Tooling up the road in the SL (top down of course) watching the flaky gas gauge needle bounce/jerk between empty and 1/4. Car dies while going 45 and I coast onto a side street. Cranks but won't catch, needle at just short of 1/4 and no reserve light warning.

Call MBUSA - they'll bring gas, change my flat or give me a jump but won't pay for the tow. Didn't want it to go to the stealership so I call my indie's favorite towing guy for a roll back (he bills it to the indie - no cash required).

Ride with tow down to indie's shop (closed on Saturday) and throw the cover on, get to my truck (son picked me up) and race down to the Bap/Geon for a fuel pump relay (Ooops! not on the shelf like told on the phone). Oh well.

Monday a.m., indie calls with the bad news: she was out of gas. Shop charge $0. Tow $65. Gave my indie $100 because he spent 20 minutes jacking with it first thing Monday, wasn't going to charge for the 2 gals. of gas ($3+/gal) but more important!: He was driving PAST his shop late Sat afternoon, saw my car outside with my cheapo cover blown off, top and windows down...whipped in, pushed it into his fenced yard (by himself), put the top up and put the windows up WITHOUT THE IGNITION KEY (???).

Didn't even rub it in when I picked her up Monday evening

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"Dangerous with a wrench...and not smart enough to know it"

Stable (in order of acqusition):
'84 500SL, 280SEL (Euros)
'77 280SE. '90 560SEL
'79 450SEL 6.9,
'95 C280 (totalled by daughter 8/07)
'81 280SL (rescued) '88 300CE
'86 560SEC '95 C36
'01 CL55

DD's: '04 S500 4Matic (SWMBO)
'04 F150 Crew

Guys like that are few and far between...look after him..and how is the 6.9 running?

You know, with all the rip-off mechanics out there, it is so good to hear about one like yours.

Great mechanic! Is he in northern CA by the way?

Seems I have the opposite effect with my gas gauge. When I top off the tank the gauge reads slightly off before the 1/1 mark, but otherwise seems OK. I've seen other Benzes go past 1/1 when topped off...maybe a needle misalignment with the gauge shaft?

These gas gauges are a pain. Mine bottoms out at around the 1/4 mark. I don't know what I'll do if my trip odometer gives out!

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

Replacing the sending units should repair the flaky gas gauges. Mark