Project Memoirs from the Hard Shoulder: bASeman's Spot of the Year award.

[cort16]

The last time I had fuel pressure but no pulse to the injectors the ecu had taken a bath (literally in rain water ). This was in an old 5 series.

[chaseracer]

OVP relay?  #becauseMercedes

[BorniteIdentity]

OVP relay?  #becauseMercedes

 

They tend to run when this is FUBAR'd - just really bloody badly.  Anyway, it seems to be fine - fuse is certainly in tact.  This was the first thing I thought about having blown one to shit on my 190e

[Guest Hooli]

Crank sensor? no signal there equals no injectors firing. No spark either...

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Crank sensor? no signal there equals no injectors firing. No spark either...

 

Gets my vote too...... only ever had one fail on me and the car just stopped and rolled to a stop.

Hope you find the cause is cheapo!

[BorniteIdentity]

Would it run tho?

 

I'm not very clued up at all on firing orders...ecus... fuel injection blah, but remember the car runs well on easy start sprayed up through the air box.

[83C]

Probably would run on easy start as the CAS is there to tell the injectors when to fire. I don't know if it also sends any signal to the coil packs. If it doesn't then it would give exactly the problem you describe, as without any signal from the CAS the injectors will simply stay closed.

[BorniteIdentity]

The beard is impressively long here. Thanks. I've given the man a rip off, hopefully we can get back on the road soon. It's nothing special, but I do miss it!

[Schaefft]

We still haven't seen a photo of it with amber indicators! That alone is worth any amount you need to invest to get it running again!

[Guest Hooli]

Would it run tho?

 

I'm not very clued up at all on firing orders...ecus... fuel injection blah, but remember the car runs well on easy start sprayed up through the air box.

 

Ahh no then, the crank sensor is needed for ignition timing too, so without it working it wouldn't spark. Unless it has a limp mode that times off the cam sensor, but then that should work for the injection too.

 

That's my experience of them on the cars & bikes I've had anyway.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Ahh no then, the crank sensor is needed for ignition timing too, so without it working it wouldn't spark. Unless it has a limp mode that times off the cam sensor, but then that should work for the injection too.

 

That's my experience of them on the cars & bikes I've had anyway.

 

Yup - sorry........ didn't see that bit in your tale. Apologies.

 

Can't garage bod connect a spare injector and into a jamjar and see if it fires - or crack the ones in the car and do the same? Then you'll get both confirmation of fuel arriving and can even see if spray pattern is OK etc....  and not a dribble!

 

Other than that - I'm not a diag guru so will watch and learn

[BorniteIdentity]

Merc is back. Crank position sensor is changed, and we're good to go.

 

Next thing to do is something I've always wanted to do; a period correct/sensitive repair to a worn seat bolster. Being an old Mercedes, the only real option is to sew in a leather patch. I've found some proper good green leather in the right size, is it hard to do?

 

I reckon it'll suit the Geography Teacher look beautifully!

[Guest Hooli]

Hurrah for the crank sensor.

[BorniteIdentity]

We still haven't seen a photo of it with amber indicators! That alone is worth any amount you need to invest to get it running again!

 

 

 

I know it's incorrect for the spec but, to me, this is what an old Merc should look like. I love how the gingercators are such a strong nod to the past; only being slightly smaller than the ambers of old.

 

This will probably not be a very long term keeper, but I've no plans for changing it either. Just gonna keep on driving. Done 1500 miles since purchase already!

[mercrocker]

The placcy W201 trims are helping matters, too.   I disliked the C Class when it came out but they have done that old Merc trick of merging with the earlier models over time.   

[BorniteIdentity]

The placcy W201 trims are helping matters, too. I disliked the C Class when it came out but they have done that old Merc trick of merging with the earlier models over time.

Here's the annoying thing.

 

2 years ago I bought a w201 that had w202 trims on it. I let them go with the car when I sold it as I never liked them. Now, I've got a w202 with w201 trims and I want some correct ones! Can't find any at a sensible price tho.

[somewhatfoolish]

Ausgezeichnet! That is all.

[spike60]

Those Merc trims look very much like the ones on my recently departed W126, I bought 2 from MB after finding nowt I wanted on fleabay. About £38 each from my shakey memory about 18 months ago. Very shiny

[BorniteIdentity]

Capital FM have a presenter called James Bassam.  In a slightly clichéd move, he was given the moniker 'The Bassman' when he left Essex FM to join Capital.

 

 

I'm currently considering a rebrand to 'The bASeman' and buying this.  

 

 

Red.  Base.  Underpowered.  Rusty.  It's ticking a lot of boxes.

 

Anyway, I've posted it up here in the feint hope that someone wants to take it on and weld it up - before selling at a modest profit to yours truly.

 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

 

A mythical 3dr base.  The outcome of this is grimly inevitable, and as predictable as a soap opera story line.  There doesn't seem to be much appetite on here for group buys - which is a shame.  A nice little consortium on this would be great.

 

Unfortunately, the bASe is running terribly at the moment - and the carb is likely going to need replacing.  There's a NOS VV on eBay atm for £100, but I think it's probably a bit shortsighted when not much more buys a Weber.  I am loathed to make ANY upgrades to the Sierra, but I would like to keep it forever - which probably involves making more sensible decisions.

[chaseracer]

Fit Weber.  Use car as intended.  

 

Rebuild VV.  Keep for possible future reverse-ferret.

 

HTH.

 

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. A different carb is hardly likely to see you get kicked off the concours field, seeing as you wouldn't be allowed on it in the first place.

[danthecapriman]

I'd fit a Weber kit if it were mine.

 

This is the kit you need http://www.webcon.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=740

It's available elsewhere cheaper though!

I've got similar conversion kits on my Transit (2.0 Pinto) which replaced a VV carb and also one on my Capri (1.6 Pinto).

They're direct conversion kits, so are not an upgrade to a twin choke or anything like that. They're literally just new reliable carbs to replace the worn/shit originals.

Fitting them is a piece of piss and they come with full instructions if you get stuck but you won't need them! I've found them really good little kits tbh.

Don't worry too much about originality. The chances are this car could have had one from a young age anyway as many old cars (Fords especially!) ended up getting these kits fitted to cure poor starting/running issues back in the good old days anyway. I've kept all my original carbs regardless. They'll likely never get used again but it's good to keep them just in case.

[BorniteIdentity]

Thanks for the help, Dan. My anxiety to keep the car original has nothing to do with adenoid ridden men at Car Shows, and everything to do with my own personal feelings and interests. There’s a NOS VV on eBay atm for £100 and I am giving it serious consideration.

 

As I am that 3 door Sierra!

[danthecapriman]

Thanks for the help, Dan. My anxiety to keep the car original has nothing to do with adenoid ridden men at Car Shows, and everything to do with my own personal feelings and interests. There’s a NOS VV on eBay atm for £100 and I am giving it serious consideration.

As I am that 3 door Sierra!

In theory, if you get either your VV or that nos one and look after it and keep it clean it should be perfectly ok.

The VV off my Transit was actually pretty good during driving but it sometimes at idle would be a bit up and down. I like the Weber kits tbh so decided to do that instead of rebuilding the old VV.

 

If you want it you can have my Transits VV?

It's an 84 with an auto choke, the great think about it is that it's not even covered 20k miles from new so a good clean up should be all it needs.

It's wrapped up in a box at the moment, I keep stuff like that but realistically I'll never reuse it again so if you want it you can have it... up to you.

[Dj_efk]

Surely a single choke Weber counts as almost original on theses? I can still remember my old boy motor factors having the conversion kits on the shelf - along with manual choke conversion kits for those who were tight and wanted to persevere with the VV

[Guest Hooli]

That transit one shouldn't need more than the jets swapping with the ones in the bASe I'd have thought.

[danthecapriman]

That transit one shouldn't need more than the jets swapping with the ones in the bASe I'd have thought.

Most probably. It's a 2.0 that it's off so swapping the jets is most likely needed for a 1.6 or it'll be over fuelling.

It's a decent base carb though.

[Rusty_Rocket]

A cheapo Weber transformed my Mk3 Transit. The VV was promptly chucked in the scrap. Mind you, that's when you could pick up the carbs with all adaptors for £15   

[fordperv]

 

A mythical 3dr base. The outcome of this is grimly inevitable, and as predictable as a soap opera story line. There doesn't seem to be much appetite on here for group buys - which is a shame. A nice little consortium on this would be great.

 

Unfortunately, the bASe is running terribly at the moment - and the carb is likely going to need replacing. There's a NOS VV on eBay atm for £100, but I think it's probably a bit shortsighted when not much more buys a Weber. I am loathed to make ANY upgrades to the Sierra, but I would like to keep it forever - which probably involves making more sensible decisions.

Sorry but this looks like an L to me from That picture it has seats with proper headrests not moulded plastic, some L's came with dangly mirrors

 

I would ask the seller to prove its base provenance by showing you a picture of the log book