Me and my fist Merc-Lots of Q's (and id tried search)

[Danny341]

Hi guys, i know there is a sticky that says no tech in here, but ive got lots of questions, and i want one thread to keep it easy for me to keep track of

i picked up a W202 R reg C200 for uber cheaps with no MOT.

So i sent it for MOT and its given me alot less problems than expected, My main issues were a broken front coil spring, the parking brake does not work on one side rear and 4 under the limit tyres!

So lets start at the top.

As im still young, i want to mess with the car, and as the car is old and on 212,000 miles, im not to fussed about service history and what not, But because its on alot of miles i dont wanna spend serious £££s to find it brake down and die!

New springs, Im looking to lower the suspension a little, i know its a boat and i want it to remain a boat, my problem comes from searching this forum, there seems to be a million different versions of the same thing, i read somewhere that if you have a sunroof, it changes something else? Im also thinking of trying shocks and springs, Any advice on either?


Parking brake i hope is just loose, i found a thread from Parrot of Doom Here. I expect i might change the rear discs and pads while im at it.

Now my smaller problems, Ive found some shady wiring where the previous owner has tried to install some 'aftermarket side lights' which was all bare and i touched together and ive popped the fuses i presume, Any help on the location of the fuse box before i start removing random panels?

The washer water bottle also holds no water, its got a hole in it, but im not sure if there is suppose to be anything there...

Pics,

Is this supposed to be bunged up? Or am i missing a motor/pump for something?


And lastly, the boot metal between the seats has been chopped.

I presume this is still safe?


Sorry for the long ass post, i hope its all ok and in the correct place!

Dan.

 

[television]

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...417717.418&CT=F&cat=44V&SID=86&SGR=030&SGN=01

This is the water bottle and the pump is on the side. Dont know about any hole, if there is one just meke it round and use a rubber bung.

The rear of the seat has been cut as the boot lock must have jammed at some point in time.

Your fuse box is under the bonnet.

If the parking brake is bad,it could be just rusty drums in the hub

 

[brandwooddixon]

I'm afraid that I don't know much about the C class so can't comment on the fuse boxes or what's missing from the washer bottle.

The washer bottle does look as if there is a pump missing. I would be tempted to plug it and check that your windscreen washer work. If they do then leave it plugged for now.

It looks as if someone as had difficulty getting the boot open and so has chopped through the back of the rear seat. Whilst it's not unsafe it will reduce the rigidity of the car a bit. If you know someone with a welder I'd be tempted to get some sheet tack welded over the cut in several places, alternatively you could pop-rivet it instead.

As for the springs. If you don't want to stick with MB originals, there are people who have fitted bilstein shocks and springs to these cars with some success. You may need to look at someone doing this for you.

 

[Miffy]

The water tank looks similar to mine, except I have the water heater also, but where you have the hole, I have a pump for the headlamp washers

 

[Jay Gee]

Further to Malcolm's answer,I believe the hole in your washer bottle is for an optional headlamp washer pump.If you don't have this,a bung is normally fitted.MB part No. MA000 997 33 20-cost 78p +vat.Get two,as they don't seem to last long.Whilst I was getting the receipt from my boot,I locked my keys in there,but that's another story!!

EDIT: Sorry,Gents,didn't see your answers before I posted.

 

[television]

Further to Malcolm's answer,I believe the hole in your washer bottle is for an optional headlamp washer pump.If you don't have this,a bung is normally fitted.MB part No. MA000 997 33 20-cost 78p +vat.Get two,as they don't seem to last long.Whilst I was getting the receipt from my boot,I locked my keys in there,but that's another story!!

EDIT: Sorry,Gents,didn't see your answers before I posted.

The more post the better, and that goes for all subjects, the more there are the more loved the OP will feel, Dan will tell you

 

[jberks]

On the chopped panel, my 202 had fold down rear seats so some were open there, but whether there was any factory re-inforcement to replace the panel I'm not sure. I might be tempted to get it welded up in your position.
I concurr with the above - mine had headlight washers/wipers so had a pump there. Rubber bung if not.

Mercs have always been very customisable from the factory. More so for older cars as standard specs were pretty basic back in the 80's and 90's and they expected you to go mad with the options list. They're a lot better specced as standard these days.

 

[Danny341]

I feel fantastically loved, almost special

I like to see that my first thoughts are correct, i expected the washer bottle was missing the headlight washer pump, not got that though, so its a bung for me (thanks for the part number)

Now i never thought about the seats being cut for access to the boot, As my boot lock does not work, something i forgot about in my original post...

The push button of the lock works, but it dont lock with the cars central locking, Also the boot release dont let it go either, is this something i can attack myself by removing everything in the near area?

As for doing the manual work, my current car no longer has anything original still on it apart from the fuel tank, So im not afraid of work, but the more heads up you can get is always better i find

 

[television]

It will be a pipe or the diaphragm on the boot lock. to make the key work the barrel will have to be removed, and a long post on this running here

 

[Danny341]

haha, your not being sarcastic there are you Mr TV?

I dont actually have the metal bit of the key either, So i cannot get into the car other than the button, Now i know its all things that can be replaced fairly cheaply for the MOT, i will look into that more, im hoping i can just get a new door and boot lock with key to replace both!

Im still not complaining yet for a £100 car, just means im gonna hassle you guys all day long!

 

[television]

haha, your not being sarcastic there are you Mr TV?

I dont actually have the metal bit of the key either, So i cannot get into the car other than the button, Now i know its all things that can be replaced fairly cheaply for the MOT, i will look into that more, im hoping i can just get a new door and boot lock with key to replace both!

Im still not complaining yet for a £100 car, just means im gonna hassle you guys all day long!

the keys and barrels can be bought and not too expensive.

Is the boot locking on the remote

 

[Danny341]

The boot does not lock at all... it closes and latches to, but if you press the lock in when the car is locked it still opens.

Im glad your telling me the lock sets can be bought cheaply... After seeing some of the cars and prices on here that other members have, i was getting scared i wouldnt able to afford this old nail!

 

[television]

As it will be the ignition key that fits the door locks you may as well take them out and free them off

 

[brandwooddixon]

It will be a pipe or the diaphragm on the boot lock.

Most MBs use a pneumatic system to cycle the locks. I assume that this is why Malcom's pointing you in this direction. As the rest of the car locks/unlock OK then the problem will be local to the boot.

Because people tend to use the remote system so much the lock barrels tend to siez up through lack of key use. Not a problem if the pneumatics work!

 

[Danny341]

hmmm, Locks can be sorted when its got an MOT, i really need to look into the suspension.

It has one front cracked spring, so ideally for the MOT i just need to change that one, but id minimum change the two fronts to keep it even, so i might aswell go whole hog and change the lot...

Trouble is, ive spent the last hour and a half looking into this, searched everything, and most of the threads i find on this forum, kinda only get to the same point and im not really that much further forward! I see alot of people like the Bilstien B12 kits, but these are all priced at 600 sheets, and i dont think im ready to spend more on the suspension than what the car is worth..

Now ive seen the G-max stuff which is half the price, and i know from my lowly Honda days that its utter rubbish, is it still as bad on the merc side of life?

But what troubles me most, is people saying there is different rates for different spec's of the car, mine is an elegance, should i just get the strongest ones i can find?

Hopefully some of you kind people will be able to resond to my n00b'ness

 

[television]

The weight of the car defines the ride height in conjunction with the correct springs, a diesel engine weighs more than a petrol, air con and all of the extra's can and do make a difference. Hope this helps a little

 

[Danny341]

Wow, hope some of you are ready for a big read now!!

Been messing with the car today, Sorted most of what i need, but the looser previous owner has cut the side light holders off, so im gonna need one of those.

Now onto the springs, they are cock eyed compared to the jap stuff im used too, i was hoping to remove the shock/spring and take it to a garage for compressing, but i found they are seperate springs which sucks for me...

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/Pink_Civic_Boy/DSC06109.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/Pink_Civic_Boy/DSC06110.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/Pink_Civic_Boy/DSC06111.jpg

Is it possible to compress the spring enough to remove the spring without un-bolting the bottom arm?

What happens if i unbolt the bottom arm with the spring still in place, is it gonna ping off fast and hit the floor?


Now onto my boot that will not lock, I took the mech off, and the more i look into it, the more it looks like the previous owner has locked himself out of the car, and used the boot to get back in...

There is a little plug on a wire in the boot lid, which i presume attaches to the mech to make it lock/unlock, Im also guessing that the mech has a size-able bit missing, as i cant find anywhere to push the plug into....

Am i along the right tracks here guys?

P.s Sorry for the lost ass post again

 

[DAVE HULL KR]

haha, your not being sarcastic there are you Mr TV?

I dont actually have the metal bit of the key either, So i cannot get into the car other than the button, Now i know its all things that can be replaced fairly cheaply for the MOT, i will look into that more, im hoping i can just get a new door and boot lock with key to replace both!

Im still not complaining yet for a £100 car, just means im gonna hassle you guys all day long!

£100 nice one, i've just paid £150 for an alternator for my transit van, put that into prospective :mrgreen:

 

[television]

For MB springs a special compressor is used that fits in the spring for safety, they cost £100, other than the the wish bone is lowered

 

[Dec]

Re the lock, the white thing is the vacuum chamber, which is broken, there should be a Yellow tube in and around the boot lid which plugs into a round hole in the vacuum chamber, the hole is broken off.
The Yellow tube runs into the right hand boot hinge, down into the boot on its way to the vacuum pump which is located inside the driver side rear wing.
Get a similar lock from a scrap yard and swap the vacuum chamber over to that lock.

That lock is non-electric and the wires you mention aren’t needed. The lock is operated by vacuum via the central locking AND/OR by the key in the boot lock.

You could drench the lock, through the key hole with WD40 and keep working the key in the lock from side to side every few minutes, it will eventually come free, give the WD40 time to penetrate the lock and keep the keyhole uppermost to allow the oil to get where it is needed most.

Dec