Snake Charmer

🤣 👌 I felt like that with mine to start off with and the dam thing really grew on me firmly getting under my skin. That lighting switch cleaned up really well, I had planned on fitting one of the Aliexpress cheapies to V2.0 as the old one looks to have peeled off and only the glue was left. I took a photo, lo and behold it's Giffer goo on the beige!! 😄

It all looks fairly simple...... Until this lot gets involved! I was wondering if the ESP might be involved in part of the leveling process.

From working on my air suspension, l found the system to be really basic with no valve block only a pneumatic tee on the rear axle. Each air spring has a solenoid valve on top with a single air line going to the axle tee and then to the compressor under the front left headlamp. The compressor has a valve arrangement to discharge air and a dessicant drier to keep the system dry. I did not delve into the control system other than checking the rear axle level sensor worked and was not seized. I just might have to look into the control system schematics now to refresh my memory and fill in the blanks I could not fill before.

It should stay up, the new units on the other car are fine and I don't remember when I last heard the compressor running. I have heard air purging from the compressor after a long drive after taking stuff out of the back.

After a couple of weeks sat in the back garden V2.0 has developed a saggy rear end. 😐 This car has all the W211 faults AND a beige interior! 😆

Thank you for taking the time, much appreciated.

Yes please, I keep forgetting!

Note to self; must purchase some other long series Torx screwdrivers before I forget how to take the door apart and fit the replacement lock on V2.0. I realised today V1.0 has not been washed since the early part of this year when I took photos for the insurance company. 😬 Very depressing when you walk up to the car on a sunny day, matters not during winter as it's dark morning and night when I get in it! I am making full use of the "Rest" function collecting beer on the way home, really is nice getting in and the car is warm and cosy. I have formulated a plan with V2.0 to swap the cars over when my insurance is due next year, just the mirror, lock and SBC to sort first. Trouble is the interior colour and lack of parking sensors is still bugging me. Lots of work to swap over. I'll have another couple of cold ones and keep on mulling it over.

How has the car been performing since fitting the new auxiliary battery?

Just finished reading through this, you really have had it piled on you from all sides. 😔

Checking both my cars I have two part numbers listed as 1600W and 1700W on the 2004 car and 1600W (A2118300961) on the 2003. Seems only diesel cars have them. I keep forgetting yours is petrol!!

That I do not know. When the temperature drops I notice the rpm on idle increases with the aircon on and the fuel economy definitely decreases a little on my commute. I have had fault codes for the PTC heater and I would only describe mine as warm air when cold but testing show 100A or more. I have read the heater is supposed to be 1400 to 1700W and I would not consider mine to be providing that level of heat, I have yet to drive the other car regularly to see if that is any different. I think my old backup battery caused a few errors but never the red warning you have been experiencing. Im sure replacement improved number of times the convenience function disabled message came up as it makes sense that if it's knackered the system tries to replenish it over the convenience functions and charging the main battery.

Shame you are not closer as S211 V2.0 has a good pair of batteries you could borrow and I have a Bosch AGM spare (S5 A13 95Ah).

Having a bit of grief converting these files......

Are you using the air conditioning now the weather is colder? There's a PTC heater in the dash that draws 100A+ for instant heat. I fitted a new auxiliary battery last year as it was dated 2004 and a main AGM this year. My car sat most of last week and I had a "convenience function disabled" message on startup at the weekend and I really was not expecting that so I'm wondering if there's a parasitic drain. My old battery (non AGM) still holds a good enough charge to start and run the car but gave the convenience function disabled message on a regular basis if sat for a while and the alternator tests fine.

I was thinking of Benzninja for a map update but having looked at the system again the latest update seems to be 2019. I will try the A-Sure Android unit first.

Tidied up and went through some of the spares today, I seem to have various turbos in all states of disassembly, discs and calipers that look like bigger Sigma stuff and all sorts of trinkets plus assorted crap. Moved the 1.9 engine from under my welding bench, struggling for space now! Spares car clutch was playing up yesterday, brakes gone today and I couldn't be arsed to see why.

Didn’t get to try the 18" wheels on the spares car, the others held pressure long enough to get the car out. The front left oozed cheesebugs and fizzed a lot of juice but held better than when I collected the car a couple of years ago! Started easily despite being stood over a year. Edit: Had this one two years now. Jeez.....

That week didn't go to plan, weather wasn't great. Made a partial start on the Volvo's by sorting through some of the spares and creating space to store the stripped car parts. Had a battery charging and pressure washing session and our car still looks good. Dug a set of 18" wheels out to try on the spare car as 3 tyres are struggling to hold air now. The discs will look puny behind these. Far too good to break really but would yield one fantastic car from two. Still undecided what to do with them now I also have a matching brace of Mercedes estates.

Left hand side of the load area next to the rear SAM hides the Nav unit. Disc I have, not very up to date. I may have a solution here. 😉 Beige, I think the same as yours? 🫣 I have an A-Sure Android unit in the other car bought from @Jazoli a while back. Sound quality is not up there with the original unit and can be a bit temperamental but Waze works well and the screen is huge. All the fitting was in dash, nothing in the boot but no Nav on that car.

Have you used the Satnav in anger yet? I had a look and struggled with it, could not find my work address. I think the disc is 2015.

Free motoring to me is a result of circumstances, facilites or luck with buying and selling. The rest is cheap motoring. I have one friend who bought her ex-company car (Mondeo diesel) and made a absolute mint off it between employers over a number of years and was paid out handsomely when it was written off. The replacement car they bought did the same and was pensioned off to the other half when another was bought and dragged on over 250k. That was scrapped recently and replaced by its replacement but times have changed with no car allowance and an olser ULEZ compliant Jazz bought. The well looked after non ULEZ car is now the hand-me-down. All these cars more than paid for themselves and were given regular servicing and quality parts and tyres etc when needed depending on age and warranties. Proper workhorses well looked after, exceptional circumstances and job dependent mostly motorway miles. I helped occasionally with servicing and repairs saving them more money. When it goes wrong is ignoring repairs and scrimping on parts quality. The cheapest cars l have had are freebies either limped along to their death or run for a while and sold on. Easy for me as I have always had the means to repair and build my own vehicles, a different matter if I have to pay someone to fix them. Looking at the bills since 2017 for the purchase price and repairs on the latest Mercedes l bought they are horrific and a lot of that has been done on a budget. I like doing what my Father did, picking up a spares car and either stripping it or taking parts as needed. Until recently we had two Golfs, I built one from two and sold parts on here before it went for scrap. Wish I had documented the whole project as it would have made a good thread.

Nice spot. 👍 Sadly not used enough. Jankel are still producing and supporting vehicles, armoured and military.

All I can remember seeing Barum being fitted to is motysicles (MZ?) or old 13" shod cars in the 80's. 🤣 I don't recognise some of the names currently on Black Circles. I checked V2.0 and they are all Chinese or Korean so that's 8 16" wheels I currently have with tired budget tyres. The two sets of 18" wheels I bought had two Continentals and 6 budgets that led me to check Mercedes at traffic lights, expensive shiny cars with budget tyres seems to be a theme. Does make me smile when I see a 30-40k cars on budgets and my shed is on refurbished wheels with Goodyears. They did stand me in around £250 a corner with new bolts and centre caps though.

I know who has Jankels alloy bodied Lima, it was restored a while back. Still has a Sierra 5 speed that was fitted in place of the ZF dogleg box but retains the slant four on Dellortos. Brightwells auction sale 2015