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#1
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D___, this ain't no Hobby! Its f__ Sheer Stress...
I have never been to the Bahamas or the Caribbean nor ever wanted to but for some reason today I wish I were there, floating off the beach weightless in the radiant sun.
My trusty 85 300D has suffered a dash fire and a burned out transmission. My Volvo 940 has some quirk where it won’t pass emissions due to high NOx; my Corolla has been completely taken over by my daughter and my SAAB has a quirky AC, which means transportation is rapidly growing short in our family and tempers are frazzled. In the past I always came through in the clutch and maybe this time I will too, and it was important to me. I used to laugh at other engineers because all they were doing was shuffling paper and software and fixing my cars was a source of pride. It was kind of a tuff guy thing, fixing that difficult problem at 1 am and still getting into work on time the next day. But this time it’s different. I got some job stress right now and my mother needs to be visited every week. Money is tight and college payments loom. Yet somehow in the next week I also have to put in a new 150 pound transmission, rewire a dash and solve the intricacies of the SAAB and Volvo’s computers. There is no way these cars are going to an Indy. D___? Isn’t this supposed to be a hobby? I'm starting to feel a little haggard and nervous. Without cars, no one gets to work and groceries don't come in the mail, either. The only consolation is that Pyschologists say that we are at the Highest of Highs when our minds are totally occupied in a pleasurably challeneging task. I sure hope those endorphins kick in soon... Last edited by Carrameow; 05-19-2005 at 11:46 AM. |
#2
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"It's a hobby, It's a hobby" - that's been my mantra since I rebuilt the engine. Now, ever since the day I let my wife drive the SD while I fixed the shift issue on her Honda minivan, the SD is experiencing excessive 2-3 flare. I'm getting a K1 spring kit, but I think it's going to be rebuild time. I want to rebuild it myself. "Why?" you may ask. Because, "It's a hobby, It's a hobby"
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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue" "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." listen, look, .........and duck. |
#3
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Solution sell European cars replace with late model Toyota's. I'm not kidding if you want to free up some time for more important stuff. You can always pick up a W123 down the road for a few bucks to play with. Or just keep yours.
Cars always break at the worst times! I was pretty ticked last semester when my alt started to die during finals week! Talk about another thing I didn't need.
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1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200 |
#4
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I wouldn't even know where to start on the frustration thing. My wagon has NEVER worked correctly, so I don't really know what it is like to drive a properly running MB.
It truly affects my entire attitude negatively. I don't say much when things are going great. It actually gets less when the wheels are shooting, which has been a year now. I feel your pain. However, one respite I have had was last night. We had a little surprise birthday party for my 17 yr old son at the church last night. I drove my beloved '79 Chevy pickup, which I bought brand new, up there last night. Why I'm wasting $ on this wagon makes NO sense. (which my concubinal apparatus points out constantly). Sigh again...... Good luck!
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Jimmy L. '05 Acura TL 6MT 2001 ML430 My Spare Gone: '95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black '85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White '80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed '81 300TD 240K "Smash" '80 240D 230K "The Squash" '81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John |
#5
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High NoX levels are usually related to a lean mixture which burns hot. Look for vacume leaks...and try a can of BG44K wich buy the time you are through the tank should clean out any crud that has developed on the injectors...
Check your fuel filters also.....a clogged filter will drop Ijector pressure and lean out the mixture too.
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Proud owner of .... 1971 280SE W108 1979 300SD W116 1983 300D W123 1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper 1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel 1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified) --------------------- Section 609 MVAC Certified --------------------- "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche |
#6
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Carra,
My '80 300SD transmission weighed 92 pounds, at least that's what the rebuilder told me. I didn't have any trouble lifting it over my head to install it. P E H |
#7
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Try Brickboard.com for the Volvo. They helped me when my daughter's 244 wouldn't pass emissions (ran the computer in limp home mode - changes timing).
Good luck!
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1984 300Sd 210k Former cars: 1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break. 1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter 1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer |
#8
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Carrameow, where do you live?
Did you ever see the movie, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"? If John Candy can drive a burned out vehicle I don't see any reason why you can't. Have you ever thought about purchasing a transmission jack? Click here Peter: Do you have "clean room" for that transmission rebuild? danny
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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles OBK member #23 (\__/) (='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your (")_(") signature to help him gain world domination |
#9
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I think its just another excuse to buy more cars. We have 7 for 2 drivers now and I might just buy myself a 220D. The fact that my wife refuses to learn how to drive a stick resulted in purchase of the 300SD and could be used again for the 220D (temporarily of course- that baby will be getting a stick)
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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??) |
#10
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Quote:
Children will never know self sufficiency while this kind of indulgence at the cost of the financial stability of the family is jepodized. Same with cars....local school car park crammed with late model everything...p/u...sedans...etc .. Can understand if you are able to afford it, but otherwise why ? What happened to student loans and other work to earn the money required.? Rant off. Stand by for a salvo of...."How dare you....blah blah blah..."
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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ] "A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." |
#11
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Quote:
__________________
'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue" "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." listen, look, .........and duck. |
#12
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The transmishh I think I can handle, but this emissions stuff...
is Black magic. I knew I might have had a bad O2 sensor so I looked at it and it was Black with soot. So I switched it with new one, and I still failed emssions.
I tried to be analytical about it. I read all over the Internet about it. High NOx is most often a result of a bad AMASS, and I even put an oscilloscope on mine and I thought, "I found it!" The AMASS was reading in the 2.7 Volts range at idle. I went and got a spare AMASS from a yard and switched it. It read correctly at 2.5 Volts. I drove the car and checked the O2 sensor. The O2 sensor was clean as a whistle! i was thrilled. I went in and Failed again! So now I have to switch my catalytic. Luckily i have a warranty on mine. Nothing makes sense. The car is pumping out 2x as much NOx as it should be and my gut feeling is a CAT wont clean it up that much. Also even if my fuel pressure was low due to a worn fuel pump, I dont think it would be low enuff to raise the NOx that much! To do that you probably would need 25 psi agianst 40 psi. But the car runs beautifully. Sometimes you get into Paralysis by Analysis. Dont make it too complicated or overanalyze. Simplify. My gut feeling is the best way to solve it is to take it for a 1000 mile drive and wait for something to fall off. Whatever it is, is whats causing the problem.... To DKVEURO:: Being a good parent is even more BLACK MAGIC and harder than fixing the cars...again you have to go with the Gut Feeling and not paralysis by analysis---no one will take care of your kids in this world except themselves and your self, so you have to go mid range, don't give them to much now, but save for them later.... |
#13
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Whiner.
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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm. |
#14
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Quote:
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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue" "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." listen, look, .........and duck. |
#15
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Set the MB aside. Commandeer the Corolla. Take the SAAB and/or the Volvo to the shop. Forget the cars for now and map out a plan to get things under control. It's supposed to be a hobby, not a death race. No use worrying yourself into a hear attack or worse. You have 3 running cars, lots of people have to get by with one or none. Count your blessings, take a breather and remeber your family needs you in one piece more than they need a second hand car.
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