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Hi, I am considering to buy a cheap starter mechanics tool set from stores like home depot, lowe’s, o’reilly, or harbor freight etc.
There is a ton of mechanics tool set for starters and I am wondering which set would be the best to start for mercedes home mechanics to minimize chance that i need to buy additional sockets individually, given that their socket combinations are all different. I have two mercedes cars from 2013 (x204) and 2014 (a207).
I assume that i need mostly metric sockets rather than SAE ones. Is there a exhaustive list of required sockets for mb mechanics?
Metric hex (standard sockets), common on MB
Torx - male bit, common on MB
eTorx - female socket, common on MB
hex - male bit, less common on MB but good to have
Also need a deep thin wall 14mm socket for spark plugs.
Metric hex (standard sockets), common on MB
Torx - male bit, common on MB
eTorx - female socket, common on MB
hex - male bit, less common on MB but good to have
Also need a deep thin wall 14mm socket for spark plugs.
Thank you. Do you know which sizes are needed off the top of your head? Apparently those starter sets miss some unpopular size sockets like 11mm.
10 mm, 13, mm, 14 mm are very common under the hood. But as you get into DIY, you’ll probably need everything from 10mm to 18 mm somewhere. Really cheap sets probably will not have Torx & eTorx. Even many of the better sets don’t include eTorx, and there are plenty of those on a Benz. I can also see quickly becoming unsatisfied with the quality of the really cheap sets. I suggest going up a step and getting the set that includes 11mm, 16mm, 18 mm.
Your E550 is an M278, IIRC, so the thin wall socket that @chassis mentions will have to be purchased separately.
The tools available at Lowes (Craftsman and Kobalt) are decent quality and warranted for life. Harbor freight is hit or miss (seem to be improving). I don't have a lot of experience with Husky from Home Depot.
Get complete sets of of 3/8" and 1/2" drive metric sockets. The 3/8" set may include the necessary plug socket, if you're lucky. Get a goodquality set of screw drivers and a set of combination wrenches (open end and box end). I would suggest getting torx and hex tools as necessary. A 1/4" drive socket set is handy to have, but you may be able to get away without it.
A decent quality VOM is a must if you want to work on electrical stuff. Duty cycle or dwell capability is a plus.
If you need 11 mm, 7/16" fits pretty good.... (1/2" ~= 13mm and 9/16" ~= 14mm)
Thank you. Do you know which sizes are needed off the top of your head? Apparently those starter sets miss some unpopular size sockets like 11mm.
Buy any starter set. 17mm is used for wheel (lug) screws. I think you need 19mm and 21mm for brake caliper fasteners. You need thin open end wrenches to back up the caliper slide pins. The standard set of thin wrenches includes the sizes you need.
I don’t recall any 4mm or 6mm fasteners on these cars but if a set includes them, buy it.
2023 EQE 500 SUV electric and 2024 Jaguar F-PACE SVR 5.0L
I like Harbor Freights color-coded sockets. Can't remember the mm of the lugs on my Volvo but it's the gold socket (19 I think, LOL). Everything that isn't made of solid steel I'd be careful of buying from there tho. You generally get what you pay for... wasted money on three of their hand pumps before finally buying a mityvac, for example.
Then add as needed (wheel sockets - with nylon sleeve), extensions, spark plug socket etc. as you do the jobs.
You will want to get fluid pump for transmission service and motive for flushing brakes when you are ready to tackle those jobs.
Single tools are fairly cheap especially when you take into consideration the savings from doing this yourself.
10 mm, 13, mm, 14 mm are very common under the hood. But as you get into DIY, you’ll probably need everything from 10mm to 18 mm somewhere. Really cheap sets probably will not have Torx & eTorx. Even many of the better sets don’t include eTorx, and there are plenty of those on a Benz. I can also see quickly becoming unsatisfied with the quality of the really cheap sets. I suggest going up a step and getting the set that includes 11mm, 16mm, 18 mm.
Your E550 is an M278, IIRC, so the thin wall socket that @chassis mentions will have to be purchased separately.
That’s the information that I was looking for. Thank you Odd Piggy. Like you said, I have seen many etorx screws in engine compartment and none of those starter kits offer it. I need to buy separately.
By the way what is the thin-wall socket for spark plug replacement? Are those holes for ignition coil and spark plugs are very narrow? I am thinking to buy some genuine mb tools from online or dealership as well; like lug nut socket (I realized that mb cars’ lug nuts are weird flower-shaped) or spark plug socket.
Originally Posted by John CC
The tools available at Lowes (Craftsman and Kobalt) are decent quality and warranted for life. Harbor freight is hit or miss (seem to be improving). I don't have a lot of experience with Husky from Home Depot.
Get complete sets of of 3/8" and 1/2" drive metric sockets. The 3/8" set may include the necessary plug socket, if you're lucky. Get a goodquality set of screw drivers and a set of combination wrenches (open end and box end). I would suggest getting torx and hex tools as necessary. A 1/4" drive socket set is handy to have, but you may be able to get away without it.
A decent quality VOM is a must if you want to work on electrical stuff. Duty cycle or dwell capability is a plus.
If you need 11 mm, 7/16" fits pretty good.... (1/2" ~= 13mm and 9/16" ~= 14mm)
Originally Posted by chassis
Buy any starter set. 17mm is used for wheel (lug) screws. I think you need 19mm and 21mm for brake caliper fasteners. You need thin open end wrenches to back up the caliper slide pins. The standard set of thin wrenches includes the sizes you need.
I don’t recall any 4mm or 6mm fasteners on these cars but if a set includes them, buy it.
I am going to buy this one; not a high-end tool, but i liked the storage bin that comes along: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...t&opi=89978449
I have some other tools for electricity (a pro-level VOM) and computer parts (a super cheap $30 general purpose OBD II). A good call out.
Originally Posted by Crito
I like Harbor Freights color-coded sockets. Can't remember the mm of the lugs on my Volvo but it's the gold socket (19 I think, LOL). Everything that isn't made of solid steel I'd be careful of buying from there tho. You generally get what you pay for... wasted money on three of their hand pumps before finally buying a mityvac, for example.
A great advice. Actually I am a harbor freight fan especially for cheap and small tools. I also have that QC-problematic hand pump and had to return as the item was defective. After replcement it worked well for differential fluid exchange: https://www.harborfreight.com/multi-...ump-63144.html
Originally Posted by NYCGLK
Then add as needed (wheel sockets - with nylon sleeve), extensions, spark plug socket etc. as you do the jobs.
You will want to get fluid pump for transmission service and motive for flushing brakes when you are ready to tackle those jobs.
Single tools are fairly cheap especially when you take into consideration the savings from doing this yourself.
Actually, I was thinking to buy that motive power bleeder, but many people in this forum said it won’t work well abs-equipped modern mercedes. Also my wife was skeptical about my skill so just let the dealership do it for $270.
That’s the information that I was looking for. Thank you Odd Piggy. Like you said, I have seen many etorx screws in engine compartment and none of those starter kits offer it. I need to buy separately.
By the way what is the thin-wall socket for spark plug replacement? Are those holes for ignition coil and spark plugs are very narrow? I am thinking to buy some genuine mb tools from online or dealership as well; like lug nut socket (I realized that mb cars’ lug nuts are weird flower-shaped) or spark plug socket.
I am going to buy this one; not a high-end tool, but i liked the storage bin that comes along: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...t&opi=89978449
I have some other tools for electricity (a pro-level VOM) and computer parts (a super cheap $30 general purpose OBD II). A good call out.
A great advice. Actually I am a harbor freight fan especially for cheap and small tools. I also have that QC-problematic hand pump and had to return as the item was defective. After replcement it worked well for differential fluid exchange: https://www.harborfreight.com/multi-...ump-63144.html
Actually, I was thinking to buy that motive power bleeder, but many people in this forum said it won’t work well abs-equipped modern mercedes. Also my wife was skeptical about my skill so just let the dealership do it for $270.
It works just fine. I used on like 7-8 cars to pump new fluid through.
Yes ideally you want to activate abs to get olf fluid out if abs which you can do by make a few safe emergency brake applications to trigger abd and cycle some fluid through. I will guess that many dealer/mechanics dont bother.
Either way, with your own bleeder you can ensure fresh fluid in the system at your convenience.
The Motive power bleeder is a great tool. I have bled brakes on MB, BMW and Porsche with no issues, very easy procedure.
ABS actuation for bleeding is urban legend for German cars. It is simply not required. No German car manufacturer's service manual states to actuate ABS while bleeding brakes.
ABS actuation while bleeding is analogous purging the transmission oil cooler lines and oil cooler. No German manufacturer service manual states the lines and cooler should be purged, but rather only a drain and refill of the transmission oil pan, and torque converter if a drain screw is provided. Not all torque converters (talking MB here) were built with drain screws.
By the way what is the thin-wall socket for spark plug replacement? Are those holes for ignition coil and spark plugs are very narrow? I am thinking to buy some genuine mb tools from online or dealership as well; like lug nut socket (I realized that mb cars’ lug nuts are weird flower-shaped) or spark plug socket.
The holes are very tight and the spark plugs are very small. The OE Mercedes plugs have 12 points instead of the more familiar hex.A standard plug socket is too thick to go into the plug hole and it would have the wrong drive shape. Here are a couple of pictures to show you what they've done to confound us on the M276 & M278.
It's not necessary to buy this socket or the lug bolt socket from Mercedes. They're available online at a reasonable price from a number of reputable German car suppliers.
[Re the fancy lug bolts: That's a stainless cap over the actual bolt. They can be removed with a standard socket, but that damages them, especially if an impact wrench is used. After repeated tire rotations, the stainless covers get loose and come off. I swapped mine for a set of chrome hex bolts from another Mercedes. Never buy aftermarket wheel bolts for a Mercedes -- ever.]
I am considering to buy a cheap starter mechanics tool set
Sometimes cheap tools are worse than no tools at all. You either get frustrated when you can't do the job, break the tool, or, worst of all, break the thing you're working on.
A guy on you tube called “Project Farm” recently reviewed a bunch of cheap tool sets.
I bought a few at HD, supposed to be lifetime warranty
Thank you for introducing. I watched a lot of videos straight. The guy was one of the best youtuber i have seen.
Originally Posted by NYCGLK
It works just fine. I used on like 7-8 cars to pump new fluid through.
Yes ideally you want to activate abs to get olf fluid out if abs which you can do by make a few safe emergency brake applications to trigger abd and cycle some fluid through. I will guess that many dealer/mechanics dont bother.
Either way, with your own bleeder you can ensure fresh fluid in the system at your convenience.
Originally Posted by chassis
The Motive power bleeder is a great tool. I have bled brakes on MB, BMW and Porsche with no issues, very easy procedure.
ABS actuation for bleeding is urban legend for German cars. It is simply not required. No German car manufacturer's service manual states to actuate ABS while bleeding brakes.
ABS actuation while bleeding is analogous purging the transmission oil cooler lines and oil cooler. No German manufacturer service manual states the lines and cooler should be purged, but rather only a drain and refill of the transmission oil pan, and torque converter if a drain screw is provided. Not all torque converters (talking MB here) were built with drain screws.
Got it. If that is not officially required (I checked WIS and could not find that step in brake fluid replacement either), it sounds like overkill to me. I will do it by myself next time. Thanks for sharing!
Originally Posted by Odd Piggy
The holes are very tight and the spark plugs are very small. The OE Mercedes plugs have 12 points instead of the more familiar hex.A standard plug socket is too thick to go into the plug hole and it would have the wrong drive shape. Here are a couple of pictures to show you what they've done to confound us on the M276 & M278.
It's not necessary to buy this socket or the lug bolt socket from Mercedes. They're available online at a reasonable price from a number of reputable German car suppliers.
[Re the fancy lug bolts: That's a stainless cap over the actual bolt. They can be removed with a standard socket, but that damages them, especially if an impact wrench is used. After repeated tire rotations, the stainless covers get loose and come off. I swapped mine for a set of chrome hex bolts from another Mercedes. Never buy aftermarket wheel bolts for a Mercedes -- ever.]
Like you said, its wall is thinner than normal 12 point socket. Thanks for sharing. Also, a fun fact about the mb lugnut… didn’t know that either!
Originally Posted by John CC
Sometimes cheap tools are worse than no tools at all. You either get frustrated when you can't do the job, break the tool, or, worst of all, break the thing you're working on.
Agree. I ended up buying craftsman tool set linked above. Comes with lifetime warranty and the reviews/tests about the reliability were mostly positive (although many reviewers had question marks about the value given that there are so many fillers. I got it for $99.99 as clearance and anyway I needed those fillers so ain’t problem for me .
For future reference, Tekton is a good brand. Reasonable price, good quality, and some of the tools are made in USA. I am familiar with their ratchet drives and torque wrenches.
Buy 3 torque wrenches. The largest should handle more than 200Nm, ideally as close to 300Nm as possible without going to a 3/4" drive and high cost. The smallest should handle 8Nm in the middle of it's range. The middle wrench should split the difference between the small and large. I have Tekton and Tacklife torque wrenches and like them alot.
My personal philosophy on tools is that I like to buy quality tools for my "everyday stuff" - like the wrenches and sockets I use all the time. Then, if I find the need for a "special tool", I will tend to gravitate toward the Harbor Freight option. My thinking is that if I've been successfully working on cars for over 50 years now without needing something, I'm not likely to wear that special tool out before I'm no longer able to use it. ;-)
One really nice thing I picked up recently was a vacuum bleeder. Well, kind of... I saw some "phlegm suction units" at a local auction and thought that they'd make great bleeder for brakes (or for doing more mundane tasks, like sucking the power steering fluid out of the reservoir before swapping it out, or as part of a fluid change). I picked up a few of them, kept one for me. It's a lot easier than having to have a second person stomping the brake pedal and all the wrenching on that itty bitty bleed nipple...
2014 GLK350 base model (active) ; 2001 E320 base (retired)
Then, if I find the need for a "special tool", I will tend to gravitate toward the Harbor Freight option.
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One really nice thing I picked up recently was a vacuum bleeder
I've been a shade-tree mechanic for 51 years now, both motorcycles and 4-wheel vehicles. And yea, I've accumulated a lot of eclectic tools.
Most are Craftsman (from when Sears was in charge) ... some are "one off" tools I needed for a very specific job, and maybe used twice (?).
And yes, I do have a bit of Harbor Freight tools. One in particular is their Pittsburgh Pro 1/2" Click Torque Wrench (10-150 ft/lb). This has a 4.6 rating with a 95% recommendation from users. I agree. Even tool reviewers have given this a thumbs up. It's one of those tools - I bought it when I had to replace the harmonic balancer on the Jaguar XJ6. Yes, I do have a Craftsman 3.8" torque, but it's limited in how much torque it'll measure. And it's only $22!
... link: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...nch-63882.html
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And on the subject of brake bleeders, I BUILT ONE, using a pump sprayer I bought at Home Deport (pictured below). I bought a pressure gauge and screwed it into the body of the sprayer, and bought hoses that can handle the pressures, then bought the caps that screw onto the master cylinder fill spout. This would be a pressure bleeder, vs a vacuum type. I would pump up using the pump handle, to the pressure, opened the valve, then go to each wheel and bleed.
It's a great tool to have if you're the only person around to do the bleeding. Why did I build one? I enjoy the challenge of building stuff. Plus I can brag about the money I saved Folks in motorcycle forums and car forums asked how I built it, so I ended up making a YouTube video and the how. Unfortunately, Hurricane Harvey dumped six foot of water on our previous property, and the nasty water ruined the bleeder, and I never replaced it. (Harvey also took away the Jaguar :/ and house, etc)
Photo of pump sprayer, used for building the bleeder:
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Last edited by calder-cay; 12-30-2023 at 02:45 PM.
Agree entirely on the Harbor Freight torque wrenches - I have a 3/8" and a 1/2" model, and they're both outstanding. I have an old beam-style Craftsman that I like to use for critical applications (since I get a better idea of the torque as I creep up on the spec, and of course a 1/4" torque wrench (needed that one for the ALUMINUM valve cover bolts on my BMW). Oh, and a very small 1/4"beam-style torque wrench that I needed to measure pinion bearing drag when rebuilding my Jeep's rear differential (for which I also needed my 3/4" breaker bar, turned by my floor jack - kind of both ends of the torque spectrum on that job!).
And having owned a Jaguar (1970 XJ6) I'm thinking that maybe Harvey was trying to do you a favor... ;-)
I do like your idea for a pressurized brake bleeder - I considered going that way, but also like the way the suction affects only one line at a time (doubt that it really matters). Strangely, on the biggest brake bleeding job I ever did (my six-wheel 1978 GMC motorhome) I didn't need more than gravity to get the job done (good thing, as those are some seriously long brake lines). ;-)
I just found that I have missed your recommendation. Actually GW looks better than Craftsman one (no skipping in sizes, no redundant fillers, better quality) except that 1) it costs more ($199.99 which is still affordable price to me), 2) it does not include 1/2 sets, and 3) inferior case.
How frequently home mechanics would need 1/2 ratchet and sockets? For example, I guess some heavy duty jobs like flex disc replacement would need that, but will I face a situation that I would need to buy a 1/2 ratchet and sockets?
... but will I face a situation that I would need to buy a 1/2 ratchet and sockets?
YES
Keep in mind that no matter how complete a tool set you think you're getting there will come a point when that set does not include something you need. That situation will repeat itself with time. It's a slippery slope but there are worse things in life.
How frequently home mechanics would need 1/2 ratchet and sockets? For example, I guess some heavy duty jobs like flex disc replacement would need that, but will I face a situation that I would need to buy a 1/2 ratchet and sockets?
Often. Brake caliper screws, for example. Wheel (lug) screws. These are common use cases. I recently broke a 3/8" ratchet while removing a BMW rear caliper screw. The proper tool for that job is a 1/2" drive.
Others include suspension fasteners (control arms), axle fill and drain plugs, and even the oil filter housing. 1/2" ratchets generally have longer arm length, which helps where necessary, and even where not strictly required. It's nice to remove the oil filter housing with less physical effort when using a 1/2" ratchet and its longer arm, than it is when applying more hand force with a 3/8" ratchet and its shorter arm length.
1/2" drive tools are required in several common use cases, and nice to have in other common use cases. Be sure you have a 1/2" ratchet and a common size hex socket set. You can adapt down to a 3/8" socket and use the 1/2" ratchet for low torque use cases like the oil filter housing example.
2023 EQE 500 SUV electric and 2024 Jaguar F-PACE SVR 5.0L
I tossed my Harbor Freight torque wrench in the garbage.. I guess opinions vary. Harbor Freight breaker bars are bullet-proof though. I bought all of those too. Like MKBLUE I really didn't think I needed a 1/4" set, until I had to adjust a headlight using a 3.5mm deep socket (yes, half a fookin' millimeter). I also really like my little stubby ratchets as I have a tendency to go full 300 pound gorilla when frustrated and start snapping bolt heads off. Less leverage seems to keep that bad habit in check. I haven't had to drill out a bolt in a few years anyways. I keep a set of extractors handy all the time just in case though. :embarrased:
Needing one of these at 2 AM and not having it can lead to excessive drinking
12-25-2023, 09:08 PM
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