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A properly functioning and adjusted waste gate is critical to the proper operation of your early turbo charged Mercedes diesel engine.
The overhead temperature sensor and its operation are critical to the “automatic” features of the climate control system. If you want the heat to hold steady inside the car, the sensor or sensors must be functioning properly.
In part 1 Kent covered the key components, where they are located and what they do. If you are not familiar with this system we recommend you watch part 1 first.
The first general automatic climate control was introduced in 1977 in the U.S. market.
The era of performance cabin air filters really began in 1996 with the introduction of the W210 sedan in the U.S. market. By performance, we mean more than just a simple intake air box filter like you saw on the later model W124.
When replacing the steering lock assembly in your Benz you will need to remove that little black plastic switch on the side of the lock from the old one and put it on the new part. You can not pry it off, squeeze it off or pull it off by hand.
The side trim strips beginning with the W108 Chassis in 1965 and ending with the 123 chassis in 1985 were all held to the body with the same method.
If both dash lights are not working including the lights in the upper center console the problem is most likely in the dimmer switch located on the back of the instrument cluster. This is also called the potentiometer providing variable resistance in the wiring to the bulbs.
If both dash lights are not working including the lights in the upper center console the problem is most likely in the dimmer switch located on the back of the instrument cluster. This is also call the potentiometer providing variable resistance in the wiring to the bulbs.
Would you like to watch an inexpensive on demand video that might help you save $1000's? You could spend three or four hours hunting around the internet on different forums and marginal youtube videos and may get the right info - maybe!
The timing device installed in the W115, W116, W123 and early W126 with OM615, OM616, and OM617 engines from 1986 to 1985 is somewhat a mystery to many owners.
If you have an early 300SD and your vacuum pump fails, you could find yourself “up the creek without a paddle.” The actual mechanism of the pump is very robust and it hardly ever fails, but not so with the rubber diaphragms inside the pump.
Tired of lugging around heavy batteries or battery boosters to test electrical components in your car? It does not have to be a Mercedes. It does not even have to be a car. Anything that runs off 12 volt DC power can be tested by these small, light weight but very powerful batteries.
This becomes something you should inspect on cars with over 80,000 if they have been driven on rough roads, and over 100,000 on airmatic cars that have mostly freeway mileage.
Pencil (parallel style) glow plugs usually fail slowly over time. The first signs are rough running after startup. Then you may see a flashing glow plug light on your dash. If ignored over time you engine may not start at all.
If you are new to older Mercedes diesels and have not worked on them before, this is one of the first things you want to learn. Especially if you ever run out of fuel. Without knowing how to do this you will never get the engine started again!
Electric power seats are great if they are working ok. When they do not work - especially in the fore and aft or tilt movement it can be very frustrating to even drive the car.
If your power seat is not working it is hard to determine if it is a switch, a motor under or inside the seat, or a wiring problem. From our experience xx % of the time the problem is in a worn out or failed electrical seat switch.
If your rear door power window is not moving or the motor is not making any noise, it could be a failed motor, rear door switch, front switch or even a wiring problem. Trying to narrow down the problem can be frustrating unless you know the proper troubleshooting sequence.
This video covers the step-by-step VERY detailed procedure for removing the W201 rear door panel, inspecting and lubrication components inside, and replacing the door panel without damage. This is why it is 30 minutes long! Kent really covers the subject in DETAIL!
We love doing oil changes on these engines. The oil filter housing is right in the front of the engine with NO obstruction. The engineers were finally thinking about us!
Why do these go hand-in-hand? Well if you do not change the cabin air filter(s) it is likely the dust will work its way into the blower motor and cause squeaking and chirping at low fan speeds. If that noise is ignored you will end up replacement the heater blower motor.
Many owners neglect replacing the engine coolant thermostat. It just slowly wears out over time. If you notice your engine temperature running low or you car taking a long time to heat up inside these are the first signs your thermostat has failed.
Removing the rear axles from the W201 chassis is not a difficult job provided everthing goes well. In fact, the procedure is considerably simplier than removing axles from the older swing arm rear ends of the 1970's and early 1980's.
If you smell fuel inside your engine compartment you need to find the source of the leak and fix it IMMEDIATELY. I think we have all personally seen or seen pictures of those cars with the engine burning on the side of the road. Yes, usually caused by a fuel leak close to the engine!!!
This videos covers in detail the removal and replacment of the specialty rear shocks on a 2004 E500. Replacing these shocks are slightly different from removing standard shocks due to the extra electrical connection to the computer.
If you have a 1981 to 1985 W123 300D, 300CD, 280E, 280CE, 300TD or a 1981 to 1989 W107 380SL, 560SL, or a 1981 to 1991 W126 380SE/L 300SD 500SE/L 300SDL 420SE/L 300SE/L 560SE/L 380SEC 560SEC that has automatic climate control this video manual will apply. These c
One of the cheapest ways to fix your worn out W140 blower motor is to replace just the motor. You do not have to replace the entire unit. BUT repairing it this way is not as easy as it may appear!
The bowden cable runs from the transmission to the throttle linkage on many Mercedes from the early 1980's up through the early mid 1990's. When this cable fails or is out of adjustment the transmission will either shift too early or too late.
If your serpentine belt is starting to crack or the back side is worn smooth, you need to replace it. If you are hearing strange noises from the front of your 1986 to 1993 six cylinder gas engine, you will need to remove the belt to troubleshoot the problem.
The voltage regulator is a very inexpensive part that usually wears out between 110,000 to 130,000 miles. It is often neglected and Kent believes many alternators have been replaced over the years when all they needed was a $25 to $30 voltage regulator!!!
Starting in the U.S. model year 1986, the headlights were changed on the W126 models. You could no longer just unscrew some plastic knobs to get the headlight door (plastic surround) off. This new style plastic door became the cover for the fog light as well.
If your engine temperature gauge is not reading at all, you need to fix it before you keep driving the car. To ignore this could lead to major engine failure, since you will have no way to get an adequate warning that your engine is about to overheat.
How many bent or deformed trunk lid emblems have you seen on older Mercedes? Getting them on and off is not difficult, but if you want to get them on and off without bending the soft emblem or scratching the paint on the lid - well that takes some finesse!
Is your driver side or right side manual adjusting mirror getting difficult to adjust? Is the mechanism broken or will not hold adjustment? Does the mirror glass need replacing? Repairing these types of problems is definitely something you can do yourself!
This is another small "frustration" for W123 diesel owners. The fuse box cover is mounted flat to the firewall behind and to the left of the brake booster. You can not just pull it straight out nor can you just push it straight back on.
W116 driver power window failure is very common. It happened to Kent's personal 1979 300SD.
I don't think there is any owner out there who has owned a 1978 to 1993 diesel automatic for any length of time and who has not had some sort of shift problem with the transmission. Maybe it was just a little jerk or a slipping shift. Maybe the rear end clunked hard when you came to a stop.
Rough running diesels abound everywhere. The symptoms include poor acceleration, no power, and excess exhaust smoke. Some times these can be a sign of real problems. Other times it may mean your fuel injection system just needs a good cleaning. And NOTHING cleans better than Diesel Purge.
Interior water leaks are very common. More so on the older 108, 116, 114, 115. 123, and 126 chassis than on the 201 and 124 chassis. This is largely due to the fact that the older models used rubber seals on the rear glass and on the front windshield (except the 126).
Does your rear end make funny noises while driving? Does the rear of your car sag in the back? Do you have excessive rear tire wear? Does the rear of your car feel like it is moving around? During heavy braking or rapid acceleration does your Mercedes want to steer right or left on its own!
Adjusting the power tilting sunroof is not difficult if you have the right knowledge and a couple alignment pin tools. Adjustment is not usually needed if the sunroof is working properly.
Manual sunroofs can have problems too. Just like their electrically operated counterparts, most often they will fail due to lack of lubrication. The number one failure point is a broken T handle. Number two is failure of the roof to close properly due to damaged felt feet and plastic slides.
This is another small "frustration" for W123 diesel owners. The diesel requires a big and heavy battery that is not as easy to remove and replace as you would think. If you are not careful, you can tweak your lower back lifting one out of the car.
Doing your own diesel oil changes is not difficult. Granted you won't save a lot of money, but it will get you to regularly inspect your engine for oil leaks, etc and it will guarantee the job gets done right.
Anytime you need to replace the side marker turn signal lens or the bulb inside you will need to remove it from the front fender. You will also need to remove it if you plan on pulling the full headlight assembly.
It is not as easy to remove the right side underdash panel in the 126 chassis as you might think. There are a number of hidden fasteners, some of which can be a little confusing as to how to remove properly. Kent has seen a lot of broken and damaged panels that confirm this.
An annoying problem on many older Mercedes up to 1980 that have an aluminum housing surrounding the turn signal arm latching assembly. When these wear out the lever will not hold position when you push it up or down.
When an old Mercedes ( or any other car for that matter ) has sat idle for over a year it can be a challenge to get it safely back on the road again. If it has sat idle for more than 5 years you may find it difficult to even get the engine running.
Understanding how an inside rear view mirror is mounted is essential for proper removal and replacement. The mirror can be easily damaged if you do not know the tricks to getting it snapped back into the mounting bracket in the head liner.