Spare parts for travel -- a suggestion - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jeremy5848 · #1 07-09-2008, 01:27 PM

Here's an idea I picked up from a forum of world travelers . . . the people who take their Unimogs to Siberia . . . they suggest putting new parts on the car before leaving home and carrying the old parts as spares. This has four advantages. Let's look at them, using as an example a generic "fan belt."

(1) The vehicle now has a new fan belt with many miles of use ahead of it.

(2) If you accidentally bought the wrong fan belt, you find out before leaving. Even if you check the part number, mistakes have been known to be made. The only way to be 100% certain is to install the part.

(3) While installing the new fan belt, you refresh your memory on the procedure and you discover any problems that may be lurking (a jammed nut, for example). If you have your mechanic do the work, the same thing is true, at least as regards finding problems.

(4) You have a known good fan belt to carry as spare -- you know it's good because it was working when you took it off of the car.

All of the above minimizes the risk that you will end up stuck somewhere with a useless spare fan belt because the parts guy pulled the wrong one off of the shelf.

Question: Are there any parts that a reasonable Benzite might choose to carry as spares but which should not or cannot easily be installed before travel? I can't think of any but maybe you can. Note that this means emergency spare parts for installation on the side of the road, in a parking lot away from home, or at a roadside garage in a small town. We are not talking about routine installation of parts that wear out because you've been on the road for ten months -- presumably you can plan ahead to visit a Mercedes mechanic or dealer just as if you were at home.

Jeremy

joey.dale · #2 07-09-2008, 02:34 PM

How about a full long block?

Chadahar · #3 07-09-2008, 03:42 PM

When I drove my freshly restored 1964 VW Karmann Cabrio(bug convert.) from Denver to Indianapolis In. in 1985, I took along various parts.
1. good used gen(worked fine replaced with a new one)
2. Used carb(same deal)
4. mechanical fuel pump(I had an electric one on the car, but I knew the Mechanical one worked(same deal)
5. starter,( working used, same deal) most of these parts rode under the back seat or in the trunk aea.
6, Used distributor, cap, rotor, points,and a set of plug wires(same deal).
7. extra set of spark plugs (New)
8. new spare(along with 4 new G metric tires on the car).

I was travelling with my show dog (Sheltie) and I didn't want us stuck on the road.

Trip to Indy was fun and trouble free. Trip back was trouble free until somewhere in Missouri, I pulled off to gas up and coming back onto the interstate the car died . I coasted into a roadside park and assessed that the electric fuel pump had quit. Bolted on the mechanical one. About twenty minutes of down time, I was back on the road and trip was trouble free the rest of the way home.

The culprit? I had only lost the ground to the electric fuel pump. Found it when I was changing it out for a new one. If I'd have touched the ground wire or had a continuity checker with me I could have fixed it in a minute. Thing is I was prepared for just about anything on that trip. I had driven restored cars on trips before, so I had the experience of knowing what would likely foul up.

vstech · #4 07-09-2008, 03:47 PM

so, basicly you are saying to replace any suspect parts before a trip... sounds right to me.
I always keep spare glow plugs from the last change, and belts... (when I don't cut them off ;-)

PaulH · #5 07-09-2008, 10:51 PM

Several fuel filters. Don't leave home with out them. And, as mentioned above, a spare "fan" belt. And, tools to put the parts on . And, And, And.....

CoyoteStarfish · #6 07-09-2008, 11:02 PM

Spare voltage regulator might not be a bad idea.

Always, a full complement of fuses and replacement bulbs. And I keep a few feet of jumper wire in the car at all times just for those "you never know" situations.

Not a "part" but good to have? A tow chain/rope. Surprising how few people have these in their trunk. Boggles my mind. Though, I've used it more to save OTHERS than myself.

MBeige · #7 07-10-2008, 05:25 AM

The only drawback of those principles is if you thought it was the problem, bought a new part, installed it, only to find out the day before that it did not resolve the issue...of course this means the issue has to critical for safe vehicle operation, not like a dome light or something

Here's one: install a brand new first aid kit that fits in the original box. I don't think you'd dare use the old one

Jeremy5848 · #8 07-10-2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBeige

The only drawback of those principles is if you thought it was the problem, bought a new part, installed it, only to find out the day before that it did not resolve the issue...

The idea that I passed along was made on the assumption that the vehicle was in good working condition. You would be removing a good used part and installing a new part. Clearly, this should be done more than ten minutes before leaving, so that if the new part was DOA, you would have time to get another. That is even more important for those of us who save money by buying from a mail-order house.

Your first-aid kit comment is on the money; the factory kit is primarily useful as an antique. The location of the compartment (in the sun much of the time) doesn't help. I carry a much larger kit and use the compartment for binoculars and a bird book. It's interesting that my wife's '96 E300D has the first aid kit built into the rear armrest. That's a better location.

Jeremy

Burnzy · #9 07-10-2008, 01:12 PM

A Visa or Mastercard with a high credit line wouldn't hurt. And if you are traveling somewhere that is not very import friendly, a large jar of vasoline.

Seriously, fuel filters, fuses, a few quarts of oil, a couple feet of fuel line and about 6 ft of 1 inch hose and a few hose clamps just in case one of your oil cooler lines rupture. It will allow you to get off the highway and to a service station in a pinch. And the grandaddy of all basics, make sure the spare is ready to use if needed.

Hatterasguy · #10 07-10-2008, 01:15 PM

Thats probably overkill on cars, but on a boat where you are going to say the remote South Pacific, thats what you should be doing. But with parts like the alt, raw water pump, starter, injectors, maybe even a spare IP. Because a lot of times its not a question of money, you simply cannot get the part.

It depends on how remote the place you are going is, belts are tough they don't just go. More so the serpintine belts that a lot of cars use these days, those things are very tough, they are like a timing belt. Belts fail because people ignore them and don't check and replace them from time to time. If you have a good belt IE one thats adjusted and not that old its fine, unless something causes it to fail, like an water pump bearing seizing. But again the water pump bearing doesn't just seize, it gives you warning.

If your in tune with your car you really shouldn't need to carry many spares, other than say some fuel filters.