Help needed quick, please - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

leathermang · #16 07-06-2002, 02:58 PM

Warden, Sorry , things are very busy for Tom and I ... with respect to getting together today...

However, you are invited to my place at 8:30 am Sunday... Tom should be here about 9. That would let your car cool down a little... better yet would be to come down this way and spend the night closeby...

If you still can not get to your email... go to yahoo and get a web based email... then email me... will check back as often as I can.. Greg

The Warden · #17 07-06-2002, 03:16 PM

Bill, yes, I'd like to. Sounds perfect.

Greg, is there a place to meet along the freeway? We could go from there to your house or whatnot, and privacy wouldn't be a concern. Looks like I'm going to take the I-35 down there, and if everything checks out well, just take the 290 to the 10 and that'll get to L.A. Tomorrow won't work very well; my girlfriend is with me and she has a class that she cannot miss on Tuesday. So, one way or another, I have to leave today...preferably with a compression check done.

Thanks much!

leathermang · #18 07-06-2002, 03:19 PM

Bill just saw your post and will work out the details...Greg

The Warden · #19 07-06-2002, 03:21 PM

Bill, sounds good. Rolling ASAP. Thanks again!!

It's a blue/green 300D

leathermang · #20 07-06-2002, 04:29 PM

Warden, Did I mention that this will obligate you to drive back to here for the fall shindig ?

leathermang · #21 07-06-2002, 10:47 PM

For those of you following this soap opera... Bill met Warden here and checked his compression.. it looked great.. and they left here about 8:30 pm for San Antonio to hit IH 10 to LA before heading north... Bill has headed back to Houston.... with his yellow car all shiny.... Until the next saga begins.... Greg

psfred · #22 07-07-2002, 08:13 PM

The longer I thought about this thread, the more convinced I became that the blowby seen was from valve guide seals. No way bad rings will give an oil consumption of only 1/2 quart in 3000 miles! More like a quart in 300.

Peter

dabenz · #23 07-07-2002, 11:12 PM

Prediction: The girlfriend keeps his hands off the car and when he gets home he's going to laugh at all his fussing. Another MB convert on the way!

Beagle · #24 07-08-2002, 02:15 AM

PSFRED
[B]The longer I thought about this thread, the more convinced I became that the blowby seen was from valve guide seals. [B/]

I don't understand what you are getting at here. blow-by can ONLY be gasses leaking past pistons. Worn valve guide seals will only allow oil into the exaust manifold producing smokey exhaust.

Perhaps you could clarify?

The Warden · #25 07-08-2002, 04:57 AM

Well, me, my girlfriend, and the car are still alive.

Had a fairly close call last night on the 10, though...got into a nasty electric rainstorm somewhere before Fort Stockton, TX (that's where we wound up sleeping last night); had to pull over a few times 'cause visibility went to absolutely zero with the wiper blades at full speed

We're currently in Tuscon, AZ, and hope to get to the L.A. area tomorrow. The engine's been running beautifully. There may be a problem with the rear axle, though...on the left side, the CV joint boot on the halfshaft at the wheel side is ripped in one place, and is letting the shaft move some...every now and then I start hearing what kinda sounds like a cross between a ticking and a thumping...hop under the car, push the shaft towards the wheel and the noise goes away (usually for between 150 miles and 200 miles, then I stop and do it again). I think it'll be okay 'till I get home, but I'll have to take a look into it after arrival. There's also some squeaking and whatnot; I assume that mostly has to do with the sway bar bushings that I know need to be replaced, although the air cleaner housing may not be tight on the engine.

Also, I replaced the return line plug hose this morning with some 1/8" hose from Napa (also got an air filter); no leaking. I'm getting about 15 gallons of diesel fuel per 400 miles or so, or about 26mpg...I'm quite happy.

Also, oil level hasn't changed a hair...I've been checking it every fill-up (3 times so far since leaving Austin)

Special thanks again to both Bill and Greg for going far out of their way to provide peace of mind for both of us. Both great people and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to meet 'em.

I'd better hit the sack now so I'll be alive for Leg 3 of the trip tomorrow...just thought I'd let everyone know that all's well.

Keep on dieselin'...

{added in edit} See new sig

omegabenz · #26 07-08-2002, 06:25 AM

Hey Warden,

Its going to be really hot through the desert tomorrow. Near record temperatures, so take lots of water for you, gf, and your car in case. Stay hydrated.

I also emailed you,

Austin

psfred · #27 07-08-2002, 08:06 PM

Beagle:

Bad valve guides and seals allow exhaust to blow up past the valve, atomizing the oil there and blowing exhaust out the vent tube. Impossible to distinguish from ring blowby unless you do a leakdown test, in which case you get blowby and no leaks. Valve stem leakage makes the valve cover hotter than ring blowby, causing gasket leaks, too.

Diagnostic is blue smoke on trailing throttle and after extended (more than a minute or so) idle. The oil is getting sucked down the intake valves. Blue smoke on startup if from the oil leaking down both valve stems into the combustion chamber. Note that oil consumption will be fairly high before much smoke appears -- diesels will burn large amounts of oil without smoke.

The Warden:

You need a new half axle -- the boot tore because the constant velocity joint is shot. Get one pronto -- they can break and leave out stranded.

Peter

Ridge · #28 07-08-2002, 11:08 PM

Warden,

If you're really solving your rear axle noise by shoving the whole axle assembly towards the wheel, maybe you should pull the little hub cap off and tighten up the 13mm bolt holding the axle in the wheel bearing assembly. Can't hurt. Might even be loose.
Good luck, hope the a/c is working.

Ben

dabenz · #29 07-09-2002, 07:57 PM

Is he home?

The Warden · #30 07-09-2002, 11:22 PM

After 4 days' worth of driving, I'm home.

Ben, thanks for the idea on tightening the nut...I'll give that a shot before replacing the halfshaft. Actually, since I last posted, it only happened once more...it was fine going through Arizona and California; start hearing a slight noise around Harris Ranch on the I-5 today, but other than that it seems okay...maybe that bolt/nut really is just a bit loose.

As Bill said, the a/c works...although not very well. Part of that's due to it being an R-134a system as he said, but also the electric fan in front of the condenser's dead...tried to spin it by hand and it feels like it's binding up, so it's time to replace that...I'm also wondering if it may be a bit low on refrigerant...after nightfall, the a/c cools the car very well but with the sun out it barely copes with the heat enough to lower the temp maybe 10 degrees...

Austin, thanks for the E-mail

You're right that it was bloody hot, but it was actually a hair cooler than Texas...I think the lack of humidity was the key there.

So, here's a total list of problems I've noticed:
Rear axle issues I've mentioned before
Dead auxiliary fan as mentioned earlier
Water leak somewhere; found the floor mats soaking wet yesterday morning (probably from the torrential downpour; every mat was a bit wet but the passenger's side rear mat was especially bad)
Various squeaks and rattles (I think that doing the sway bar bushings and the air cleaner mounts will fix that; maybe do the engine mounts someday too)
Cruise control is acting up; sometimes won't respond to "SET" and sometimes surges when it is on

Other than these, the car appears flawless so far...for $2000 I'm not complaining.

I'm also gonna start a new thread with most of this info (yes, I'm showing off a bit

) and will hopefully have some pictures of my own (besides the set I've got on the computer form the previous owner) before the end of the week

Below is an "old" pic of the car...