ever done something dumb to your MB? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jjl · #1 08-05-2003, 01:25 PM

Here's some confessions of car-related stupidity..

I painted an old 280SE (W116). I don't have professional facilities, so the finish wasn't great to start with, but I flatted back the paint with 1500 grade & polished with compound - came up like glass. Took me about three weeks to polish it. So far so good.

I was then working on the engine, so I jacked the front end up. But I forgot the hood was up. And the car was in the garage. Took a big chunk out of the hood paint - had to paint that again (another weeks work). Boy did I laugh!

On same car, I refitted the sunroof tray (big flat metal tray inside roof). It bolts to the roof. But I picked up a bolt that was 1/8th inch too long. Result: it poked up into the metal roof skin and made a nice lump. Again, you should have seen me smile! I had to bash it down, fill and repaint. If you have ever repainted a roof with clear over base metallic you will know what a pain in the a$$ this is.

The latest (potentially) dumb thing I have done is to cram my spare angine and transmission into the trunk of the 280 to move house..time for new springs, I guess?

Oh..and I reassembled my steering so that it would turn three turns to the left but two to the right..duhhh...

Can you beat this? Don't be shy.

RG5384 · #2 08-05-2003, 03:27 PM

haha, i've closed the hood with a wrench still under it and left a nice dent. Also took a turn off once that i didn't anticipate to be as steep of a drop off as it was, bottomed out the car three times(it was leveled....go figure). I spent about 300 dollars on useless sunroof parts because i forgot to put in a spacer......umm thats all i can think of right now, but i'm sure theres more.
Ryan

mike690003 · #3 08-05-2003, 03:47 PM

Lets see...

-Left my coolant expansion tank open, drove to get some gas and all my coolant poured out all the way there.

-left my coolant temp. sensor unplugged and my car began to idle at 1200rpm. I searched my engine for 3 days looking for vacuum leaks.

-left tools under my hood on various occasions.

-poured tranny fluid in my power steering, my mechanic said it was ok to do it. Stupid stupid stupid.

-wiped my windshield with a rag that had wax on it.

-adjusted my fuel/air mixture myself. After various attempts to correct it, my car still runs rich!!

Plenty more to come....

G-Benz · #4 08-05-2003, 04:12 PM

You veterans heard of these...

My first MB brake job attempt was the rears on my W124...didn't have a manual or anything so I guessed the whole procedure.

Two hours later I have removed the calipers and disassembled just about everything on them just to get the pads out. Then of course I got air in the lines afterwards. Didn't know how to bleed them , so I limped the car over to dealership to complete the task and install the fronts (didn't want to disassemble those).

Years later (and wiser

) I decide to replace about $12 worth of bulbs on the gauge cluster in my wife's SL. Yanked too hard on the puller tools and "snap" goes the gauge cluster face as it flies off the dash! So I'm off to the dealership for $12 worth of bulbs...and $374 for a new gauge cluster face!

jjl · #5 08-06-2003, 04:51 AM

ha ha pretty good guys..but I forgot to mention - I set fire to my hair once when welding..did a nifty war dance banging my head to put it out (at least I keep my neighbors entertained).

#6 08-06-2003, 07:56 AM

in addition to doing many of the above things I have also

- washed my carpets in the bath, still not dry after a month (the foam part)

- replaced the wheel bearing retainer the incorrect way (machined side out) and nearly had the wheel fall off.

- before repainting my air filter housing, I cleaned it in our new dishwasher in our new house. (Pic's available ) This did not harm the car, the dishwasher or the new house, but my girlfriend caused serious harm to me

jjl · #7 08-06-2003, 08:42 AM

Not bad not bad..but GBenz, my brake disaster was removing a caliper to clean up & paint, then dropping it. As it sped towards the floor, I thought 'I'm not having that paint finish damaged' so I stuck out my foot to break the fall. It crushed and broke my big toe. Another war dance..

BongC36 · #8 08-06-2003, 09:27 AM

I once tried adjusting the hood latch on my C36. While checking the resulting alignment I slammed the hood down with both hands on the hood edge, creating two nice depressions on each side of the hood ornament. Brilliant...

Also while looking for a good place in the 190E's trunk to mount brackets for my Bazooka, Nearly drilled a hole in the nice, flat metal panel behind the rear seat (Why is this thing hollow? is this the gas tank?? The GAS TANK!!!)

Zeus · #9 08-06-2003, 10:50 AM

On one of my first brake jobs, I forgot to install the inner brake pad on one side of the car. Got everything back together and feeling mighty pleased with myself, I took it for a test drive. You can guess the outcome.

Don't you just love bringing the car to the mechanic's after you've done something stupid?

Zeus · #10 08-06-2003, 10:55 AM

Bong - Just read your post about the gas tank, that's hilarious - I also did the same thing. With my old 1977 280E I was looking to mount an amplifier in the trunk and started to drill into the firewall. I didn't know Mercedes kept the gas tank there at the time, obviously. Being young, inexperienced and excited about installing the amp I simply drilled away. Thank god I went slow...but sure enough, I saw a liquid appear out of the hole and I smelled gas. I freaked right out.

I drained the tank until the leak stopped (the hole was about 2/3 of the way down) and then I used some JB weld to seal it up. By then the fumes had gotten to me and i was feeling pretty sick. I waited until morning and I filled it back up.

I think this one gets into the Top 10 Stupid things, no?

#11 08-06-2003, 01:29 PM

About a year ago I did a brake job all the way around on my 190E. I bought some rotors and pads from an unamed company, and proceeded to do the work.

When I was mounting the cross drilled rotors, I called the company and said: "Hey, these rotors are WAY thinner than my stock rotors, whats up?" Then the sales rep said: "Well, since they are cross drilled, you dont need to have the vented portion, so they are thinner." I said, "Safe to install them then?" "Yes."

I was so dumb for believing him. About a year later I am coasting to a stop and I apply the brakes. I hear a *pop* noise and the pads fly out of my left caliper and begin bouncing on the road beside me. The brake pedal falls to the floor and I hear the wonderful sound of piston on rotor binding. I swerve to avoid an accident, pull to the side of the road, and pick up the pads. Towed to a mechanic.

I had installed 2.3 8V parts in my 2.6 12V 190. After a year of wear, the pads had enough room to fall from the caliper because the rotor was too thin. The sales reps shipped the wrong parts and assured me to install them, even after verifying part number. These guys better get me some money soon or they will be getting a letter from my attorney.

Kestas · #12 08-06-2003, 01:50 PM

It seems like brake jobs are a magnet for things-to-go-wrong.

The boner I pulled decades ago - not on an MB - was flushing with mineral spirits instead of brake fluid after a brake job. The next day my wheels started locking up and the brakes were overheating. The mineral spirits swelled the seals. What happened is that some time prior, after using up a pint of brake fluid, I liked the container and used it for mineral spirits filled from a gallon jug. The problem is I neglected to properly label the container! I had to redo the brakes. New master cylinder and new seals on all four corners. Then flushed the system with a gallon of proper brake fluid. Needless to say, now everything I own is properly labeled.

G-Benz · #13 08-06-2003, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kestas
Needless to say, now everything I own is properly labeled.

Had a friend with a show-quality Karmann Ghia that poured an improperly-labeled jug of oil in his engine to top it off. The engine seized after driving it a couple of blocks down the street. Turned out the jug was PESTICIDE!

Darrell Woods · #14 08-06-2003, 10:45 PM

Tried to put the top down on my '75 SL...without raising the cover it goes under. Ouch! Pushing metal against metal with some good leverage left a lasting mark.

jjl · #15 08-07-2003, 04:53 AM

My vote so far goes to you gas-tank drillers!