My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on July 17, 2013

With the heat in the 90s and humidity high this week I noticed the driver side and rear passenger floor in the Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel soaking wet again. A few weeks ago I thought that it might be due to a leak in the windshield gasket or possibly the drain in front as mentioned by Kent Bergsma in a video – I was hoping it was not that. So I tackled the easy fix first by using a tube of Permatex 81730 flowable sealant before considering a new front and rear windshield gasket ($$$), but I haven’t driven the car out in very much rain. Fast forward a few days and once again I’m dealing with a wet floor … AFTER using the air conditioning on a hot and muggy day. Hmm …

I now suspected a possible plugged drain to the evaporator or maybe a loose hose clamp fitting; what I didn’t expect was the ridiculous degraded foam drain piece that was suppose to route water through the transmission tunnel and out onto the ground. What were the engineers of Mercedes Benz thinking? 

Of course none of this was easy to find or easy to access. It is buried under the dash and to make matters worse, there isn’t an actual part to replace this “weak link.” (see photo of the degraded “foam” thingy)

So I opted for the next best thing – look around the workbench for quick fix that would fit in the hole in the floor and direct the dripping condensation outside. A right sized hose or funnel perhaps? Maybe a surgically (not really) cut plastic bottle held in place with a small fabricated aluminum clip. Voilà … it works!

Category: Automotive, Diesel, How-To, Mercedes, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: 300d, ac, diesel, drain, mercedes, repairs, W123

Posted By RichC on July 16, 2013

Most car guys (and gals) know that the Mercedes Benz nameplate represents a high quality vehicle, but also a higher price. Some might argue that there is worth in a vehicle designed for longevity and safety and that it makes for repeat customers? 

I sold my first Mercedes, a 560 SEL, back in the late 1990s due to the higher than expected cost of ownership. I disliked the routine parts replacement required to maintain service stamps and warranty coverage as I’ve never been one to replace expensive parts way before their expected life. At the time I surmised that was one of the reasons  these expensive remain on the road – they are practically looking at the number of parts being replaced during routine maintenance. Still, I appreciated how solid the behemoth of a car was built … and how well it drove. Oh how nice it drove! They are truly well engineered and built “like a tanks.” If the initial price and higher than normal maintenance cost were not an issue, I’d probably be a loyal Mercedes Benz owner and driver to this day.

High cost aside, there are a few other things that Mercedes Benz does to make owners feel appreciated (Volkswagen should take note). One such touch is their high mileage badging program. In fact, the award for my 1982 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel arrived Monday and I strategically placed it on the grille in order to cover a small ding (the plan when I sent in the application [PDF]). Perfect! Thanks you Mercedes … for both the customer appreciation effort and the impressively package and FREE mileage badge and award.

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Mercedes | 2 Comments »
Tags: 300d, badge, diesel, mercedes

Posted By RichC on July 15, 2013

There are now 570 miles of Ohio roads where we legally can drive 70 mph (below).

The following sections will allow 70 mph travel …

• Interstate 76: From outside Akron going east to the west of Youngstown.

• Interstate 77: From outside of Canton south to the West Virginia border.

• Interstate 71: From the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge in southwest Ohio to south of the Cuyahoga-Medina county border, excluding the Columbus area.

• Interstate 70: From the Indiana border to outside Wheeling, W.Va., excluding the Dayton, Columbus and Zanesville areas.

• Interstate 75: From outside of Toledo heading south to north of Dayton, excluding the Findlay and Lima areas.

• Interstate 90: From outside of Cleveland east to the Pennsylvania border.

Nationwide, 35 states now have a speed limit of 70 mph or higher.

LINK

Category: Automotive, News, Travel | 2 Comments »
Tags: highway, limit, ohio, speed

Posted By RichC on July 14, 2013

Taylor and I were discussing that Volkswagen might bring the VW Phaeton back to the US and how rare they are (maybe 2500 of them between 2004-2006?) … and then the next day I roll up behind one close to home. I sat at the light behind him but once the signal turned green the powerful 6-liter W12 took off and left my 5-cylinder MB Turbodiesel in the dust. (not that I tried to keep up)

Category: Automotive, Local, Volkswagen | No Comments »
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Posted By RichC on July 14, 2013

I didn’t bother to check on the authenticity of this forwarded email, but I don’t think it matters.

You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American; any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)

‘An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish , Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion…… For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.

The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God-given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return………

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan ..

The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These, in fact, are the people who built America .

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11 , 2001 earning a better life for their families. It’s been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must.. Hitler did. So did General Tojo , and Stalin , and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself . Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

— Written by an Australian Dentist

Category: Blogs, Misc | No Comments »
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Posted By RichC on July 13, 2013

I’m getting creative while addressing a few more rust spots while still keeping the dollar investment to acceptable levels in my 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel. In most areas I’m a proponent of grinding and replacing metal with metal (TIG welding new material) … but I noticed some rust  on the inside of the doors (creases at the bottom) when replacing a couple faulty lock vacuum servos — these areas are not easily accessible.

So, I’m going to go the chemical treatment route and since the usual spraying, brushing and sponging technique won’t work in these tight confines, I’m trying an inkjet cartridge filler (syringe “thingy” – technical term) so my hand can squeeze the liquid into these difficult to access spaces. I’m using Skyco’s Ospho as the rust treating chemical since I have the sample from the Cleveland Ohio company (I call on them as a customer). So far, the results look better than ignoring the problem, but I still haven’t figure out how to get a tiny spray head in the door panel in order add some Miracle Paint.

On other rust areas, I have opted to buy aftermarket parts … ie. the “disappearing” battery tray. (photo on the left above, is prior to removal; the photo on the right is what was pulled out, with the new black tray in the background) Since there were no battery hold-downs, I fabricated a couple, painted them black and fastened them down with a couple stainless steel nuts coated with A&D Ointment (Vaseline). Should be good for another 30+ years?

Category: Automotive, Diesel, How-To, Mercedes | 1 Comment »
Tags: 300d, battery, mercedes, ospho, paint, rust, turbodiesel

Posted By RichC on July 12, 2013

“Don’t overlook doing something good just because you aspire to do something great.”

Category: Advice, Misc | No Comments »
Tags: inspirational, thought

Posted By RichC on July 11, 2013

As the trial of George Zimmerman in Florida nears deliberation this week as attorneys for the prosecution and defense wrap up their arguments regarding the use of a gun in the killing of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in February 2012. The media did a disservice to those paying attention to this case both before and during the trial when reporting on race or on citizens carrying firearms. Biases aside, the jury must study the evidence which will either be enough to convict or exonerate Zimmerman of 2nd degree murder or manslaughter him … both carry a significant prison sentence.

Unknown to the jury will be character components regarding Trayvon Martin, as Judge Debra Nelson, among other questionable decisions, has rejected photos taken from his cellphone which reflect negatively of his character. Along with keeping these photos from the jury, the defense will not be permitted to include text messages or witness testimony which paint Martin as confrontational.

Although the media originally excluded color photos of Zimmerman’s injuries (above), in my mind that purposeful fact makes me distrust news coverage. After seeing the color photos, I mentally have already exonerated him and those injuries reinforced his decision to used his conceal weapon in self-defense. Now, knowing the additional character information below has me wondering if the  confrontation would have been even escalated further if Martin was of legal age. Am I the only one wondering why the state is working so hard to prosecute George Zimmerman?

The ruling concerning Trayvon’s phone means the jury won’t see text messages that discussed fighting, purchasing a gun and a photo of a gun.

The text messages discuss Trayvon being sore after winning several rounds of a fight, Zimmerman’s attorney, Don West said. Trayvon also discussed buying a gun and took pictures of a hand holding a gun, West said.

Prosecutors said there’s no way of proving Trayvon sent the text messages or took the photos. [cough, cough – adding for emphasis] 

LINK

Category: News | No Comments »
Tags: florida, guns, law, legal, martin, trial, zimmerman

Posted By RichC on July 10, 2013

I’ve been paying attention to crowdfunding micro-venture capital websites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo and RocketHub this past year or so and watching innovative ideas raise money for their projects. Personally, I think there are too many entrepreneurs using their connected friends for less than innovative ideas, but there are other creative thinkers with unique dreams.

I’m regularly attracted to advancements in technology and enjoy watching innovators merge computers and code with aviation and other vehicles. One such idea (still risky) is the RYNO one-wheeled personal transporter … or what most envision as a one-wheeled motorcycle … is getting close to make an announcement next month, according to Chris Hoffmann, CEO. The RYNO Motors “full story” video (below) does a pretty good job of introducing the ride-on vehicle and the realistic designer does a good job of pointing to its strengths, but I still struggle with the hurdle of stopping quickly?

Category: Automotive, Innovation, Technology, Video | No Comments »
Tags: crowdfunding, motorcycle, ryno, transportation

Posted By RichC on July 9, 2013

EDIT: Once again a postie post that didn’t post when it was suppose to yesterday. Hmm??

Category: Archive, Misc | 1 Comment »
Tags: europe, map