Tall Giraffe

Could you shoot a pic of the beams on the wall? Curious to see the out put that way.

mrobinso

Sure. Did you install your bulbs with the bulb side up and the little shielded wire down, or vice-a-versa?

Tall Giraffe

I believe the shielded wire down. Its been so long ago though I think it only allows you put it in a certain way.

mrobinso

That's what I did as well (shielded wire down). The light output in this picture is hard to see since I took the picture in day light but for aftermarket projector lamps I am pleased with the cut off.

mrobinso

Changed the oil last night with Mann filter and 0w-40 Mobil 1 - easy day.

I used the DIY available here (https://mbworld.org/forums/w210-amg/...il-change.html) as a guide just to reassure myself - this was hardly any different than my other Mercedes vehicles in the past.

I did drain from the drain plug (I prefer that method) with a jack under the driver's side rear jack point to encourage a little extra old oil out of the pan.

mrobinso

Cleaned up the engine bay last night as well and affixed new emblems to the engine cover (was missing the Mercedes star and most of the AMG emblem). The trunk emblem for an 07-13 S-Class is a near perfect match for the engine cover - you just need to drill three holes in the cover to slide the three prongs on the back of the emblem into the cover securely.

Mercedes part # for the emblem is 221-758-00-58

I bought it here:

Tall Giraffe

Quite the work you are doing to the car. I used the W220 star and just did mine a few weeks back.

mrobinso

Just finished up the transmission fluid drain, new filter, and fill. I was going to use Fuchs 3353 but then read that while MB approves that for our 722.6 5-speed transmissions, it is not as close to original spec as the factory fluid (MB spec 126.10 I believe) and is closer to spec 126.14 which is used for the newer 7 speed variants. I then chose to go with Valvoline Maxlife which many other older model W210 owners have had success with.

I am glad I changed it - my fluid was low by about a quart. I also noticed that my vibrations at idle have significantly been reduced. Hopefully the trans mount I plan to swap in should completely cure that.

In the DIY instructions i found no one mentions how much of a pain it is to get the fluid level right!

ddb

Can you elaborate on getting the fluid level right? Changing the fluid and filter is on my to-do list. I've read about using a temperature gun. Did you change the electrical switch? Interesting that the idle vibrations were lessened.

Thanks.

mrobinso

I retract my statement about the vibrations. After driving a bit more after the fluid swap the vibrations in Drive at idle are about the same. I'll post about the results of my trans mount replacement when I get to it.

To your question - the good news is that it's not rocket science - you just have to be patient. First - make sure to purchase the proper dipstick.

Some of the DIY I read said essentially to measure what came out and replace with the same amount. Well that sounds great in theory but actually metering out to a specific enough point how much old fluid came out, especially in my case where some spilled - well it just wasn't happening.

So I drained from the pan, replaced filter, and resealed with a new gasket. Filled with a rough approximation of what came out (old fluid) which was about 3 quarts and some change. While the engine is cold, Start the engine and slowly cycle through the gears. Use the dipstick to measure the level at the 25C line (in case you didn't know the dipstick has two sections - one for 25C or Cold - one for 80C or operating temp). In my case I was wayyyyy short on fluid.

So the process I took to make sure I got it right was to add about 1/3 quart at a time and drive around my block until the engine was at operating temp. With the engine still running I would pull back into my driveway and let it idle for About 2 minutes (to let the oil level out in the pan) and then check the fluid at 80C level (again that is engine hot). It took about 5 of these cycles of filling, driving around, waiting for fluid to level, and checking, to finally get the fluid to in between the two hash marks on the 80C line of the dipstick.

It's important to drive around between adding fluid since just shifting through the gears while stationary doesn't pull the new fluid through the system as well.

Additionally - you check the fluid (both cold and hot) with the engine ON in Park.

I used an IR thermometer on the oil pan to check the temp (Harbor Freight special).

ddb

Thanks for taking the time to write a detailed response. Very helpful!

BTW, does your 1999 have the drain plug for the torque converter? I've read that my 2002 does not. I sure wish it did. I had a W124 years ago and was able to get a lot of fluid out of it.

mrobinso

I forgot to touch on that point! My 1999 is supposed to have a drain plug on the torque converter. I have the "window" to access the TC plug but I could not see it when I was under the vehicle.

One of the DIY instructions suggests hand cranking the crank with a wrench until the the drain plug becomes visible. See link: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...uid_Change.htm

I tried this but didn't have the right socket (or the space - it's very tight with the bigger engine) to get my socket on the the crank pulley to manually turn it.

mrobinso

Put in the new transmission mount today. Haven't had a chance to go for a test drive yet, but the old one I took out was pretty cracked (the rubber) although not as bad as I expected.

It's a pretty easy job. I used this DIY to do it. http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm

Easier than doing it on my Jeeps. I went with a URO replacement so we will see how it holds up - I have heard mixed things about URO.

mrobinso

Been a little while since I updated this thread. Going to post a couple of short posts with updates on the E55.

Just to follow up on the new transmission mount, it didn't really change my issue with the transmission vibrating at idle while in 'Drive.' After having had some more seat time in the vehicle, I notice that while sitting at a light, if I shift into neutral or reverse, the vibrations immediately die down (almost entirely), and then when I shift back to Drive the vibrations have quieted down (but they do come back). Really not sure if this is just the transmission showing its age or what else it could be. At this point I am not too concerned but will keep tabs on it.

mrobinso

I got lucky the other day. Let me start from the beginning though. I have been noticing for a little while now that at idle there was a slight rattling noise coming from one of the pulleys on the front of the engine. On my SRT-6 I replaced the idler pulley which is known to fail over time, so I assumed it was the idler pulley going bad, and I told myself I would fix it soon.

Well the old E55 had other plans for me. It's been so damn cold here in Northern VA recently, and on my way home from work I ran an errand and left the car running. When I came back out "rattling" noise from the front of the engine sounded worse (not louder per se, but more sporadic), I decided I would try to hurry home. Well I got about a half mile down the road and hear a squealing noise and then started smelling smoke. I quickly sped into a nearby shopping center and pulled over, left the engine running, and popped the hood. The belt tensioner pulley had siezed, and was quickly burning through the serpentine belt (that was the source of the smoke).

I shut it off at that point. I was only a mile from home, so I had my wife pick me up. While I waited for her I ordered a new belt tensioner assembly, new idler pulley, and new belt on my iPhone from Advance Auto and picked those up that night. Of course it snowed 8 inches the next day so I had to wait until Sunday to return to the parking lot, at which point my car had been completely plowed in .

Thankfully it was mild Sunday (around 50* thankfully after such a cold spell), so after digging out the vehicle, I got to work replacing the belt tensioner and and belt.

I believe the belt tensioner was original, as it was the first Mercedes version which had a bolt that you need a Torx socket to turn it (later versions did away with this bolt in lieu of a setup that would accept a traditional socket) on the front. As I removed the belt tensioner it simply disintegrated before my eyes - the pulley itself literally sheared off the assembly and fell into two pieces, ball bearings went everywhere. I FELT LUCKY that it hadn't sheared off and taking out any number of other components in the engine bay with it.

Having read online about the fact that the mechanical fan gets in the way of removing the bolt on the idler pulley, I simply swapped in the new belt tensioner assembly (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TORX SOCKETS BEFORE YOU TACKLE THIS ON YOUR W210) and belt and my car and I were back in business - and the car was now running much smoother.

So the rattling noise I was hearing was the ball bearings in the belt tensioner pulley about to explode.

With the belt off I noticed that the idler pulley was cracked six ways to Sunday, so I knew that I needed to replace that shortly as well.

PRO TIP 1 : The belt tensioner and idler pulley tend to fail around the same time so if you are doing one just do both and save yourself the headache. I read online about one guy who paid to have his belt tensioner replaced only to have his idler pulley explode on him a week later.

PRO TIP 2 : Make sure you have Torx sockets (not Torx bits) to remove the bolts on the belt tensioner assembly.

PRO TIP 3 : It really helped me to keep leverage on the belt tensioner while I routed the new serpentine belt by putting a 3' steel pipe over my wrench to hold it in place with one hand (or my shoulder at certain points) while I worked to route the belt and slip it onto the belt tensioner pulley.

PRO TIP 4 : Due to the large size of our engine, it is pretty tight to replace the belt tensioner pulley. Remove the drive side air intake to give yourself more working space, and use a headlamp or other flash light to help you see what you are doing. Be patient - it can be done without removing the upper radiator hose or fan shroud.

mrobinso

I replaced the idler pulley last night. For us E55 guys (and I believe the same is true for the E430), the big engine makes things a bit tight. You have two options for replacing the idler pulley. The problem is that the idler pulley bolt is about 5 inches long, and due to its position on the front of the engine, the mechanical fan prevents you from being able to fully extract it.

Your options are thus:

(1) THE RIGHT WAY - Remove the mechanical fan before starting this job. I looked into this but it is a PIA and opted not to bother.

(2) THE JIM BOB REDNECK WAY - Cut a 1/4" slit in one of the fan blades to give you just enough room to slide the bolt out.

I ashamedly opted for #2, but it worked great and made quick work (30 minutes) for this job. I used an oscillating power tool with the cutting tool to make this small cut. I will post back up if I end up having any lasting issues with my fan being out of balance or having the blade I cut into break off, but such a small cut did not appear to impact the structural integrity of the fan blade. Time will tell I suppose.

After you remove the serpentine belt, this is a piece of cake. Just extract the bolt (T50 Torx bit) and re-insert the new one. I read online that the torque spec on this bolt was 18 ft lbs but I just tightened it to where I felt comfortable.

My idler pulley was in horrible shape. Cracked in at least 8 places on the interior near the bearing, and one crack was starting to form on the outside "ribbed" portion of the pulley.

Replacing the belt tensioner and idler pulley in the comfort of your warm garage (or in my case, your 40* un-insulated without heat garage) is muuuuuchhh preferred than having an unexpected breakdown.

The belt tensioner pulley and idler pulley WILL FAIL, it's just a matter of when. I highly recommend that if you haven't already, you replace these (relatively inexpensive) parts as preventative maintenance. With most W210s on the road well above 100K miles at this point, it is time for replacement.

Tall Paul

I haven't owned my E55 for very long, or any other MB to this point, but I do have a few grey hairs and skinned knuckles. I hope things go well for you, but I shudder to think what is going to happen when that fan reaches speed and is out of balance. Being that it has a viscous clutch, and being a multi-bladed fan, it may save your bacon. I sure hope so.

ddb

mrobinso,

Regarding the vibrations, have you checked the motor mounts? Or have records indicating when they were last changed? If they are broken or worn sufficiently they could contribute to what you are referring to as transmission vibrations.

ddb

mrobinso

Thanks for the tip, but motor mounts were recently changed by the PO (or so he claimed) and I have visually inspected them and they are in good shape. I assume he replaced them for the very reason I am investigating, vibration at idle.

mrobinso

Thanks. At start up the fan moves at full speed for a few seconds before settling down to idle, there were no noticeable vibration noises coming from the fan (indicative of the fan being out of balance). I think it should be fine, but again time will tell. Keep in mind, the incision is about the size of a pencil eraser or green pea.

Tall Paul

Irony is a b**ch! I did my water pump the other day, and it looks like the previous owner or his mechanic did the same thing on my fan. I would never had seen the "customization" if it wasn't for the coincidental position of the fan blade to where I was standing. No vibration that I ever noticed, so it looks like you are good to go.

Also found that the fan hub and heat sink on the clutch assy. were coated with what appeared to be material from the serpentine belt, at least that's the only thing I could figure out that it was. And it was thick! It probably originated from the belt not riding properly on the water pump pulley. Anyway, after washing it thoroughly, it spun easier and with the heat sink clean, it will probably work better as well.

mrobinso

That is good to hear - it is also ironic coming from you as here you had me feeling all guilty about my redneck solution! Admittedly I am not the first person to ever do this, and it worked like a charm. I have been "hypersensitive" to any odd vibrations resulting from me cutting the fan to remove the idler pulley bolt, and have not noticed anything - but your feedback is also reassuring.

It's also interesting how when you work on your cars you find these little oddities such as the cut in the fan, or the film on your water pump - makes you feel like you really *know* the car.

Das AMG

(3) Remove the fan blade. Just one bolt that should be accessible.

mrobinso

I did not know this was an option. Any helpful links? It looked like there are a number of allen bolts holding the entire blade assembly on. you are saying you can remove one fan blade?

Tall Paul

Way back when in the last century, I worked in an engine rebuild shop. We had, as you can imagine, all sorts of engines come in with weird and wonderful problems. Most customers would say "all it needs is a tune-up". If it was only that simple, I would have been out of a job a long time ago. What this is leading up to, is this. A customer came in with a big block Ford that was missing like a sum*****. He had taken it to just about every other shop in town, and they all did their "magic wand diagnosis", from spark plugs to complete engine. To his credit, he didn't buy any of the crap he was getting from them. When he finally made it to us, I went out to listen to it and see what it was doing. Holy Crap! was it shaking hard. I reached over the fender to grab the throttle lever to see if rpm changed anything, and told him to shut it off. He did and I brought him around to the front to show him what was wrong. As he told every other shop, he was just driving down the highway and BANG! it started this shaking. What had happened was his flex fan had lost a blade, the rivets let loose. Can you imagine how far out of balance that was? What I couldn't figure out was how no one else saw that the shroud had been shattered and big chunks of it were missing. So anyway, from that point on, I've always made it a point to do a cursory check to see if anything could be altering the balance when an engine is "missing". Sorry for any paranoia I may have caused you, it was just me being super ****.