grober
MB Master
Partially seized idler arm bushes?
My 59k mile W202 C200 classic (auto)
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
I'm not sure what an idler arm actually is. Kind of embarrassing to admit
I will have a look on google now to see what it is and what it does.
grober
MB Master
Its the equivalent of the steering box on the other side of the steering linkage.I'm not sure what an idler arm actually is. Kind of embarrassing to admit
I will have a look on google now to see what it is and what it does.
ITEM 2/3 on the diagram except its for LHD
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
Thanks for the diagram.
When I was underneath the car dealing with the atf change I did notice that part number 4 of that diagram (steering damper??) seemed to be weeping a little oil on the far left of it.
I'm not 100% sure of this parts role in the steering setup. Could this also be attributing to the noise?
Since topping up the pas fluid the noise is quieter but still there in the background a little. There is also a very tiny dead spot developing in the centre of the steering (when both wheels are straight).
I need some better weather to be changing parts over .... it's way too cold and way too wet to be messing around with it at the minute.
When I was underneath the car dealing with the atf change I did notice that part number 4 of that diagram (steering damper??) seemed to be weeping a little oil on the far left of it.
I'm not 100% sure of this parts role in the steering setup. Could this also be attributing to the noise?
Since topping up the pas fluid the noise is quieter but still there in the background a little. There is also a very tiny dead spot developing in the centre of the steering (when both wheels are straight).
I need some better weather to be changing parts over .... it's way too cold and way too wet to be messing around with it at the minute.
I was going to suggest the damper it was certainly the cause of the exact same noise you describe on my W202. There fairly cheap from MB or if you can source a Stabilus branded one as they are the OEM supplier for the original part. Febi supply Stabilus in the UK so worth shopping around. Another thing to note is the direction when fitting, take note of the old part as its easy to mount it the wrong way. Loving the thread great to see some love still for the W202. Keep up the good work looks like a minter 
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
It's not 100% mint as there are a couple of body issues at present that annoy me.
I will say that it is extremely tidy for a 20 year old W202 chassis. There are long term plans afoot with the car. It will hopefully not see another winter without remedial work being done to the body.
This place certainly helps with keeping the car going, things like the steering assembly diagrams are priceless.
We put the car up on the 2 post today and had a good look around underneath .... I wish I had my phone with me to take photos, I have seen 5 year old cars look much worse than this one does underneath.
The steering damper is certainly leaking oil out of the end of it. The idler arm looks like there has been a new bush fitted recently and has absolutely no play in it at all.
The exhaust is also getting tired so will need replacement in the near future, maybe by the end of this year... either way 20 years out of one exhaust is pretty darn good regardless of low mileage.
Currently trying to get my dad to join the forum as we just picked him up a facelift W210 E240 2.4 V6 (99 V reg) from west London. His has a mere 65k on the clock and except for a couple of dings it's a lovely old thing.
I will say that it is extremely tidy for a 20 year old W202 chassis. There are long term plans afoot with the car. It will hopefully not see another winter without remedial work being done to the body.
This place certainly helps with keeping the car going, things like the steering assembly diagrams are priceless.
We put the car up on the 2 post today and had a good look around underneath .... I wish I had my phone with me to take photos, I have seen 5 year old cars look much worse than this one does underneath.
The steering damper is certainly leaking oil out of the end of it. The idler arm looks like there has been a new bush fitted recently and has absolutely no play in it at all.
The exhaust is also getting tired so will need replacement in the near future, maybe by the end of this year... either way 20 years out of one exhaust is pretty darn good regardless of low mileage.
Currently trying to get my dad to join the forum as we just picked him up a facelift W210 E240 2.4 V6 (99 V reg) from west London. His has a mere 65k on the clock and except for a couple of dings it's a lovely old thing.
grober
MB Master
It will have the M112 v6 Very reliable engine normally - your engine at '99 does fall into the problem harmonic balancer era where the front crank compound pulley can break up and damage the timing cover case/ sump. Just a thought ---if the car has been "resting" in the back of some garage somewhere it may never have been replaced?
12 spark plugs too!
- your engine at '99 does fall into the problem harmonic balancer era where the front crank compound pulley can break up and damage the timing cover case/ sump. Just a thought ---if the car has been "resting" in the back of some garage somewhere it may never have been replaced? 12 spark plugs too!
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
It will have the M112 v6 Very reliable engine normally
12 spark plugs too!
The 12 spark plugs was indeed a shocker!
We have no record of the harmonic balancer ever being changed either.
I did get to have a play in it last week when he came over.... it's like a very grown up version of my w202 and the only gripe I had driving the car was that the throttle is really sensitive compared to my w202! But then the throttle is electronic (fully) on this w210 and my w202 has a totally mechanical throttle except for the cruise control which is the only electronic part on my throttle.
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
In other news my ac/heaters have gone a bit crazy on the old girl!
I am pretty sure that I have pinned it to a faulty duo valve
Basically if I need ac, I will have to drive from the passenger seat. The drivers side air vent will only blow hot or intermittent ac.... which is annoying!
It all started when I tried to find out why the dual auxiliary fans are not kicking in when the ac is on. I posted a help thread because little did I know the blower fan connection had managed to jump off
When I got the blower fans working again, I noticed that the temp was all over the place on the drivers side. Obviously never noticed up till now as it's been a chilly winter and I haven't needed cool air.
I have removed the duo valve and thoroughly cleaned as per the wonderful guide on this forum. It's not improved, the duo valve makes a constant clicking noise from the drivers side solenoid so maybe the capacitor is dead?? Either way it looks like they are a slightly different design to the ones pictured in the guide and I'm a little unsure if it's a simple case of soldering in a pair of new capacitors to get it working again.
If anyone knows what the capacitor rating should be that would be a great help because they are simply an electro magnet so not really much that can fail on them.
I am pretty sure that I have pinned it to a faulty duo valve
Basically if I need ac, I will have to drive from the passenger seat. The drivers side air vent will only blow hot or intermittent ac.... which is annoying!
It all started when I tried to find out why the dual auxiliary fans are not kicking in when the ac is on. I posted a help thread because little did I know the blower fan connection had managed to jump off
When I got the blower fans working again, I noticed that the temp was all over the place on the drivers side. Obviously never noticed up till now as it's been a chilly winter and I haven't needed cool air.
I have removed the duo valve and thoroughly cleaned as per the wonderful guide on this forum. It's not improved, the duo valve makes a constant clicking noise from the drivers side solenoid so maybe the capacitor is dead?? Either way it looks like they are a slightly different design to the ones pictured in the guide and I'm a little unsure if it's a simple case of soldering in a pair of new capacitors to get it working again.
If anyone knows what the capacitor rating should be that would be a great help because they are simply an electro magnet so not really much that can fail on them.
The duo valves are supposed to click, see last minute of below video.
You should have the AC on all the time, summer and winter (EC light will be off when AC is on.)
Dec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhPEfLI45s
[YOUTUBE]8jhPEfLI45s[/YOUTUBE]
You should have the AC on all the time, summer and winter (EC light will be off when AC is on.)
Dec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhPEfLI45s
[YOUTUBE]8jhPEfLI45s[/YOUTUBE]
grober
MB Master
In other news my ac/heaters have gone a bit crazy on the old girl!
I am pretty sure that I have pinned it to a faulty duo valve
Basically if I need ac, I will have to drive from the passenger seat. The drivers side air vent will only blow hot or intermittent ac.... which is annoying!
It all started when I tried to find out why the dual auxiliary fans are not kicking in when the ac is on. I posted a help thread because little did I know the blower fan connection had managed to jump off
When I got the blower fans working again, I noticed that the temp was all over the place on the drivers side. Obviously never noticed up till now as it's been a chilly winter and I haven't needed cool air.
I have removed the duo valve and thoroughly cleaned as per the wonderful guide on this forum. It's not improved, the duo valve makes a constant clicking noise from the drivers side solenoid so maybe the capacitor is dead?? Either way it looks like they are a slightly different design to the ones pictured in the guide and I'm a little unsure if it's a simple case of soldering in a pair of new capacitors to get it working again.
If anyone knows what the capacitor rating should be that would be a great help because they are simply an electro magnet so not really much that can fail on them.
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/129471-duo-valve-capacitor-value-cheap-fix.html
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
There are 2x capacitors not unlike the ones in the picture above.
I expect that they should click when they are set to a certain temperature but mine I expect are not functioning correctly.
Set to cold the drivers side one just keeps clicking.... click, click, click, click... the whole time that the car has the ignition on.
I suspect that this is why the drivers side ventilation is fluctuating constantly when set to cold. I have had the whole thing to bits and there are no visible blockages and everything seems to run ok.
I am struggling to think of another reason for this to be happening and I have a good idea of the valve being astronomically expensive to replace.
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
After getting utterly fed up with not being able to pinpoint exact problems with the ventilation system. I decided to disconnect the battery and hope that an Ecu reset would shed some better light on my problems.....
What a difference it has made to the car.
The engine feels to be about twice as responsive as it was before. Pickup from standstill is massively better too.
On the ac/heater control front it has made me think that I was looking in the wrong place to start with.
The duo valve appears to be functioning as it should do and I have even checked that the solonoids pop correctly (they do).
The whole issue seems to be hidden in the heater controls. Being a dual zone, manual ac model. It has the two wheels for setting the temperature.
If you start the car with the ac switched on blowing cold into both sides, it blows constantly ice cold ac into the car .... I have had many cars with ac, but my god this thing is like a freezer blowing into you're face!
The problem appears to arise when you change the heat on the drivers side. Set it to hot and it immediately gives nice hot air. But, change it back to cold ac and it will start to fluctuate between hot and warm...... unless you flick the control wheel a few times from the coldest and back a few times!
I guess that the drivers side controls have spent most of the time set to heat. Maybe there is a build up of fluff or dirt on the contacts (presuming that there are contacts there). Maybe this is also the source of the auxiliary electric fans not coming on as I'm told that they are linked to numerous points.
Either way, getting closer to the root cause of the issues :bannana:
What a difference it has made to the car.
The engine feels to be about twice as responsive as it was before. Pickup from standstill is massively better too.
On the ac/heater control front it has made me think that I was looking in the wrong place to start with.
The duo valve appears to be functioning as it should do and I have even checked that the solonoids pop correctly (they do).
The whole issue seems to be hidden in the heater controls. Being a dual zone, manual ac model. It has the two wheels for setting the temperature.
If you start the car with the ac switched on blowing cold into both sides, it blows constantly ice cold ac into the car .... I have had many cars with ac, but my god this thing is like a freezer blowing into you're face!
The problem appears to arise when you change the heat on the drivers side. Set it to hot and it immediately gives nice hot air. But, change it back to cold ac and it will start to fluctuate between hot and warm...... unless you flick the control wheel a few times from the coldest and back a few times!
I guess that the drivers side controls have spent most of the time set to heat. Maybe there is a build up of fluff or dirt on the contacts (presuming that there are contacts there). Maybe this is also the source of the auxiliary electric fans not coming on as I'm told that they are linked to numerous points.
Either way, getting closer to the root cause of the issues :bannana:
Have a look at the Fan Controle Module as in picture below.
See also;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoUMr6084yo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6u0jaTHbTw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytbx5MHfWeI
Dec
See also;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoUMr6084yo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6u0jaTHbTw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytbx5MHfWeI
Dec
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
Well I have just had the entire arch liner out on the n/s... this is where everyone is pointing me for this daft fan control module thing!
I am very mucky, fairly cold, own a sheared bolt for the arch liner and have no sign of any fan control module at all!
No wiring for it, no mount points where it should be .... absolutely nothing there at all except the horn and part of the ac system!
This makes me think that my car uses a slightly different system as it's a 2.0 m111 with a viscous radiator fan and 2x auxiliary fans in front of the ac condenser.
Also to note!
In the main fuse box, fuse 29 is marked as auxiliary fan but there is no socket there for a fuse. Just an empty square through which you can see all of the wires below. The fans have a relay sat under the screen wash bottle that when bridged, the fans work perfectly.
I'm Guessing that my auxiliary fans have 1 sole purpose and that is the ac condenser for when the ac is switched on (like my 525 E39, Picasso, Laguna, Mondeo, Xantia all were).
So not having that control box there what the hell is the issue or is it best ignoring it and never speaking of it again?
I am very mucky, fairly cold, own a sheared bolt for the arch liner and have no sign of any fan control module at all!
No wiring for it, no mount points where it should be .... absolutely nothing there at all except the horn and part of the ac system!
This makes me think that my car uses a slightly different system as it's a 2.0 m111 with a viscous radiator fan and 2x auxiliary fans in front of the ac condenser.
Also to note!
In the main fuse box, fuse 29 is marked as auxiliary fan but there is no socket there for a fuse. Just an empty square through which you can see all of the wires below. The fans have a relay sat under the screen wash bottle that when bridged, the fans work perfectly.
I'm Guessing that my auxiliary fans have 1 sole purpose and that is the ac condenser for when the ac is switched on (like my 525 E39, Picasso, Laguna, Mondeo, Xantia all were).
So not having that control box there what the hell is the issue or is it best ignoring it and never speaking of it again?
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Wigglesworth
Active Member
Just decided to go and have a poke at the wires to see where exactly where they go to/from....
From the electric fans to the passenger headlamp, up to the alarm siren, up under the washer bottle area and off the the second fuse box where you plug in the diagnostics!
There is no evidence of it spurring off anywhere to this module so I have to wonder... does the part that controls the fans live up in that second fuse box???
From the electric fans to the passenger headlamp, up to the alarm siren, up under the washer bottle area and off the the second fuse box where you plug in the diagnostics!
There is no evidence of it spurring off anywhere to this module so I have to wonder... does the part that controls the fans live up in that second fuse box???
grober
MB Master
Because you can experience both cold and hot air I would suspect that both aircon and heating systems are working corectly. What's more likely is that one or more of the air diverting flaps that should be "blending " heated and cooled air are not working. I think at this stage these flaps are vacuum operated via solenoid valves. Could be a vacuum leak or electrical fault. There should be a vacuum manifold somewhere beside the heater unit you can check out.
John Jones Jr
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- Mazda MX5 10AE, W201 2.5-16, W202 230K Sport man, Honda Accord & Suzuki 'Ricer'.
All I can add is this:
1. The aux fans (or one anyway) will cut in if the engine is running too hot without the A/C on.
2. My '98 C-Class doesn't have a fan controller or any controller mounted where previously mentioned. The only item behind the N/S/F wheel arch liner is the alarm siren.
