From owner-diesel-benz-digest@digest.net Fri Jan 8 01:39:55 2010 From: diesel-benz-digest diesel-benz-digest Friday, January 8 2010 Volume 01 : Number 3212 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles Derick Amburgey Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: [db] block heater question RE: [db] block heater question - redux [db] the Ford Ranger Diesel - test report [db] block heater W124.128 [db] '95 front bumper cover Re: [db] '87 300TDT exhaust Re: [db] block heater W124.128 Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover Re: [db] '87 300TDT exhaust Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover [db] popcorn update... Re: [db] block heater question - redux Re: [db] block heater question - redux Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest@digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request@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: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:12:51 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: [db] block heater question will allow your engine to warm up... used to do this when I lived in the Chicago area, truckers have blankets they put over their radiators... adding ONE gallon of gas will thin your Diesel out and not hurt anything at all, if you don't have Kerosene or #1 fuel you MUST do this to keep from gelling up, or by using an anti-gel additive... I don't think Cetane Boost will do that... check the bottle. :) john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, Anaeis N wrote: # St. Louis is anything but mild! We're landlocked (the big muddy doesn't count), so we get to have all 4 seasons, including this one. I lived in San Diego for a while. I miss the weather, but not the dusty grit that coated my car in '05-'06. Does that still happen? # # In my experience, it's day after day of cold that will cause diesel problems. My Benz and I were fine all season, until a few weeks of cold weather built up and stopped any kind of starting from taking place. Good luck in Maine. # # John, what will the cardboard in front of the radiator do? I don't dare to add the unleaded to my tank. # # --- On Thu, 1/7/10, john wrote: # # From: john # Subject: Re: [db] block heater question # To: "Anaeis N" # Cc: diesel-benz@digest.net # Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010, 7:04 PM # # are you running #2 Diesel? if so, ADD one gallon of unleaded to it... # # should be fine... put some cardboard in front of your radiator and you should # be # fine... St.Louis, cool... (no pun intended) I thought they were supposed to # have # mild weather... # # john # ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:13:52 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: RE: [db] block heater question - redux excellent, thanx Fred. :) ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, FParker wrote: # # # The 2.5T has the heater element in the forward freeze plug on the # passenger side. Not all have the cord installed though. From what I # have seen, these engines had the element, but the cord was installed if # the customer paid for the option. # # Fred # # # # -----Original Message----- # From: owner-diesel-benz@digest.net [mailto:owner-diesel-benz@digest.net] # On Behalf Of john # Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 7:03 PM # To: jjs3rd@ix.netcom.com # Cc: diesel-benz@digest.net # Subject: Re: [db] block heater question - redux # # I seem to recall that they are on the passenger side in a freezer plug # location, # possibly up under by the manifold area. I wonder if my '91 300D has one # too... # will have to look... :) # # john # # # # ----- # ------------------------------------------------------------------------ # Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold # http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org # http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us # ------------------------------------------------------------------------ # # # On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, jjs3rd@ix.netcom.com wrote: # # # Speaking of block heaters. I have an 87 190 DT and going through my # second winter. Here in CT I never needed a heater car started right up # after an evening of 0 to single digits. # # # # I do wonder how it will behave in Maine where negative number prevale # on many days and nights. # # # # I currently do not have a block heater but have heard that all 87-93 # 190Ds came with the heater preinstalled and all one has to do is install # the electrical pig tail to connect to an outlet. Can anyone confirm # that the block heaters were preinstalled? And if so what is a good # source for the pig tail. # # # # Thanks, # # # # J # # # # # # -----Original Message----- # # >From: Anaeis N # # >Sent: Jan 7, 2010 6:37 PM # # >To: diesel-benz@digest.net # # >Subject: Re: [db] block heater question # # > # # >Hey, Alec! # # > # # >Thanks # # >for your quick reply. I am so appreciative of your assurance about # # >older Mercedes engineering and your pithy tutorial on block # # >heater/fluid interactions. This particular block heater # # >was installed in 2009, so I don't know if its design is perhaps less # # >thorough than the heaters that came with the early 80s cars, but I # will # # >trust your advice and your tip about watching the extension cord for # # >heat. # # > # # >Wishing you a Benz-filled new year! # # # ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:22:10 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: [db] the Ford Ranger Diesel - test report here's the pictures http://johnmeister.com/DIESELS/Ranger_Diesel_1986/ALL.html engine seemed excellent, ran smooth and strong... was cold when we started the test... (he lives a few blocks from Frys) however, the throttle return spring on the IP didn't, was idling quite high... the gear shift was VERY loose... had to send out a search party to find 4th gear. tires are 2 years old but looked new... paint was pretty bad, interior ok, seats comfy... stereo worked... windshield needs to be replaced. no rust, no rattles... looks like a factory sunroof, or at least professionaly installed, no wind noise. has an oil leak, suspect it's Diesel... the pump had been worked on before. easily and quietly got up to freeway speeds, cruised nicely... the guy is asking $2600, since it needs quite a bit I'm going to see what the collective thinks and after looking at a couple other mini-Diesel pickups might make an offer... I could drive it as is, but not for that much. ;) john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 21:41:49 -0500 From: "Wiard Pless" Subject: [db] block heater W124.128 John, my 91 W124.128 has a factory installed bh, located under exh. manifold and it is a bit hard to reach and see, between turbo and end of manifold. Probably need a mirror to see it. My W201s came also with factory installed bh, one delivered to FL and the other to CA. Ordered a replacement cable from one of the big parts suppliers and sure enough it did not fit.Cable is secured to actual heater by a threaded round ring/nut. Wiard ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:50:37 -0600 From: Jon Filina Subject: [db] '95 front bumper cover Has anyone had to replace the lower portion of the front bumper? My car, an '95 E300 Diesel, is going into the body shop shortly to repair some damage on the rear. A month or so ago, a gal in a Chevy Aveo hit my right rear bumper. She was traveling at around 65 and trying to change lanes to exit the freeway. While she was checking the traffic in the next lane, she didn't see that I had to hit my brakes because of the traffic ahead of me. Her car was damaged very well.... The driver's side fender will need to be replaced, as will the lighting clusters. My car will need a minor repaint of the right rear fender and replacement of the outer trim portion of the bumper cover... My damages are around $850. While that is getting repaired, I checked into having the from bumper repaired. Quite some time ago, I accidentally pulled up too close to a concrete parking lot bumper. The plastic valance hung up on the concrete and was broken when I backed away. The body shop estimated the repair to the front to be $985! The portion of the bumper cover that needs to be replaced was $530! Is there an after market outfit that makes a valance that can be installed over the old one? Has anyone done the repair themselves? Any comments would be appreciated. Now back to the Popcorn John show.... Jon Filina '95 E300 Diesel "Ernestine" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:27:16 -0500 From: Mike Frank Subject: Re: [db] '87 300TDT exhaust Page is up: http://www.westnet.com/~mfrank/mbexh.html Mike Frank ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 20:11:22 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: [db] block heater W124.128 very cool... winter is almost over here though... ;) it's 48 degrees at 8pm ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, Wiard Pless wrote: # John, # my 91 W124.128 has a factory installed bh, located under exh. manifold # and it is a bit hard to reach and see, between turbo and end of manifold. # Probably need a mirror to see it. My W201s came also with factory installed # bh, # one delivered to FL and the other to CA. Ordered a replacement cable from one # of the big parts suppliers and sure enough it did not fit.Cable is secured to # actual heater by a threaded round ring/nut. Wiard # ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 20:14:34 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover speaking of front benz parts, I took a driveway entrance a bit too fast once and that little cover for the tow hook went missing... where can I get another one? I mean besides Bruce or Paul's driveways... their cars are the wrong color after all... john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, Jon Filina wrote: # Has anyone had to replace the lower portion of the front bumper? # # My car, an '95 E300 Diesel, is going into the body shop shortly to repair # some damage on the rear. A month or so ago, a gal in a Chevy Aveo hit my # right rear bumper. She was traveling at around 65 and trying to change lanes # to exit the freeway. While she was checking the traffic in the next lane, # she didn't see that I had to hit my brakes because of the traffic ahead of # me. Her car was damaged very well.... The driver's side fender will need to # be replaced, as will the lighting clusters. My car will need a minor repaint # of the right rear fender and replacement of the outer trim portion of the # bumper cover... My damages are around $850. # # While that is getting repaired, I checked into having the from bumper # repaired. Quite some time ago, I accidentally pulled up too close to a # concrete parking lot bumper. The plastic valance hung up on the concrete # and was broken when I backed away. The body shop estimated the repair to the # front to be $985! The portion of the bumper cover that needs to be replaced # was $530! # # Is there an after market outfit that makes a valance that can be installed # over the old one? Has anyone done the repair themselves? # # Any comments would be appreciated. # Now back to the Popcorn John show.... # # Jon Filina # '95 E300 Diesel "Ernestine" # ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:01:50 -0500 From: Mike Frank Subject: Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover You mean this thing? http://tinyurl.com/ydloudk I used one of their covers on my '99. It was a reasonably good fit, just needed paint. Mike Frank At 09:50 PM 1/7/2010, you wrote: >While that is getting repaired, I checked into having the from >bumper repaired. Quite some time ago, I accidentally pulled up too >close to a concrete parking lot bumper. The plastic valance hung >up on the concrete and was broken when I backed away. The body shop >estimated the repair to the front to be $985! The portion of the >bumper cover that needs to be replaced was $530! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 20:19:36 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: [db] '87 300TDT exhaust easier solution... cut off the pipes to the correct lengths and weld the correct end on with the correct length... or get a slightly larger section of pipe as a sleeve coupler and either weld or clamp it... I've done things like this on jeeps to move exhausts around and it works fine... clamps might create a clearance issue, so having it welded would be better... john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, Mike Frank wrote: # Page is up: # # http://www.westnet.com/~mfrank/mbexh.html # # Mike Frank # ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 20:22:29 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover that's a great price, what do they call that little cover part? they want $560 for the a/c compressor... http://cpwstore.carpartswholesale.com/catalog/?PN=9270&N=0&VN=4294967235+4294966748+4294965245+4294965303+4294965653&Nr=AND%28universal:0%29&sv=0 ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, Mike Frank wrote: # You mean this thing? # # http://tinyurl.com/ydloudk # # I used one of their covers on my '99. It was a reasonably good fit, just # needed paint. # # Mike Frank # # At 09:50 PM 1/7/2010, you wrote: # >While that is getting repaired, I checked into having the from bumper # >repaired. Quite some time ago, I accidentally pulled up too close to a # >concrete parking lot bumper. The plastic valance hung up on the concrete # >and was broken when I backed away. The body shop estimated the repair to # >the front to be $985! The portion of the bumper cover that needs to be # >replaced was $530! # # ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:19:35 -0500 From: Mike Frank Subject: Re: [db] '95 front bumper cover You mean one of these? http://tinyurl.com/ydmq6k2 Mike Frank At 11:14 PM 1/7/2010, john wrote: >where can I get another one? I mean besides Bruce or Paul's driveways... >their cars are the wrong color after all... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 22:49:43 -0800 (PST) From: john Subject: [db] popcorn update... having fun with friends and relatives back east and down south... it's 22 in Houston I guess.. 50 degrees up here in Seattle. :) found a '98 VW TDI with some mechanical issues for less than the assortment of mini-Diesel pickups... can get a 50 mpg car w/ a/c for a grand less than a very troubled pickup... going to check it out tomorrow... will continue to hope that PLAN A (aka Superdawg) works out and I'll let my son buy this TDI for his commute to UW in a year or so... the '00 WJ should be done tomorrow as well... still waiting on the title for the '89 XJ, and need a window motor... looks like we'll have mild weather this weekend, should be able to wash cars and clean up around the driveway a bit... and call friends and relatives who are sitting at negative zero temps... :) sure, they can boast about their sunshine all they want... later, john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 http://creationwiki.org http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 06:03:16 -0300 From: "Renaud (Ron) OLGIATI" Subject: Re: [db] block heater question - redux On Thursday 07 January 2010, my mailbox was graced by a missive from Bruce Caruthers who wrote: > No problems when I plugged it in at motels in Yellowstone and Flagstaff.) Which would cause howls of laughter here in Paraguay: Motels here are establishments that rent their rooms by the hour.... Cheers, Ron. - -- No act of kindness, no matter how small, ever goes completely unpunished. -- http://www.olgiati-in-paraguay.org -- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 01:34:59 -0800 From: Bruce Caruthers Subject: Re: [db] block heater question - redux I'll keep that difference in mind if I ever make it down to Paraguay! :) (There was a motel, "Scandals Motel", near my undergrad campus which let their rooms by the half-hour. It was about a half mile from a Marriot Conference Center...) - -bkc Lynnwood, WA (his) '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] (hers) '92 Toyota Celica GT (ours) '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] On Fri Jan 08, 2010, Renaud (Ron) OLGIATI wrote: > On Thursday 07 January 2010, my mailbox was graced by a missive > from Bruce Caruthers who wrote: > > > No problems when I plugged it in at motels in Yellowstone and Flagstaff.) > > Which would cause howls of laughter here in Paraguay: Motels here are > establishments that rent their rooms by the hour.... > > Cheers, > > Ron. > -- > No act of kindness, no matter how small, > ever goes completely unpunished. > > -- http://www.olgiati-in-paraguay.org -- ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #3212 **********************************