The Air Recirculation Valve on my '86 SDL has a relatively large diameter black rubber hose which come off the valve body and vents to the atmosphere. Is that the correct setup or is that hose end supposed to be attached somewhere?

As the vehicle was originally a California car, I was wondering if Air Recirculation Valves were installed on all US SDLs or only those subject to the California pollution regs?

Thanks

Dave Jonas
'84 300TD 240k mi.
'86 300SDL 138k mi.

Valve bodies are in transmissions.

Are you referring to the large black hose that comes off the valve cover and should route into your air intake rubber tube?

There is a somewhat smaller black hose on the turbo if you have a Garrett.

The other black hose is much smaller, only slightly larger than a vacuum line. These black hoses are vent lines for the vacuum system that route in the passenger compartment of the car.

The ARV itself has no hoses other than one vacuum line that goes to the vacuum transducer near your air box.

HTH,

__________________
Brian Toscano

Either way you want to disconnect and disable both the ARV and EGR valves:

http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/W124_stuff/smog_solenoids.jpg

The SDL should be similar. Besides the power and MPG gains, the engine compartment is neater with less crap in there.

__________________
Dave
Boise, ID
Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!

Thanks to Brian and Dave M. for your suggestions. After finally getting time to look at my Repair CD, I realized the hose I was referring to came off the Boost Pressure Control Valve on one side and had broken loose from the nipple on the bottom of the Control Housing on the other. After reattaching the hose, the hard acceleration surge problem that I asked about in an earlier post is now resolved. Another checkmark on the shrinking punch list.

Dave Jonas
'84 300TD 240k mi
'86 300SDL 138k mi.