What is in your trunk? (survey)
 

most of the cars we drive here are older models. And as well as we take care of them, things do break sometimes. I would like to ask what you keep in your trunk for these unexpected things we all have to live with. Since we all drive diesels, I'm wondering if there is anything special your trunk that i may have forgotten.

As for me, I just have jumper cables, extra motor oil, and a swiss army knife. What am i missing?

Don't forget spare fuel filters, some length of fuel line hoses, and of couse some emergency ONLY duct tape.

I have 2 wagons, so I can carry alot of bodies;) . In my '87 TD, in with the spare is a blanket, gloves, factory tool kit, and a fire extinguisher. On the other side with the car jack I have jumper cables. In the '83 TD, gloves, jumper cables, a small extension cord to plug the block heater in. Oh, and a shovel and a bag of lime:D

Is that to bury the car in case it dies??

I carry 2 quarts of oil and transmission fluid, a gallon of coolant, jumper cables, filters, belt, small assortment of tools, duct tape, blanket, folding chairs (2), flashlight, inverter (for laptop if needed), tire gauge, a gallon of diesel fuel, and a pair of extra socks. Nothing worse that wet feet from a puddle or snow.

Joe

All of the above, and a big old door mat to lay on the ground so I don't have to kneel in the rain & mud to change a flat. (This is Washington state after all;) )

For now, all I have in my trunk is some power steering fluid, spare belts, and some redline diesel fuel catalyst. I need some jumper cables for sure, some motor oil, and some of that stuff that will partially inflate a flat tire, or a battery powered tire inflator. We have only one battery powered tire inflator, and that's for another car, the daily driver. I also need some fuel filters for sure. Looking at this list, I need to write it down, and look for these other essential items.
-Joe

Since I have the ACC Servo
 

I also carry the parts required to bypass the servo during the winter time.
Jumper cables
spare oil
factory tool kit
and on a long trip my big toolbox

Jumper cables on a diesel? My '83
 

240D pulls too many amps for a jump from a conventional car (or even a tow truck) to do the trick...those "boxes" don't seem to have the heart, either.

Motor oil, stainless S&W .38 with two full speedloaders.

Live in a condo, so my trunk ends up carrying a LOT of odd stuff people who live in houses consign to attics, basements, garage.

Sorry Jim, but I have to disagree. Mine has been jump started twice from a Toyota Corolla. It just takes a while.

Even though my recent alternator problems appear to be solved, I'm still carrying jumper cables and a fully charged Optima battery in the trunk. :eek:

Another nice thing to have is a set of disposable Tyvek coveralls. They're $3.99 each at Chief Supply

In my trunk?
 

Fuel filters (both kinds), tow strap, jumper cables, Jimmy Hoffa, bailing wire, duct tape.

Spare tire, 17mm 3/8" drive socket,3/8" drive breaker bar, basic tool kit, jumper cables, spare belt, 3 quarts mobil 1, 1 quart ATF, fixaflat, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and 1 gallon of diesel for the smokescreen and engine.

I carry just two things that have covered every emergency so far including a dropped pre chamber. I carry my cel phone and my AAA Plus card which is good for a tow up to 100 miles.

Peter

I thought these cars were invincible, never broke down, and could be trusted! I only have the factory tool kit and spare tire in my trunk, but after reading this I thnk I'm gonna go shopping today...

AA

GOOD jumper cables and my tool box.
In my SD I would usually find a few gallons of rain water:eek:

Mike

junk in the trunk
 

in my trunk theres...a 4-way lug wrench...a gallon of Rotella 15w40...jumper cables...1 million CP spotlight...a queen-size inflatable mattress in a box...a couple of blankets....two audio amplifiers,and a big ol' 15" subwoofer

Not much. Golf clubs and bag, golf shoes, and a pair of black Bass Weejuns I forgot was in there.

A gallon of water (potable...since I'm in Texas) and my 8 or 9 golf discs and bag.

I only carry what I think the car came with. Including the original (german print on the packages) first aid kit. Because the wheels were changed to bundt cake, I do keep a set of lug nuts for the original spare tire and wheel:D

P.S. I have to add that I drive my old diesel less then 1,000 miles/ year

Right now I keep a comfortable pair of boots and rain coat in case I have to walk home in the rain. I have a feeling something in my 300D's engine is eventually going to break because the mystery noise in the engine (not t-chain nor vlaves) seems to be getting louder. Its a mystery noise because I don't know what exact internal component is going bad since tearing it apart, finding the bad part and fixing it will cost more than what this thing is worth. It otherwise still seems to be running good so I'm just gonna drive it till it dies.

What's not in the trunk would be a better question. In a milk crate are gallon jugs of engine oil, pre-mixed antifreeze and washer fluid, small jugs of brake fluid, transmission fluid (ATF), rear end oil and fuel additive, a spray bottle with washer fluid, and spare fuel filters and oil filters. Another milk crate contains the spare belts and water hose segments, jumper cables, coveralls, gloves, old ball cap, a wheel chock, and a tow rope the few times I remember to put it in there. One coffee can filled with rags. Then there's the toolbox: I think it would take a 4x8 sheet of plywood to lay that out - and it's a small toolbox. A paper towel holder that daBenz's original owner screwed to the inside of the trunk lid - that was a neat idea. I suppose all together the stuff weighs 40lb and fits nicely against the rear seat with room to spare on top.

Wagon:

1 spare tire
1 bag full of wrenches (open and socket ones), assorted screwdrivers, pliers (long nose and the regular stubby ones), cutter, wire splicer, duct tape, tape meter, assorted screws and nuts and bolts, single contact bulbs, a pair H4 bulbs, some wires, extra fuel lines, an old aux fan, an extra set of ATE brake pads,
1 2-ton hydraulic jack
1 OEM MB jack
1 1L ATE DOT4 brake fluid
1 1 gallon water
1 1L SAE40 motor oil
1 1L (or less perhaps) Mobil 1 ATF
1 Badminton racket
1 tube of shuttlecocks
1 set of clothing
1 sleeping mat


Sedan:

1 spare tire
1 metal toolbox full of tools (much like the ones in the wagon)
1 Makita drill set (drill bits, circular saw, buffing stuff) - cant seem to remember to bring it down.. ehheeh
1 OEM MB jack
1 1 Gallon water
1 1/2L ATE Dot 3 brake fluid

What is in your trunk? (survey)
 

In addition to many of the items mentioned, I always make sure that we have a spare KEY (either in the hands of the "co-pilot" or hidden but accessible from the outside of the car.) Especially on the newer cars it would be almost imposssible to get a duplicate key to replace one lost while visiting East Podunk!

SDL - Umbrella, quart of oil, ice cube relay, old newspapers and plastic grocery bags.

Just today I popped the trunk to show an MB Diesel head the ice cube relay. We both saw the oil leaking onto some newspaper (whew!). He wittily said - I thought you said Mobil 1 doesn't cause leaks.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

And a partridge in a pear tree.......

In our '85 300D, I carry a minimal amount of the usual fluids. What my wife puts into the trunk, that's another story: stuff for recycling, treasures for the thrift store, various items to be delivered to someone someday, and any number of postponed decisions. Ah well, it's her car.

In our '84 Euro I keep the tools and some materials of my trade, marine wiring. It's my rolling tool box and retail outlet. I used to be what locally is called a "tailgater" until I sold my stationwagon and bought the Benz. Bless the 123 design team for the size of the trunk.
On the starboard side, I keep the emergency supply of engine fluids.

All OEM equipment and manuals that came with the car, a BCAA (AAA in the USA) Emergency Road Service membership card. So far, 191,000 km. later, other than the use of the spare tire, I have used nothing else.:D

At 177,426 km., BCAA towed the car to the transmission shop after I've lost all forward gears. :(

AA, these cars are reliable, no one is doubting that. At the same time though they are on an average 15+ yrs old. Also, most of us here are DIYers and like to be prepared and not have to have someone else fix our machines. The only time I carry spare fluids/parts is when I am traveling out of my local area on a trip. The spare fuel filters people are mentioning is in the event you get some bad diesel from an unfamilar gas station. Again this would be when you go out of your "local" area. The blankets, well with winter coming, it is always a good idea to have one in the event your car does break down. Sure you can call AAA, but that doesn't mean they will ge tto you in 15 mins. Most of the item poeple are listing are what is recommended for any make of car. Unfortunately if you carried all the "recommended" items, you wouldn't have any real trunk space left.
You would be amazed at how many people get stranded on the side of the road, waiting for a tow truck $$$$$$, simply because they were not prepared. Granted there is a point where you have to say enough is enough. We could all go "...well this could happen so I'll bring this spare part, well then this could happen, so I'll also bring this.." Before you know it you a spare drive train in your trunk. Again, for my routine driving I carry just jumper cables and a blanket, plus what the car came with from the factory. When I go on a road trip, I bring spare fuilds, fuel filters,a phillips screwdriver, a basic volt meter and my coveralls. Some people bring extra engine belts, but I keep a good eye on these. If any of them begin to be questionable, I replace it before hand.

Fuel filter question
 

some people mentioned carrying spare fuel filters in the car in case of bad diesel.
how does changing the filter help if the bad fuel is still in the tank?

"Bad diesel" is diesel that has algee and other garbage in it from sitting in the ground too long. This stuff will eventually clog your main filter, inturn, starving your engine of fuel. It is at that point you have to change the filter. Because of this potentionally happening, it's always best to buy your diesel from a place that sells alot of it, or at least on a regular basis.

Spare tire, jack, factory supplied wrench. Haven't even needed those in 5+ years of dieseling or 20+ years of driving. Lucky or ignorant bliss?

up in my trunk....
 

i got the essentials, but more importantly a pound of Master Kush weed, occasionally more. good thing the trunk is air tight.

Rodsob,

You are correct to question the validity of replacing the fuel filters when the tank is still contaminated. You don't see the problem much anymore at least in Ca. because by law all the tanks have been removed and replaced with tanks that cannot inneract with ground water. Every service station in the State of California has had to dig up and remove all the old tanks and replace them with rust proof tanks equipped with leakage moitoring systems. Diesel fuel storage tanks that either take on water or create it by sweating run the risk of fungus colonies forming. This is often referred to as algae but algae requires photosynthesis to replicate and that involves sun light which is not available in underground tanks.

The only reason to change filters when they are clogged is to get you on the road again. To cure the problem you need to treat the tank with a biocide like Biobor and change the filters a few times more to remove the dead material. I used to treat this problem all the time years ago, but I hanen't seen a case in many years.

Peter

I do not yet have a Mercedes, but here is what is in the trunk/cargo of my cars-
The 89 Safari wagon has the 3rd seat folded down and the back of the car is full of old newspapers from across the southeast USA. From Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville. I need to go through them and throw them away. My 98 Taurus has absolutely nothing in the trunk, except the spare tire and jack. My 92 Buick is full of so much junk that the rear suspension is nearly bottomed out- although it does not take much to bottom out the cushy dynaride suspension on a large Buick. I took the fuse out of the automatic rear suspension level control, because I did not want to damage the air pump to the rear air struts- with it constantly running. I have probably already damaged the struts from carring the heavy load. It has boxes of automobile cleaners/wax/window cleaner, battery charger (too lazy to put in the garage), and a couple of gallons of anti-freeze I bought the other night. I am going to try to clean all of that out this week.

Well, I don't intend to have car problems, just problems with people, so I put these in my trunk of my 190E 3.2

http://images.cardomain.com/member_i...13_23_full.jpg

http://images.cardomain.com/member_i...13_24_full.jpg

you can visit my webpage at www.RolexBenz190E.cjb.net or www.Cardomain.com/id/RolexBenz190E

mmm... H&K.. love em..


There is so much stuff in the trunk of the 300D I can't name it all.
I'm a carear packrat, and have driven VW diesel pickups for a long time, so I'm used to haveing a LOT of stuff on hand.
I actually thought the trunk in the mercedes was kinda smallish. I'm used to old Lincolns and such. I bought one once with a complete 383 mopar engine in the trunk, and you'd have never known it either. About killed me lifting the block out.

One of my favorite things is the huge welding cable and the ground for the secondary battery. Another VW habit.

holy cow
 

wow rolex, thats quite an arsenal youve got there....are you in law enforcement or just a collector?

am i right that i see a;
-beretta
-mp5
-glock
-sig
-ar15

i wouldnt want to be the guy who ****s with you!!

nor would i want to be YOU if you were pulled ovewr with all that in CA.

haibert88
"a pound of Master Kush weed"

Wow do you really need a POUND of that weed? I guess its a good thing not to get caught short huh? :D But a pound....

Happy motoring

Having at least a pint of fuel is a good idea along with the proper size wrench and fuel filters if you do get some bad fuel also I carry a pair of rubber gloves and an old floor mat to lay on.

I had an old tranmission in my trunk for a while, but now I only have oil, coolant, atf, and brake fluid. I did have jumper cables, but those are in the Subaru now, since I don't drive the 300CD as much anymore...

flares bad idea?
 

I bought some flare cause I think they are so cool if you break down at night, and stow them in with the first aid and jack space in my TD - Is this a bad idea as it is also near the fuel filler????

nuthin special
 

Let's see now, I carry oil, coolant, ice scraper, extra ties and work shirts, 2 tool boxes, various extra hoses, flares, jumper cables, extra hub cap, some spam, some chewing gum, extra speedometer, and a multimeter

Old newspaper, jumper cables, battery booster thing and a dead mouse.

Spare Tire
Amps
Subs
Jumper Cables
Oil
P/s Fluid
AntiFreeze
Transsmission Fluid
compressor

Coolant, Delo 400, shoes, 12" Woofer, Jumper Cables, Tow strap, CB antenna...


...three dead strippers


J/k :D

Hey, what do you meen the 2nd (two dementional poster)? All of those guns really do exist in the back of my trunk. I've gotten into a lot of trouble with them before. Here is the story

E 300 TD

Factory tool kit plus enhancements

Two Red Line 85+

Reflective vest

Spare belt, fuel filters, fuses.

Water activated adhesive impregnated 2" wide glass matt (similar to cast material)

Stick of epoxy

Lug wrench

Tow strap

Nam issue entrenchment tool

Quart of Delvac I in a Mobil I bottle

1/2 gallon of water in thermos

MRE's

-35 mummy bag

Insulated boots and gloves

Emergency candle and can

New NBC suit

Good gas mask, razor and two extra filters

6 30 minute flares

Leather gloves, latex gloves

Heavy parka

When one drives 50-60k miles/year in the Wyoming area it's prudent to be prepared.

Howard,

Since I live in California I will restate that I only carry a cel phone and the AAA Plus card, but I must commend you on your preparedness in your climate. People have been known to lose limbs and freeze to death when stranded in temps you endure. I believe, however, the nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare suit is a bit much unless you have an ulterior reason. I also admire you for living in blue sky country while I must live in the land of A holes.

Peter

The gas mask seems a bit odd. Maybe the diesel fumes are a bit thick up there?

2 Poly V belts,
1 Dome tent with tarp and stakes
countless papers from school
countless books from school
the Holy Bible
3 jackets
4 pairs of sneakers
4 quarts of tranny fluid
pre-filter and spin-on filter
vaccuum hose(about 3 meters)
Peak antifreeze(1 gallon)
2 Tennis rackets
2 Badminton rackets
a few blinker bulbs(somewhere)
license plate bulbs(somewhere)
2 qts of 10-40 dino oil
1 Marvel Mystery oil
1 brake fluid bottle(32 fl.oz)
1 PS Diesel Supplement(32 fl. oz)

Oh,.....And my grandfather's remains!:D

I agree with Howard and also travel in a cold climate.

-Tool kit with wrenches, sockets, tape, fuses, wire, clamps, some fuel line, both fuel filters, shop towels, Haynes manual (better than nothing!), flashlight.
-1qt Power Service additive
-1qt Rotella
-35' extension cord for block warmer
-1 gallon windshield washer fluid
-1 set wiper blade refills
- (-35) mummy bag
- small snow shovel

Cell phone, CB, addtl flashlight in glove box. -30 twice last week in upstate NY...not good to be unprepared!

...oh yeah, 12 gallon heated tank of WVO...could always eat that in a pinch...YUCK!