'85 adventure - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

d.delano · #1 08-30-2004, 10:38 AM

Flew down to my Dad's place in GA and did some work to my car before taking it back to DC. This is a tale of Murphy's law.
Dad had done some stuff to it before I got there- shocks, brakes, new battery, fixed the shock-mounted third brake light, and completely rehabbed the A/C.
When I got there, we kind of lost control a little. I removed the throttle linkage to access the valves to do the adjustment. I took a picture of it with a digital camera with the intent on using it as a guide when I put it back on. While we are adjusting the valves, one of the wrenches broke. Good thing engatwork lives nearby; I called him and he was nice enough to loan me his Hazets. I think the other ones I bought were fatigued or something from being bent and welded on top of being basically cheap metal in the first place.
Upon reinstalling the valve cover I got confused as to how all the pushrods were configured, so I consult the picture I took. Seems that trying to pick out details from a 1" LCD screen wasn't such a dandy idea after all. Dad's got a printer but I didn't even think to use it. I figure out the linkage by myself or so I think. For some reason the emergency stop won't push back. Later after I started it and it went full throttle by itself I found I had the section that links to the cruise control actuator reversed. Doh!
Fixed the sunroof. Oil change went well. Replaced small o-rings on oil filter cap stem at the advice of engatwork. They were hard and flat. Replaced diff oil, trans fluid and filter. Accidentally overfilled. Immediately drained to correct level. Shifts pretty good.
We had the two front seats out, had to replace the driver's seat spring. For some reason now the seat won't adjust vertically. It worked while out of the car however. Got the driver's seat recovered by 'the old rogue up the road' and he really didn't do a very good job. I have only 2 positions for the armrest now instead of 3. Side bolsters are messed up and wrinkled. But the seat feels better and I'm satisfied I suppose. Went to dealer to replace a supposed broken pass. seatbelt buckle. Turns out it wasn't broken, it was from the wrong year model. Apparently someone had replaced the whole seat with a used one, but didn't replace the seatbelt assembly along with it. So we go back to the dealer for an exchange. This was a pleasant dealer experience, they were pretty nice people. They gave me twenty bucks back. Dad had removed the seatbelt ass'y for comparison purposes and at first we thought it too had broken mysteriously. It wasn't broken. We were just too stupid to realize it had to be perfectly vertical before the belt would let out. My dumb ass goes prying off the round cover on the side to get at the ratchet and found out abruptly that I was messing with something I shouldn't be messing with. Spring jumps out and hits me in the face. Don't ever do that by the way. Go back to dealer and they don't have any and can't get any. Have to have one shipped in from MD after visiting three junkyards and finding either the wrong belt or someone that doesn't want to sell anything off of their rotting 300D. Get the aft driveshaft tunnel seatbelt buckle mount crossthreaded. Taking seats out and putting them back in is not fun.
We give it a test for a few miles- and after a while we get a rapid clunking noise from the rear that increases with throttle and diminishes with deceleration. I get concerned, stop the car and take the jack out of the trunk and it stopped. Later I try to shake the halfshafts, no play, no sign of leakage. On my way to DC, oil press. and temp. remain normal, cruise works without incident but the rearend noise returns and the turn signals crap out after a few uses and need to be 'reset' by using the hazards for a second. I drive it all the way back like that. Now I know I need a new axle ass'y and will have it fixed ASAP.
Thanks again Jim, you're a pretty nice guy and I appreciate the use or the wrenches and the advice and the mercedesshop sticker. Also thanks to the parts dept. at Jackson Automotive Group in Macon, GA.
I have learned some things from this car for sure. Most important is never assume anything. These cars are not made like the others but they certainly are tough. Mine still feels like it's dragging a boat anchor though.