you got the car and yourself in one piece! just for curiosity what did you use for registration plates on they way back? a temporary or?

[Pete Burton]

I instantly recognized the local flavor of underhood oil mist and road sand that I've had in every vehicle I've ever had that was from CT. yum. Good luck in cleaning out the oddball stuff. You are definitely doing the right thing there. SOP in my book.

[stayalert]

The car was registered and insured, and occaisionally driven. I still have the PO's plate and registration which I'll be returning to him soon. I drove home (~10 miles) on that. The sellar and I developed a raport during my assessement of the car which took some time because of weather,logistics,etc. To date its been a great used car buying experience.
GO PATS!
Rob M
Concord,MA

[84300DT]

Originally Posted by stayalert

The car was registered and insured, and occaisionally driven. I still have the PO's plate and registration which I'll be returning to him soon. I drove home (~10 miles) on that. The sellar and I developed a raport during my assessement of the car which took some time because of weather,logistics,etc. To date its been a great used car buying experience.
GO PATS!
Rob M
Concord,MA

re plates etc.
oh ok (penny drops...), i thought it was an out of state car... so you made out well!
fortunately for the inspection sticker they don't check diesels for emissions here in mass. one less thing to worry about.
gotta have a working parking brake though, along with all the normal stuff.
(they flunked me last year for loose tie rods.)