Heh, yeah, it's kinda funny, but getting less so as time goes on. It will be extremely funny after it's done, however!

Got a voicemail from the service advisor. They tried the new coolant temp sensor and it did not work. (Wow!) They have a call into a Mercedes Tech Specialist and hoping to have a call back within a couple of hours. Sounds like some MBUSA technician hotline or something.

I think I need to remind them again to try retorqing the thing, this is insane.

-m

PS: The other thing that's probably a factor that they are not fessing up to is the mechanics union is on strike at all other local dealers (Mercedes and otherwise). The other two MB dealers in the area are union and have no mechanics working right now. So this dealer is a bit swamped. I think I'm getting pushed to a back a bit as a result.

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Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

Ok, so they didn't call me in the afternoon so I stopped by and talked with the service advisor. He checked with the service mgr and said the tech had left without updating them, but he knew the tech had talked with MB tech support and had some things to try. He did not know if he retorqued the injection nuts yet. He said my car was first on the tech's list to work on tomorrow at 6:30am so he would be calling me in the late morning. I said I had to have the car back for the weekend, fixed or not, and that we'd have to talk about that when the time came. He also admitted no one has indepth diesel knowledge there, but was confident they could figure it out. I said I realized their main diesel guy was gone, but this was really taking a long time. He admitted if they had the diesel guy still there, it would have been much faster. I also said that I realize the tech might not know if the idle is fixed or not as he had never seen it when it was working properly (nor would have really known by his own gasser experience) and that I am expecting to have to listen to it after he gets a change out of it, assuming he can get a change. He said that would be fine and he would call me.

So there closes the saga for today. I think the riot act starts tomorrow.

-m

__________________
Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

These guys have no idea what they are doing, just get the car out of there. This thing should have been fixed in an hour.

They are just guessing and probably are not listening to your suggestion. I see this all the time, the pro's know all they are gods and the customers are idiots.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

At one time the mechanics in mercedes dealers were razor sharp on product as a matter of pride. At least in the places I frequented as a young guy in canada. This past fall I was in a small self standing dealer in the toronto area and it was pretty easy to see the standards and actual type of mechanic have undergone a massive decline since the last time I was in one of their shops thirty to forty years ago. They do not really even resemble working service bays. Just parts changers inhabiting space is more like it.No visable workbenches, parts bins or zip. Just antiseptic space. The exception is still out there I imagine but probably scarce. But they have mastered something and that is how to maxamise the bills and skin you alive. Again not in all cases but far too common.

How did it all turn out for you Michael?I just ordered my parts from Phil and am hoping to fix the leak without doing any other damage ,my 603 runs great,a little smoke at startup but i hope the new parts will fix that.

These cars are to old for most of the young guys to know much about them. They work on E320's and S430's all day long. I can understand how applying the same logic to fix an 02 S430 that is skipping would not result in fixing a 300D with a 602 that is idleing poorly.

I have found at my local dealership their are a handfull of both young and old techs that often work on and own the older MB's. The die hards so to speak.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

My brother works as a manager at the M/B dealership.

Basically, if the vehicle is older than 5 years or so (read....out of warranty)......they are basically clueless......unless.......by chance......one of the technicians happens to have some longevity there........a rare occurrence.

So they called saying it is all done. They said the got on the Hotline said to advance the timing and that seems to have done it.

My mechanic said the timing was fine before so it shouldn't be a factor now, but I'm kind of at a loss on how a repair of the injection pump could affect fuel pressures inside the engine that could make the timing seem to be correct or off.... But I suppose.

Any other words of wisdom before I run out the door to go check it out?

Thanks.

-m

__________________
Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

Picked it up, it is running well. Different (good different) then before the o-ring change, and much better then after the o-ring change.

They ended up moving the timing to 12 degrees instead of the factory suggested 16 or 17 degrees. The hotline person recommended it for higher-milage diesels. He said the timing chaing was fine (which I was generally curious about as well) so I'm happy about that too.

He recommended when chaging the spin-on fuel filter to always change the rubber rings that accompany it, as fuel can pass between the two chambers of the filter and cause weird things. I don't recall if I changed those last time or not. I did just purge a few weeks ago, so I'm due to change my inline and spin on, so I'll do it then.

I asked if he looked at the injector o-rings and he said he didn't. He said he asked the hotline person and they said if the rings are installed then they are in there and there is no adjusting or messing with them afterwards. Might I still have a o-ring oddity, possibly, but the car is running well enough that I'm not going to investigate it if it continues not to leak.

So, we're back and was no extra charge.

All in all, they CAN figure it out with enough time and a tech that's interested in learning about the car (aka, cares). I guess we had to wait until the phases of the moon were in alignment before it all came together.

Happy dieseling....

-m

__________________
Now:
2018 Tesla Model X
1999 S500 Grand Edition 164k
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo 287k
2005 E320 4MATIC wagon
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L 99k (sleeping for a while)

Then: 96 Lincoln TC, 93 Lincoln TC, 87 560 SEL, 87 300 SDL, 80 300D, 89 560 SEC

Keep a close eye on the amount of fuel it uses, if consumption went up then the blame the timing.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!