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  #1  
Old 06-05-2002, 04:35 PM
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Angry Why why why????

I'm sorry to be so blatant, but I think the Benz manuals on CD stink. On almost everything I had to do on this car, the information on the manual either did not exist or has been inaccurate. I'd expect better quality from Benz, especially for $150.

And yes, I did get the correct ones....

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1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)
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  #2  
Old 06-05-2002, 10:36 PM
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Specifics

Actually, I can specify my complaints about the manual in three destinct categories:

1. Completeness of information
I've got one of those lovely 1989 560 SELs with a ton of features, such as the rear window sunshade. Zilch in the manuals. This ended up not being a repair project, but a research project.

Also, the instructions on how to remove such things as door panels do not seem to apply to this model - I was truely frightened at breaking stuff and finally abandoned their directions on how to remove to door panels. The pictures of the trim around the switches resembled nothing like mine.

Have you ever tried to look up anything about your tranny on the CDs? Good luck!

2. Up-to-dateness of the information
I have to do a timing chain on mine fairly soon. Only by going to AllData.com did I realize I might have to do some grinding on the cylinder heads to make the new valve cover gaskets seal properly. Ouch!!

3. Bad IT
Pet peeve of mine, espcially with years of software engineering. Yes, they chose an unsearchable pdf format to simply show scanned images, but to force you use Adobe Acrobat 3.xx to have the CD loaded correctly, without ever considering that Acrobat reader might be updated, and you would NOT want to have Windows Explorer default to this older version - that's just simply dumb, and a pain in the a**. These are supposed to be world class engineers, and this simply looks stupid and behind the times. And maybe even arrogant.

Sorry to be so harsh about this, but I just expected better.
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1989 560 SEL (black/black)
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  #3  
Old 06-06-2002, 01:19 AM
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I copied my discs to my harddrive and created my own link tot he main program section to choose year of each disc.

Its very simple to load it now,a nd I dont have to have the computer flip out when I insert the disc. Works like a charm.

As for the info yeah a lot is weird with it, but, mine so far has proved useful.

Alon
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  #4  
Old 06-06-2002, 09:46 AM
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At least you can GET info on your car with the CD.

I'm sure there is a lot on the W124, but I already have a Haynes manual for that. Not the best, but I can get by with most repairs on that one.

The R129 (or any SL for that matter) has no such manual or CD anywhere! So every venture into that car is a research project! Or I look for M-Benz on the other forum since he stripped his down to the bone to do a conversion upgrade.

Not sure if anything is available for the ML, but I got a year left on the factory warranty so I'd better find out soon...
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  #5  
Old 06-06-2002, 10:26 AM
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Wink

Ashman - the placing the CD on the hard disk is a good idea - that's what I'll end up doing.

G-Benz: Sure, it's great a CD exists, but it's still a lousy and an inaccurate job. I'd expect better from Benz. Then again, I'm German (and from Stuttgart...)

(Oh, I forgot, so is Benz!...)

Obviously the information needs to be augmented, which is why I use the web site I mentioned earlier.

And then there is this truely fabulous board, where people who actually work on these things share their knowledge, hands on experiences, grudges, etc. It's called www.peachparts.com. Nothing beats them!.....
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  #6  
Old 06-06-2002, 10:44 AM
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Post

Quote:
Originally posted by tkamiya

While I must admit, if I were to buy all the paper manuals included in the CD, it'd cost me few times the cost of the CD, but paper manuals would have been much more useful.

anyone who has ever worked with the hard copy service manuals that used to exist know of their shortcomings, however the CD is STLL a better alternative in spite of the fact that they are merely scanned pages of the paper manuals since you can't print the pages out at your convenience rather than dirtying up that nice $200-300 book.

one idea is to keep a binder and insert the printed pageds into the binder when you are done so should you need to re-visit a procedure, you don't have to re-print it.

re: the missing info. I could be wrong, but it's possible that they assume that you have access to the complete set of manuals. that could be why you're finding "dead links" as it were

that said, i agree, the service manuals suck, but they are still better than the hanes manuals.
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'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights
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  #7  
Old 06-06-2002, 10:58 AM
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CD format

yhliem, tkamiya -

I don't think anyone would argue against the CD format being better all around than paper, as long as you can print what you need. So this is good and goes into the right direction. By the way - the binder idea is excellent, I haven't thought of that one yet.

It's more the quality of the info that drives me nuts, especially on the little stuff that could break small and perhaps expensive plastic parts or things on the interior. I'd probably have the same problem with the printed manuals. I'm always frightened that as I fix something I'll bust something else.

I don't even think there is a Haynes manual or any other than the MB manuals for the W126 (mine is an 89 560 sel). Does anybody know of one?
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  #8  
Old 06-06-2002, 11:05 AM
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Re: CD format

Quote:
Originally posted by hbofinger

It's more the quality of the info that drives me nuts, especially on the little stuff that could break small and perhaps expensive plastic parts or things on the interior. I'd probably have the same problem with the printed manuals. I'm always frightened that as I fix something I'll bust something else.

I don't even think there is a Haynes manual or any other than the MB manuals for the W126 (mine is an 89 560 sel). Does anybody know of one?
oh, i agree with you there. I'm the same way...been known to wind up with a greater repair bill than i started out with 'cause i broke something along the way one or twice

i don't know if there are other manuals out there. fortunately i know enough of the local MB mechanics that i can pick their brains for free when i hit a roadblock...figuratively speaking
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'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights
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  #9  
Old 06-06-2002, 11:11 AM
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yhliem

This board is a great help. Just knowing it's around gives you more confidence when tackling a new job.
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1989 560 SEL (black/black)
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  #10  
Old 06-06-2002, 12:08 PM
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Thumbs up Re: yhliem

Quote:
Originally posted by hbofinger
This board is a great help. Just knowing it's around gives you more confidence when tackling a new job.
that's what we're here for
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'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights
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  #11  
Old 06-06-2002, 08:27 PM
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You will NOT have to grind on the valve cover to make them seal...This is an old SI bulletin for the 300 D Turbo.
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  #12  
Old 06-06-2002, 09:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by hbofinger
G-Benz: Sure, it's great a CD exists, but it's still a lousy and an inaccurate job. I'd expect better from Benz. Then again, I'm German (and from Stuttgart...)
Ah! Du bist Deutsch! Ich bin von Stuttgart auch. Bad-Canstatt. Ich war dort geboren aber jetzt wohne ich in Vancouver.

And my German sucks a$$ 'cause i haven't really used it since I was 2! *LOL*
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'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights
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  #13  
Old 06-06-2002, 10:14 PM
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yhliem - SOWAS!!!

Aus Bad-Canstatt??!!!!

Vater aus Feuerbach, Mutter aus Breslau (Schlesien). Ich bin vom 1. bis zum 8. Lebensjahr in Stuttgart gross geworden (Uhlandshoehe, direkt in der Stadt!) Gehe mehrmals im Jahr zurueck! Meine Familie Vaeterlicher seits ist ur-Stuttgart!

(For the rest of you all - sorry about this - yhliem is from around the corner where I'm from in Germany, I mean a couple of subway stops away...)

yhliem - when was the last time you went to the zoo (Wilhelma)?
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1989 560 SEL (black/black)
2001 Audi TT Roadster (silver/grey)
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  #14  
Old 06-06-2002, 11:41 PM
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Henry!

We actually left Deutschland when I was only 2 and I haven't been back. Both of my parents have, but I've never had the chence to visit.

I still have family in Berlin, Muenchen, and Frankfurt. I would love to visit Stuttgart, and I plan to go back for my next trip...whenever that may be.

My parents are originally from Indonesia and were in Germany for school. Mein Vater ist Maschienbauingineur (sp?) beim Universitaet Stuttgart. One of his Praktikums was with Daimler-Benz.

And if I've ever been to Wilhelma, it would probably have been 1974 or 1975. We moved to Vancouver in May '75
__________________
'94 W124.036 249/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'93 W124.036 199/040 leder; 8.25x17 EvoIIs, up in flames...LITERALLY!
'93 W124.036 481/040 leder; euro delivery; 8.25x17 EvoIIs
'88 R107.048 441/409 leder; Euro lights
'87 W201.034 199/040 leder; Euro lights; EvoII brakes; 8x16 EvoIs - soon: 500E rear brakes
'70 R113.044 050/526; factory alloys; Euro lights
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  #15  
Old 06-07-2002, 09:33 AM
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tkamiya - Books vs CD - It really depends. I used to hate it when they started putting software development documentation only in electronic format. I remember having had a hard time getting used to it when Microsoft stopped shipping books (SQL server). So I now use a combination of aftermarket books and electronic documentation.

In terms of the Benz CD manual - print it out! It's gonna cost you $10 in paper, and some laser toner...


yhliem - Stuttgart is a very pretty place, actually. Worth a stop over. It's green, and the center of town is nesteled by hills and old vineyards with absolutely gorgeous homes along them. It's very expensive and very wealthy - next the Munich the most expensive place in Germany. The train station is impossible to miss - it has a huge Merceds Benz star rotating on the top of its tower!

You might consider visiting Germany via Stuttgart rather than Frankfurt - it's less stressful, and Delta Airlines flies there on a regular basis (out of Atlanta, I believe).

With that background, your dad could probably put a Benz together from scratch!

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