Norm's electrical woes are throwing me for a loop! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #16 02-01-2009, 04:57 PM

79 Mercy just wrote a nice writeup on a mechanic in central Florida.

Over and above the call of duty

colincoon · #17 02-01-2009, 05:23 PM

^I'll have to check him out, Titusville is a bit of a drive though. Maybe after I get back from my trip when I have a little more free time! Sounds like a good guy, it'd be worth the drive.

79Mercy · #18 02-01-2009, 07:33 PM

Tell him I sent you.

Colin did you do what I said? Run a ground wire from the back of the clock to the main grounding piont behind the cluster. That will fix your problem.

derburger · #19 02-01-2009, 10:06 PM

Whenever there is an odd electrical issue I would first replace all of the fuses with ones from the MB dealer. Old ceramic fuses can get hairline cracks in them from heat and age and cause various problems in the electrical system.

Maybe it's your evil servo's voodoo curse

colincoon · #20 02-02-2009, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79Mercy

Tell him I sent you.

Colin did you do what I said? Run a ground wire from the back of the clock to the main grounding piont behind the cluster. That will fix your problem.

You might be on to something here.

Here is another ditzy Colin moment, prepare! :

Okay so I go and start Norm only to realize that I had forgotten to reattach the speedo cable. Crap! So Norm is running, and I figure it'll only take a few minutes so he can warm up in that time. So I pop the knee board panel thing (great terminology I know), push the cluster out, and go to re attach the cable. Well I touched the cable to the back of the cluster in the process and VIOLA! The seatbelt light came on in full force! So I'll try a ground wire tomorrow and see where that gets me. I'm pretty sure that'll cure it!

MBeige · #21 02-02-2009, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colincoon

You might be on to something here.

Here is another ditzy Colin moment, prepare! :

Okay so I go and start Norm only to realize that I had forgotten to reattach the speedo cable. Crap! So Norm is running, and I figure it'll only take a few minutes so he can warm up in that time. So I pop the knee board panel thing (great terminology I know), push the cluster out, and go to re attach the cable. Well I touched the cable to the back of the cluster in the process and VIOLA! The seatbelt light came on in full force! So I'll try a ground wire tomorrow and see where that gets me. I'm pretty sure that'll cure it!

I bet Tyler did that to challenge the next owner unknowingly

Kidding man, just pulling yer leg.

79Mercy · #22 02-02-2009, 10:12 AM

I thought that was the problem. Glad you fixed it.

TylerH860 · #23 02-02-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

I bet Tyler did that to challenge the next owner unknowingly

Kidding man, just pulling yer leg.

Who knew selling a car to a forum member would bring so much grief? I don't think Colin has had any big suprises yet.

I drove this thing out of a barn, for cripes sakes. It had been sitting in there for about a year. It never dripped a single drop of anything on my driveway.

Speaking of which, Colin, have you swapped out all those old fluids yet? I imagine the tranny fluid is probably older than you.

colincoon · #24 02-02-2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Who knew selling a car to a forum member would bring so much grief? I don't think Colin has had any big suprises yet.

I drove this thing out of a barn, for cripes sakes. It had been sitting in there for about a year. It never dripped a single drop of anything on my driveway.

Speaking of which, Colin, have you swapped out all those old fluids yet? I imagine the tranny fluid is probably older than you.

Hey I have never complained at all about anything with Norm, I knew what I was getting in to! Plus, considering what I paid for him and what I have put in to him, I'm very happy with my purchase!

Funny you should say that, I'm about to change his oil today! I'm going to try Shell Rotella, my uncle suggested it to me. He runs it in his 89 Jetta TDI that has 300k on it (I learned to drive standard on it, that gave me the diesel bug!)

I'll do the tranny fluid probably this weekend. I have my 190E in service (dubbed "anti-Norm" by my girlfriend

) now while I dig in to Norm. Thank god I have my Haynes manual, otherwise I'd be giving a lot of money to my mechanic!

The coolant was replaced last month when he was in the shop, and the brake fluid still has its honey color. He's slowly ingesting new life

He needs a valve adjustment too, I asked my mechanic to do it but he said Norm didn't need it. I beg to differ, he smokes a lot at highway speeds every now and then....hopefully that's not a sign of something worse!

TylerH860 · #25 02-02-2009, 03:00 PM

Depends on the color of the smoke... Blue, black, white?

YES, it needs a valve adjustment. Norm would have some white smoke at startup, but never while I was driving.

I changed the oil, of course, buts it probably due now.

79Mercy · #26 02-02-2009, 04:27 PM

Call Pierre and let him adjust your valves. Tell him the guy with the yellow 280CE sent you.

colincoon · #27 02-02-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Depends on the color of the smoke... Blue, black, white?

YES, it needs a valve adjustment. Norm would have some white smoke at startup, but never while I was driving.

I changed the oil, of course, buts it probably due now.

It's white, and it likes to really come out when accelerating up to highway speed! Even when accelerating using the cruise it likes to blast everyone behind me, I'm hoping it's not something too terrible but it is a little worrying! And come to think of it, it only started to happen recently. Maybe within the last month, since the new plugs. Hmmm. Boy this is fun!

I changed his oil today. I used Shell Rotella T 15W40, and it makes a NOTICABLE difference! Norm seems to run smoother, and dare I say a little quieter. Also I tried out a CarQuest brand filter, and sure enough on the side of the box it designated it as a Wix filter. None of that cotton crap as far as I could tell. Anyways, after being warmed up he spat out only about 4 quarts

I added 6, and that brought it up almost to the max line. That explains my low oil pressure! It was an enjoyable oil change! Try Rotella if you haven't already!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79Mercy

Call Pierre and let him adjust your valves. Tell him the guy with the yellow 280CE sent you.

Tell you what, my greasecar kit is coming now, once it's installed I'll veggie my way over there and have him check it out. After reading about him he seems more then worth the trip!

colincoon · #28 02-03-2009, 09:58 AM

SUCCESS!

The clock even works now! I ran a ground from the back of the clock to a bolt. Thanks Mercy

79Mercy · #29 02-03-2009, 10:30 AM

no problem

JimSmith · #30 02-03-2009, 12:08 PM

As I recall the instrument cluster, once removed and disassembled, consists of three circuit boards (fuel/water temp board, speedometer board and clock board) that should have separate grounds, but I believe are grounded to each other and then a common ground. This leads to problems as vibration and corrosion of the grounding paths between the boards increases resistance with age.

Jim