In an attempt to make myself feel not so alone, what troubles have you encountered while bringing home an old diesel Merc? Share your horror stories!
Today I tried to pick up a parts car. It runs, it drives, but it had a few bugs to iron out before piloting it about 100 miles back home. Small stuff, really. I was prepared for the leaking bypass hose, and even for the vacuum leaks. I brought along spare fuel filters, a spare battery, and a large selection of tools, rubber gloves, etc. Thanks to a little forum searching ahead of time, I had the leaking EGR system bypassed in a matter of minutes, and was fully prepared to replace the coolant bypass hose. From there, it went down hill fast. The snow and sleet started first, and then the ignition switch crapped out completely. WTF? I checked the weather forecast yesterday, and it didn't call for any of this!
Getting it to turn over and start was easy enough, but getting the power to stay on so that I had turn signals, wipers, and other essentials was just not possible. The slightest bump or tap made the switch flake out, and even wiggling it would occasionally cause the starter to engage while the engine was already running. I had to give up and abandon the car at the seller's house, and after ordering a new switch which won't arrive until Monday morning, I drove the 100 miles back home empty-handed.
Now it seems that freezing conditions are expected through the weekend. I don't think Monday is going to be much fun for me. The ignition switch will be a piece of cake, but getting the thermostat housing apart and back together again in the cold is going to be a really nasty job. To top it off, I then get to drive the thing for almost two hours without heat or defrost functions.
Sigh.
