DEALER INSTALLED LUG NUTS.

If you have tire work done at a dealer check the pressure guage on their air compressor. You can usually hear the compressor running and locate it. Just check the guage. Chances are it is over 150 lbs., esp. if the company does truck tires. The one at the place I USED to use was i75lbs. He put new tires on my wife's car. Some time later she had a flat and by the time those that stoppped to help had given up the lug nut was rounded over. She called me at 10 pm. and I had to drive 30 miles to rescue her. Three cans of tire sealant. and stopping every 5 miles for air finally got us home.

The next day I had to heat the nut and use a chisel to get the nut off. I checked the other nuts and they were all way over tightened. The piss ant lug wrenches that are supplied with the are hopeless on a good day and certainly no match for impact wrench on steriods.

Try an oil filter wrench like this one. You use it with your ratchet and an extension (or multiple extensions if need be). Makes changing hard-to-reach oil filters a snap.

Jeff Pierce

I have one like that, there was not enough room for it to turn :)

xp

Mercedes-Benz has an oil filter socket. It is a large "cap" that fits over the end of the filter. I have been using one for years. It works well in conjunction with an extension and ratchet.

Since there are new filters, the old socket is now replaced with a oil filter socket. I have one on order. I will edit this post with the new part # later this week.

Haasman

My oil filter is not an original MB filter, it's some aftermarket thing that does not have the grooves for that part on the top, but I know exactly what you are tlaking about.

xp

Fuses ....
 

If there is a weak link in these cars (sorry about the pun) it is the fuses. Aluminum fuses in copper holders means corrosion at some point- Sometimes creating weird and hard to trace electrical problems. So ...

-At least once a year I will try and rotate each fuse in the fuse box to make sure they have a good contact and haven't already started to corrode.

-When feeling particularly ambitious, I will remove each fuse and each contact end with a rag that has WD40 on it.

-Using the harder to find copper link fuses are the ideal way to go.

Keep us posted,

Haasman

Copper fuses
 

Haasman, I don't think the fuses are that hard to find. I see them available at eBay nearly every time I'm there. At eBay Motors, search using the words "Mercedes 124". I'm seriously thinking of swapping mine over, or at least setting new ones aside as spares.

Repairing Interior Door Panel Attachment Hooks: On older cars it is not uncommon to take a door panel off and find the attachment hooks have broekn. The plastic hooks are not available separately.

Using a liberal amount of JBWeld on and around the site where the original hook was attached and then letting dry for 12 hours or so strongly secures the hook, often better than the original.

Keep your tips coming,

Haasman

ATF Levels After performing a transmission service, refilling the ATF it can be confusing as to where on the measuring stick the level is supposed to be, especially since it is cool or cold. Fill until the level is about 10mm below the LOW mark.

Go drive the car for about 20 minutes and then recheck. The ATF level should be between the high and the low marks.

BTW, the amount of ATF required to move the level from the low to the high level is not a lot of fluid. Try adding in increments of about 4 fluid ounces at a time.

The your tips coming,

Haasman

a little one
 

Going to change your oil/ATF/other fluids? crack open every last bolt/filter you will need to finish the job. As has been said on this site before, it's real good to know that you can't get a filler hole plug open before you drain fluid. but it's also incredibly frustrating to try to loosen something in a hard to reach place when the engine is a million degrees... but, if you've cracked everything open before warming up the oil- like the filter the drain plug... the job is much easier. This one is particularly handy when filters are behind hot pipes like on the gsf :)

cdt

New mirror technique
 

Find a bent dental mirror. I swear I saw one like that in Autozone, only with an extendable arm (like our antennas) that extended 2-3 ft.

Hope yall find that. I am sure it will come in handy sometime. If not, you just implimented Murphy's laws, in that if you have a handy item, you will inevitably not need it. However, if you dont have it, you will find multiple instances of needing it.

Ok, its not technically one of Murphy's laws. But it follows the same logic, and probably restates one of his laws.

Later,

Alot of times, those little "dental" mirrors with telescoping shafts are sold as a set with a magnet on a telescoping shaft. I have one such set, and that magnet is a God-send when you drop a nut/bolt into a hard to reach spot. It's also good for getting a nut or bolt started in a hard to reach spot.

Jeff Pierce

Storing a car-fuel system: When storing a car for a period of time, be sure to fill the fuel tank. This helps keep moisture from collecting and preventing the fuel tank from rusting.

don't forget to add stabilizer to the fuel if you are going to let the beast sit for longer than a month.

CDT

Buy an extra set of forged metric box end wrenches
 

Cheap is OK, you are only going to use them occasionally...

For example:

When you need to release that damned belt tensioner/pully bolt on a W126 V8, grind down (Dremel, bench grinder, etc.) one side until it is thin enough to fit behind the bracket. Tap gently with a hammer. Now there is no need for that 3 1/2 foot breaker bar that costs $40+!

Need a tool to remove fuel line fittings? Grind away 1/4 of the box end and make your own!

Oxygen sensors? See above :D

My spare set (Performance Tool) cost less than $15 and runs from 6-19mm (minus only the 15, 16 & 18, for some reason?) Maybe those are really close to familiar SAE sizes...:confused:

Anyway, Cheers!