Mercedes W124 E300D estate - progress, or not...
Discussion
Nearly! Car is back together, and started eventually (thanks, Ian316, for the full throttle & time tip).
Just out for a celebratory drive, and pint.... but what's this? Harsh shifts??
That's the vacuum pipe under the crossover pipe, isn't it. It's on the same circuit. I've already had the crossover pipe back off to refit that pipe. Sounds like I didn't do a very good job!
Just out for a celebratory drive, and pint.... but what's this? Harsh shifts??
That's the vacuum pipe under the crossover pipe, isn't it. It's on the same circuit. I've already had the crossover pipe back off to refit that pipe. Sounds like I didn't do a very good job!
Thanks for your suggestions and support, gentlemen - they have been much appreciated.
Sadly, all is not good in the hood.
(okay: under the hood)
(okay: under the bonnet)
After putting everything back together yesterday, I went for a little drive. The Queen's Oak is the only so-named pub in the British Isles and, while that's not at all relevant, they do have a good selection of beer and a nice garden in a quiet location.
But I digress. Yesterday's drive revealed the harsh shifting problem. I read somewhere, in my research, that this will likely be the vacuum line to the crossover butterfly (good band name?) that's not connected, as the shift-slurring-function runs off the same part of the vacuum circuit.
Today's drive to work confirms that there is, indeed, a problem with harsh shifting.
But that was after the long cranking it took to get the car started in the first place. And the large puff of smoke once it did start.
I guess I've not fitting something properly, then. Bugger.
On second thought, I'm looking at the banjo bolts as being the likely cause.
They both have metal washers on either side of the fuel line, and I only replaced one of the four (because it fell off before I realised it was there). I wonder whether I should have replaced all of them. I'm also wondering whether there should be any kind of O ring at those joints.
Interestingly, one of the two banjo bolts - the one further from the block, as I recall - also had the remains of some something around or in the thread. Not sure if it was the remains of an O ring, or some kind of plumbers mait on the thread itself.
I'll probably remove and reseat the accessible line ends first - because I did disturb them a number of times - and see how things go. I'll also see how the car starts after work - while 9 hours isn't as long to sit as 13ish overnight, it might display the same tendency.
We shall see. To be continued!
Sadly, all is not good in the hood.
(okay: under the hood)
(okay: under the bonnet)
After putting everything back together yesterday, I went for a little drive. The Queen's Oak is the only so-named pub in the British Isles and, while that's not at all relevant, they do have a good selection of beer and a nice garden in a quiet location.
But I digress. Yesterday's drive revealed the harsh shifting problem. I read somewhere, in my research, that this will likely be the vacuum line to the crossover butterfly (good band name?) that's not connected, as the shift-slurring-function runs off the same part of the vacuum circuit.
Today's drive to work confirms that there is, indeed, a problem with harsh shifting.
But that was after the long cranking it took to get the car started in the first place. And the large puff of smoke once it did start.
I guess I've not fitting something properly, then. Bugger.
On second thought, I'm looking at the banjo bolts as being the likely cause.
They both have metal washers on either side of the fuel line, and I only replaced one of the four (because it fell off before I realised it was there). I wonder whether I should have replaced all of them. I'm also wondering whether there should be any kind of O ring at those joints.
Interestingly, one of the two banjo bolts - the one further from the block, as I recall - also had the remains of some something around or in the thread. Not sure if it was the remains of an O ring, or some kind of plumbers mait on the thread itself.
I'll probably remove and reseat the accessible line ends first - because I did disturb them a number of times - and see how things go. I'll also see how the car starts after work - while 9 hours isn't as long to sit as 13ish overnight, it might display the same tendency.
We shall see. To be continued!
One other thing (because I'm pretty sure I put the line to the crossover butterfly valve back) - I did notice an orphan line while I was in there, and bunged it into an orphan fitting. From memory, it was a fairly narrow line in the cluster where one line divides into two and enters the manifold (not the crossover) through a Y piece. It wasn't that line, nor the wider one that also connects to the same fitting under the manifold, but it was in roughly the same area. The fitting I plugged it into was down by some kind of rail underneath the manifold - that rail might have been the glow plug harness rail.
Hopefully it'll settle down and the vacuum thing is just a tube/tubes not connected, you'll get there thankfully they're fairly basic I take pictures as I'm doing things because it's bloody easy to put a tube on to the wrong thing or be left with one seemingly left over, keep the faith
Car is less broken! :-D
I started to have a look at the accessible ~witchcraft pipes~ and noticed that one had pulled out of its connector to the box behind the air filter lid - I must have knocked it when putting the lid back on.
Possibly as a result of a line that I reconnected under the IM - in the region of a green cylinder - which I don't think I undid thus it's probably been disconnected for a while, the shifts seem to be smoother than they've been in my ownership. So I've been able to make an actual improvement, which is encouraging.
Fuel lines are giving me gyp, though. Bubbles when running in both the rightmost line to/from the fuel filter (flows upwards) and the next line to its left (flows downwards). A small amount of bubbles in the short pipe from fuel thermostat to pre-filter.
As the lines remain full overnight, I have to assume that the air leak is elsewhere and something non-visibke is emptying of fuel. Its noticeable in four hours; it's a real problem overnight.
I haven't personally replaced seals in the pre-filter or above the main filter, so I'll look at getting replacements for those areas. I think the main filter was changed this year, but I wonder whether the seal was swapped/reused/overlooked.
If anyone has any suggestions on the air ingress issue, please suggest away!
Missed a milestone a couple of weeks ago, but captured this one yesterday:
This parked next to me yesterday. First time in the flesh for a while, and the shape has grown on me. Not entirely sure on the shape and colour combo, but it's a pretty car.
I started to have a look at the accessible ~witchcraft pipes~ and noticed that one had pulled out of its connector to the box behind the air filter lid - I must have knocked it when putting the lid back on.
Possibly as a result of a line that I reconnected under the IM - in the region of a green cylinder - which I don't think I undid thus it's probably been disconnected for a while, the shifts seem to be smoother than they've been in my ownership. So I've been able to make an actual improvement, which is encouraging.
Fuel lines are giving me gyp, though. Bubbles when running in both the rightmost line to/from the fuel filter (flows upwards) and the next line to its left (flows downwards). A small amount of bubbles in the short pipe from fuel thermostat to pre-filter.
As the lines remain full overnight, I have to assume that the air leak is elsewhere and something non-visibke is emptying of fuel. Its noticeable in four hours; it's a real problem overnight.
I haven't personally replaced seals in the pre-filter or above the main filter, so I'll look at getting replacements for those areas. I think the main filter was changed this year, but I wonder whether the seal was swapped/reused/overlooked.
If anyone has any suggestions on the air ingress issue, please suggest away!
Missed a milestone a couple of weeks ago, but captured this one yesterday:
This parked next to me yesterday. First time in the flesh for a while, and the shape has grown on me. Not entirely sure on the shape and colour combo, but it's a pretty car.
I do love driving this car, but the fuel supply issue is sending me slightly mad(der).
So, in the morning it takes a long time cranking for the diesel to arrive at its intended destination. Which must mean that its a long way from its destination. Which means it's sunk back a fair distance. Right?
But the lines looked full when I checked before starting this morning. I think.
Been out and about today; coming off the M4 (yay 50mph roadworks) and stopping at traffic lights, the car just died from lack of fuel. So, when coming off throttle, the fuel seems to recede from the injection pump sometimes. Does that make any sense?
I checked when I got home, and the shortest hose (thermostat to pre-filter) was empty of fuel. I'm pretty sure of that. Car restarted easily enough, and then I think it did it again, and I could hear fluid moving with the engine off (but that might be a standard thing).
I had the fuel filter off before starting after work, and it was both full of fuel and seemed to have an O ring in place. So the filter retains fuel (makes sense, as long as the post-filter feeds are not bottom feeders, which I think they're not). I also had the pre-filter off, which was fine... but was less fine once the car had 25 miles under its belt.
Tank air pressure seemed okay (no suction when I opened the cap).
Could it be a combination of a clogged fuel strainer causing lumpy running, and an air leak causing fuel to flow away from the engine? Where should I look for item 29 from the diagram (O ring for pre filter)? I'm seeing bubbles, mostly, in two lines - pre-filter to feed pump, and feed pump to fuel filter. I wonder if air ingress at the pre-filter would cause the bubbles in the following two lines, and the fuel from the pre-filter backwards to drain back toward the engine?
Hmm. We may be onto something. Thanks for the chat.
So, in the morning it takes a long time cranking for the diesel to arrive at its intended destination. Which must mean that its a long way from its destination. Which means it's sunk back a fair distance. Right?
But the lines looked full when I checked before starting this morning. I think.
Been out and about today; coming off the M4 (yay 50mph roadworks) and stopping at traffic lights, the car just died from lack of fuel. So, when coming off throttle, the fuel seems to recede from the injection pump sometimes. Does that make any sense?
I checked when I got home, and the shortest hose (thermostat to pre-filter) was empty of fuel. I'm pretty sure of that. Car restarted easily enough, and then I think it did it again, and I could hear fluid moving with the engine off (but that might be a standard thing).
I had the fuel filter off before starting after work, and it was both full of fuel and seemed to have an O ring in place. So the filter retains fuel (makes sense, as long as the post-filter feeds are not bottom feeders, which I think they're not). I also had the pre-filter off, which was fine... but was less fine once the car had 25 miles under its belt.
Tank air pressure seemed okay (no suction when I opened the cap).
Could it be a combination of a clogged fuel strainer causing lumpy running, and an air leak causing fuel to flow away from the engine? Where should I look for item 29 from the diagram (O ring for pre filter)? I'm seeing bubbles, mostly, in two lines - pre-filter to feed pump, and feed pump to fuel filter. I wonder if air ingress at the pre-filter would cause the bubbles in the following two lines, and the fuel from the pre-filter backwards to drain back toward the engine?
Hmm. We may be onto something. Thanks for the chat.
Sorry I can only reply at the weekends but for some reason my phone it won't let comment, the first one I had had a clogged tank strainer it would run out of fuel at a quarter of a tank you can wash the filter out, it started a lot easier after but I wasn't having as much problems as you also fuel filters come with new o rings and a washer and are cheap so may be worth trying in case they just spun the filter off and put another on, for a few quid get another replace the o rings and washer and fill the new filter, and best of luck once it's running like the mythical owners one you'll never look back
Funny you should mention that, Ian - I wandered up to my local dealer at lunchtime (because it's within wandering distance) and ordered up the pre-filter and seal, fuel filter & seal kit, O ring for the banjo bolt that needs one (if there had been one on before, it was the rotted thing I took off, but the bolt has a metal washer either side and I don't think that's right), fuel tank strainer... and I think that's all I got for my seventy quid.
I was looking around at sourcing the bits, but the car didn't want to run this morning, so I think the poking around I did last night wasn't good for it. I suspect a clogged fuel strainer reducing the suction of the pump, plus a dodgy connection somewhere around the pre-filter, may be combining to cause the problem.
Just a shame the car is parked on the road, and I can't get it onto my drive without starting it.
This morning, the cranking went on for a long time, the smoke was darker grey, then the car stalled after a few seconds and just did not want to restart.
Interestingly, the dealer's system showed the upper parts diagram, where the EPCish I'm using seems to indicate the lower, and I'm pretty sure the lines I have correspond to the lower diagram, too.
Part 20 (the filter bolt without the shut-off functionality) on the upper diagram isn't available from the dealer. I didn't ask about part 23, but it's one of the differences/omissions the mythical one mentioned when we compared engine-bay notes.
I was looking around at sourcing the bits, but the car didn't want to run this morning, so I think the poking around I did last night wasn't good for it. I suspect a clogged fuel strainer reducing the suction of the pump, plus a dodgy connection somewhere around the pre-filter, may be combining to cause the problem.
Just a shame the car is parked on the road, and I can't get it onto my drive without starting it.
This morning, the cranking went on for a long time, the smoke was darker grey, then the car stalled after a few seconds and just did not want to restart.
Interestingly, the dealer's system showed the upper parts diagram, where the EPCish I'm using seems to indicate the lower, and I'm pretty sure the lines I have correspond to the lower diagram, too.
Part 20 (the filter bolt without the shut-off functionality) on the upper diagram isn't available from the dealer. I didn't ask about part 23, but it's one of the differences/omissions the mythical one mentioned when we compared engine-bay notes.
The good news is that the lines are plumbed correctly, because the car runs fine when it runs. I'll see, tomorrow, if I can get it started with some tlc and a diesel infusion. Once I've got my hands on the spares I ordered today (tomorrow or Monday), I'll change the filters and ensure there are O rings in the right places.
I may get exotic and take the IM off again - not for the last time - and reseat the lines, and add the O ring to the banjo bolt. And get the car on ramps to change the tank strainer.
If I've got problems after that, the problem isn't with something I've done.
I'd like to get the car running right: it's a lovely experience when it's working properly.
I may get exotic and take the IM off again - not for the last time - and reseat the lines, and add the O ring to the banjo bolt. And get the car on ramps to change the tank strainer.
If I've got problems after that, the problem isn't with something I've done.
I'd like to get the car running right: it's a lovely experience when it's working properly.
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