OWNER lowman (Norge)

[TerryA]

Stephan,

Thanks for explaining DAB to me although it seams like a step backwards. A political 'Lobbiest' must have money invested in the DAB system and is creating a new electronics market by making FM obsolete. What other reason could there be if you are truly losing radio reception. The DAB or DAB+ sounds like a patch fix something like putting 'Rabbit Ears' on top of your TV for better reception.

Switching gears, On the US - HVAC vs Euro. The manual controls sound great but as discussed here would be a PITA job to convert a US car.

In defense of our Automatic units, I think they work fine as long as they are in top notch condition and running on all cylinders. If one component is not giving it's ALL the system SUCKS.

Living in SoCal where it will be over 100F today is a real test of the AC and mine at least has been up to the task in the past and I have an 040 car. I will say a black car parked outside on a hot sunny day is hard to cool down quickly in short distance drives. It will take approx 15 minutes at least and if your running errands and are in and out of the car it will never be real cool. Once the car is cooled down I have found that if the temp wheel is set on MAX cool I can set the fan speed to low and the recirculate cabin air switch is turned on, the interior can be a very comfortable environment.
Also once cool you can fiddle with the temp wheel if you want and get the fan to slow down to about medium speed.

All in all I think the US system works fine as long as it's 100%.

 

[Lowman]

hey people
Just a little SHORT fun video for you .NOT the 500e but the EvoLtwin
Mind the oil level light..it was just the oil level beeing abit to low....as it actually gave a warning even though the oil level was above minimum by only a tad.All sorted out now though i recently performed an oil change,and of course i paid extra attention to the level and sender unit this time
I hope you like it

 

[Lowman]

hey there people
Here is a little delayed "follow" up video of the engine oil pan /oil filter housing "repair" i did earlier.
Nothing much as usual..but at least i hope you can find any info or enjoyment in the video...even though it is just "talking" as usual
Greetings people

 

[Lowman]

A little update people
I "ordered" a factory new lower engine wiring harness for my car earlier,even though i DID repair my old harness...but still i placed an order on a new one.It is made on ORDER ONLY,and i was told the waiting time was about two months.
Today i got an update from my parts guy at Mercedes.The factory "declined" the order,and told my parts guy to TRY and put up a new order in January.So they are for NOW NOT available even if you ORDER one.

Which in some way..was perfectly fine for me..as it is preeeetttyy expensive..and in some way i regreted ordering one when i did..because i did repair my old harness at the same moment as i ordered the new one But still i went through with the order..BUT now..it was declined.so im happy in a way not having to spend 500 dollars on something i dont really NEED.its just my OCD that needed it in some way "giggles "

 

[nocfn]

hey there people
Here is a little delayed "follow" up video of the engine oil pan /oil filter housing "repair" i did earlier.
Nothing much as usual..but at least i hope you can find any info or enjoyment in the video...even though it is just "talking" as usual
Greetings people

[video=youtube;O4uOlUpZC_U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4uOlUpZC_U[/video]

A light film of blue hylomar on the pan side of the gasket is your friend. Worked for me last year still to this day!

 

[Lowman]

nice to know mister..and mine is still dry ..so its all good thanx

 

[JC220]

A little update people
I "ordered" a factory new lower engine wiring harness for my car earlier,even though i DID repair my old harness...but still i placed an order on a new one.It is made on ORDER ONLY,and i was told the waiting time was about two months.
Today i got an update from my parts guy at Mercedes.The factory "declined" the order,and told my parts guy to TRY and put up a new order in January.So they are for NOW NOT available even if you ORDER one.

Which in some way..was perfectly fine for me..as it is preeeetttyy expensive..and in some way i regreted ordering one when i did..because i did repair my old harness at the same moment as i ordered the new one But still i went through with the order..BUT now..it was declined.so im happy in a way not having to spend 500 dollars on something i dont really NEED.its just my OCD that needed it in some way "giggles "

Hi Lowman-

If you have already repaired your lower harness I wouldn't bother getting a new harness now. I'm sure some of your MB fleet will quickly find other ways of spending the 500USD for you! Just my thoughts - if it's now repaired leave well enough alone!

 

[Lowman]

yeah mate..thats my thought also.Hence i was super happy that the order did not go through.
Luckily i did the repair on the old harness to as high standard as possible..with the proper shrink tubing and such...so it will hold up very well.
thaanx

 

[RicardoD]

Urgh, I just closed up my oil pan dry, at 9.8 Nm, I will have to check for leaks as well.

 

[gsxr]

Urgh, I just closed up my oil pan dry, at 9.8 Nm, I will have to check for leaks as well.

Ricardo, it should be OK... however you may need to re-torque the pan after a few heat cycles as the gasket sets. Check again in a few hundred miles.

 

[Lowman]

it should be ok IF the oil pan is PERFECT.Like i tried to describe in my video...i can still not figure out WHY it was leaking..as there were basically NO visual imperfections in the oil pan at all.

ANYWAYS...do "we" know anyone in the zip code 60188 Illinois area?that could help me out shipping a wheel to me

 

[Lowman]

i guess thats a NO then
Anyways...here is some pictures of todays nice outing with my friend.We went for a nice long cruise down the Northsea "road"...down south...aprox 1 hour to destination,,and obviously 1 hour back.Had a nice chat at destination point..and on the way back..i stopped the "caravan"..for a nice little photoshoot.
Here is the pics.and i hope you like em ..even though its my 190e in the pics..and not the Blackbeauty

 

[Lowman]

another video here people
Its about my 190e this time..and i show you how to test the magnetic fan clutch on these cars.Which can also be found on other engine types in the 80"s and 90"s mercedes
Hope you like it

 

[Lowman]

Another 190e 2.5-16 Update
Finally i got to replace the steering lock tumbler on my 190e.I aquired a new original one from Ebay



Unfortunatly it is not possible to get a CAR specific lock assembly no more(ordered by Vin Number)..so the one i got is indeed a non specific one..so now i have two different keys..which kinda sucks..but its definetly better to have one key tumbler that WORKS

And i have to say...i really dodged a bullet this time



MAde myself some tools to get the tumbler out..even though im a "mercedes" guy..i was super nervous about this job,as i havent done this job TOOO many times actually.But i got it mounted pretty nice.Also lubricated the inside of the steering lock assembly as much as i could possibly do,,,with it still mounted.



The pin you can see in the picture here..is broken..and fell out when i took the tumbler out.



SMOOOTH working ignition key

 

[gsxr]

...Unfortunatly it is not possible to get a CAR specific lock assembly no more(ordered by Vin Number)...

Wait - WHAT? Is this a European-only thing, or W201-only? Last I heard there was no problem getting W124 ignition lock tumblers, VIN-coded, in USA.

 

[Lowman]

Wait - WHAT? Is this a European-only thing, or W201-only? Last I heard there was no problem getting W124 ignition lock tumblers, VIN-coded, in USA.

maybe it is ...im not sure..i havent checked for the 500e..so i really dont know..But as far as my parts guy told me...he said that it could not be ordered to "fit the car"..or "VIN coded...

 

[samiam44]

I've got to admit- in the EPC, it *IS* confusing (in English). Maybe it makes perfect sense in German.

Maybe he ordered or saw to order the wrong p/n. YOu order differently between the generic and VIN matched key.


MBUSA is real finicky with all the documentation required to get a vin matched key.
I have to cough up registration and the title.

Michael

 

[gsxr]

FYI, for the W124, the VIN-coded ignition lock tumbler is p/n 126-460-02-04.

Bad news is, MB Classic is not showing this p/n as available. We'll need someone in USA to confirm or deny availability. Klink? Jono?

 

[Lowman]

my parts guy knows his stuff..and i dont think he gave me the wrong info...
But it may be diffferent for the w201"s and w124"s...The 201 ..it is an older car...maybe thats why..

its not just the MBUSA that is finicky with getting "theft" related parts....ALL dealers around the world are supposed to be "finicky" about VIN/ Theft related parts

 

[doolar]

I get ”Dieses Teil ist leider nicht mehr bestellbar!” from my goto German dealership. Say it ain’t so, I didn’t replace my tumbler yet, it’s on my next order list.

 

[Lowman]

A little video for you people
Again ,its a 190e related video..so it may not be that interesting to you 500e people...but the subject DO apply to the 80"s and early 90"s era Mercedes Engines
I hope you like it anyways

 

[Lowman]

Another little video for you Pretty recent topic..but a thing i wanted to check out for a long time..so i had to make a little video about it.
I hope you like it .

 

[Lowman]

Of course it is Its "Mercedes"

 

[Lowman]

And this is what ive been dealing with lately...Bummed out about the rim..and about the repair..and been "arguing" with the people who done the "repair"..about it beeing shitty...







This is how i got the wheel back from the repair shop..."oh you just wanted it "welded"..you never said anything about FIXING the wheel...)thats the comeback i got when i asked .."is this it? Look at the weights how they are put back on..






Scratches on the surface after balancing the wheels,putting the fastener of the wheel balancer straight on to the face of the wheel


Outside means..?inside or outside?


complained..they took the wheel back,"repaired" it once more,got it back.. with some "paint on" and "weld correction" AND the tire put on the correct direction,,,BUT the whole backside of the center piece is covered with paint residue.ANd they even put some silicone on to get it leak free..just to be sure
Still..the inner barrel is toast.So at this point..i have to source new inner barrels for both rear wheels(because i cant have just ONE new one..i need a pair...i guess its the ocd talking again.)









Pretty much bummed out.

 

[RicardoD]

Lowman,

I feel your pain. We know from your videos you take such good care of your car and do every repair the proper way. And its painful to deal with people who don't give a crap about their work. You would be ashamed to do such a thing to a customer of yours. I am often yelling at my son about things like this to teach him to care about what he does and make sure things are done the right way.

 

[sheward]

Yes, a sorry job all the way thru. Good thing they didn't get their hands on your car. There's a set of barrels out there with your name on them.

Drew

 

[Ingvar]

New barrels available here http://www.felgenfuchs.de/Felgeninnenbetten/17-Zoll/

 

[doolar]

What a shitty job! I would be furious. Hope you find a good solution to all this.

This is in general a problem in our small countries, there are companies and people with great skills, but not many of them, and they can be far away and hard to locate to begin with. The competition is not that big either, opening up for people who pretend to know, taking on work that they should decline.

I’m trying to find a company that I trust to install my Wavetrac, and I have so far found maybe one that I could trust with the job.

 

[Lowman]

New barrels available here http://www.felgenfuchs.de/Felgeninnenbetten/17-Zoll/

thank you ...that is one of the companies im considering going for.There is also another one in the states..called Black Forrest Industries..
But i got a quote from felgenfuchs..and most likely this is the company im going for.
Thank you for the heads up anyways

 

[Lowman]

Yes, a sorry job all the way thru. Good thing they didn't get their hands on your car. There's a set of barrels out there with your name on them.

Drew

indeed it is a sorry job mister...the funny thing is that they did so little ,,when they were told that the wheels were my "babies" and on a "show car"....pretty much unreal for me to understand that they "care" so little ...and do this shitty work.Especially when its a local company relying on facebook reviews and stuff.
Thank you so much for comment mister

 

[Lowman]

Lowman,

I feel your pain. We know from your videos you take such good care of your car and do every repair the proper way. And its painful to deal with people who don't give a crap about their work. You would be ashamed to do such a thing to a customer of yours. I am often yelling at my son about things like this to teach him to care about what he does and make sure things are done the right way.

thank you so much for kind comment,mister R.I apreciate it very much.And it is indeed painful to see how little care went into this job in particular..and knowing this is just the "tip of the iceberg"..i guess...
Greetings ,Stefan

 

[Lowman]

What a shitty job! I would be furious. Hope you find a good solution to all this.

This is in general a problem in our small countries, there are companies and people with great skills, but not many of them, and they can be far away and hard to locate to begin with. The competition is not that big either, opening up for people who pretend to know, taking on work that they should decline.

I’m trying to find a company that I trust to install my Wavetrac, and I have so far found maybe one that I could trust with the job.

thank you so much doolar.I apreaciate your comment.
You are spot on describing the current "situation"...about competition and skills.

thank you

 

[Lowman]

Latest video about the latest DOING on my car.
I hope you like it

 

[doolar]

Nice video as always Lowman, I just replaced mine too with the same Bosch unit. Mine was not leaking, I did the same test as you did afterwards. But good to have it done before it starts to leak! I paid about €55 with shipping for my FPR.

A little add-on to your video; if the FPR is hard to pull out with your hands, there are slots in the fuel rail seat where a screwdriver fits in, to gently pry it out.

 

[Lowman]

Nice video as always Lowman, I just replaced mine too with the same Bosch unit. Mine was not leaking, I did the same test as you did afterwards. But good to have it done before it starts to leak! I paid about €55 with shipping for my FPR.

A little add-on to your video; if the FPR is hard to pull out with your hands, there are slots in the fuel rail seat where a screwdriver fits in, to gently pry it out.

Thank you so much for kind words mister.I think i paid about the same as you,,pretty good price i think..as they vary alot on the pricing here and there.

And thank you for pointing out the tip regarding getting the FPR out of its seating.Should"ve included that in the video..but they are pretty much very random videos..so i do not get ALL the info in there sometimes...but another way of seeing it(as an excuse for forgetting to mention it)..it can be that it is pretty self explanatory
But i will definetly try to remember to put even more "info" in the videos

And yes..i was so fortunate to replace it now..as i said in the video..i did really not have any major issues..and i was not even remotley aware of it beeing faulty so i am pretty happy that i caught it in time in a way

 

[Lowman]

So ..i got to sort out some small doings this weekend AND some driving too,but first of all...got the car in to the workshop
I have finally sorted out a "new" plastic window for the shifter gate. cause unfortunatly,i broke the original one when dealing with some gearshift stuff at some point.
Also..i got my hands on a perfect condition center vent..as my old one had ONE faulty flap inside..making it not adjustable anymore.So i also got to fit a new light bulb for the center vent


Old and new plastic vindow for the shifter gate.


AND..now for the grand finale....i friggin broke the new one..when i had to take off the center gearshift surround to mount it proper..and suddenly the plastic window broke...1 step forward...two steps back!!damnit.



New center vent ready to be fitted.Cleaned the whole thing..unfortunatly no pics of the remove and install process..


New light bulb in the center vent.


Also got to finally paint the lower locking "nut" on the aftermarked V8 shift knob.Looks sooo much better in matt black





Sourced an extra first aid kit...gonna put it in my 190e i guess...cause the one in the 500e is "mint" ..thogh it is indeeeeed expired.hehe



Did another SLS oil flush,was about time..as its about one and a half year since the last time i flushed the SLS system.













I got also two new windshield washer jets for my 190e.Bought one new original unused one from germany...and i ordered one new from my dealer..
And my ocd was going into the red scale...when i compared them ...picture speaks for itself

 

[Lowman]

and finally..i got to go out for a nice drive saturday AND today
On saturday..i just had to take the car out in the rain...because i had like serious "cruising needs"...and later that day ..i got surprised by a heavy hail storm..it got pretty slippery running around on the wide amg wheels



Here ..i had to go hiding..from all the hail shittyness


And today..i also went out for a drive..and went shopping for some "cookies"..i just had to.






Also sitting alongside the freeway..watching the cars drive past..and if you study the one picture..you can see a R230 SL 55 AMG cruising by


I hope you liked the pics Greeetings

 

[Jlaa]

....

AND..now for the grand finale....i friggin broke the new one..when i had to take off the center gearshift surround to mount it proper..and suddenly the plastic window broke...1 step forward...two steps back!!damnit.

Ohhhh man I feel your pain. That is the story of all of our lives..... I'm with you!

 

[Lowman]

hehe yeah..not the end of the world..but it was kinda frustrating yes

 

[Lowman]

and today..my left rear rim started to leak after the "repair" the faboulous wheel shop did to my wheel
The funny thing is that it even didnt leak before i had the rim fixed.Even WITH the cracks that were precent.so now....proceeding to stage2.Buy new inner barrels

 

[Lowman]

Get it on

 

[Lowman]

Reporting from the garage....its all quiet...weekend ,,fiddling around with the EvoLtwin..."laughs
Inner barrels for the Amg 3 piece wheels are shipped from Germany today Excited.com








I hope you are all havin a nice friday

 

[Lowman]

Hellooooo people
Just a little babble video for you

 

[Lowman]

well..its early winter time..and a loooong time until springs come back and cars going out...so i needed some "inspiration"
These pics were taken at a small car show ..1 hour drive from where i live
My friend with the mint condition Audi a4 Rs4 , and me went there..and had a blast basically.
And i just had to post some pics..as it doesnt seem that i have posted these before.
I was lucky to be placed alongside one of the most spoken off cars in the custom car scene around the world...the norwegian Ford Granada..with a 2500 hp Top Fuel engine in it.STREET legal....and that thing is just insane.!!Started of life as a v6 engined car...converted into v8..using a rover 3500 engine..then evolving into what you see on the pictures.just mindblowing work done to that car.

Hope you like em.




























On the way back home we stopped for a little car photoshoot at the regular photoshoot place

 

[Lowman]

FINALLY!!!! Happy days

 

[Lowman]

suggestions?when it comes to paint?ordinary paint..or powdercoating?would like some inputs here...

 

[JC220]

suggestions?when it comes to paint?ordinary paint..or powdercoating?would like some inputs here...

I’d go for powder coat rather than 2k lacquer. When my 500’s BBS wheels were done they sprayed a metallic base coat (The brilliant silver colour) then baked on a clear powder coat as the final layer. The powder coat clear gives a tough durable finish which is more resistant to brake pad dust and wheel cleaning agents IMO

 

[Lowman]

A little 190e update.
It was my intention to paint my new spare grill,,and i finally got around to do it.
Did mess around with different colors...and the one seen on the last pictures..is indeed the "correct" color code..but it is indeed different...because they did not blend it to the correct shade...so..but for now ..it works..Im happy with the finish of it at least.

 

[Lowman]

finally got to do another power steering flush on my EvoLtwin.
Here are some pics for you all















Kinda dodged a bullet herePreventative maintenance rules

 

[Lowman]

If you simply neeeed to go out for a coffe...why not do it in the w201.,,,and drive around abit while you are at it A trip down memory lane..as the cars are definetly not going out at this point