|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#1
07-21-2008, 08:54 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
thanks for the quick replies
First of all, I live in Nanaimo BC which is on Vancouver Island.
Replying to racoon, the car has 299k (186m). What has me concerned about the dealer are these two things. The steering box - Where he says it needs an adjustment, the specialty independant guy says the box needs to be replaced as it can not be adjustmed any further. Regarding the cylinder heads, the dealer was happy to point out that they were not leaking as the independant says they need to be re & re'd. We are talking about 3 thousand repair bill to a 10500 bill. BTW, I paid 2800 for the car. 
|
|
#2
07-21-2008, 09:08 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
Question Authority before it Questions you.
|
|
#3
07-22-2008, 09:23 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Welcome to the SL owners club. I bought my '86 560SL in October '07. Over the winter months, I gradually got all the nuisance things fixed, by myself, as there are no dealer, or indie mechanics that know these cars, where I live.
Interestingly, the one guy I do trust, who has done some MB work on SL's, also said the head gasket was leaking oil. That turned out to be completely wrong. From little or no maintenance by previous owners, there were lots of small leaks that over time spread oil all over the place, so that accurate diagnosis of the source(s) was impossibly difficult without thorough cleaning of the entire engine, which I did. You should do the same. The power steering pump has a gasket on the back that dries up and leaks fluid, which dribbles down and gets burned off on the exhaust crossover pipe. Awful mess. The kit is less than $20.00, and can be overhauled in about 2 hours or less, including removal and replacement. The steering gearbox is a 2 day affair (for the DIY'er) to instal an overhaul kit, again, under $50.00. Adjustment is easy when the box is on the bench. Rebuilt ones are under $300.00 mail order. Mine leaked like a sieve when I got the car, spewing fluid all over the exhaust. Now it's tight and not a drop leaks. The entire front end suspension, steering related like your quote indicates, like tie rods, drag link, steering shock, idler arm, is easy to do at home. Parts again are cheap and plentiful. (BTW, I'd like to patronize the storefront here, but they don't export outside the U.S. I use ******** AZ and Auto Parts Way in Canada, who have a warehouse in B.C. too). Look near the oil filter canister and check the condition of the oil level sender gasket. I'll bet it leaks, and I'd also bet someone has tried to seal it with silicone or something. Also look at new valve cover gaskets and probably the oil filler cap gasket, which hardens and lets lots of oil out when the engine is hot. I guess I'm rambling a bit, but the point is that there are dozens of small inexpensive fixes that you can do yourself or can get any competent mechanic to do for you. At the very least, getting intimate with the car is step 1 toward a cost effective restoration to roadworthiness. All of the information to do the above mentioned tasks is right here on this forum too....
__________________
1986 560SL 2002 Toyota Camry 1993 Lexus
|
|
#6
07-22-2008, 02:18 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
more advice and something in common
Idle throttle switch:
Before replacing, I would try removing it and cleaning. It worked for me. Spray inside with carburetor cleaner while holding with open end down. Give it a few seconds to dry then a quick shot of WD-40 and reinstall. High Idle: These cars use a lot of vacuum powered engine controls. High idle can often be isolated to a vacuum leak. Please check hoses and fittings carefully. There is one fitting often overlooked at the rear (firewall end) of the engine. It is hard to see and access but lives in an oil and heat rich environment thus is often the first to fail. Remove your air filter housing and look straight down behind the engine toward the passenger side while using a flashlight. Something in common: Some years ago, I had the pleasure to liaison on a joint project with the Canadian Navy. I spent about five weeks underway on HMCS Annapolis, one of your helicopter frigates. We visited Nanaimo as well as San Diego. Had a great time. You Canadians know how to be uninhibited. I understand Annapolis is now retired.
|
|
#8
07-22-2008, 08:54 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Ask him where the oil is coming from, if not from the head gaskets. If necessary, pay him to confirm that it's not coming from the heads by putting dye into the crankcase and using a black light to show you where the leak is coming from. Ask him to show you the transmission fluid leak at the cooler lines and how he can tell that the transmission needs a torque converter, rather than a complete overhaul. If you're leaking transmission fluid, but the car is shifting Ok, maybe all you need is seals. With that kind of mileage, I don't doubt that the steering damper, ties rods and pump seal have to be replaced, even if they were replaced before. But those things are relatively simple compared to the other problems. If the dealer's tech or shop foreman is worth his salt, he'll want to prove to you that he knows a lot more about these cars than the independent he competes with, and that he can even save you money. Given everything you've said so far, and assuming the dealer can justify his diagnosis, I'd go to a dealership any day. If it turns out that you're problems aren't solved, and you need more work than estimated, I'd bet that the dealership will only charge you for the difference between the work it did and the work it has to do to correct the problems that still exist. But under no circumstance will you end up paying as much as the Indy wanted. Also, as Mr Raccoon  pointed out, having a dealer warranty and perks is always much better than having an Indy warranty, as you can then go over the dealer's head to MB if you're not satisfied. In any case, good luck, and hopefully the dealer ends up being right.
|
 |
| Bookmarks |
|
|
Hybrid Mode
