From owner-diesel-benz-digest@digest.net Thu Jun 10 11:33:11 2010 From: diesel-benz-digest diesel-benz-digest Thursday, June 10 2010 Volume 01 : Number 3293 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles Derick Amburgey Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: [db] W124 vacuum issue? [db] W124.128 fuel thermostat [db] Verdict steering W124.128 Re: [db] W124.128 fuel thermostat [db] Keeping airport car charged [db] Re: www.threepoints.com 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: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 11:08:08 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: Re: [db] W124 vacuum issue? I wonder if you couldn't install a switch to shut it off? I mean other than disconnecting the battery like you do... of course a solar trickle charger should work with all that sunshine you get too. ;) john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 si vis pacem, para bellum http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Sat, 5 Jun 2010, Jerry Kaidor wrote: # > I always hear a motor running behind the back seat for about a minute # > or two after I turn off the car. Until it stops, it is very # > difficult to unlock the doors. # # # *** My W126 300SD has the same motor. Because of it, I have to disconnect # the battery when I leave the car ( at the airport, for possibly a month ), # or the battery will be dead as a coffin nail when I come back. Been # there, done that! A leaky vacuum system will make that little motor just # run and run and run and run. And pretty much any 30-year-old car will # have a leaky vacuum system. # # - Jerry # ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 23:54:06 -0400 From: Subject: [db] W124.128 fuel thermostat A while back the fuel thermostat located towards the rear on the left side of the engine started leak badly and I had quite a puddle underneath the car. As a temporary measure I disconnected the thermostat and did run a line from the preliminary filter to the fuel pump. I finally found the time to repair the thermostat. It secured to engine block by 2 screws with an allen head. Easiest way to remove the thermostat is to disconnect fuel hoses at the ends away from the thermostat and remove it with hoses still attached. In the front is one screw underneath the thermostat and the second is on top between the hoses going to heater. With the proper pliers the circlip in front of the thermostat is easy to remove and the internal coil spring is easy to control. Inside just the o-ring has to be replaced which can be ordered a MB dealer for a couple of dollars. No need to buy a new thermostat which costs $ 150.00 and up. Also a good time to install new fuel hoses. A leaking fuel thermostat is actually quite common on the older MB diesels. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2010 00:06:31 -0400 From: Subject: [db] Verdict steering W124.128 Recent talk about changing lower ball joints or LCA made me check that area. Ball joints are still ok but on the strut ass. the bump stops and bellows had disappeared and the front end of the car was easy to push down. Removed the struts and found out no resistance left. Then checked the rear shock absorber - - a bit better but not good enough for me. Replace all for shocks and the ride is quite a bit firmer. FYI car is from 91 with 125.000 miles PS Shocks can be replaced without a coil spring compressor ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2010 07:26:12 -0400 From: Edward Pomeroy Subject: Re: [db] W124.128 fuel thermostat Had exactly the same failure at about 196,000 miles. Had to order a new one from indie for about 55 bucks, but saved the old one for the very reason you cite. I figured I could repair it and have a spare.... On 6/5/2010 11:54 PM, wmpless@iprimus.ca wrote: > A while back the fuel thermostat located towards the rear on the left side of > the engine started leak badly and I had quite a puddle underneath > the car. As a temporary measure I disconnected the thermostat and did run a > line from the preliminary filter to the fuel pump. > I finally found the time to repair the thermostat. It secured to engine block > by 2 screws with an allen head. Easiest way to remove the thermostat > is to disconnect fuel hoses at the ends away from the thermostat and remove it > with hoses still attached. In the front is one screw underneath the > thermostat and the second is on top between the hoses going to heater. > With the proper pliers the circlip in front of the thermostat is easy to > remove and the internal coil spring is easy to control. Inside just the > o-ring > has to be replaced which can be ordered a MB dealer for a couple of dollars. > No need to buy a new thermostat which costs $ 150.00 and up. > Also a good time to install new fuel hoses. A leaking fuel thermostat is > actually quite common on the older MB diesels. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2010 06:26:17 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jerry Kaidor" Subject: [db] Keeping airport car charged > I wonder if you couldn't install a switch to shut it off? *** By "It" do you mean the vacuum pump? That's a thought. There may not be much else pulling juice. Just the clock and the radio. Right now, I have a solar cell in the windshield to keep the battery topped up. And a quick disconnect on the battery post connector. You loosen a plastic knob and the wire connector slips off. At the last ham swap, somebody gave me a box of aircraft electric stuff, including some really nice toggle switches. These have a lock on the bat, so you have to pull it out a bit before pushing it up or down. I'm thinking I could use a DPDT locking toggle - one side would actuate a master contactor to connect the battery to the car. The other half of the toggle would control the alternator field. That way, if the driver inadvertantly flipped the switch while driving, the alternator wouldn't fry the car. This would save me from having to pop the hood every time I went out there. There's a couple disadvantages to this scheme. One is that I wind up with a second master contactor in series with the battery for starting. Second is that the coils of such beefy solenoids also draw significant current. Another concept would be a cable-operated master contactor. My '58 MGA actually has such a thing, so I know they exist. But that one's probably not big enough, so I would have to source or fabricate something else. And it would have to be a two-pole arrangement, to take care of the alternator. > of course a solar > trickle charger should work with all that sunshine you get too. ;) *** It's not enough unless I disconnect the battery. That door lock pump just pulls way too much juice. - Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:32:49 -0700 (PDT) From: diesel john Subject: [db] Re: www.threepoints.com no Diesel section??? http://www.threepoints.com/forum/ I really don't care for forums... I get lost in them... they are a wasteland of old, unverified and often useless info... you have to pan hours for a sprinkle of gold dust... why is it that people seem to like forums instead of mail lists like we have on digest.net? well, I can see the benefit to finding old info quickly, if it's organized well and VALIDATED, but all my google searches that end up in forums net very, very little useful info... I'm better off to figure it out on my own or talk to local wrenches... ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Snohomish, Washington -o|||||o- where Jeeps don't rust, they mold http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 si vis pacem, para bellum http://johnmeister.com http://wagoneers.com http://fotomeister.us - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Wed, 9 Jun 2010, Jim Blair wrote: # # New Mercedes forum by the Jeep forum guys # # http://www.threepoints.com/forum/ ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #3293 **********************************