I had recently noticed that the battery on the 250SE was not in good health. The battery disconnect switch I built a few years ago has a battery health indicator included. Even when connected to the trickle charger it was showing orange. I also noticed that the trickle charger would sometimes go into error mode. My battery tester showed that it was well...
I visited the St Ives Auto Brunch event again this month. Like last time, the event was huge – probably slightly bigger this time. Due to other commitments i didn’t even get to see all the cars yet I was there for over two hours. I got there about 7;30AM and there were already queues to get in. While there is a bit...
A couple of weeks ago, while a friend of mine was over helping me install a rebuilt hydraulic pump, we noticed the rattle from my engine was coming from the air cleaner. On further inspection, I found the bracket was broken. I was luckily able to get a good used one. A friend had one on hand. It had some rubber grommets...
Last night was the February 2021 MBCNSW Night Drive. This month’s route was Waterfall to Bulli. The rain all through the week in Sydney had been raining, but it finished just before the start of the drive and the weather was actually good the whole time. It probably kept a few people away though. As usual there was a good mix of cars –...
My 1986 300SE is now back in business with good oil pressure. Turns out the reason why the oil pressure was low was a catastrophic failure of the oil pump itself. In the last part, I had narrowed the problem down to most likely being the pump. I assumed that something was either blocking the screen or the pressure relief valve was stuck. ...
Today I went to the new Shannons Auction rooms to see some of the upcoming auction lots for the 2021 Shannons Summer Auction. There have been a number of changes to how Shannons run their auctions since the COVID19 outbreak, and I think they are for the better. Instead of separate Sydney and Melbourne auctions, they now run a combined online auction. The cars...
The Citroen DS hydraulic pump is integral to many key systems on the car. Suspension, brakes, steering, gearchange to name a few. All of these system rely on hydraulic pressure to do their job. Other than early ID models, the DS uses a seven plunger pump and then a pressure regulator to ensure the right hydraulic pressures are maintained. The pump on my car...
I attended the St Ives Auto Brunch February 2021 event today. This was the first one I have been to since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak. It was also the biggest one by far. There were literally hundreds of cars, even overflowing into other parking areas of St Ives showground. This was also the first time I got there at the starting time...
When I restored the battery tray on my 560SEL, I noticed the W126 battery hold downs were missing. While the battery on the W126 sits quite snugly between the inner and outer firewalls, the hold downs are still important. On a serious bump the battery could short out against the bonnet for example. These hold downs are the same as on the W123 and...
Today I joined MBCNSW members for a drive through the Southern Highlands to Berry. The drive was billed as a mystery drive, with the route only being revealed the night before. The drive started at Pheasants Nest, a service station just south of Sydney. The weather was quite rainy, so I bought my 560SEL. Its my most modern car and I like having...
As a recap, my 1986 300SE started showing low oil pressure. I tried changing the oil and filter, replaced the sender and checked with a mechanical gauge. Still low oil pressure. I decided to do some final oil pressure troubleshooting before I took it into a mechanic to lift the engine and remove the sump. I was advised on the ozBenz forum that another...
The Mercedes Club have been running regular ‘pop up’ drives mid week. These are informal drives at a couple of days notice. I’ve been able to get to a few over the last couple of months. Today was a really big one. We started early at our meeting point in Pheasants Nest, just south of Sydney. The plan was to drive down...
In my last update, I had ruled out the sender unit when it came to the low oil pressure readings on my 300SE. My intention had been to take the car to a mechanic to test it on a mechanical oil pressure gauge. Two things changed that. Firstly, my area of Sydney went into lock down. Secondly, most mechanics are on holidays until...
The December night drive was the last official night drive of the year took us through the eastern suburbs. Yet again, the late night drive proved popular, as we had 25 registrations and a lot of cars show up on the day. The meeting point, at Bradfield Park (near Luna Park), under the Sydney Harbour bridge probably helped. The meeting point also provided the...
A few weeks ago my 300SE started to show low oil pressure on the gauge. It happened all of a sudden while on a drive. At the time, I surmised that I had a dead M103 Oil pressure sender. They are apparently a common fault. I ordered a new one and fitted it today. The M103 oil pressure sender can be found on the...
My 560SEL was sold new by West Orange Motors, in Orange NSW. The original owner lived in Western Sydney, but had business in Orange and Dubbo. While it was sold new in Orange, it was serviced at Marshalls in Parramatta until 230,000km. Presumably, the car made a fair few trips up to Orange, Dubbo and the surrounding area over its life. The original stamp...
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