From owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Wed Mar 2 20:10:08 2005 From: diesel-benz-digest diesel-benz-digest Thursday, March 3 2005 Volume 01 : Number 1759 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles Derick Amburgey Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: [db] CarFax - is a ripoff.?? People who use CARFAX?!? Re: [db] CarFax - is a ripoff.?? People who use CARFAX?!? [db] it wasn't the water pump... [db] Engine ID Re: [db] Engine ID [db] RE: Engine ID Re: [db] RE: Engine ID Re: [db] it wasn't the water pump... Re: [db] RE: Engine ID Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request-at-digest.net To unsubscribe, include the word unsubscribe by itself in the body of the message, unless you are sending the request from a different address than the one that appears on the list. Include the word help in a message to stag-digest-request to get a list of other majordomo commands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2005 16:15:22 -0600 From: Jan Guthrie Subject: Re: [db] CarFax - is a ripoff.?? People who use CARFAX?!? I know that Carfax is FAR from perfect and even if Carfax showed no problems..... I would still have a mechanic check it out. BUT, Carfax has successfully saved me from paying several mechanics to check out cars with known problems (after a Carfax)... So the $30.00 or less saved me several hundred in PPI fees...... Jan Guthrie 1995 300D 1985 300TD Racine, WI john wrote: > even if the car was totalled and rebuilt, that doesn't mean it's > not a good car... but Kirk makes a very good point, rather than spending > the $30 to the FUD factor carfax, put that money toward a mechanics > inspection... if something isn't right, they should catch it... even > bodywork is usually noticeable to someone who works with cars on > a regular basis. > > john > > On Tue, 1 Mar 2005, Eurowerks wrote: > > > -->I thought that everyone knew about CARFAX a long time ago. Why would > > -->anyone waste their money? > > -->OK, hypothetical situation. I own a $30K plus automobile. My significant > > -->other wrecks the vehicle which will make it's value $10K less. It is only > > -->going to cost me $6K to fix the car. Cut a check to the body shop and the > > -->record of the accident happening disappears as long as the law wasn't > > -->involved. This is not illegal, just not necessarily ethical. Which in > > -->today's world, ethic's, especially when it comes to $$$, are basically > > -->thrown out the window. > > -->Being in the car business for many years now, I can scare you with hundreds > > -->of stories about salvage cars coming up clean on ALL of the search > > -->databases. > > -->Nothing beats a trained eye when it comes to pre-purchase inspections. Be > > -->cheap up front and not want to pay for a pre-purchase inspection, and you > > -->will ALMOST always get bit in the end.... > > --> > > -->Kirk A. Gilchrist > > -->EURO-WERKS / Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Service and Repair > > -->8 South Highland St. / Winchester, KY 40391 / 859-745-0125 > > -->eurowerks-at-qx.net / 888-522-0271 toll free > > ---- > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ** http://wagoneers.com ** ** http://freegift.net ** > Snohomish, Washington USA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 16:17:09 -0600 From: acordova-at-texas.net Subject: Re: [db] CarFax - is a ripoff.?? People who use CARFAX?!? For one thing, it's bound to vary with the skills and experience of the individual performing the inspection. Not sure how this might apply to "ordinary" cars, but my impression has always been that I want a professional mechanic who is fairly familiar with the specific brand and model under consideration to be the person who performs a pre-purchase inspection. Ideally, you want someone familiar with the quirks of a particular car so they know where to look and can recognize a deteriorating part; someone who knows what "normal" is for each part (especially engine, tranny, brakes). These people are often superior independent mechanics who specialize in just a few marques, so ask local people with cars similar to the one under consideration where they take their cars for service. Sift through that feedback to find the right shop for a pre-purchase inspection. And the better locals for Benz inspections and service may not be the best choice for a BMW, a Volvo, a Toyota, a Chevy, or a Jeep. Alec Quoting Bruce Caruthers : > Along those lines, how reliable is the AAA used > car inspection service? > > -bkc > > On Tue Mar 01, 2005, john wrote: > > even if the car was totalled and rebuilt, that doesn't mean it's > > not a good car... but Kirk makes a very good point, rather than spending > > the $30 to the FUD factor carfax, put that money toward a mechanics > > inspection... if something isn't right, they should catch it... even > > bodywork is usually noticeable to someone who works with cars on > > a regular basis. > > > > john ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 02:51:17 -0500 (EST) From: john Subject: [db] it wasn't the water pump... I spent quality time this evening with my 124 series 2.5L Turbo Diesel... ...been losing coolant and suspected the water pump because of only occassional leakage. Well, after a most unpleasant extraction I will admit that the old pump is looser than the new pump, but there was no evidence of a leaking seal as the inside of the seep hole was clean and shiny... The tstat did look old, so that was a good plan... The lower radiator hose was on it's last legs... and if I didn't have the wrong hose from the benz dealership I'd be putting shadowfax back together right now and you wouldn't be reading this... :) I decided to compare the other hoses to doublecheck... THEN I noticed it... the upper rad hose had this funny abrasion on the lower side... Hmmm... pushed on it and looked inside, and lookie there... a crack. At least the mystery is SOLVED. The antifreeze was found on that side in the drip pan, and would explain only occassional loss. Of course I feared the worst when I found the water pump ok... after JB found his bad head gasket I was starting to get concerned and examining my block... Glad I actually found something to explain it. :) The old pump had been in there for a long, long time, so it wasn't a wild goose chase. At close to $200 a pop and as buried as it is I don't suspect this is a high maintenace component on this engine. :) Also noticed that the part has 201 stamped on it. So I guess the 190d types can have this kind of fun too! :) But let me tell you... I miss my 123/126 3.0L when it come to replacing the water pump. :) This rascal has twice as many bolts, and they ain't easy to get to... I used every wrench, wobbly, u-joint and every trick I could think of to get those things out of there... The fan shroud is a royal pain to extract and replace... any tips on getting it in and out easy? I suppose if I pulled the radiator and put the shroud in first that might work, but I'd rather not mess with those oil lines if I can help it. :) The thought of cutting that shroud and using duct tape to reattach it is very tempting... but considering how sensitive these things are to temperature I dare not mess with the design. ;) Well, looks like I'm driving the WJ to work again... Oh yeah, finally figured out why it was losing brake fluid... the caliper hose on the passenger side wasn't tightened enough... could see brake fluid leaking just a wee bit... I guess I was afraid of twisting that banjo bolt off when I put the new calipers on. :) Ah, no problem, just got to bleed that caliper a bit longer is all... ;) Still need to bleed that system properly... I don't like the way it feels yet. Have two one man brake bleeders that are both useless... one is old and falling apart, the other one just a piece of harbor freight junk... what I need is a shop assistant. ;) Working on a Jeep is a lot easier than working on a 124 series Mercedes... For one thing I can crawl under one without having to lift it up first. :) Well, won't be able to get back to this project until Thursday. Teaching tomorrow night... Did get my SuSE 9 64 bit server with qlogic fiber hba connected to the emc with a 330G volume! No small feat, considering it is on a dell 1850. Of course I did incur an ear infection from staying in the drafty/noisey data center for some 7 hours on Friday... BTW, FUEL PRICES at the Shell on exit 186 on I-5 this morning were: unleaded $2.15 Diesel $2.69 later, john ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** http://wagoneers.com ** ** http://freegift.net ** Snohomish, Washington USA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 00:09:24 -0800 From: Chuck Subject: [db] Engine ID HI I have posted this in other lists/sites but so far no answer. SO... Can anyone tell me the build date (Year even) of my 617 ? 617 951 12 021859 Thanks Chuck ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 10:44:04 -0500 (EST) From: john Subject: Re: [db] Engine ID On Wed, 2 Mar 2005, Chuck wrote: > -->HI I have posted this in other lists/sites but so far no answer. > -->SO... Can anyone tell me the build date (Year even) of my 617 ? > -->617 951 12 021859 > -->Thanks > -->Chuck have you tried running the VIN by a Mercedes parts dept? or looking on the door post of your car? john ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** http://wagoneers.com ** ** http://freegift.net ** Snohomish, Washington USA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 09:30:17 -0800 From: Chuck Subject: [db] RE: Engine ID HI yesterday I sent this out : :HI I have posted this in other lists/sites but so far no answer. SO... Can anyone tell me the build date (Year even) of my 617 ? 617 951 12 021859 Thanks Chuck I have had several responses but it seems I left out some info ; I only have the engine no car ( well none that it might have come from) It was in a 1969 220D - I am putting it in another 220 D Thanks Chuck ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 12:54:19 -0600 From: acordova-at-texas.net Subject: Re: [db] RE: Engine ID Well, I can tell you that a 617.951 came from a W126 300SD, available in the US from 1981 through 1985. That probably makes one heck of a fun W115 220D. Alec Cordova Taylor, Texas 89 300CE, 181K Quoting Chuck : > HI yesterday I sent this out : > > :HI I have posted this in other lists/sites but so far no answer. > > SO... Can anyone tell me the build date (Year even) of my 617 ? > > 617 951 12 021859 > > Thanks > > Chuck > > I have had several responses but it seems I left out some info ; I > only have the engine no car ( well none that it might have come from) > It was in a 1969 220D - I am putting it in another 220 D > > Thanks > > Chuck ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 12:56:44 -0800 From: Kevin Pekarek Subject: Re: [db] it wasn't the water pump... On Wed, Mar 02, 2005 at 02:51:17AM -0500, john wrote: > The old pump had been in there for a long, long time, so it wasn't a > wild goose chase. At close to $200 a pop and as buried as it is I > don't suspect this is a high maintenace component on this engine. :) > Also noticed that the part has 201 stamped on it. So I guess the > 190d types can have this kind of fun too! :) Don't forget, your car has the same engine as the 190D 2.5 turbo, which would probably explain the 201 part number. > But let me tell you... I miss my 123/126 3.0L when it come to replacing > the water pump. :) This rascal has twice as many bolts, and they ain't > easy to get to... I used every wrench, wobbly, u-joint and every trick > I could think of to get those things out of there... Probably the most annoying I've done was a toyota 22R. There were something like twelve bolts on that sucker. > The fan shroud is a royal pain to extract and replace... any tips > on getting it in and out easy? I suppose if I pulled the radiator > and put the shroud in first that might work, but I'd rather not mess > with those oil lines if I can help it. :) The thought of cutting that > shroud and using duct tape to reattach it is very tempting... but > considering how sensitive these things are to temperature I dare not > mess with the design. ;) It's a PITA to remove on a 190D 2.2 as well. I can't remember, but thought the shroud came apart in two pieces. > what I need is a shop assistant. ;) You let uncle sam take him to Arizona. > Working on a Jeep is a lot easier than working on a 124 series Mercedes... > For one thing I can crawl under one without having to lift it up first. :) Same with either of my jeeps or the powerchoke. > BTW, FUEL PRICES at the Shell on exit 186 on I-5 this morning were: > unleaded $2.15 Diesel $2.69 Ouch. K ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 19:06:09 -0600 From: Jan Guthrie Subject: Re: [db] RE: Engine ID Chuck, Stu Ritter did answer you.... He said that you had probably mistyped the VIN because you had a 21 where you typed a 12 this time. He said that if it was a 12, it was probably and 1981 maybe a 1982. Jan Guthrie 1995 300D 1985 300TD Racine, WI Chuck wrote: > HI yesterday I sent this out : > > :HI I have posted this in other lists/sites but so far no answer. > > SO... Can anyone tell me the build date (Year even) of my 617 ? > > 617 951 12 021859 > > Thanks > > Chuck > > I have had several responses but it seems I left out some info ; I > only have the engine no car ( well none that it might have come from) > It was in a 1969 220D - I am putting it in another 220 D > > Thanks > > Chuck ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #1759 **********************************