We are planning a trip through the Rockies in August. We won't be taking the routes with the steepest climbs, but it is still mountain driving... up and down and left and right. The car will be heavily loaded, and the areas at the lower elevations can get really hot (90-100 is not uncommon).

So, the push is on to get a number of repairs done. The good thing is they won't drag on for months and months like they normally would have without this added incentive. We have gotten a lot of things done already, which I will describe mainly to make myself feel like we are accomplishign something. Feel free to jump in anywhere with advice, even if it's to tell me to take a jet instead :-)).

1. We managed to get the airconditioning charged with R12 yesterday (pro bono even!). It blows cold, but it doesn't seem like the fan is blowing hard enough. I don't think it would blow cold all the way to the back where the dogs will be. Most disturbing was that with the air conditioning on, the car heated up to around 100 when going through stop and go rush hour traffic yesterday. It would cool down to about 90 if I got some momentum going. I think the auxillary fan isn't working. I'm hoping that's something simple like a fuse. The car also has noticibly less power with the airconditioning running! That's the price to pay I guess.

2. We flushed the old coolant out and replaced with MB coolant. We have an intermittent coolant leak (before the change too)... it will be fine for days, then one day there is a little puddle. It is not coming from the radiator, but the passenger side, about a foot back from the front. I guess it's probably a cracked hose, but the intermittent thing is puzzling.

3. The self leveling strut was leaking, so hubby replaced it with the one from the parts car, but even then it was only lifting up once in a while and not staying up. Then he tightened the control arm, and now she stays up! It was still pretty bouncy, but the front shocks were totally shot. He took the ones out of the parts cars (a real painful job as we couldn't find a star socket so he used a closed wrench and intsy wintsy little turns... I would never have had the patience!). The ones from the parts car seem pretty rock hard. I couldn't find a date, but they say 'Made in WEST Germany', so they are probably original. Do shocks wear by use, or will they just age sitting? They are Bilsteins and have the Mercedes logo, so probably good ones. Anyway, the drive is much much better... but still a little bouncy I think. I wonder about the accumulators in the back? It could be the seats (which bottom out), which leads me to another question. The seats in the parts car are much firmer, but black (Belinda is tan). Can the upholestery be put over their frame? Would I have to have an upholestery place to this?

4. The differential is leaking at the rubber boot that leads to the split axel. Would it be best to replace the whole differential (I assume it's a big job), or just the rubber boot? Or maybe the axle? The one in the parts car looks fine. Hubby also wants to grease the rear axel bearing, as he thinks it's making noise.

5. A few weeks ago hubby removed the disc brakes from the parts car, and replaced the brake shoes with new ones. It brakes okay, but pulls to the right a bit when brakign. Actually it was pulling when driving too, but it seemed better last night after he replaced the strut. The tire pressure is even, but the tires may have worn unevenly due to the worn struts.

6. We just discovered that the muffler is split at the tailpipe connection. The muffler in the parts car is a Mickey Mouse thing so that's not a choice (Belinda still has a Mercedes muffler). Would JB weld be sufficient to weld the tailpipe back on?

7. The previous owner had installed this radio and hotwired it right to the battery. Hubby took the Becker radio out of the parts car and now the connections work as they should. But, the front speakers aren't working... any suggestions? Added bonus is the antenna lowers once again... but not completely. It lowers to about one foot. Any suggestions to make it completely retract?

8. The roof rack on Belinda has some rust, but the parts car looks great. It doesn't look that easy to replace though. Is it welded in place? Has anyone replaced one?

9. The door struts in the hatchback were replaced with the one from the parts car and now it stays waaay up. Yeah!

10. My biggest anxiety over the whole trip is the transmission. We probably won't have room to pack a spare.:p We had the transmission flushed, there's no leaks and it's working as it should (maybe needs the timing adjusted somewhat). Anything I should do to make it easier for the transmission? Can I pack little ice bags around it or something?:p

As you can see, the parts car really has been a gold mine!

Sorry this is so long, but I preferred this to many short posts!

Thanks,

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Natalie

Boy that's a lot of things to cover in one post. Many of those issues have been addressed here before, so you can do a search for them.

1. If the fan seems anemic, it may be because of a failed vacuum pod or pushbutton control unit misdirecting the airflow. Check for air coming out the defroster vents or the heater ducts.

Yes, it sounds like the auxilliary fan is not coming on. Spin it by hand to see if it turns freely.

2. Can't help you there.

3. The old Bilsteins will be great. No worries there. The continued bouncy rear end is probably the accumulators. Search for that word here.

The seat covers can be moved yourself if you're patient and careful. Thomas Pindelski's web site probably tells how to do it. If not, I'm sure it's been written about somewhere here on Mercedesshop.

4. That's not the differential leaking. It's the CV joint. You replace the entire half shaft, as the CV joint inside the rubber boot on each end is integral with the shaft. Not too big of a job. Search here for half shaft, axle shaft, CV boot, that sort of thing. There are two different types of these, so the ones from the parts car may not fit. Check by removing the bolt from the center of a rear hub on each car and comparing their sizes.

5. A pull when braking is not likely to be caused by tires. This bears further investigation.

6. Can't help you there. My only JB Weld experience was a failure, but it was an inappropriate application anyway. Others have had much success.

7. The original radio had all the speakers wired through a fader control on the console. If the radio was replaced, the P.O. may have bypassed that connection. Look for wires in the console that are hanging loose.

The antenna may need to be lubricated, or the mast may be bent, or the nylon part may be missing some teeth. Lots of good info here on antennas if you search.

8. Sorry, I never owned a wagon.

9. Yippee!

10. The transmission fluid cooler that is integral with the radiator makes it easier for the tranny. Drive and enjoy.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Yah, what Rick said Quite a list to have when planning a long trip.
I'm leaving next tuesday for a couple weeks myself. I think I have my to-do list all done. Just had the right rear wheel bearing done at a shop, and cost $280(US of course). Pretty reasonable I think.
Be aware also that at high altitude your car is gonna be pretty gutless off the line. Mine will cruise along the freeway just fine, but taking off from a stop light is like dragging an anchor until the turbo kicks in. And yes the airconditioning really kills the performance even more. I end up turning it off in stop and go traffic.
As to the brake-pulling thing, don't know. Might try bleeding both the fronts again. Did there appear to be any leaking around the seals of the calipers? If one side is leaking, it may not apply the same pressure to the pads as the other side.

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past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

Thanks Rick and Rick! Searching this board is the reason we have made it this far! Just was wondeirng if we're doing the right things I guess.

We're going camping this weekend... not up any mountains, but pretty loaded down. It'll be good test!

Natalie

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Natalie

Jassz,

Almost sounds like you should drive the parts car and leave Belinda at home. Don't forget to use the high temparature JB Weld for the exhaust pipe repair.

P E H

So, my hubby took the car to see our mechanic yesterday. This was just a consult out of her home as she's had surgery and isn't doing repairs at this time. (Side note for leathermang... she met him at the door in a short little outfit, and sent him home with a bottle of wine! )

She thinks the excessive bounce is still caused from the front shocks. My husband didn't want to hear that! It was hours of fun replacing them with the ones from the parts car!

She thinks the coolant leak is the water pump, which is also what I wondered. Hubby didn't want to hear that either!

She said the auxillary fan is only to cool when the AC is on. When she shorted it out, the fan came on so she suspected it is the sensor that is in that little box with the bubble in it behind the light (sorry, the name escapes me at the moment). She said we'd have to drain the R-12 out to get at it, and that isn't really a good option for us. We lucked out once getting it, but twice would be pushing our luck. So, we might try running a wire in to the cabin and creating our own on/off switch.

It is definitely the differential seal that is leaking, not the CV joint. Not sure if that is a DIY repair, but I'll do a search.

The transmission timing is a bit off. Again, I'll do a search on the adjustment, I know I've read about it here.

She suggested getting a tailpipe bent at a muffler shop.

She thinks the pulling to the right when braking is bubble in the line (good call rickg!).

There were a few other little things. All this for $30 (and we got wine!). She also is a supplier for consumables such as filters, so that is good to know.

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Natalie

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think a W123 differential can leak unless it is seriously overfilled. It only carries an inch or so of fluid in the bottom, which is splashed up to lube the gears. The static fluid level should not come up as high as the axleshafts. That's certainly what I saw when I had mine apart replacing the axleshafts last month.

Natalie the more I hear about your mechanic, the more suspicious I become. The auxilliary fan has two functions. One is to protec the AC system from pressure that is too high, and that function is activated by a switch on the receiver/drier. The other function is to provide additional airflow when the coolant temperature rises to about 105 or 110C. There are several items in the circuit that can cause failure of the fan, and the receiver/drier switch is definitely NOT the place to start! Has the mechanic looked at a wiring diagram?

And I think your're right about the bouncing coming from the rear accumulators and not the front shocks. Search here for the method to test them.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

I am with Rick on this.... too many iffy ideas on her part in my book.. and this is not the first time I have said that...

They're not welded in, but the headliner has to be removed to get at the bolts underneath that hold the rack down. Given the more pressing issues with "Belinda", I'd address virtually everything else before heading off into the Rockies. Hell, having a beat up rack on a long trip makes more sense - you won't have to worry about making it worse, and you'll have a replacement waiting when you return!

Try some silicone lubrication on the antennae while raising and lowering it to see if that frees it up enough to allow full travel.

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Joel
1985 300td (sold)
1981 280SEL (4-speed)

leathermang just let me know privately that my memory of the diff was faulty. The fluid level is high enough that it can leak. My apologies on that one.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

These two items from the FSM cause me to think that the aux fan is run by the temp switch... and the compressor clutch by the pressure switch....
Your mechanic is causing you to do / not do thiings which are not based on your cars design.
The Temp switch is not connected directly to the R12 in your car.

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Ah leathermang. Too bad you feel like that. I was thinking she would be perfect for you. Sigh....

Anyway, something to keep in mind here is that the info I'm providing is all seond and third hand, so maybe it's the messengers that need to be shot!?

I mentioned your comments to hubby Rick Miley. He said she did bring out a wiring diagram, and mentioned that there were TWO temp sensors (not sure where the second one is) that feed in to a relay. I'm not sure why she leapt to the conclusion it was probably the one in the reciever/drier. He's pretty certain she said the aux. fan was for the AC cooling only, but why would there be two sensors?? Maybe that's not what she meant?

As far as the front shocks... when you push on the front of the car there is more bounce in Belinda than in her three cars. It is LESS bounce than it was with the original shocks, but still not as hard as it should be (in her opinion). But I will do a search on testing the accumulators, as you suggested.

The differential.... I would think with the gears in there moving, that oil would fly everywhere, hence it could leak there, couldn't it? Also, I forgot to mention the first time, but I guess one half axel has been replaced and that is the side from which it leaks. I'll try and get a pic for you guys some day, but that may be a difficult shot. She didn't seem all that worried about the leak, just don't let it get dry completely.

JoelS, there will be quite a bit of load on the roof rack for the vacation, which is why my husband is considering changing it. The one on there now is rusted in one spot, but in MY opinion there is little danger of giving way. I think it will be at the bottom of the list, but it's good to know it's not welded.

On the upside, she did think that overall the car is running very well. Engine sounds good... nothing looked like cause for alarm.

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Natalie

I just saw the pics leathermang... thanks! Stupid question, but is that from a 123manual?

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Natalie