Can Someone Tell Me What I Just Broke?

[phatryd]

87 420SEL
Just TOUCHED this plastic tube and it snapped in half (see circle). No wire inside. It leads to a black Bosch box mounted behind the headlight on the driver's side (see arrow). Is this serious? HELP!

Hopefully photo attached(!)

John

[phatryd]

Another photo...

[sixto]

Looks like a vacuum line to the ignition module (EZL). Until you can get a replacement hose ($2-3/meter at the dealer), join it with a bit of rubber hose.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

[MikeTangas]

If I'm not mistaken that is the vacuum line to the EZL. The EZL automatically adjusts the ignition timing. A small piece of rubber hose will repair the break, and will allow a degree of flex the brittle old line no longer has. Just lube the small hose with WD40 and slip the ends of the broken line into the hose.

[phatryd]

I take it I should avoid driving it until this is fixed properly? Will a trip to the dealer or to get a new secton of hose be dangerous/bad for the car?

John

[sixto]

The power steering pressure hose at the pump doesn't seem to have much of a clamp on it.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

[sixto]

I don't know about bad for the car but it might not run well with a vacuum leak. At least cap the engine end of the hose on your way to the dealer.

This could be your cue to replace all the vacuum lines under the hood. See if your dealer can get line with the proper identifying marking. The dealer close to me doesn't stock line with color stripes and says it's more like $10-12/meter instead of $2-3/meter for plain white line.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

[MikeTangas]

No need to get to the dealer, unless you wish to replace the entire section of hard vacuum line. All you need for now is your closest AutoZonePepBoysKragenCarQuestpartshouse. Buy a couple feet of small diameter rubber vacuum line, probably 1/4" inside diameter. You will use approximately 3" of it to repair this break. Use the remaining 2'9" to replace all of the vacumm connector you might need to (the connector at the vacuum modulator comes to mind here).

The connectors will deplete your purchase a couple inches at a time and you'll probably have some left over to hang on the wall when you need it again.

[phatryd]

Thanks a ton for the lightening fast replies. I have learned so much from this board. I will try retrofitting some tube around it.

Sixto, I think I know what you mean re the PS clamp and the hose you are seeing is actually covering insulation, the hose underneath is sort of permanently clamped. And thanks for thepost re the vacuum filter. I didn't see one.

Any idea what the $$ will be if I go to the dealer and say replace all the vacuum lines under the hood?

John

[engatwork]

Unfortunately seeing as how one hose did it you will probably find more that will break the minute you touch them. I would suggest purchasing some of this hose and just going through and systematically replacing it. I'm not sure why these hoses do this on some cars and not others. I have seen it on a 300SDL. When I tried to help the fella by putting the rubber piece on the broken section the hard plastic line kept breaking.