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where to start with this car it's rolling with 136000 kms...09 R320
last weekend
-oil cooler seals(terrible job did it on my ML last year and the ML was way easier it's soo tight behind that turbo on the R!)
-installed adblue bypass (after spending big $$ on pump not too long ago I decided that the heater was just not worth it..ps works great 15 minute job)
-changed battery under seat
-changed swirl motor while oil cooler job was being done (it was severly coated in oil as well)
Only problem left on the car is the random "key does not belong to vehicle" and momentary no starts that the car has been coming up with....Looks like a trip to the dealer for a new EIS sounds like another fun bill!
at this point I actually still slightly "like" the car...
Yesterday- found a power steering fluid leak. Big mess! Wasnt the tank o-ring or the pump shaft seal. The casing is leaking. Cleaned it , made a 90 mi drive and bottom of the pump had drips and oiled up the A/C comp again.
Today- ordered parts- pump, tank, c-clip(spare), o-ring, high pressure seals for the banjo fitting.
I still like my R----147000 mi and this is really the first equipment failure besides the rear air bags.
Yesterday- found a power steering fluid leak. Big mess! Wasnt the tank o-ring or the pump shaft seal. The casing is leaking. Cleaned it , made a 90 mi drive and bottom of the pump had drips and oiled up the A/C comp again.
Today- ordered parts- pump, tank, c-clip(spare), o-ring, high pressure seals for the banjo fitting.
I still like my R----147000 mi and this is really the first equipment failure besides the rear air bags.
Pretty easy job.... be sure to read up on the proper bleed procedure. Very important...
Did this on our R so let me know if you run into any questions.
Needed a family hauler (4 kids) that the wife could drive, that wasn't a big SUV (previous was a Suburban she couldn't drive) or a minivan (in Aus we've had 2 Sedonas and an Odyssey) and that she'd like.
When you've got that type of criteria... there ain't much left that has 6-7 seats and it was up between the XC90 and R Class... (and the X5 with 7 seats but scratched that idea once i saw the size of the third row!) and the first time she saw the R Class (at a dealer), she didn't like it's look very much ...
But when i saw this particular R500 (after seeing a few R350's that didn't quite pan out), i just picked it up before her 'seal of approval'
Lets just say, after being introduced, and the first drive, she loves it (thank god).
2006 R500 with 112k miles... with a full set of paperwork all the way back to window sticker and MB loan papers , inc front airmatic replacements 20k ago and compressor done at 10k ago... immaculately clean (cargo curtain brand still, everything still there like trunk curtain, emergency medical etc), stock and drives great.
Options on her are awesome (keyless, folding mirrors, memory drivers, heated front and back seats, wood steering, pano roof, parktronic, contour seats, etc) but at times perplexing (first R class of the half dozen i saw that DOESN"T have powered trunk??)
Ordered some wet weather mats for the third row, to complete the existing OEM rubber set that it came with...(and all sitting on the OEM carpet mats still!) replaced the original dealers plate frames ... couple of other minor cosmetics and nothing left to do which saddens me a little. (i like working on cars)
Trying to work out how best to add a reverse camera and keep it as oem as possible ... headunit is an NTG2 with Nav (if someone could confirm for me that'd be awesome, i'm a bit confused by all the variations ...) and apparently no video-in. Replacing the headunit is painful because of the HK system (from what i've read...). So still hunting around for a solution. BT would be nice, but not necessary and i've checked, no 'prewire' hold in the centre console etc.
Oh and planning to add DRL's ... (but again, nothing loud and abrasive, and as oem as i can be with it)
Had intended to avoid the airmatic as per general consensus but my first question to the previous owner was if it HAD been replaced and when and what milage. All of which substantiated by the MB dealership paperwork, and at the asking price, was already cushioned against my budget enough for me to factor in it's next set!
Looking forward to spending time and meeting you guys in the W251 forums now as well as my normal W203
What I've done since purchased just over a month ago. Starting with most recent fix:
Radiator and Fan assembly replacement (bcx fan blade exploded)
Replaced Driver door control module - broken buttons
Replaced Valve cover gasket and PCV breather tubes
Replaced Spark plugs
Transmission fluid and filter changed.
Oil changed
I've took pics of the work I did if anybody is interested.
Maybe this will work.
pic001 - remove tweeter cover and insulation behind the cover
pic002 - push the 2 'lock' 'unlock' buttons and use a needle nose pliers and gently pull the exposed center tab, at the same time release the 2 buttons.
pic003 - behind the buttons is a torx bolt. I think it's T45. only bolt holding the panel, the rest of the fasteners are plastic. I used a putty knife around the edge of the panel to pop out the plastic fasteners.
pic004 - use the interior handle and pull up and out, because in the center of the panel is a plastic retainer that sits on a metal handle.
pic004 - when the panel pops out do not let go of the panel or pull it to far away from the door. You'll see 2 ribbon cable with blue and green ends. disconnect the two.
pic005 - disconnect the wire cable
pic006 - is a view of the inside of the panel.
pic007 - peel back the felt where the module is located and remove 2 screws (red lines) and ribbon cable (yellow line). I did not use the 2 screws on the new module because it's a tight fit. And the next time I replace the module it would much easier. So far it's been working great.
Changed my power steering pump and reservoir. All parts were OEM MB ( my parts lady is the BEST!). Changed out antifreeze/ coolant also. Tomorrow is rear diff fluid drain/ fill (non 4matic).
I didn't know you could even buy a non-4matic in North America
I dont know exactly what year the R's went to 4matic. Really dont need 4matic here on the gulf coast-- Winter here is a day or two in the 40''s(F) and NO SNOW!
This is an odd duck:
Gear shift knob broke this past Wednesday. I was at the carwash waiting my turn, got the signal and pressed the lever to 'D' and crack, the shift lever was hanging down in a vertical position--a clear snap off of the brass looking piece in the steering column. Here's some pix. I have the car an Indy repair shop waiting for the new part to come and be installed.
Anyone ever hear of this happening?
Last edited by gregs46; 03-20-2016 at 01:09 PM.
Reason: photos upload
Put on DRL's on my R500... spent $20 and though not as bright as i would like, they're working well
the auto drl on/off was 7.99 (voltage based ... auto on when car starts, goes off about 10 secs after engine off) and the lights were 11.58 both from Amazon... switched out my city lights with LED T10's (canbus no error from AznOptics) ... put some chrome covers on the wheel nuts... added some nice tire valve caps ...
added pics in case anyone was interested
added Kensun 5k HID into the low beams ... transfered the H7 Diamond Visions into the high beams...
have to wait till dark and make sure aim is good... but ran into a weird situation where the passenger side city light flickers then switches off and i get the dash warning that my front right parking light is out... BUT this only happens when the engine is running.
All lights working fine when engine is off...
ANyone got any ideas on what i can try?
Thanks!
ps. ballast and warning cancel and everything fits into the housing so i didn't have to drill a hole into cap or mount anything outside. checked heat after a while, no hotter than the lights themselves...
edit - added photos for the before (right lens way high but i didn't have the hex to adjust it at the time) ... and after....
Diamond Vision H7 Halogen
Kensun 55W 5k HID
Last edited by JonMac; 03-27-2016 at 11:42 PM.
Reason: add photos
I couldn't resist... wife was like 'argh more car stuff?'
And I'm like... 'it's fun...' and I don't question her collection of shoes or handbags so thats that
Seen a couple of these around, one on a GLK and another on a GLA(?) and liked how they looked ... found this set on Amazon and with limited reviews and a bit of faith (not really, amazon lets you return anything...) I went ahead.
Arrived yesterday and was fairly surprised by the quality... Came complete with a fuse tap, the wire gauge was about 4 times the usual 'DRL' thickness, plug and lead to power, some zip ties (PIC1). Usual ABS plastic with a chromed star that is slightly bigger actually than the stock grill star. The LED's look to be well insulated (time will tell) and i tested it in a dark room with a 9V battery (PIC2).
Took off my grill (thanks to AsianR350 on his guide for this part...) and compared the OEM to this and they were same size, but the holder clips on this LED were totally useless.
Nevertheless it slotted in perfectly, but on the side walls, it's star holder clips would run hard against the OEM dimples so i had to dremel them down (PIC3).
This let the new star slide all the way in and sits flush at the front no problems.
Used the provided zip ties to hold star in place, without too much pressure or overtightening (PIC4).
Ran the power line from my DRL switch box near battery lugs in engine bay, up along side, under headlights, down to the top of the lower bumper and tied it off there so it won't go anywhere and plugged it in as I went to attach grill back onto car.
Grill looks OEM perfect still, cannot really tell the lights during the day. (PIC5 - car is off, no lights)
Will take photo when it gets dark... hope it looks ok ! lol
Last edited by JonMac; 03-28-2016 at 07:45 PM.
Reason: add photos
02-23-2016, 09:31 AM
Intro my new family hauler
... 
