Road Trip Complete (Long) - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Mikebear79 · #1 07-26-2018, 04:25 PM

Well, the 1988 560SEL with 215k made it the 4,500+ miles from Phoenix to Buffalo and back. I used Shell Rotella 15w-40 diesel oil for the trip. My back and tailbone are absolutely killing me from the stupid seats. I bought a memory foam seat pad in Buffalo at a WalMart to use on the trip back, which worked, but was still very uncomfortable. I actually stopped by a pool supply store while there and bought two giant pool noodles, but never got the chance to install them in the seat. So basically I bought pool noodles in Buffalo and brought them back to Phoenix, the pool capital of the US. Oh the irony.
No major problems with the engine or tranny, but lots of little annoying electrical gremlins. The SRS light would keep coming on until it went solid. The ACC unit would not regulate the temperature at all, just fan speed. There wasn't any heat at all actually, even though I just replaced the mono valve. I'll have to look into the aux water pump soon and the ACC unit as well. It was working just fine earlier this past spring. My recirc button isn't working now either, which may indicate aux water pump problems so I've read. I shouldn't complain though as my r134 conversion A/C was super cold and didn't go out the whole way. The "light-out" idiot light kept coming on at the end of the first day, so I got out the soldering gun in Albuquerque and went to town on the major soldering points on the control module in the hotel room. I got the right rear tail light to stay on, but every once in a while during the rest of the trip, either the left or the right headlight with go out for a second and then come back on.
Not once in almost 5,000 miles did I see another older Mercedes on the road. Not a thing. Kind of sad really. I did spot an older light blue w123 in a suburb of Buffalo a ways behind me at a light that I just happened to see in my rear-view mirror.
I have just one major rant. What is the deal with all the new semis/18-wheelers and some new cars with BLINDINGLY bright blueish LED headlights??? How are those legal? Also, Indiana still has the worst roads and freeways. Though, even with Google maps telling me EXACTLY what to do, I still took the wrong freeway turn in St Louis and had to re-route. Damn you St. Louis, you got me again! At least this time, I didn't end up taking the wrong bridge like last time, which dumped out into the north side of downtown, making me have to snake back south to the correct freeway.

Stops (including start and end points):
There: Phoenix - Albuquerque - Joplin - Columbus - Buffalo
Back: Buffalo - Brazil, IN - Shamrock, TX - Phoenix

rob300e · #2 07-27-2018, 11:21 AM

Wow! Thats a long trip in any car! I feel ya in the w126 seats. I have an '87 560 SEC and the seats are not great. Can't seem to get the right angle on the seats or steering wheel. My 300e is far more comfortable for any distance say 100+ miles. After driving to say, San Antonio which is about 2.5 hrs from me the 560 always hurts my lower back.
I also have a Volvo c70 Convertible which has probably the most comfy seats yet. But how did you feel about the car during and after the trip? Smooth ride quiet etc?
We have a 560sec which is elegant. An SL500 which is brutal performance wise, a 300E, solid, quiet and smooth and the Volvo, she's a rascal!

Mikebear79 · #3 07-27-2018, 07:42 PM

The car was good during the trip. It was pretty quiet and the ride was nice and kind of pillowy on smooth stretches and rolling bumps. Again, I feel like at this day and age, you’re kind of at a disadvantage if you’re not in a tall SUV, as you’re constantly looking into other people’s headlights and you can’t see as far out or around others as well when passing. The GL450’s and one GL350 Bluetec I saw on the trip were looking pretty good. I drive conservatively as I don’t want to break anything on something that is 30 years old, but it was great when a few times some douche would try to cut me off and I just pressed down on the accelerator and there would be a sudden downshift, and the most glorious sounding throaty exhaust tone, then the 560 would haul ASS away from anyone to their dismay. That always makes me smile.

Mikebear79 · #4 07-28-2018, 12:55 AM

Aaaaand, the alternator just crapped out tonight. Guess I should be glad it didn’t happen going cross country. The headlights and interior lights were noticeably dim tonight while driving and then the SRS, ABS and check light lights all came on and then it started to lose power and stalled out. Good times.

Diseasel300 · #5 07-28-2018, 09:48 AM

Kind of sounds like the CCU is on its way out or needs resoldering work. The recirc button shouldn't have any tie-in with the monovalve or the Aux pump. Even if the Aux pump dies, you should still get heat. The failure to regulate temperature is a CCU fault. It should at least shut off the compressor and open the outside air flap at a bare minimum. Be aware that the push buttons themselves develop poor solder joints and can cause erratic behavior.

Funny story about GPS and St. Louis. I had pretty much the same thing happen to me 10 years ago in St. Louis with a Garmin. It told me to "Exit Right" into a maze of various exits clustered together, then "Keep Left", which I did. Problem was that keeping left put me on the wrong ramp and diverted me over the highway into a shockingly seedy looking area. I felt like the Griswolds after they took the wrong exit, quickly backtracked and got back on the highway!