I am looking for the bushing that connects the lower control arm to the knuckle. I believe it goes where bolt 90 and nut 100 are.

It maybe item #20 on this image. Looks like something that may need to be pressed in... Got a part number on that guy?

 

This is how it's listed:

020 A2013520027 2203520227 - JOINT
020 2203520227 001 JOINT LEFT
020 A2013520027 2203520227 - JOINT
020 2203520227 001 JOINT RIGHT

 

i think rmeuropean should have those separately.

 

Tru

How are you man?Haven't seen you posted lately.

I just realized that my right rear suspension is making squeaking noises too. What was your problem with your Tein Basic again? Is it possible to get one side only from Tein USA?

 

Im good man - Thanks.

Ive been tryin to keep my post count down. I put this thread up when I hit 1000 posts and I figure I would have something "interesting" to post when I hit 2000. The weather has also gone from sunny and warm to sunny and REALLY cold, so less is being done on the car.

I had a gazillion issues with my rear suspension when I was running teins back there... I highly doubt you'll get much (if anything) from Tein USA. I have a negatively biased opinion, so I dunno if my case is the accurately representing their overall company service... sorry

Update on the car:

I managed to pull 29.5mpg while averaging 55mph on a 140 mile a couple weekends ago and definitely not driving "gently."

Recently addressed:
Installed new tires and realignment as my front tires were eatin up alive on the inside by a positive toe and my rears needed replacing several thousands of miles ago. Good news here - Firestone is still doing their lifetime alignment deal. I could have swore I read that they cancelled the deal, but its still around and there was a deal goin on w/ like $10 or 10% off. So hit that up if yall need an alignment.

Upcoming items:
Oil change and oil filter
Cabin filter
Air Filters
Super duper Secrat Project (hopefully).

 

I'll bring my car in first and make sure what is problem with the squeaking annoying noise. If it's the suspension, then I'll try to email them and see what they can do.

I was hoping something like I can buy rears suspension only OR maybe just side.

What are you announcing on your 2000th post man?

I also need new set of tires next summer/spring and allignment as well. Also, a couple more stuffs like fix my knocking front suspension (the bearings), squeaking rear suspension.

 

This is my 2000th post and all i gotta say is that the car is running fantastic! Over the last 3500 miles the car has averaged 36mph while averaging 24.2 mpg with plenty of city and highway time. Definitely no more leaking oil from the crank seal issue.

I also have to say. For whatever reason its awfully hard to find a good fabricator to just cut and weld some metal for me. Haha. My secret project will have to wait some more as the fabricator I was working with is incredibly busy with other projects

New things:

A rear strut bar is in the mail and on its way to me. Hopefully will have it installed soon. After seeing all of the positive feedback about the limited run item, I hope to have some good things to report also.

Euro impact strips will be installed soon also! I need smart ways of never having to replace the amber side marker's light. I could have swore some folks were replacing the bulb w/ a resistor or something of the sort. Anyone have the details on this?

Since I will be messing w/ the front bumper, I might as well go ahead and install the 3000k 9006 fog lights for winter time use. I hope they help and dont have a terribly blinding output.

Having my shop swap out rear spring pads next week along with the rear lower control arms AND the outside bushing that connects to the knuckles just for maintenance (that and the fact its cold and wet and I dont feel like crawling around under the car for a couple hours). Im going from the thickest spring pad to the thinnest. Hopefully, ill be JUST that tad bit lower in the rear to make it look right

This would also mean that I need to get into firestone and get my rear suspension realigned.

Future things:
Someone help me find a fabricator who can weld in the seattle area! I am determined to make this happen!

Thinkin about that catch can that jturkel has in the classifieds :P

Thinkin about Wavey's upper control switch if hes updating the dash too

Service A Stuff will come soon too...

 

The rear lower control arms have been installed. Hopefully, no more squeaky squeak. Fresh alignment appointment set for Thursday morning too!

Additionally, my euro impact strips AND rear strut brace have arrived in the mail. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to install the new toys this weekend

Of course, on cue with all my changes and praise about the car running great my car throws a CEL. haha. Perfect! At least I'm stoked about working on the car!

Was in the shop today to get it scanned and these were the results:

P0134 G3/4 Right before Cat O2 Sensor
P0151 G3/3 Left before Cat O2 Sensor

These two came up a total of 4 times since the last time I've been to the shop (well over 4000+ miles ago).

P0128 Coolant thermostat.

This code came up 27 times since then.

I was told both would cause a CEL and the shop had some -10 deg thermostats on hand, so I just had them install one immediately for the coolant. The car DEFINITELY runs cooler. I can hardly get it to budge over 85 degrees, but it is wet and cold here. I'm hoping this change will pay dividends in the summer

I was told that I SHOULD replace my o2 sensors soon or at least address the O2 sensor issue. What do yall think? Ive heard O2 sensors last anywhere between 60-100k miles.... I have roughly 116k miles right now. I find it kinda unusual that BOTH are complaining at the same time. Maybe something is causing them to go nuts?

 

Not sure what the oxygen sensor codes it’s throwing indicate. Onboard scanning during various driving cycles will record their correction signals against known averages. No sense throwing good money at a CEL without sufficient cause, but chances are pretty fair they’re just getting lazy and due for replacement.

The anti-freeze’s ‘below threshold’ temperature can be solved by swapping in an OE ~87 degree Celsius unit during the cool season(s). Isn’t there a pic in this thread of snow blanketing your driveway? I’d want the HVAC pumping heat ASAP. Failing that, your ECU can be programmed to disregard the time-to-temperature OBD II warning code. Envy your outstanding M112 fuel consumption figures, so no more marginal advice from this quarter.

Pleased it’s otherwise treating you well.

 

I actually tried to put 3K HID bulbs for my fogs and it didn't help much during winter/rainy season, so I switched to 4300K lows and fogs.

 

rear strut brace? where'd you get that?

 

I agree that the O2 sensors are probably just getting lazy and will eventually need replacement, but until it becomes more of an issue I dont wanna just start swapping stuff out and hoping for the best. And yes, there are several pictures of my car blanketed in snow. Will having the OE ~87 deg Celsius unit affect how quickly my HVAC gets to pumping out heat? (this makes me want heated seats more and more)

Hmm. After installing my BIX + philips ultinons, my light output is sufficient when it rains and in the snow, but I find that its in the dense fog and in the city that my BIX's light output dont seem to cut as well as I would like. I am HOPING the 3000k's will help without blinding the oncoming traffic. We'll see how it goes.

Sorry, Rear Strut Tie Bar. Its custom made by VIPclk320 and there are just a couple left. I should be installing it this weekend. Pictures to come?

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...t-tie-bar.html

After driving the car for a semi dry day (where squeaking use to be at its optimum) there is no more squeaking AND the adjustments to the rear suspension have settled much more and I now only have one finger's gap on all four corners This is exactly where I want it!

 

Anyone know if the third brake light from a 06-07 car will work on my 2001?

(hopefully someone w/ part numbers can chime in) Thanks!

 

I too would like to know. I want the SLK55 third brake light though!

 

it will. plug and play. mig888 has it.

 

i have it too.. but it got CRACKED smh...

 

Is this a clear third brake light? Once I take mine off, ill snap a pic of the back side and if someone w/ an slk55 wants to chime in... we can compare

Awesome! "Buy it now" done. Do ya know if I will need a new "seal" and clip for the install?

I saw one locally from a wrecked car, but they wanted like 75 bux for it on a car that had 90k miles....

Mine's been cracked for a while too, but I just bought one on ebay for ~25 bux shipped though!

 

If you really get desperate, come down to the Portland, OR area, and I'll help you out.

Interesting. I installed front and rear strut bars on my Sentra and it mad a night and day difference. I was under the impression, they don't make a whole lot of difference on the W203, but curious to see your results.

I have a set on the way from Eurodyne, and am working through that as well. Steve said in the Euro Impact Strips thread, that he thought they could be disabled in STAR. If so, that is the best option IMO. If not, I will go with a resistor.

Interested in this as well. What bulbs did you get and where?

 

Ive been meaning to go catch a blazers game + I found some toys in Portland too. We'll talk. YGPM.

Every time I say I am going to install something in the winter, I swear the weather just gets ridiculous. I think I will wait till spring before I install the tie bar. I don't know if Ill be able to FEEL a difference w/ all the crummy weather, slow driving, and traffic.

I sent out some PMs about disabling the bumper lights via STAR and from what I've gathered... IT can be done, but it comes at the cost of other features, so a resistor would be ideal at this point, BUT after receiving a daunting message about what needs to be done to safely disable the bulb w/ a resistor... I think I will stick with using electrical tape.

I got two HID kits a while back. One for my high beams which I dont have the heart to install cuz I dont think I will need to blind that many people and one for my fogs...

 

john, i think the brake light comes with whatever that's needed on it.

 

Never knew just how nice heated seats could feel until I toggled that switch.

The P0128 code is triggered when the engine’s coolant fails to reach a specified temperature threshold, within a certain amount of time, after starting. Far worse is the closely related P0125, which indicates insufficient engine temperature to achieve closed-loop operation. It would signal potentially increased wear, worsened fuel consumption, and damaged catalytic converters if left unchecked.

Don’t know if you’re running a modified thermostat such as those offered by TVT and PTE. If it is a stock unit, have it replaced as it’s evidentially failed. Takes less than five minutes of drive time from a cold start to reach thermostat opening temperature on mine, even during our brutal 50 degree winter weather. ;)

The TVT piece “lowers” the thermostat’s opening temperature by simply having holes drilled around its sealing valve’s periphery, thereby inordinately increasing the time elapsed after a cold start to reach normal operating temperature...if it’s ever even achieved at all during cold weather operation. PTE’s are modified, correctly it must be added, by changing their internal wax pellet so that the opening/operating temperature is reduced about 10 degrees Celsius when flow back to the radiator finally begins. Be that as it may, the time required to generate proper warm-up (and heater output!) with PTE’s are exactly the same as if an OE piece was fitted.

Sure we’ll talk before then, but wishing happy holidays to you and yours.


photo credit PTE

 

The CEL came back on w/ several more complaints about my 02 sensor, so I had them replaced and things were good until morning when the CEL came back on. Code p0128 returned.

The thermostat I am currently running is an OEM thermostat that is supposed to be 10deg cooler. It does work well in keeping the car cool, but my car is STILL throwing the p0128 code. My shop has suggested that we go back to the stock thermostat and see if that gets rid of my p0128.

Cool thing is that the shop promised that replacing the thermostat + o2 sensors would get rid of the CEL and since it didnt, he is gonna do whatever work is required to get rid of the CEL w/o charging me.

The car goes in on Monday, but any input as to why my p0128 code wont go away would be helpful!

Thanks!

 

Tru - your ECU flash contains OBD diagnostic parameters set to trigger for an 87/89 degree thermostat. If you drop that by 10 degrees it will trigger a 128.

I hope I'm understanding your 10 degree cooler thermostat comment. I thought Benz only made two thermostats? - the standard 87/89 unit and an ultra cold weather unit?

 

Sorry, its the 87 deg thermostat. Its whatever the cooler of the two oem thermostats is

Glyn. Thanks for the prompt response. I thought you went missing for a while there. Glad to see you back on the forums.

Happy new years to everyone

 

Update:

We had the cooler thermostat removed and replaced with a stock thermostat. No more CELs. I think the cooler thermostat was MUCH cooler than advertised and consistently kept the car under 80 deg while the stock one I had keeps the car in the high 80s. Not quite sure why this mod seems to work for everyone else except for me, but I'm just glad to have the issue resolved without costing me anymore than I already paid.

After changing the O2 sensors AND thermostat I noticed I have been getting lower average MPGs, and am not sure what to think about it. Is there anything I should look out for?

I recently changed the oil, oil filter, air filters AND cabin filter. Everything went as planned until I noticed there was some "yellowish gue" on the underside of my oil cap. I was told that this was moisture that has collected from not bringing my car to full operating temperature when I go on short drives (which I did lots of) during the cold weather.

In the 70k+ miles I have owned this car and changed its oil countless times, I have never seen this before. Should I be concerned about this?

Some creaking in my rear suspension returned and after, ONLY, lubricating the adjustable camber arm joints, the creaking went away. I am not sure about what to do with this as the adjustable camber arms have joints connecting to the body and to the hub assembly that are fully exposed to the elements. The joints are all stainless steel which creates a terrible creaking sound! Spraying the joints every now and then works, but when the rain comes all of the lubricant gets washed away. I am considering applying some of the waterproof silicone grease, but am concerned with dirt getting all over the grease.

Suggestions about how to keep adjustable camber arms lubricated and silent would be great.

I broke 120k miles on Saturday.