CRH71
Senior Member
I wonder if I can tap into the combined wisdom here once more please?
1998/9 S202 C250TD, 170,000 miles. Decided to fail to proceed yesterday when it was showing -4.5 on the dash display (has been an absolute first-time cold starter up until then - even at -3 showing on the dash). Popping the bonnet basically showed the diesel fuel in the clear plastic pipes to have a jelly-like consistency (thanks, local supermarket!) so it was left until yesterday afternoon to thaw out, whereupon it did start after significant cranking, then taken for a good 20 mile run to try and recharge the battery which had taken one hell of a beating at that point.
Whilst running, small air bubbles could be seen in the clear plastic pipes which research tells me could well be the O-rings on the fuel pipes past their best.
This morning, again, it failed to start so I borrowed the MIL's 'spare' Mitsubishi Shogun (also known as the Petrol Eating Beast - 3.0L V6!) and left mine, again, to thaw out.
Once again, this afternoon, it did restart, again after a lot of cranking and nearly flattening the battery - once again, it was given a good 12 mile run to recharge the battery.
During the course of the day, I have phoned my local independent (luckily I was sitting down) and he quoted me a staggering £230 to replace the four clear fuel pipes under the bonnet. Sadly, I am not in the position of being able to lob this kind of money away, BUT we depend on the car as my wife is pretty ill and we might need to use it at any time, day or night if I need to get her to hospital.
Enquiries at MB ascertained that the parts only were £44.53 inc VAT but MB themselves said that changing them is a good 'couple of hours work' so the previous quote I had been given was reasonable - MB couldn't come near it.
OK, I know these motors are a tiddly bit complicated, but 2+ hours to change four fuel pipes from the block heater to the filter and filter to injection pump does seem to me to be ever-so-slightly extracting the urine.
Anyone got an idea of how complex these pipes truly are to change? It doesn't LOOK like rocket-science and actually looks as though the job could be done without removing things like the inlet manifold but I'll bow to someone's superior knowledge or experience of the C250TD lump (OM605).
Better still, anyone got a DIY on it, or links to same? I can wield the odd spanner (just reluctant to because (a) it's chilly outside and (b) we're not supposed to repair cars outside the house - it's in our tenancy) and don't mind having a go myself. At that sort of cost, I've probably got little choice.
Alternatively, any other independents close to me (and by close, I mean within about half a tank's worth of diesel that I've now got to use up to replace it with stuff that HAS been winterised - I'm in North Kent) who would be interested in this job, but won't charge such an excessive price to do it?
Or, of course, is my local indie right and the job is genuinely a £230 job??
Edit : I've left it down the street tonight, facing downhill in an attempt to prevent the fuel draining back (if that is genuinely what it's doing - the symptoms suggest that it is).
1998/9 S202 C250TD, 170,000 miles. Decided to fail to proceed yesterday when it was showing -4.5 on the dash display (has been an absolute first-time cold starter up until then - even at -3 showing on the dash). Popping the bonnet basically showed the diesel fuel in the clear plastic pipes to have a jelly-like consistency (thanks, local supermarket!) so it was left until yesterday afternoon to thaw out, whereupon it did start after significant cranking, then taken for a good 20 mile run to try and recharge the battery which had taken one hell of a beating at that point.
Whilst running, small air bubbles could be seen in the clear plastic pipes which research tells me could well be the O-rings on the fuel pipes past their best.
This morning, again, it failed to start so I borrowed the MIL's 'spare' Mitsubishi Shogun (also known as the Petrol Eating Beast - 3.0L V6!) and left mine, again, to thaw out.
Once again, this afternoon, it did restart, again after a lot of cranking and nearly flattening the battery - once again, it was given a good 12 mile run to recharge the battery.
During the course of the day, I have phoned my local independent (luckily I was sitting down) and he quoted me a staggering £230 to replace the four clear fuel pipes under the bonnet. Sadly, I am not in the position of being able to lob this kind of money away, BUT we depend on the car as my wife is pretty ill and we might need to use it at any time, day or night if I need to get her to hospital.
Enquiries at MB ascertained that the parts only were £44.53 inc VAT but MB themselves said that changing them is a good 'couple of hours work' so the previous quote I had been given was reasonable - MB couldn't come near it.
OK, I know these motors are a tiddly bit complicated, but 2+ hours to change four fuel pipes from the block heater to the filter and filter to injection pump does seem to me to be ever-so-slightly extracting the urine.
Anyone got an idea of how complex these pipes truly are to change? It doesn't LOOK like rocket-science and actually looks as though the job could be done without removing things like the inlet manifold but I'll bow to someone's superior knowledge or experience of the C250TD lump (OM605).
Better still, anyone got a DIY on it, or links to same? I can wield the odd spanner (just reluctant to because (a) it's chilly outside and (b) we're not supposed to repair cars outside the house - it's in our tenancy) and don't mind having a go myself. At that sort of cost, I've probably got little choice.
Alternatively, any other independents close to me (and by close, I mean within about half a tank's worth of diesel that I've now got to use up to replace it with stuff that HAS been winterised - I'm in North Kent) who would be interested in this job, but won't charge such an excessive price to do it?
Or, of course, is my local indie right and the job is genuinely a £230 job??
Edit : I've left it down the street tonight, facing downhill in an attempt to prevent the fuel draining back (if that is genuinely what it's doing - the symptoms suggest that it is).
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