We will be traveling to Lucerne Valley Ca. this weekend to attend a graduation. We expect to log about 900 miles on the trip.

I will highlight some of the finer points of our trip, with respect to the car's performance, fuel economy and overall driveability. This will be the first road trip for the W116 after the major overhaul.

I still have 15 items on my "To-Do List" that must be completed by Friday. The new Climate Control Servo and Amplifier must be installed, Heater Hoses must be replaced, Front & Rear Rotors, Disc Pads, Brake Hoses and KYB Gas Adjust Shocks are all stacked on the service cart awaiting installation.

Should be an interesting read since we will be driving on both flatland and some mountainous terrain along the way.

We will be taking 99 South to 58 East to the 395 into Adelanto. Then onward east through Apple Valley and into Lucerne Valley. If you see us along the way, be sure to wave.

It's hard to miss a big, yellow W116...Bert

Good luck! These cars are great on road trips!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Where do you find the time?

My "to do" list isn't as long, and I've got all summer

Guess I spend too much time here...

- Patrick

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1982 240D. 198k, Marine Blue/Blue, 4 Speed, Crank Windows, No Sunroof, No Rust, No Oil Leaks
2001 TDI. 197k, Lagoon Blue/Black, 5 speed, Chip, G60/VR6

I grew up in a family business that built Street Rods and performed Restorations for a living. Dad later built a huge shop on his property and stored all the machine shop tools there.

We closed the business in 1991. He went into teaching and I became a police officer.

We still have the shop, so I roll the 116 into a service bay and Dad and I start wailing away on it, throwing parts onto it until nothing but empty boxes remain.

We have a lot of fun together...Bert

Doctor Bert,

I was going to ask the same thing about time. 15 things by Friday?!...wow! Must have been tough to close the restoration/hot rod biz. Maybe reopen in semi-retirement?

Have fun on the trip

T

'85 300SD (144K)

Why KYB gas-adjust over Bilsteins?

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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That's about a 450 mile round trip. Are there lots of side trips planned?

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Want 71 280: The dealer gave me a great deal on the KYB's. I got a full set (front & rear) for less than $100.00.

Sixto: Yes. We will be staying in Apple Valley and will travel daily to Lucerne and also to Big Bear.

Today I made some fine adjustments to the shift quality in the 116. I took a vacuum reading and noticed it was 15 in/Hg and fluctuating about 1.5 in/Hg at idle.

I added a bleed orifice into the vacuum feed line at the Injektion Pump Shift Modulator Valve and discovered this completely eliminated the fluctuation.

I then made some adjustments to the modulator to yield very crisp shifts at part throttle, and firmer (yet not harsh) shifts at moderate throttle.

I have 14 in/Hg of vacuum at the modulator at idle, decreasing to 2.5 in/Hg at full throtlle. I have turned the modulator in approximately 3.5 turns from the stock setting.

I also installed the new Billet Aluminum Climate Control Servo and Amplifier today, which completes the climate control system. I re-tensioned the Continental Drive Belts and installed new Upper Control Arms on both sides.

Tomorrow is a full polish and wax, repainting the grille emblem and the black stripe under the trunk lettering.

I also have a single low beam headlight to replace, new Tailight Bulb Holders to install and inspect the 28 year old spare tire that has never been on the ground.

Just for fun, I added a 16 ounce bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil to a full tank of Diesel #2. This was just enough to color the fuel in the primary filter a light pinkish red color.

I immediately noticed the engine ran quieter when the MMO reached the injektors. Funny....no smoke either, but it made the combustion process much, much quieter.

Just a few more things to do before the trip...Bert

Everything looks ready to go at this point. Interesting how quiet this engine is with 16 ounces of MMO in the tank. Anyone else experience this???...Bert

My engine quieted down and ran smoother after a full 16 oz bottle of Power Service, followed by a diesel purge treatment a tank later.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

We left Visalia this afternoon about 3:00pm and took Highway 99 South into Bakersfield. We were running with traffic, in the 80-85 mph range all the way. Once we hit the 58 East, we were able to increase our velocity to 90 mph.

At first, I was concerned we would attarct a lot of attention at that speed, but we actually had a Ford Ranger 4X4 flash-to-pass at 90 mph!!!

We pulled 100 in some spots and in other areas, like the '395' South out of Kramer Junction, we were down to 55 mph due to a number of CHP cars out on patrol.

At Adelanto, we turned East onto Air Expressway and made the uphill run into Victorville. Our trip ened at our destination in Lucerne Valley about 6:40pm.

We topped up with fuel to check our mileage. We traveled 270 miles using a little less than 1/2 tank (indicated) on the gauge. We filled the car to the top of the filler neck and it took 11.125 gallons.

Not bad fuel economy for the type of driving we were doing. Also, we are at the 1700 mile mark on this engine and we have only burned (1) pint of Shell Rotella T 15/40 Engine Oil.

No chalking or discoloring of the chrome on the bumper, no soot on the deck lid and a very medium grey colour to the exhaust outlet. I even had a truck driver in Kramer Junction stop and engage me in conversation about the 116.

He said he had been driving behind us on the slow section and was impressed that the car had such minimal exhaust smoke. He knew how to distinguish a Mercedes Diesel from other cars on the road because, "The left rear of the cars are always black."

I took that as a huge compliment, even though we keep the car really, really clean.

Tomorrow will consist of a few trips to Apple Valley, Barstow and other locations, plus stops to look at some older, collectible cars.

I will keep you all posted of our results...Bert

At 6:00 am today, we left Apple Valley this morning and took Highway 18 into Lucerne Valley where we headed East on Barstow Road. There are a couple of steep hill climbs on this road, but the 116 took them in stride, although I was under full throttle to keep speed constant on the first of the two grades.

In Barstow, we picked up the 15 South and took that a short distance to the 58 West. We ran the A/C all the way on Auto Lo.

We made our first stop in Kramer Junction for a Jalapeno Cheese Hot Dog from the Pilot Travel Center, then carried on West into Bakersfield. I stopped again at a Starbucks on Olive Avenue before completing the final 65 mile leg of the journey into Visalia.

Fuel economy on the return trip was 27.4 mpg due to our slightly lower speeds. Even the A/C didn't seem to have much of an influence on our mileage.

We will be returning later this month and I plan on checking mileage while maintaining 70 mph all the way.

Interesting thing about this trip...We saw more '108's' than any other Mercedes on the road.

I will keep you all posted...Bert

What were engine temps during the climbs?

I might be taking the SDL over the grapevine in a couple of weeks. I hope I don't cause an accident keeping an eye glued to the temp gauge. This is a 603 after all even if it has a -22- head

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Keep in mind I have the factory gauge, which isn't mechanical, so the readings are subject to the "interpretation" of an electrical sending unit.

I have an 80°C Thermostat and a 60/40 (water/coolant) mixture. My temps never went over 180°F, even on the hard pulls with the A/C on.

This engine, however, makes so much power that it takes most hills in stride.

I would not worry about your 603...Bert