Don't try this at home!! bought car + 800 miles back to Vancouver = - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Bens lover · #1 08-28-2010, 06:10 PM

Well I finally made it back to Vancouver after flying to Edmonton Alberta to pick up my new ride.
All went well until......
I got there and the owner picked me up at the airport. After arriving at his home there she was sitting on the curb all nice and shiny.
Took it for a ride on the highway and she drove very well. The car is very quiet on the highway and very stable. So far so good I said to myself....

Before I even left Vancouver to pick up this car I was told by the owner that the battery light started flickering every now and then, so I brought with me a voltage regulator and a brand new alternator. I replaced the regulator first hoping it would solve the problem. No! it did not. So now I'm thinking I have to replace the alternator, but he does not have the facility to do any of that in his drive way or even the garage, this garage looks like a Hilton Hotel lobby for God's sake.

Well I'm left with very few options, Its 12 noon local time and I have about 1300 km or a little over 800 miles of traveling to do back to Vancouver....
I decide to leave and drive to a local parts source and buy some antifreeze, engine oil,and a spare 20 liter container for fuel. Better safe then sorry and off I go.
Now I'm on the highway heading for the BC coast, fingers crossed and legs too and just praying all will be OK. But NO!
The damn sun goes down pretty early in the late summer more so in the Rocky Mountains and I decide to put my parking lights on so the cars can at least see me. The further I got the dimmer the lights until I had no more lights no more electrical energy, the gauges were failing on me, speedometer was at 45 mph but I had a good GPS and it was telling me I was going 70 mph. Now its 9.30 pm I've been following this car fairly close for several miles and it was getting way to dangerous, so I pulled over at a gas station filled it up and drove across the street to a little Motel and stayed there for the night.
Not done yet....Not even home either.
This morning I called AAA and the came over to give me a boost, it started right away.
Off I go for the last part of my journey.
By now Ive traveled about half way, I didn't care about not having heat but I forgot that my windows did not work anymore and no sun roof either,and now I have no gauges or speedometer, the only gauge working was the oil pressure thank God.
Made it home safe and sound and got to work on the old beast.
Got the rad out because it needs replacing (leaking from the top seems) also noticed that the previous owner installed a water cooler recirculation device at the bottom end of the lower rad hose a NO NO in my book. Replaced the alternator and a new rad was delivered to my door with a lower rad hose from my very good parts supplier (on a Saturday) what a great guy!
Now I'm a bit tired and will finish it all off tomorrow Sunday.

I have to say that even with these anomalies the car drives just great and fuel consumption is fantastic! At the half way mark I had spent a little less then half tank and another half for the rest of the trip. Not to bad at all.
I'm very proud to own this beast.
She will be my daily drive when I come back and visit in Vancouver from Australia.
Cheers guy's
Big Dan

Fulcrum525 · #2 08-28-2010, 06:22 PM

haha reminds me of when my voltage regulator went out on me. Thankfully I was only 50 miles from home when it happened. Good story though!

Also you mentioned not being able to replace the alternator.....does this car still have the under body panel attached? (The alternator isn't too hard to get to if you don't mind laying on the ground on your back

)

sixto · #3 08-28-2010, 06:24 PM

Are you saying you did better than 36 mpg???

Sixto
87 300D

Bens lover · #4 08-28-2010, 06:24 PM

Hi there..
No the lower body panel is not there,but having the rad out makes it that much easier to do all the work.
Cheers

Bens lover · #5 08-28-2010, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

Are you saying you did better than 36 mpg???

Sixto
87 300D

Yeppers...I was at the half way point when I stopped and half a tank was showing on the gauge,when I filled it up it only took 42 liters out of a 90 liter tank.
Not to bad at all.!!

Fulcrum525 · #6 08-28-2010, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bens lover

Hi there..
No the lower body panel is not there,but having the rad out makes it that much easier to do all the work.
Cheers

Well....if the radiator needed to be replaced anyways I guess that makes sense. However if you had to I know that the alternator on the 300SDL is pretty easy to get to. How far from home were you once you left your overnight stop?

sixto · #7 08-28-2010, 06:46 PM

Thinking about the stop at the auto parts store, I'd have bought a spare battery for the trip.

BTDT with a Caravan and 'burb TD. The Caravan had the decency to quit altogether 50 miles after the charge light came on. The 'burb rudely slammed out of overdrive to tell me it was out of juice. No problem limping 10 miles to the destination and the alternator is even easier to replace than the SDL's. I have 3 spare alternators for the 300D so I know it won't fail.

Sixto
87 300D

Fulcrum525 · #8 08-28-2010, 06:50 PM

I concur with Sixto about getting another battery for the drive home (Assuming it wasn't too much further) It sucks driving in the afternoon with no lights as the sun is going down....

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=266017

Bens lover · #9 08-28-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fulcrum525

Well....if the radiator needed to be replaced anyways I guess that makes sense. However if you had to I know that the alternator on the 300SDL is pretty easy to get to. How far from home were you once you left your overnight stop?

I still had another 400 some odd kilometers left.
Mind you the two bolts holding the alternator in place are difficult to get to with the fan in place ...Its all easy access now.

charmalu · #10 08-28-2010, 07:03 PM

That is a good story, glad you made it home w/o any real troubles. Good thing is isn`t a gasser, or you would have been sitting along the side of the road. Alternator problems much better than a broken timing chain 500 miles from home.

Looks like a real nice SDL from the pictures. you said you went to Edmonton, looks like a California plate on the front.

Charlie

Bens lover · #11 08-28-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charmalu

That is a good story, glad you made it home w/o any real troubles. Good thing is isn`t a gasser, or you would have been sitting along the side of the road. Alternator problems much better than a broken timing chain 500 miles from home.

Looks like a real nice SDL from the pictures. you said you went to Edmonton, looks like a California plate on the front.

Charlie

Hi Charlie.
Yes the car was originally from California brought to Edmonton a year and a half ago.
It is indeed a very nice car.
Thank's