What Have You Done To Your Merc Today?

Blobcat

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Your Mercedes
R171 SLK280, Smart R451, Land Rover 110 County SW, 997 C2S, R1250 GSA TE 40th, CBR600FP
New ticket for a year yesterday, only think to note was a little wear to the inside edges of the front tyres, not worth actually putting an advisory on but good to know I need to get the tracking sorted sooner rather than later.
Worked out the mileage since last year and I’ve not even done 4K this last year, really need to get out more now we can.
On a plus note the old barge clicked to 100k miles just after I did the shopping today, could get a picture at that point but did get one with all the 9’s in the supermarket car park View attachment 68588
You could have arranged for the trip to be all 9's as well...;):p

PPPPPP :cool:
 

Oldspanners

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Your Mercedes
C CLASS 2004 C180
Well today went like this, decided to have an easy day after the rigors of the last days suspension and brake replacement. I had found a kit of seals at a good price to rebuild the vacuum pump an easy half hour job.
Opened the car pulled the bonnet release and nothing happened pulled harder same result. Short story drivers side wheel off, wheel liner out pulled the cable divider and only the passenger side opened, engine cover off managed to get the bonnet switch cable off and the plastic cover and levered the latch with a long pry bar.
Much dismantling and three hours later looks like a little helper spring on the end of the long cable has rusted and allowed enough play to stop it opening. Anyway adjusted now and opening easily until a new cable arrives.
Oh, the other job did only take half an hour.
 

Craiglxviii

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Cambs UK
Your Mercedes
970 Panamera Turbo; W221 S500L AMG Line, C215 CL500, W251 R350L AMG Line, plus several more now gone
Well today went like this, decided to have an easy day after the rigors of the last days suspension and brake replacement. I had found a kit of seals at a good price to rebuild the vacuum pump an easy half hour job.
Opened the car pulled the bonnet release and nothing happened pulled harder same result. Short story drivers side wheel off, wheel liner out pulled the cable divider and only the passenger side opened, engine cover off managed to get the bonnet switch cable off and the plastic cover and levered the latch with a long pry bar.
Much dismantling and three hours later looks like a little helper spring on the end of the long cable has rusted and allowed enough play to stop it opening. Anyway adjusted now and opening easily until a new cable arrives.
Oh, the other job did only take half an hour.
That’s some ****** work alright!!! I sometimes think I go OTT with the Dinitrol, but... one can never have too much rust preservative!!
 

s5tuart

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Your Mercedes
2003 R230 SL350
Had my 9g serviced. New pan and bolts and 10 litres of oil! :shock:The gear changes are unnoticeable now :cool:
It's not as if they were obvious before but I could feel it. Now I can only tell by the indicator and Rev counter
 

Blobcat

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Your Mercedes
R171 SLK280, Smart R451, Land Rover 110 County SW, 997 C2S, R1250 GSA TE 40th, CBR600FP
Had my 9g serviced. New pan and bolts and 10 litres of oil! :shock:The gear changes are unnoticeable now :cool:
It's not as if they were obvious before but I could feel it. Now I can only tell by the indicator and Rev counter
That's what they should be like :)
 

robin.large

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Your Mercedes
CLS C63 AMG 2013
Well today went like this, decided to have an easy day after the rigors of the last days suspension and brake replacement. I had found a kit of seals at a good price to rebuild the vacuum pump an easy half hour job.
Opened the car pulled the bonnet release and nothing happened pulled harder same result. Short story drivers side wheel off, wheel liner out pulled the cable divider and only the passenger side opened, engine cover off managed to get the bonnet switch cable off and the plastic cover and levered the latch with a long pry bar.
Much dismantling and three hours later looks like a little helper spring on the end of the long cable has rusted and allowed enough play to stop it opening. Anyway adjusted now and opening easily until a new cable arrives.
Oh, the other job did only take half an hour.
I noticed on my CLS that bonnet catches get a mention at 80,000 miles.
I think I'll give them a proper looking at this weekend for its 70,000 service instead!

Sent from my KB2000 using Tapatalk
 

Oldspanners

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Normandy
Your Mercedes
C CLASS 2004 C180
I noticed on my CLS that bonnet catches get a mention at 80,000 miles.
I think I'll give them a proper looking at this weekend for its 70,000 service instead!

Sent from my KB2000 using Tapatalk
My advice is to ensure both latches are clean, lubricated and the cables are running straight without kinks or pinched below the slam panel.
After doing this the bonnet on mine now pops up strongly with very little effort on the bonnet release.
Certainly worth checking.
 

Oldspanners

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Your Mercedes
C CLASS 2004 C180
Got worried today after washing the car for the first time in over two months I found myself polishing the bonnet star.
Perhaps a sign of either some sort of serious disorder, or it's time to get another Mercedes.
 

Paul Garrett

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Got worried today after washing the car for the first time in over two months I found myself polishing the bonnet star.
Perhaps a sign of either some sort of serious disorder, or it's time to get another Mercedes.
Don't worry Oldspanners i do the same thing! Ha!
 

Paul Garrett

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My advice is to ensure both latches are clean, lubricated and the cables are running straight without kinks or pinched below the slam panel.
After doing this the bonnet on mine now pops up strongly with very little effort on the bonnet release.
Certainly worth checking.
A few years ago i replaced the slam panel in the beast as it was quite corroded, got a new Merc panel and prepped and stonechipped both sides, fun came to putting it back and the cables were in a.state....only realised when i shut bonnet and it would not release! AARRGGHHH!!! gnashing of teeth and profanities later new cables fitted phew!!
 

daibevan

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Alltwen, Pontardawe
Your Mercedes
W203 C200 Kompressor Elegance SE 2006 Tanzanite Blue with cream interior
I noticed on my CLS that bonnet catches get a mention at 80,000 miles.
I think I'll give them a proper looking at this weekend for its 70,000 service instead!

Sent from my KB2000 using Tapatalk
I do mine every year, it only takes a couple of minutes.
 

Wighty

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Sunny Essex
Your Mercedes
W211/E320cdi/2009 and CLK200k 2009
Continued the hunt for the squeak in the rear suspension, after trying the hit and hope method of spaying everything in sight with ACF50 it was back to getting the old spanners out. So off came the rear shock still in good condition, rear spring out decidedly rusty but sound. Wire brushed it, looked at it sanded it, looked at it again so the "rust converter" came out and then some hammerite.
Just then the parts I ordered arrived rear discs, pads, shoes and flexibles so it was into full take everything apart and paint it mode, lucky the temperature was in the high 20's as everything dried over lunch.
Happy everything came apart easily especially the metal pipe to the flexible but the parking brakes are a PIA, back seat out to slacken off the adjuster to get everything in place but now with 3 clicks on the pedal you certainly won't drive off with it on.
Quick drive around and mercifully no squeak for now, I cleaned and greased the spring seat.
Couple of photos to keep Wighty happy for proof ;)
View attachment 68581 View attachment 68582
That is some impressive backing plate painting and good job with the black calipers as well buddy
 

Oldspanners

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Your Mercedes
C CLASS 2004 C180
That is some impressive backing plate painting and good job with the black calipers as well buddy
Thanks Wighty was inspired by your 1st class job on the CLK last year, not to that standard but I don't want to be getting too close to notice the difference. Next in line is a service and a few new parts for the un-Merc before moving on to the front discs, pads, and flexibles and the requisite amount of Hammerite (Mr. Lidl's finest).
Either my eyesight is improving or the wheels are getting worse as they look in need of a bit of a repaint, so I'm going to give that a go sometime soon as long as the weather lasts ( actually heading towards too hot 30C for painting) after 17 years I suppose even I can make an improvement, time and photos will tell.
BTW I have had some great success using Lidl's W5 Universal cleaner concentrate (thinks it's for power washers) diluted 3:1 in a spray bottle, spray it on wait a minute or so, use a soft brush and rinse of with another spray bottle of water at about €1.60 a liter.
P.S. Polishing the bonnet star makes the car so much quicker, quieter, and economical recommend it to everyone.
 
Last edited:

Paul Garrett

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Thanks Wighty was inspired by your 1st class job on the CLK last year, not to that standard but I don't want to be getting too close to notice the difference. Next in line is a service and a few new parts for the un-Merc before moving on to the front discs, pads, and flexibles and the requisite amount of Hammerite (Mr. Lidl's finest).
Either my eyesight is improving or the wheels are getting worse as they look in need of a bit of a repaint, so I'm going to give that a go sometime soon as long as the weather lasts ( actually heading towards too hot 30C for painting) after 17 years I suppose even I can make an improvement, time and photos will tell.
BTW I have had some great success using Lidl's W5 Universal cleaner concentrate (thinks it's for power washers) diluted 3:1 in a spray bottle, spray it on wait a minute or so, use a soft brush and rinse of with another spray bottle of water at about €1.60 a liter.
P.S. Polishing the bonnet star makes the car so much quicker, quieter, and economical recommend it to everyone.
Yeah have to ageee, polishing that lovely three pointed star makes the air glide over it making it more streamlined and better fuel economy......(tonque firmly planted in cheek!!! Ha! :) )
 

Wighty

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Location
Sunny Essex
Your Mercedes
W211/E320cdi/2009 and CLK200k 2009
Thanks Wighty was inspired by your 1st class job on the CLK last year, not to that standard but I don't want to be getting too close to notice the difference. Next in line is a service and a few new parts for the un-Merc before moving on to the front discs, pads, and flexibles and the requisite amount of Hammerite (Mr. Lidl's finest).
Either my eyesight is improving or the wheels are getting worse as they look in need of a bit of a repaint, so I'm going to give that a go sometime soon as long as the weather lasts ( actually heading towards too hot 30C for painting) after 17 years I suppose even I can make an improvement, time and photos will tell.
BTW I have had some great success using Lidl's W5 Universal cleaner concentrate (thinks it's for power washers) diluted 3:1 in a spray bottle, spray it on wait a minute or so, use a soft brush and rinse of with another spray bottle of water at about €1.60 a liter.
P.S. Polishing the bonnet star makes the car so much quicker, quieter, and economical recommend it to everyone.
Most of these “newer bunch of youngsters” don’t have bonnet stars anymore :cool:
 
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Droverunner

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Location
West Cambridgeshire
Your Mercedes
2007 CLK 220 CDi Sport. 2014 S-Max 2.0TDCi.
An intensive period on "snagging" of interior parts etc.

I had three 30mm holes in the rear headlining plus an enlarged roof light hole where the police stop sign had been that would have shown through the rear window. Finally decided on a large recessed Hella unit which meant I could cut away much of the damage and some Ebay plastic plugs to tidy up the fixing holes.... looks loads better.

Since I've had it the bonnet pull has felt so tight it might snap and it was on the to-do list. Then when a car nut neighbour wanted to see under the bonnet I found the cable seemed to have pulled out of the interior lever so I had to use pliers. Took the bonnet catch off for a proper clean and grease then repositioned where the catch could release more cleanly... found the interior lever hadn't broken just the cable nipple was a bad fit and had jumped out so eased the nipple recess a few mm so it fitted in nicely... but the real problem was the cable had become really stiff so I fabricated my usual blutak cable oiler and on a warm day about three "pools" of engine oil went down the cable and it freed working to & fro. All together now and it's fine.

New rear int lamp.JPG





Cable oiling.JPG

Bonnet release.JPG

Bonnet catch.JPG
 

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