As I go over the SL500 in detail, I have already fixed a couple of issues for - nothing! Woo-hoo! I love it when this sort of thing happens....
I changed the oil and filter this afternoon, which immediately quieted down the lifter tick from the right cylinder bank. For that matter, it's gone - it might have been gone before I changed the oil, I'm not sure. I suspect it was just because the car hasn't been driven much over the past few years. I'm wondering if an Italian tune-up might be in order??? The CEL was on when I inspected the car, and the codes that my OBDII scanner picked up were a MAP sensor and O2 sensor. I figured the MAP just needed cleaning, so while the oil was draining I removed it from the engine and.... the hard white plastic tubing from the manifold was - you guessed it - broken! I got a piece of wire and snaked it back through the engine valley where the line had been, then pieced the line back together with a few short pieces of rubber tubing. I haven't driven the car much since, but the code has not returned. Another item for my dealer visit on Monday. While I was under the car I did a pretty detailed inspection. Nice to see the belly pans were intact and very clean. I can see where the front end was repaired - the cross member that is behind the front bumper has been cut off and a new one welded in. Not very well, at least the welds look kind of lousy, but it's definitely attached and intact. Everything from the radiator support back is or appears to be either new or original. No leaks, damage, bad lines, etc. were noted during he inspection. I was surprised to note that the front suspension on this car is a strut arrangement with a separate spring rather than a shock absorber and a spring. Looks like the bellows or dust boots on the top of the struts are missing. Hmm. The car definitely has the FSS in the instrument panel, and I figured out how to reset it. I suspect it's a "dumb" version in that it appear to be nothing more than a countdown timer using the odometer. I don't think there are any sensors in the oil pan, at least not that I saw. Strange, as there is no mention of it in the owner's manual. As I am beginning to understand this car is more of a W124 than a W140, I am beginning to like it more. Since I have never owned or driven an R129, I really didn't have a point of reference to work from. It's smaller, tighter, and pretty damned responsive compared to the S500, which is a tank but far more luxurious inside. Tomorrow is wash/wax/detailing day! Martha in her element! Dan _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
