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What did you do to your Roadster today?

1M views 8K replies 565 participants last post by  DrVanNostrand 
#1 · (Edited)
Renewing the hydraulic system fluid every 2-3 years or 25K miles should extend the life of many of the hydraulic system components. This is not a part of Mercedes prescribed maintenance, so most cars are still running around with the original fluid (plus years of accumulated contaminants).

I did a flush/renew of my RST system fluid on 7-13-07. My car was seven years old with 30K miles. If you look at the attached pictures you will notice a color difference. The old MB fluid (left vial) looks like a beer color while the new Febi-Bilstein 02615 fluid (right vial) is clear. I also attached a picture of my hydraulic reservoir containing the old MB fluid.
 

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#4,191 ·
Kawagirl:
Love those wheels on your car. What size are they?
2nd, Thank You for your Service. Are you still Active or maybe Reserves. Can't thank our 1&1/2% enough they do wonderful things so we can all enjoy our Freedom. Long time since I did my service but I am a V.A. volunteer 2+ days a week, at the Hospital in Elsmere, DE.
Like your bikes as well but my bike of choice is much less Racey, It's a Kawasaki Drifter, 1500 cc. Yes a cruiser, with lots of old school style.
 
#4,195 ·
Kawagirl:

Love those wheels on your car. What size are they?

2nd, Thank You for your Service. Are you still Active or maybe Reserves. Can't thank our 1&1/2% enough they do wonderful things so we can all enjoy our Freedom. Long time since I did my service but I am a V.A. volunteer 2+ days a week, at the Hospital in Elsmere, DE.

Like your bikes as well but my bike of choice is much less Racey, It's a Kawasaki Drifter, 1500 cc. Yes a cruiser, with lots of old school style.

I think they are 17's I'll check when I get home for you. I don't like them, but they seem to fit the car.
I am active 20.5 year (requested retirement 3 Sep, praying for approval).
Ahh cruisers, love them so much more relaxing to ride. I am drifting towards one, I am in the market for a BMW K1200s (baby steps lol).


Life is a gift.
 
#4,194 ·
love to have euro lights some day.

i have glow-wire on order but i was thinking that the "bulb look" would be more dated.

as far as the two different light looks, if a had euro i think it would look the same the fog light i can change out to match

the led light on the bumper is for my wife not to hit the curb. lol
i just put them in do to i had holes there from were the old parking sensor were
i will be taking them out soon patching them and the wiper holes
can i see pics of the halo look. LZ
 

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#4,198 ·
This month was to be the month to do a few more of the updates/mod's, cleanups planned for the bad weather. But NO, so far October, which is the typical start of the rainy season, has instead been a fantastic "Indian summer" here in western oregon. So.... instead, it's been finding excuses to take a drive in the sunshine. Guess the updates will have to wait!.

Weather looks good on the coast so we are planning to keep the top down and take a drive down the oregon coast
 
#4,199 ·
Today I finally got around to the task of replacing my left door speakers. I am barely done but pleased how easy it has been so far. More to follow. Vehicle Automotive exterior Bumper Car Auto part
Computer cooling Mechanical fan Technology Electronic device

I think while I have the door off I will touch up the paint beside the levers, replace the lights with LED's. But first fix the speakers that have died. Vehicle Car Auto part Automotive exterior Hood



Life is a gift.
 
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#4,200 ·
#4,201 ·
What Did I Do Today? I SPENT $$$

I just wrote a check to my indee. for (wait for it) $2,800.00. What did my $2,800.00 get me?
1. New Rear Brakes
2. Replaced both motor mounts
3. Replaced Power Steering Pump, etc.
4. Oil and Filter Change (Synthetic of Course)
5. Dismounted all four tires and wheels to sand around the edges to improve the
beed seal. I get intermittent slow leakes when the chrome chips off near the
seal. Re-mounted and balanced all four.
I can't really complain, this is the first real money I have spent on the car. I have replaced all the top hydralics myself as well as changing the blower regulator and other small stuff like that. Wish I still had a garage so I could have done the work myself. A friend asked me why I put so much money into an old car, I didn't reply. If he had to ask that question he wouldn't have understood my answer.
 
#4,202 · (Edited)
I brought my wife's car over onto my side of the garage so I could put it on the lift. It was time for the every-two-year brake fluid change. My jobs were:

Brake fluid flush
Fuel filter
Clean inside of wheels, calipers and rotor hats

Just before I put it up on the lift I replaced the burned out dash lights.

I also replaced the left front turn signal as it collected a rock.

Next up but to be done on the ground...breather cover reseal.

It is back on the other side of the garage but backed in as I will put the top on it. We are lucky this year, made it to Oct 16th before the drizzle hit.

You can just see the top hovering over my 540...
 

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#4,204 · (Edited)
I cannot remember the manufacturer but I got it from Best Buy Automotive Equipment Shop Specialty Car Lifts | Best Buy Automotive Equipment

They had a special deal at about $1,000 or so about 5 or 6 years ago. It has a mechanical safety catch at different elevations and as you lift the car, you let it rest on the catch rather than the hydraulics. In the picture it is at the highest point and is easy to work underneath.

Right now the 1994 Trooper is on it for the brake fluid flush. I have replaced the starter in the Trooper on the lift and had to jack the engine. It was still stable.

I drive past a very busy shop and they have what looks like the same lift and as it is portable, they roll it into the driveway and lift a car to gain more capacity when the weather is not too drippy.

I really like working on our cars and a few friends cars as well and this takes the hassle out of it.

I use a pressure bleeder and drop my shop air to 20 or so psi with a wall mounted regulator. I am just happy as a clam out there doing the brakes! But...the Trooper has a difficult to seal reservoir and so my wife is going to have to come out and pump the pedal...kinda boring for her but I just replaced the antilock valve unit so there is air in the system and unknown age of fluid. I better get going!

Cheers!
 
#4,208 · (Edited)
Hello Pete I like'm. I really like the blackend grill with the chrome MB emblem.

Last time I looked I think you had the whole grill black.

Great looking car.




Thanks for the compliment. :) Although I have more than once thought of painting the emblem black I have not pulled the trigger as of yet. Maybe one day.
 
#4,210 ·
Changed the flex disk ,,
Looked at Pelican parts ,, price was USD 77 + shipping of USD 55 to Seoul, Korea.
I called my indy ,, got a quote for USD 95 for the Lampford made in Germany.
Had him install it in 10 minutes,, adjust exhaust that was rubbing against the bottom. All for USD 150.
Next time he will adjust my window ,, there is a slight misfit on closing, on the passenger door.
 
#4,215 ·
I just replaced the majority of the vacuum hoses on my 1999 M113 SL500 and joy of joys, my rough idle is almost nearly gone. All of them so far are cracked and degraded, but there was a full on open to atmosphere hole in the line going to the EGR switchover valve. Completely unviewable without removing and inspecting.

Just as an FYI, for anyone who might attempt this, NEVER try to pull the vacuum line that leads to the bottom center of the intake manifold. If it is worn around the fitting at the valve the line connects to, you can probably cut and splice, but NEVER try to remove it from intake manifold side.
 
#4,220 ·
Finally got around to replacing the bulb on the drivers side seat adjustment cluster. Pulled the working speaker from drivers door and plugged into passenger side to confirm that the issue (no sound) with passenger side was the speaker. So I will be calling Bose tomorrow. I also cleaned the speaker cover.
Before
Auto part

After
Rectangle Beige Table Wallet



Life is a gift.
 
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#4,221 ·
Finally got around to replacing the bulb on the drivers side seat adjustment cluster. Pulled the working speaker from drivers door and plugged into passenger side to confirm that the issue (no sound) with passenger side was the speaker. So I will be calling Bose tomorrow. I also cleaned the speaker cover.
Before
View attachment 1179265
After
View attachment 1179273


Life is a gift.
Nice, I just fitted one of those seat switch bulbs, N000000 000 385 (new part number) $12.50 Aus from MB :eek. Then found one in an old seat switch after :crying
 
#4,224 ·
replaced bulb

The light for the temperature on my a/c did not work so removed the radio and pushed out the a/c controller and replaced the bulb, nice easy job, also one of the bulbs for the right hand centre vent was also out, again nice and easy thanks to the previous posters on this forum offering advice. The radio did not light up at all but it had no orange wire on the multiplug which is the feed for the illumination but luckily I had a spare ISO plug I had bought for another car so cut off the black 8-pin connector wired it all in and now the radio lights up, awesome!!:grin
 
#4,225 ·
Prior to my ownership my SL had its trans fluid changed at 34K. Car now has 48K so not needing another change but I wanted to check the level.

I got a $20 dual channel thermocouple thermometer and a $4 1.5m stainless steel braided probe from ebay. I tested the accuracy in boiling water (I am near sea level) and it read 99.7 degrees C.

Drove the car about 10 miles, parked the car leaving engine running, ran the trans through gears and left in park per the MB instructions for the dip stick. Inserted the temp probe and measured 81.2 degrees C. Removed probe and inserted the dipstick and the level was a tad beyond halfway in the 80 degree C range -- good.
 
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