|
W123 HELPLINE Article first published in September 1998 |
||
|
|
||
|
The helpline continues to receive a huge amount of calls. If you have had difficulty in reaching me do not give up, as I have been on holiday recently, but have not got an answerphone on the helpline as it would soon be full of messages. The Mercedes Owners Club Chairman Mike Powell has kindly arranged for me to hold copies of all the workshop manuals on all W123 series cars The Club possesses, so I can quickly look up any queries you may have, unfortunately we are short of information on the M102 series engines. If you have access to any genuine MB manuals on these engines I would be most pleased to hear from you. Through this section I hope to be able to feature the most common problems every issue. This month they are central locking and engine rebuild costs.
CENTRAL LOCKING The central locking system on all W123 series cars is operated by an engine-driven vacuum system. Basically, the vacuum is produced at the engine and sent around the doors, filler cap and boot by a series of small diameter yellow pipes. A reservoir shaped like a large egg box carton then holds enough vacuum to release and close the door locks, when the engine is switched off, approximately 8-10 times. After that the doors can be unlocked individually mechanically. The vast majority of faults in the system stem from leaks in the vacuum bottles placed in each door. These are small and are fitted in the lower half of the door directly below the pin which drops in when the door is locked. Connected by a thin metal rod a small rubber seal moves in and out with each action of the lock. These split and perish and cause the system to fail. Only the whole item is available at around £20 + each, it gets expensive if you need to replace them all. Luckily a Club Member has kindly offered me this simple and cheap remedy.
|
Remove the vacuum bottle after disconnecting the rod from the lock (push out sideways). Then place a small rubber balloon over the split rubber seal and tighten in place with a small nylon tie strap. This will prevent the loss of vacuum and will allow the system to work. I have further modified it by the use of a condom instead of a balloon which seems to be a more secure fit! This is an excellent and cheap remedy to an annoying fault and the only drawback is the embarrassment of trying to buy the smallest and thickest (latex) condoms!
ENGINE REBUILD COSTS Here I have very recent experience to share with you. En route to Shelsley Walsh hill climb my wife's W123 200T engine failed with complete loss of oil pressure and severe overheating. Luckily we were able to complete our journey with the help of Club Members Ray and Joan Webb who kindly loaned us their excellent 280E. On return our 200 engine was removed and found to need a complete rebuild. The crankshaft was reground, block rebored, all new bearings fitted and the cylinder head fitted with hardened valve seats. New pistons and cam chain plus various gaskets were also needed. This little lot came to just under £1,000, so allowing for labour to remove, fit and tune up, £1,500 is the absolute minimum a M102 series engine can be rebuilt for, using only original parts. I emphasise this because sadly I have had a number of calls recently from Club Members who have bought rebuilt or re-manufactured engines and they have proven to be fitted with spurious parts sourced in the Far East which have failed after a short while, with the supplier offering no recompense. Some of these are involved in litigation and I cannot name them, but if you need an engine rebuilt I am available to offer you advice on where to have it done properly and who to avoid. I can give you an accurate cost assessment but there are no short cuts to quality once you need this type of work done. I hope you have enjoyed this month's report and I am available as usual for all your W123 series queries. Recently I was asked by a motoring correspondent which Mercedes model was the car of the century? Easy, I said, the W123, no other model can match its ride quality, build quality and prestige. It also looks better than anything else. Yep, its the car of the millennium for me and I know from your calls it's yours too.
|
|
