What Have You Done To Your Merc Today?

[LostKiwi]

The wiring isn’t exactly “standard” in your particular R230… I seem to remember quite a bit of additional wiring in the drivers sill

Correct. I keep finding 'things'...
TV tuner tucked behind the audio gateway, dab tuner tucked behind the headlight switch.
Dashcam up by the mirror fed from the cigarette lighter.
It does make things difficult.

 

[LostKiwi]

Swore at it. A lot.
Then swore at it some more.

I've had the day from hell.

It failed the most on a broken spring. 2x new ones arriving in the morning.

Trying to remove the pulley is proving more difficult than expected.

The inspection hole to put the locking tool in is held with 2 nuts. Top one is off but can I get into the bottom one? Can I ballcocks. It's the old 'I can see it, I can touch it (just) but can I undo it?' game.

Been battling with it 4 hours and still no further.

There are two pipes that just will not move that block access. Once the nuts are off there are two long bolts need to be removed though I think I can modify the tool by removing the pubs so it slides over the bolts instead. It would be far easier if so.

 

[A.J.]

Swore at it. A lot.
Then swore at it some more.

I've had the day from hell.

It failed the most on a broken spring. 2x new ones arriving in the morning.

Trying to remove the pulley is proving more difficult than expected.

The inspection hole to put the locking tool in is held with 2 nuts. Top one is off but can I get into the bottom one? Can I ballcocks. It's the old 'I can see it, I can touch it (just) but can I undo it?' game.

Been battling with it 4 hours and still no further.

There are two pipes that just will not move that block access. Once the nuts are off there are two long bolts need to be removed though I think I can modify the tool by removing the pubs so it slides over the bolts instead. It would be far easier if so. View attachment 78826

There are two pipes that just will not move that block access. Once the nuts are off there are two long bolts need to be removed though I think I can modify the tool by removing the pubs so it slides over the bolts instead. It would be far easier if so.

The pubs have a knack of removing themselves these days

 

[alexanderfoti]

"What has your Merc done to you today ?"

View attachment 78797

At least your AC is nice and cold.

If its started doing this randomly, then one of your Accumulators has failed.

 

[adrianr]

MOT'd the old girl today with no advisories.

 

[Snake Charmer]

I stayed late and fitted front discs and pads, adjusted the wheel bearings and checked tyre pressures. The 9 mile drive home became 41 as the difference from driving to work was wonderful due mostly to adjusting the wheel bearings and a need to bed the new brakes in.

I had plans to fit pads when the wear indicators came into play then use that as a countdown timer to source 330mm discs and calipers. I think the previous owners repairer snapped the low indicator off as there was plenty of pad when I bought the car and no sign of wear through on the sensor only a dirty snapped off jagged edge. I was unaware the opposite side is a half worn "scare to man wot fixes" indicator.

When the front wheels are off next I will short each sensor out to see what dashs says then reset with the iCarsoft so I know for future reference.

This will likely be dropping the front spring height another two notches to see if the self levelling follows suit, take some measurements and give @LostKiwi some feedback about my use ofshortened Bilstein B8 dampers with standard Avantgarde springs.

 

[Mark Q]

At least your AC is nice and cold.

If its started doing this randomly, then one of your Accumulators has failed.

Alex

Thanks the AC was nice and cold, good job coz I was sweating all the way home. Not sure how random it is , will write the sad sorry tale of misery and put to the jury sometime next week when hopefully things get a bit quieter here.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Alex

Thanks the AC was nice and cold, good job coz I was sweating all the way home. Not sure how random it is , will write the sad sorry tale of misery and put to the jury sometime next week when hopefully things get a bit quieter here.

Well, when I say random, I mean that you have not touched the ABC system in any way to cause this response.

 

[LostKiwi]

Finally......
Front spring changed and pulley replaced. M
Lots more swearing and I'm absolutely knackered.

It seems R Classes are right sods to compress the springs in. Certainly my spring compressor set wouldn't look at them. Ran round most of Northampton looking for someone could do it and the usual response was "****** Mercedes"
followed by sucking in air through teeth and a "no mate bit today - maybe in 3 or 4 days".
Finally got them done and best of all for free!

Son in law came round to give a hand and discovered the trick for the access panel - hold the nut and undo the E14 bolt from the back (I'm sure I checked and there wasn't enough room - mind you I was shattered by then).

Once out we couldn't get the tool to fit. Half an hour grinding the lower lug and it now fits nicely. Annoying.

Getting the bolt undone was next fun. Snapped the first breaker bar. Mind you there was a 5ft length of tube over the end with me hanging off it .... Second breaker bar coped no problem. Pretty straightforward after that.

All done just 90 million tools to put away now.

Speaking of tools this car has found all the tools I was missing in my toolset. Not as in finding lost ones - finding the ones I don't have. Specifically a few large deep sockets and a 16mm ring spanner.
One purchase earlier this month that has come into its own is a Ryobi electric ratchet. Absolutely superb bit of kit.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Finally......
Front spring changed and pulley replaced. M
Lots more swearing and I'm absolutely knackered.

It seems R Classes are right sods to compress the springs in. Certainly my spring compressor set wouldn't look at them. Ran round most of Northampton looking for someone could do it and the usual response was "****** Mercedes"
followed by sucking in air through teeth and a "no mate bit today - maybe in 3 or 4 days".
Finally got them done and best of all for free!

Son in law came round to give a hand and discovered the trick for the access panel - hold the nut and undo the E14 bolt from the back (I'm sure I checked and there wasn't enough room - mind you I was shattered by then).

Once out we couldn't get the tool to fit. Half an hour grinding the lower lug and it now fits nicely. Annoying.

Getting the bolt undone was next fun. Snapped the first breaker bar. Mind you there was a 5ft length of tube over the end with me hanging off it .... Second breaker bar coped no problem. Pretty straightforward after that.

All done just 90 million tools to put away now.

Speaking of tools this car has found all the tools I was missing in my toolset. Not as in finding lost ones - finding the ones I don't have. Specifically a few large deep sockets and a 16mm ring spanner.
One purchase earlier this month that has come into its own is a Ryobi electric ratchet. Absolutely superb bit of kit.

I dunno, you and these R Class… oh wait

 

[LostKiwi]

I dunno, you and these R Class… oh wait

It's a love hate relationship at the moment. Love how quiet and refined it is and how it's a consummate load lugging mile muncher but absolutely hate it to work on. Nothing is easy. It's like someone went out of their way to make it as difficult as possible. They certainly succeeded.

 

[th3h1ghlander]

Had the car detailed first thing this morning, given the hosepipe ban is coming into effect and I have run out all of my products: snowfoam (Stjärnagloss Snö), car shampoo (Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte Auto Wash) , and wheel prep (Autobrite Britegel Gel and Autobrite Purple Rain Fallout Remover).

The detail was great but, sadly, it is becoming clear that my black matte/satin wrap is really starting to come to the end of its life; the birds pelting the car while I am at work are hammering several nails into that coffin. I was hoping it would last until next year so I can get it all done after spring but am not sure it will last that long. The extreme heat waves have caused the wrap to lift and crease in the tight corners of the bumper. A heat gun and a spudger may be able to sort it but given the age of the wrap (4yrs) I would be concerned that it would just split it.

I still need to plan in a weekend to paint the front callipers as need doing badly, may be something to do while I refurb the windows of the house too.


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[Craiglxviii]

It's a love hate relationship at the moment. Love how quiet and refined it is and how it's a consummate load lugging mile muncher but absolutely hate it to work on. Nothing is easy. It's like someone went out of their way to make it as difficult as possible. They certainly succeeded.

Damn right. The only easy thing I found to do on the car are the cabin air filters, aside from that it’s a whirling son of a b1tch, as the Americans say.

 

[daveenty]

Thrown a bag in the back of it in readiness for a 250+mile trip to Southampton.

It's a bit early to be setting off yet but I may just call in at MSL Performance on the way down just to scrounge a brew off @Acid@MSL .

 

[Blobcat]

Thrown a bag in the back of it in readiness for a 250+mile trip to Southampton.

It's a bit early to be setting off yet but I may just call in at MSL Performance on the way down just to scrounge a brew off @Acid@MSL .

I’ll give you a wave as I head past going the other way…

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thrown a bag in the back of it in readiness for a 250+mile trip to Southampton.

It's a bit early to be setting off yet but I may just call in at MSL Performance on the way down just to scrounge a brew off @Acid@MSL .

We’re getting the picnic sorted shortly, and I may just wash it

 

[PaulG]

Driven from Bedford to Southampton. The real achievement was getting round the M25 from the M1 to the M3 junction without any hassle.

 

[Blobcat]

Driven from Bedford to Southampton. The real achievement was getting round the M25 from the M1 to the M3 junction without any hassle.

How was the M3/M27 interchange? When I came t’other way this morning it was nose to tail and crawling along both north and south

 

[Srdl]

Drove it for the first time in seven weeks - and got it ready for Beaulieu tomorrow

 

[Srdl]

How was the M3/M27 interchange? When I came t’other way this morning it was nose to tail and crawling along both north and south

Flowing pretty well M27 westbound when I came through there about an hour ago