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Volksy

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Everything posted by Volksy

  1. That looks top banana now. Is it slightly lowered?
  2. My Merc was rather damp inside when I got it, worth getting a couple of these which do quite a good job of at least keeping the windows clear. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hillington-Reusable-Dehumidifier-Dashboard-Anti-Slip/dp/B083M892KV/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3UY0T91CA74J2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.c6kv8TaoURURTx8xDEr1hfycc8Va4LkBkfNja9_I3jyEIAU6k5FkSAGLbln_mGrrtlv3mbkYe7jsIIlWQY7HV-5QIRAJkY9afdcneaGbwdWioMWqyggrvWbQHRLUiVt9KrymbE1WFsLIvXu9T05vlcf87jypSl1wy2qsUPu0Hww1q0DstRXuvyAM-dnsAN_CgVIE6QidpIvKPbl40ZW03gPne5TJ62RRv0vSb59rndo.YpRvcekOObQ4kwcuOZtvU5n5bBeSPZbc0cQAffLvMJs&dib_tag=se&keywords=large+silica+gel+bags+for+moisture&qid=1711100842&sprefix=large+silica+%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-6
  3. I’m still deep in the throws of KE-Jetronic insanity. The S Class has steadily been getting worse and worse. I had a mobile classic car tuning specialist out to have a look at it the other week. He was recommended by my local Bosch Specialist* We put it on an Exhaust gas analyser to get a measure of how it was running. Badly was the answer. I knew it was running rich, given the wallet raping fuel consumption. So we dialled the mixture back to within a tolerable spec. Essentially I bought the last year of this model that did not come fitted with an O2 sensor, Those with an O2 sensor have a ‘Duty Cycle’ which can be read from the diagnostic port with a multimeter, which is a kinda basic code reader, different percentages suggest which parts of the system are faulty. On mine the fuel mixture is controlled as the engine warms up by monitoring the water temperature rather than the exhaust gases, so there is no ‘Duty Cycle’ to monitor, only the CO level in the exhaust. This means that aside from measuring the specs of each individual component of the FI System (of which there are many) and ensuring that you do not have even the slightest vacuum leak the system, it is notoriously hard to diagnose. To set this non duty cycle system up, it can only be done on an exhaust analyser, tinkering with it without any form of reference will potentially brick the system. So how did it drive with the mixture set correctly? Terribly. No power, the gearbox did not know what to do with itself, it was continually cutting out etc etc. F*cksticks. The car is now really starting to try my patience, and as I discussed with the tuning guy, cars with KE-Jetronic fall into an expertise black hole. Essentially they are too new (and complex) for the classic repair/tuning community to want to get involved or understand how to repair or deal with them. Any modern garage has the same issue, those techies who did know how to deal with KE have now retired/died/been sectioned. My neighbour used to run a Bosch centre many moons ago, and for a bottle of wine took a gander over the car. We have found what could be a vacuum leak from the rubber ‘boot’ that attaches the injection unit to the inlet manifold, so I now have one awaiting to be fitted this coming weekend. This means stripping off the FI system, then splitting the base off the fuel distributor as the boot is clamped between the lower and upper halves, which to be honest is a somewhat daunting task. The theory being that the vacuum leak has been there for a while, and a previous owner has tinkered with the mixture (which should only be adjusted as a last resort - Mercedes put caps and seals on those adjustments for a genuine reason - mine have all been removed) to try and adjust around the fault(s). Mr. Imp has an Exhaust Analyser thankfully that I can borrow, so hopefully once the system is air tight, I can set the mixture to the correct level. Whether this will stop the random cutting out that I have experienced since owning the car, as the vacuum/mixture system is of course connected to the ignition system, remains to be seen. These also have a reputation of burning through alternator voltage regulators, which also can cause mystery issues. Essentially the slightest fluctuation in charging voltage sends the prehistoric electronics into panic. This is regulated by the OVP relay (covered earlier in this thread) which, if detecting a spike, cuts power to the ECU’s causing no end of running issues. These can happen so quickly that the charging system doesn’t even register that there is an issue, so won’t illuminate the dash light. In fact the ABS system is the first to register that there is some shenanigans going on, and will throw that light on instead. I have noticed that on the odd occasion it has thrown the ABS lamp, especially if I’ve given it a bootful to try and clear its throat so to speak. A new one for the alternator was £20, so that will be fitted on the weekend also. There is a particularly nasty looking 300SE being broken on Faecesbook down in Nottingham, but attempts to get the seller to let me know what he wants for parts off it have come to no fruition. He’s said I can come and remove the bits, but not how much he wants for them. The idea was to purchase the Fi System for a source of spares. Well, let's see how the weekend goes…….
  4. Wuvvum has one I believe
  5. Mmmmm Brown. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/928202075415193/
  6. Nope. That was defo the one I'm afraid, I must be getting my dates mixed up.
  7. I remember commenting to H.Imp (who also wants a Malaga) at the time. I was living where I do now, so must have been around 2019. In hindsight I should have left a note/spoken to the owner who IIRC was a old bloke with string for a belt type.
  8. Being lucky enough to grow up partially in Spain, Seats have always been part of our extended family. My dad bought a new 1988 Ibiza 1.2L in black (E185PUG) from AMG Porsche in Leeds. We kept it about three years, with it not missing a beat. It did plenty of trips down to the east coast of Spain, It was a rocker switchgear early model and he loved it. It got me kudos on the school pick up as it had systemPORSCHE stickers on the lower parts of the doors (in the correct Porsche font too..). It was replaced with a 1990 1.2XL in metallic blue (G998KWX) bought new from a garage in York. This was after VW had started to take control, so had the VW Polo/Golf switchgear. This one was not so good, it overheated a few times, had autochoke issues and bits of trim were dropping off left right and centre, it was traded in for a Peugeot 106. On the subject of Malagas, I think N.Bickle has a 5dr (Malaga/Ronda) but I think the last UK one expired several years ago (a grey XL facelift). I spotted it in a battered state at my local Morrisons, I assume to the owner it was just an car, and didn't know it's unicorn status. I spotted a few weeks later at CoPart York, having had an attempted theft and what looked like a carb fire. It was for sale complete, but I think it was thrown in the frag due to lack of interest.
  9. My blower fuse was blowing on the S Class. The motor was trying to seize up. I've replaced it with a new one from AutoDoc. Was about £100 for the unit. Mine was supplied in LHD format but you can swap the motor out to the old housing.
  10. More a dash change, as it was a carry over from the 4/6.
  11. Mine has been getting steadily worse. I took it on a run to Sheffield and back early Sunday morning, runs like a dream on the motorway, but then has been an absolute pigdog in traffic so far this week. This morning I pulled the ECU, which technically should cut out the 'E' part of the injection system, leaving it to run just on the mechanical system. Theory is that if it still is up to mischeif then it's something more basic than electronic scorcery at fault. Would you agree? So, sans ECU it's grumbly when cold, as it doesn't know to engage the cold start injector. but once warmed up, it seemed to go ok..... Famous last words.. Once it reaches operating temperature (just over 80°) the idle starts to get a little erratic. It'll hunt a couple of times then die. Like it's been switched off. It'll always restart, and provided that i keep it a little bit 'over idle' speed (normally idles around 550rpm) it'll keep running. But in an auto, heel and towing or two feet driving isn't the best, especially that it will only restart in Park, not Neutral. I've checked the (new) dizzy cap, and no sign of any moisture in there. re routed the coil lead away from anywhere hot. I'll check a load of earths on Saturday when I get a bit of daylight. I have booked it into a Merc Specialist nearby on the 6th March, who are going to run a smoke test to check for any vacuum leaks, they have a couple of 'old boys' apparently who know these. I assume it's going to be expensive though. So this weekend I'm going go put all the old parts back on, and send it in 'Virgin' My freind has a theory that it has some kind of self destruct system, probably installed by the NSA, given it may have a dubious history - I quote her logic... "I love the idea that somewhere, below ground, in a tiny room (not the main bunker, more like a side cupboard, shared with the mop) someone has noticed a little red light flashing and is frantically pressing the button next to it. However, as the electronics are as old as the car, all it does is make it cut out. And cause minor traffic disruption in the Horsforth area."
  12. Yes, Mine won't run with it unplugged, won't idle nada.
  13. Oddly as I got the notification that you had posted this, I was in the middle of this.... Mine doesnt look that worn, I replaced it with a £75 one I got from Autodoc a while back. Any change. Nope. Still randomly cuts out when idling.
  14. That's a lovely thing. I had use of a Manual Esprit(?) one as a company hack when these were new. The foot pedal parking/handbrake was a bit of a pain, but only in rare situations. They definitely feel more related to the 190 that the W203.
  15. This happened today... So just shy of 3000 miles since I bought it. Not exactly uneventful or cheap miles. (Should buy some shares in Bosch). But it's getting better... It did reward me by absolutely disgracing itself by cutting out repeatedly as I tried to reverse parallel park uphill on the high street. There was obviously a bus waiting to get passed, and a load of initially admiring dad's watching as they were picking up their sproglets from the after school club next to Morrisons. It's done three weeks of city commute since it last stretched it legs. So it'll get a run on the weekend. As per the fable of CDC's 190. The Potentiometer may get unplugged. I've a new one in the stack of parts. But need to obtain a decent multimeter before I head back into the black hole of KEJet shenanigans.
  16. My S Class is fitted with 15in 8 hole alloys, probably from a W124. I was holding off buying tyres as I was looking for a set of 16's to fill the arches a bit more. Could be interested in a swap if it's bugging you!
  17. Looking to see where I can order one from, it's had a new Bosch Cap about a month ago. It behaved itself perfectly on the way home last night, and on the commute this morning.
  18. Managed a days 'Tinkering' on Saturday. Job #1 SUCCESS! Replaced the seizing blower fan, of course the replacement was LHD, so a mirror image of the original (Autodoc didn't state that they were handed). Managed to swap the new motor into the old housing and also reattach and sort out the small air sampling fan which had fallen off. This sits next to the blower under the dash, but sucks air through a tube which runs up the 'A' pillar, across the headlining to a small vent near the sunroof controls. The tube had detached which meant that the air sampler was taking its measurements from air under the dash and not engaging the rudimentary climate control. Seems to work now, even varying the temp controls has an effect, and the fan is no longer blowing fuses. Job #2 FAIL Had a look at the rear electric windows. The NSR has a blown motor by the looks of it, as I couldn't coax it into any semblance of life. On the OSR the small plastic slider has disintegrated, so the arm is no longer connected to the window. I have some new sliders, that are correct. However the motor needs to come out to fit them, as the stupid design means you have to hammer the slider to flatten out the connecting 'rivet'. Someone prior to me, has hard wired the wiring to the motor. Great. So to repair these I'll need two new motors. Job #3 FAIL Investigated the central locking. Which works from the passenger door, but not the drivers. Need to find a replacement microswitch for the drivers door lock. Also the NSR door will unlock, but not lock when the central locking is used, the vacuum actuator has a couple of diaphragms inside, one of which is blown. I ordered a new actuator, which was slightly different to the original. So now need to order some larger diameter vacuum hose as well. Job #4 F*CK KNOWS I put new Bosch plugs in and a Bosch air filter on, as it was on ancient NGK plugs and a no brand air filter. The old plugs were badly fouled, given how rough it was running, I'm not surprised. Driving around all day on Saturday and Sunday. it ran like a dream. This morning however (it has pissed it down all night) it ran like a complete bag of shite, cutting out at every opportunity until it was fully warmed up. I think moisture is getting into somewhere it shouldn't. These were all in between assisting M.Imp with the crank seal/cambelt replacement on his recently acquired Volvo 740. Which seems to have been a success.
  19. Ordered some new window sliders for The Big. As the rear windows don't. They are a common fail on these. Another job for the weekend... Autodoc packaging is a little excessive.....
  20. Mine stalled the other day. Thankfully a downhill slope. But rare now. Have you given it a long run?
  21. IIRC it's a French market 'Stacklight' Hardtop. Lovely thing!
  22. This arrived today. Although the original has decided to work now. Obvs. Will get it fitted on the weekend. As Mr Imp and I are planning on a tinkering day on Saturday.
  23. In for an oil and filter. . Tame garage charged me £19.20 to do it. Bosch filter was £5.40. The free excess order of Oil from Amazon covered the rest. Result! No sign of the new heater fan yet. Brrrr!
  24. The Big has decided to shit its heater blower, this week of all weeks. It was a little noisy, but is now blowing fuses as it tries to seize up. I've contacted a few electrical motor repair places, but most only deal with big commercial stuff. So looks like a replacement is the only option. Second hand stuff is around the £100.00 mark, and most comes from Germany/USA/Lithuania. However Autodoc 'new' ones were £185.00 - until yesterday, where they had them for £100.00 I've ordered one, it's not too bad to fit, as it's an under-dash unit. But it'll probably arrive in the spring...
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