Main Inspection Performed on Time?

I tried clearing this code using OBD II, but to no avail. No DTC's were listed (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) I then found a post on mbworld.org that helped. When you do a service, it is imperative that you clear each "additional item" in the sevice menu individually. When you go to clear the general inspection it asks for a month and year. I originally thought that this meant the time from today, the day of service, but it refers to a DATE, e.g. month: 2, year: 09 refers to February of 2009. See previous posts for service interval dates. If you don't clear these additional items, your service interval will be sooner than it needs to be, e.g. 10,000 miles instead of 13,000 miles in my case.

FSS Mischief

Well, I reset the FSS system. It now reads 10,000 miles until Service C, but now I have a message, "Main Inspection Performed on Time?" I suspect that, since this is in the error message department, I will need to use the OBD II system to clear the code. I'll get back to you on this one...

Cabin Air/Pollen Filter

The cabin air filter for my car (yours may be different) is manufactured by MicronAir for Mercedes. It is a paper filter with activated charcoal. I ordered mine from AutoHaus Arizona as eGermanparts did not stock the Micronair Filter. You can also order directly from MicronAir.

The filter is on the passenger's side, right next to the cowl. The black plastic filter holder is secured by one 10mm plastic nut. The rest is rather intuitive.

Time for an Oil Change

42 mpg from Ann Arbor to St. Paul. :) I'm home! Time for an oil change. Amsoil makes a European synthetic motor oil that meets the Mercedes-Benz 229.1, 229.3, 229.5, and 229.51 specifications. Capacity w/filter is 6.87 qts. or 6.5 l. Buy 8 quarts. You will need filter number HU 721/2 x from MANN. I have heard some mention about tilting the motor forward before starting the vehicle to prevent oil starvation. As of today, there is no TSB related to this issue.
You can become an AMSOIL "preferred customer" and save $$. My membership paid for itself after my first purchase of 8 qts.

You can do an oil change without jacking the car up. It's very easy. The plastic "belly" of the Benz come in three parts. The first is right under the bumper. Leave this one alone. The second and third are the ones you want to remove to change the oil. They are held on by 8mm hex head bolts with large integral washers.

The drain plug faces toward the passenger's side of the car and is a 13mm hex. (see picture at right. It has a box wrench hanging from it.) Mine was on VERY tight. I had to use a "cheater" bar for more torque. Don't worry about mucking up the threads as their is spproximately 1.5 in. of thread on the drain plug!

You should use a new copper sealing washer. If you don't have one at hand, you can reuse copper washers if you heat them to RED hot in a propane torch. Do not do this on cement heating cement this hot will explode and shoot bits of grit into your eyes. Use a pliers. Ask me how I know :)

I used a standard small size oil filter wrench to remove the oil filter. This might slip on the plastic. You can buy the tool from MB as well.

I needed exactly 7 qts. of oil. Your oil filter will hold some of this. First fill the engine without starting it to its recommended level. Then start it and let it run for a few seconds. This fills the filter. You will then have to wait a ridiculous amount of time before the car will let you measure the oil level again. You might have to add a half a quart at this point. DO NOT OVERFILL. Removing extra oil is a huge PITA.

Clear your service codes per the previously listed PDF's

Congratulations! you're done! Go have a beer.

Chautauqua

I am in Chautauqua, NY where cars are not allowed (except for unloading your luggage) so I am happy not to be driving for a while.

Saratoga to Cooperstown

35 mpg. on a combination of highway and rural winding roads. I get most of my parts from egermanparts.com

This is because they are a front for Worldpak, a HUGE distributor for auto shops. Their prices are excellent and, from my experience, their service is top notch. FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $75!

• Air filter $24
• Wiper Blades $28
• F Brake Pad set $66-$110
• R Brake Pad set $84-$90
• F Brake disc $64-$90
• R Brake disc $47
• R Brake pad sensor $8
• Combination filter $13
• Oil drain plug gasket $0.40
• Oil filter kit $13
• Ball joint $67

I encourage you to call your dealer first as some parts are cheaper from Mercedes, e.g. the water pump.

Service Readout

I followed the service readout directions as per MB instructions (see another post) and they didn't quite work. Here's what worked for me...

1. Key to position 1
2. page down button steering wheel until you reach the basic display with either mph, speed or temp.
3. Navigate to the screen that shows the service to be performed, e.g "Service A" or "Service C"
4. Hold down the odometer reset button for about 5 seconds, or until the service menu appears
5. Pg. down selects and pg. up goes back a screen
6. Use +- to toggle up and down
7. Note items to be performed
8. Use pg. up to go back to the basic display
9. Turn key to position 0

My car showed US 2, 5, 12 and 13 and under "Additional Work" showed exh gas analysis, general inspection and US service 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12.

The code for these numbers is in the FSS Service sheet PDF.

1- Check Brake Pads and Discs (I know I need to do the rear brakes soon)

2- Replace engine compartment air cleaner (just did it)

3- Replace combinatin filter (should be easy)

5- Replace fuel filter (just done in Jan. as part of the glow plug debacle)

8- Replace coolant (done Nov. '07 with water pump)

9- Check paintwork and chassis and replace brake fluid (I need to do the front lower ball joints and I just changed the brake fluid in the reservoir)

10- Clean and lubricate sliding sunroof mechanism

12- Oil and Filter change

13- Checkoff sheet for misc. items including battery.

Useful Files

I checked the injectors today and no leakage. This is good. I was surprised to find no dipstick at the auto tranny fill tube (see previous post on engine compartment layout)!?! It's easy to check the engine oil level via the vehicle dashboard, but how did they check the tranny oil level when my local shop flushed the ATF? The dipstick part number is
140 589 15 21 00 Mercedes does not seem to give a service interval for the automatic transmission. I have heard 60k miles from some who have done oil analysis.

Here is some VERY helpful information on the W211 from Mercedes. These are factory training manuals.

Battery
FSS
HVAC
SBC
Component Locator
FFS Service Sheet -> This one has service intervals for filters, etc. VERY nice to know.
Checking ATF Level
Auto Transmission Filter and Oil Change
Service Reset
Service Readout
Workshop Readout
Bentley W211 Forum

The Tour Continues

Ann Arbor to Wilton, CT. 664 miles. 42 mpg.

From the diagram at right you get an idea of what type of place Wilton is... Home of J. Alden Wier, American impressionist painter.

Road Trip

I headed off on my road trip on Friday morning to Ann Arbor with my 3 year old daughter. She was an absolute peach and I got through most of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while she slept. Eleven hours on the road, 669 miles and 41 mpg. Whahoo! The EPA gives the CDI a rating of 33 Hwy and 23 City. Hmmm. I stuck to the speed limit the whole way. I rolled over the odometer (100,000 mi.). I ran my tire presures at 40 psi as the Continental tires I have are rated to 51 psi. I seem to have more black smoke on sudden acceleration than I remember, but I have a can of Sea Foam in the fuel (carbon deposit remover) so maybe this is the issue.

Air Filter

My air filer was VERY dirty. I believe this part is available only from the dealer at this point. Not too bad, only $37. The following pictures should be sufficient to show you how to do the job. All you need is a flat-blade screwdriver. Note the notches in the filter and the "V" in the filter housing (and there's one on the underside of the cover) that have to be lined up.

Resolved?

Sears couldn't get the leak to express itself. They replaced all of the return line fittings. The replacements were metal- much bette rthan the old plastic ones. They also managed to replace all of the return lines and were so kind as to replace the power steering pulley and put on a new belt for free (I paid for the parts). They gave me a Hyundai as a loaner car :)

I'm a little bit bummed that I didn't get to do the serpentine belt, but it's on eless thing that I have to do.

Serpentine Belt Tensioner

My serpentine belt tensioner was different from the one shown in All Data. It looked like the one to the right. You use a Torx T60 to rotate it counter-clockwise, relieve the tension and remove the belt. If you want to hold it in place, insert a pin as shown(an allen wrench works great). There isn't much clearance so you need a serpentine belt tool and a low profile T60. Ones mounted in chrome sockets may not have enough clearance. I used a Lisle brand. A Craftsman 41831 serpentine tool works great. $29.99 is quite reasonable. While you have the belt de-tensioned, make sure that both rollers rotate smoothly.

Brake Fluid and SBC

MB call for DOT 4+ brake fluid. What's that? Well, it's just DOT 4 with slightly higher performance specs. DOT 4 works just fine. Amsoil makes a good product. As for the Electronic braking system on the Benz, you can simply unplug the SBC unit (picture at right) when working on the brakes or use the detailed procedure outlined here to disable it. Flushing the brake fluid seems a bit silly as any water absorbed by the brake fluid will be either evenly distributed in the brake fluid through brownian motion or greater in the fluid reservoir. I always just use a turkey baster reserved JUST for brake fluid (we don't want any contamination!) and suck as much fluid out of the brake fluid reservoir as I can and replace it with fresh fluid about once a year.

Brake procedures are below

Rear

Front

Wear Sensors

Fuel Filter

If you notice, the fuel filter has a small black plastic port on top. Why is this there? Hah! Genius! The port is there so you can attach a Mity Vac and suck the air out of the filter (which is then replaced by fuel) when you install a new one (first loosen the knurled plastic fitting). Bravo MB.

Also, notice the clamps have to be cut off and replaced with standard hose clamps.

More Dealership Incompetency

After having my vehicle for 4+ weeks and FINALLY fixing the cold start problem (they put the wrong glow plugs in because the parts catalog had the wrong part number listed), Sears Imported Autos returned my vehicle to me in January. To their credit, they gave me a C-Class loaner car for the duration of the repairs.

I assumed that they were competent and didn't check their work. Today, because I am leaving for a 3k mile trip in a few days, I decided to check things out and remove the mysterious "dark cover" over the engine (you need a Torx T30 and an 8mm socket). What I found was a marvel of engineering. The oil and fuel filter are delightfully accessible and the injectors are right on top. What a joy! More on that later.


The bummer was found under the foam injector cover... Leaking fuel injector(s)!! and a return line fitting busted by the shop and then JB welded back together. What shoddy workmanship. They didn't even bother to replace the rest of the fuel return lines. In the image right you can see the dark black of fresh diesel on the plastic and the black return line (new) at upper left and tan line (old) both exiting the top of the injector.

Here was their attempt at a repair to the plastic return line fitting. No, the JB Weld didn't hold.

Serpentine Belt Replacement

My power steering belt mysteriously had a large chunk taken out of it. This split the belt down the middle. As a result I need to replace the Pump pulley (MB part # A 611 230 0115) and the serpentine belt (ContiTech part # 6K2260). Continental has a great free T-shirt offer!

Anyway, here's the routing for the serpentine belt and all of its assciated components. This is one thing that you DON'T want to forget.