Snake Charmer Posted August 7, 2023 Author Share Posted August 7, 2023 Tried the iCarsoft CR Max tonight, 5 codes two of which were stored. Cleared them all and 3 returned, two of which would go if I refitted the original radio and the other is for the headlights needing zero set. The 930E code I went chasing ages ago is not shown now but is on Xentry. Hmm.......... Took the engine covers off to inspect the injectors for leaks as I have that sickly hot diesel smell, two showing signs of leakage. Ordered a new headlight level sensor to see if I can get the zero set. The sensor was working OK when I replaced the operating arm a while back but looked a bit swollen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughant Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 I'm looking at an icarSoft hand held jobbie for the 202 series as it has the 38pin socket. I've got the Delphi knock off stuff but haven't had a chance to fully install it on my laptop yet, however with the expert help of @StankyI have a chance 🤣🤣. I just quite like the hand held one as mine seems to like to fail on the fly 🙄🙄🙄. Apparently the icarSoft for that age is really good, accesses all modules and works really well. There's a fair bit of YouTube reviews on it and all give great feedback, one even goes out and actually plugs it into his car of that gen to prove it unlike a lot of them who shove the reader straight into a brand new model. I had a 1999/2000 ml that oddly had the proper 16 pin obd 2 port whereas this is the older style, my guess is due to the model starting in 1993 as opposed to 1998 and the handheld icarSoft a mate lent me was fantastic, reset and accessed all systems. Stanky 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 As the rear seats were down for the weekend, all sorts of annoying squeaks and rattles were going on in the interior load space. One panel behind the rear seat seemed to be a major source so before refitting everything I pulled it up and had a look. I have repaired one of the clips previously and a bracket is missing, something most owners would not notice. The rivets had pulled out of the clip I repaired so they have been stuffback in with Epoxy and the other side treated to a dose too. The car is much quieter now, I can hear all the other rattles! yes oui si 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 1 hour ago, vaughant said: I'm looking at an icarSoft hand held jobbie for the 202 series as it has the 38pin socket. I've got the Delphi knock off stuff but haven't had a chance to fully install it on my laptop yet, however with the expert help of @StankyI have a chance 🤣🤣. I just quite like the hand held one as mine seems to like to fail on the fly 🙄🙄🙄. Apparently the icarSoft for that age is really good, accesses all modules and works really well. There's a fair bit of YouTube reviews on it and all give great feedback, one even goes out and actually plugs it into his car of that gen to prove it unlike a lot of them who shove the reader straight into a brand new model. I had a 1999/2000 ml that oddly had the proper 16 pin obd 2 port whereas this is the older style, my guess is due to the model starting in 1993 as opposed to 1998 and the handheld icarSoft a mate lent me was fantastic, reset and accessed all systems. The C4 Mutleyperplexor came with a load of leads for older Mercedes and the software I have covers the older cars. We have a 500E that comes in each year for Mot, I would like to plug that in and see what's what but I don't want my boss knowing I have this setup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughant Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 5 hours ago, Snake Charmer said: The C4 Mutleyperplexor came with a load of leads for older Mercedes and the software I have covers the older cars. We have a 500E that comes in each year for Mot, I would like to plug that in and see what's what but I don't want my boss knowing I have this setup! I know what you mean but at an industrial level. We interrogated some Siemens plc stuff the other day despite my direct boss saying I couldn't do it " just incase". Well right now there's no wiring diagram and no support in anyway so what realistically are my choices? Factory can't run without it so let's go. Waited for him to fuck off and job jobbed, found the fault in minutes and fobbed him off. Reason being is we keep telling them they need it but they keep coming up with excuses why they don't then it goes down MEGABAD and it's all hands to the deck. Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted August 9, 2023 Author Share Posted August 9, 2023 Replaced the headlight level sensor this evening with a cheapie off Ebay, the case blistering was one of the mounting points blowing up with corrosion. Despite the damage it still works so if the cheapie fails I can repair it. The new one needs adjustment on level ground then zeroing with Xentry so that's a job for tomorrow if I can find the WIS sheet for factory specific pointers! Seems I unwittingly must have bent the operating arm I replaced a while back when changing the springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted August 16, 2023 Author Share Posted August 16, 2023 I keep forgetting to adjust the headlamp sensor. Tonight I removed the right rear lamp and replaced the LM2904 IC, sum total of 80p. So far so good, all checked out in Xentry and the rear SAM is happy. Only time will tell. Rust Collector, Popsicle, AnnoyingPentium and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted August 19, 2023 Author Share Posted August 19, 2023 Still not done the levelling sensor as I'm still revelling in the 0 Malfunctions each time I drive the car. Had a session with Xentry on an AMG C-Class, kind of like the car but felt like my Volvo v40 T4 sat in the drivers seat. yes oui si 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted August 29, 2023 Author Share Posted August 29, 2023 Finally adjusted the headlight levelling sensor to within tolerances. Bit of a faff as the carburettor rod I used to replace the broken one has an M5 right hand thread both ends so has to be popped off the ball. Yet to try the lights at night to see where they are set and if my lowly Zenons are blinding people like most modern LED headlights do. Rear LED lamp units seems to be working OK since replacing the LM2904 Op Amp, no dash warnings now that became daily over time. The car is desperately in need of a wash and tidy up, as I'm off this week there is a possibility of that happening. I'm still on the hunt for another car in the same colour for panels and parts or a really nice one as a replacement and use mine for spares. I went and looked at one with @bobdisk a while back. It was well overpriced, dirty and smelt of smoke inside, had 5 major faults on the dash and 61 stored or current codes in the ECU. As it stood, the two left hand doors were better than mine and it had a cup holder, all the other panels l could improve my car with were damaged. I might have been tempted at a bit above scrap value but asking £1200 was ridiculous for the cars condition and it had been reduced from £1500! I missed one on Ebay at £500 as the seller would not reply to messages or Ebay was withholding them as I asked to see the car before buying, no contact details available as it was a Buy It Now listing. Ho hum. bobdisk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted September 25, 2023 Author Share Posted September 25, 2023 That new battery is dam fast, starts before I touch the key now. Crackers, yes oui si, gadgetgricey and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes oui si Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 These are on the radar for a cripmobile... Plenty out there, some in decent colours and specs. Boot would swallow a scooter as well. Tempting, very tempting. Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes oui si Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Do they rot like a w210? Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted October 5, 2023 Author Share Posted October 5, 2023 13 hours ago, yes oui si said: These are on the radar for a cripmobile... Plenty out there, some in decent colours and specs. Boot would swallow a scooter as well. Tempting, very tempting. Boot space is fantastic with the rear seat squabs, headrests and load space cover removed. I think the S210 has slightly more capacity in the back but they are getting thin on the ground now. 13 hours ago, yes oui si said: Do they rot like a w210? Mine has its fair share and not a great well cared for example. The front chassis has a dirt trap that needed repairing when I bought the car and the other side is crusty now, photos are earlier in this thread. Both the rear arches are rough around the front edges, something I should have attended to when I bought the car and has worsened after losing interest in the bodywork since the accident . Both front doors have rust and from what I have read on the subject likely due to a paint problem from new. Underneath, the rear brake lines rot where they disappear under covers and my car looks quite crusty on a lot of the suspension parts. Rear air springs are often why people sell their W211 and S211 due to the cost of replacement and they get used to the point where the compressor wears out adding more cost. I looked at a 2008 Elegance last week as a replacement and that was good in all the places mine is rough. Face-lift cars are regarded as the better car due to the SBC system being swapped out to ABS. yes oui si 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazoli Posted October 5, 2023 Share Posted October 5, 2023 Decent one for sale on this very forum @yes oui si Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted October 5, 2023 Author Share Posted October 5, 2023 4 hours ago, Jazoli said: Decent one for sale on this very forum @yes oui si Looks better bodywork wise than mine, reasonable price too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted October 30, 2023 Author Share Posted October 30, 2023 I have kept on the lookout for either a spares car or replacement for my car and just by chance one came up last week with a few faults. Expecting a bit of a shed, l was quite surprised to find a solid well looked after car that needs a little attention. Slightly older than mine by a few months, around 65k less miles and heaps of receipts, a couple quite big and recent. Same engine and box, Avantgarde spec in the same Brienz Blue as mine. Bit of a dink in the tailgate and bumper but really puts mine in the shade paintwork and corrosion wise so my car is likey to become spares. The owner had basically thrown the towel in financially as he was paying for repairs. The instrument cluster died, then the dreaded SBC failure and limited braking. (More akin to faint brake drag.) The drivers door lock is bouncing due to a broken spring and the door mirror has a motor fault but overall the car is very good. The collection with @bobdisk was not without drama, a Muntjac deer jumped out on a dual carriageway at 50mph and and added to the Audi damage on my car and the smell of kebab is still lingering after a lay-by dinner. The trip back was going well as the SBC played ball from the off and l had cruise control until we hit the M25 then l was stuck with reduced braking and second gear. Luckily I was close to a junction so the last few miles were at much reduced speed but we made it. I have spent a day on it, swapped the instrument cluster into my car and just as dead, mine works in there and after a fair bit of fettling with Star I had three fault codes outstanding, two for my dash being in there and one for the mirror, l even had the SBC reset but that started playing up later when running loads of tests on it. The downside for me is the interior, far too light in cream and beige, all in good condition but shows the dirt. A genuine Mercedes peaky blinders giffer hat and waterproof incontinence seat cover came with the car, they blend in well with the beige. I am looking into the possibility of swapping the interior over and fitting my Designo, quite a job and l would like to remove the rear 6th and 7th seats in load area to fit the storage area floor from another car. This would involve trying to build a hybrid drivers seat as the new car has the memory option, mine has more adjustability by air in the lumbar and squab. Worse case would be losing the memory option. That's just a theory at the moment, the car will sit in my back garden while l sort the instrument cluster and SBC faults etc and continue running mine, might be a good idea to avoid the winter roads too. I will nick the rear right tail lamp for mine as that's gone tits up again. Shite Ron, Popsicle, bobdisk and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes oui si Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 4, 2023 Author Share Posted November 4, 2023 S211 Ver2.0 had a little attention today, @bobdisk had a delve into the dead instrument cluster viscera. I still don't believe a heat gun with a fine nozzle played over the main PCB chips produced this...... In the disassembly I, lost a square grommet that sits in the alloy dashboard frame to support the cluster, despite dropping the lower dash cover it was nowhere to be seen. Bob waited until I clipped the last part, the surround back in finalising installation before telling me the grommet was sat on the dash where I fished it out the week before. 😁 Down to 3 codes, one can be ignored, the mirror can be sorted and the SBC is next on the hit list. This decided to happen on the Navigation, no codes or explanation. Then as if by magic the shopkeeper Navigation appeared...... Love those crosshairs, "Steady, steady, bombs gone" was first thing that came to mind. That Navigation system seems like hard work to use. I'm in no rush to use the car but the next bit will be to fit the spare drivers door lock to replace the currently bouncing one. Coprolalia, Shite Ron, yes oui si and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdisk Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 @Snake Charmer We did not believe that cooking the ic s on the main pcb (with a hot air gun at 500 C )inside the instruments would work, but it did! Wonder how long it will last! He starts cooking at 2.05 min. Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 Not spotted this thread (wrong section?) but just caught up. Some top diagnosis and engineering fixed going on here! Also makes me feel relieved mine has so few problems in comparison 😅 Snake Charmer and yes oui si 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 5, 2023 Author Share Posted November 5, 2023 14 minutes ago, SiC said: Not spotted this thread (wrong section?) but just caught up. Some top diagnosis and engineering fixed going on here! Also makes me feel relieved mine has so few problems in comparison 😅 Thank you. Just finished reading your collection thread and about to comment, looks a tidy car. I was tempted but really wanted another OM648 engined car and biding my time has paid off apart from the beige interior. I keep forgetting this thread is in the wrong section, started out as a question then rolled into a "life with" thread so should probably be moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 5, 2023 Author Share Posted November 5, 2023 Seems I have bought the ultra rare 3E20 CD model by mistake. yes oui si 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 5, 2023 Author Share Posted November 5, 2023 After much feckin about with the laptop today I ended up with a clear instrument cluster on V2.0 and only two fault codes showing. One for mirror and an insignificant Comms error. I managed to run a full set of SBC tests, the controller was too hot yesterday to run the checks for air in the system, this morning it was too cold! I wasn't expecting a complete fix via software and sure enough, after a shutdown and restart there was a bang and loss of pressure in the SBC followed by a red dash warning. I now have 4 codes specific to the braking system to look into and a definite fault instead being intermittent. At least the trip back was quiet when the fault appeared as the instrument cluster was dead with no beeping! yes oui si and Jazoli 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes oui si Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 8 hours ago, SiC said: Not spotted this thread (wrong section?) but just caught up. Some top diagnosis and engineering fixed going on here! Also makes me feel relieved mine has so few problems in comparison 😅 It's one of my favourite threads on the forum, @Snake Charmer communicates really well the trials, tribulations and fixes of what would be a terrifyingly complex car to most. Snake Charmer and vaughant 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 40c outside?! Where on earth do you live? Central Australia? Snake Charmer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 5, 2023 Author Share Posted November 5, 2023 29 minutes ago, SiC said: 40c outside?! Where on earth do you live? Central Australia? On the to do list, I think the sensor has popped out and is sitting close to the radiator pack as the temperature rises as the car warms up. SiC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 6, 2023 Author Share Posted November 6, 2023 Swapped the r/h rear lights between cars as that one is playing up again and giving the six fault codes. Removed the electric door lock assembly from my spare door to fit on V2.0 as the lock bounces. Not a straightforward swap job as 3 rivets need drilling out and the window runner needs moving out of the way. Replacement can wait for a warm day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 6, 2023 Author Share Posted November 6, 2023 Moved V2.0 and fitting the faulty r/h tail lamp has given the added malfunction of a l/h mirror indicator fault. It’s flashing though...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughant Posted November 7, 2023 Share Posted November 7, 2023 As always loving the updates 👍👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Charmer Posted November 7, 2023 Author Share Posted November 7, 2023 On 07/11/2023 at 08:47, vaughant said: As always loving the updates 👍👍 Thank you, I really appreciate that. I spent today moving cars about to get V2.0 in the back garden, doesn’t sound much but involved a little gardening and a lot of battery charging. The V40 started easily but Gods teeth does it knock. Moved that forward onto the grass and I could feel it sinking and wondered if I might need the wee Tirfor to pull it out later. Came out ok though. I went for a drive last night to get 20ltr of V-Power for the Jensen, that should have been a mile tops but a set of long shaft Torx drivers had been delivered to work so I bought fuel near there and beer in Egham. 🍻 Also trotted round the roads near work to see where last weeks roadworks have moved to. The Jensen needs a new battery but started and ran with a splash of fresh fuel and an assist of my cheapie homemade 1100A jump pack. (Needs adult clamps not the Early Learning Centre melty ones I used.) I was tempted to run it up the road as the 185 tyres chirp nicely when 2nd snatches. Decided to just move it in behind old knocky the V40. After a bit of sweeping and both barrels of my gas weed burner, 3E20 CD V2.0 moved into the back garden then right back out as I had a hankering to throw some stuff out of the temporary garage. Good grief there's some forgotten shite in there! Most of it is still sat out but V2.0 is in back, Jensen in garage and normal parking service resumed on the drive. I have an early start to drop the new Torx drivers off for return and collect a friend to collect her car from the Mot station. Torx drivers were bananas in disguise. Bit of a pisser as they would have made this week a little easier. bobdisk, yes oui si, SiC and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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