connerm,

What I got out of the story was you got in over your head, started to sink but quickly learned how to at least tread water. That is how it goes with all of us.

My first encounter with tools under the hood of a car came with a 1967 Fiat 124 Sport Spyder. I inherited the car and when I took charge it was running poorly. I took it to the Fiat dealer and for $76.00 or so I got back a car that ran like new. The bill showed about $25 for parts, things like plugs, points, condenser, air filter, oil filter, etc. The next time it ran crappy, about 12,000 miles later, I took the bill to the parts counter and bought the same stuff. I did not even know where these parts went (well, some of them, like the condenser) and started to work. It took me about two days to get the car running again. But it was running like new again. The next time it was less traumatic. But we all start out getting in over our heads, learning, and then doing it again. There is always something coming up you have not done before. After a while you get the confidence to figure you won't do something that cannot be recovered, and once in a while it bites you.

I just spilled about a quart of Diesel fuel on the driveway changing my fuel filters (first time on a 1998 E300D Turbodiesel) basically by diving in before thinking about the consequences. Now that I think about it, I believe the problem could be solved by taking the cap off the tank fill line to loose the pressure, and then making sure the front of the car, where the filter is, is higher than the tank level.

When the leakage started I was more than a little surprised. I was unfamiliar with the arrangement of parts, how they came apart and so on, and decided I could clean spilled fuel later. I elected to concentrate on getting the new parts in and closing the system up. It worked and I learned another precaution. Don't get intimidated, just use the experience to make the next attempt go smoother. Good luck, Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)