Newsletter No.067 Getting ready for Christmas, K-jetronic injection
Newsletter Number 67
1st December 2003
Hello and welcome to another newsletter.
Hello again. Are you ready for Christmas? Have a read of the article below before you head off for the Christmas break. Also in this Newsletter, we have some info on the Bosch K-jetronic injection system and some great links for you.
Thanks, John Green.
Quiz for the week?
Have a very good look at this car. What the story here? Answer in the next Newsletter..... If you think you know send me an e-mail.
Are you ready for Christmas?
Is your car ready for Christmas? Here is a quick check list for you. If you have anything that you feel may need attention, please feel free to contact our Service manager on 02 6239 1099 or by e-mail.
Tyres. First thing you need to know about tyres is that there are five of them on your car. Don't forget the spare. All tyres need to have a minimum tread depth of 1.5mm across the entire face of the tyre. If any section if tread is under 1.5mm then the tyre is both dangerous and unroadworthy. Here is a page about tyres to check out.
Wheel alignment. Even if your tyres are OK they might not be when you get back from your Christmas trip. About five years ago I fitted a set of new Continentals to my 300TE wagon and drove the family to the Gold coast and back. When I got back I could not believe the wear on the rear tyres. As it turned out, the wheel alignment shop had fouled up the alignment and owed me 1/2 a set of rear tyres! Get it checked before you go.
Tyre pressure. You also need to check your tyre pressure regularly. This is especially important on a long trip. If you have a look inside your fuel filler cap you can see the pressures on a sticker.
Radiators and the cooling system. The entire engine and cooling system is under a lot more pressure in Summer, especially if you are towing the family caravan/boat or just a boot full of Christmas presents. Your car should not use water. If it is, there is something wrong and the system should be pressure tested.
Air Conditioning. Now if the A/C fails on the Christmas road trip, you are still going to get there, however we all like to get there in some comfort. Air Conditioning systems need to be serviced every two to three years depending on how much they get used. Just like your engine has an oil filter, there is a filter in the A/C system for the gas and the oil in the lines. It should be changed when the system is serviced.
When was the oil changed last. If you are going for the big trip you need to have a think about when the next service is due and how many kilometers you will be doing on the trip. It is alway better to get the oil changed and the car serviced ahead of the normal scheduled time rather than letting it go over.
Fact's of the week.
There was been quite some discussion this week on the OZVETS mailing list about diagnosing problems with Bosch K-jetronic injection. This system was used in two versions by Mercedes-Benz from 1976 till 1992, so anybody who considers themselves a Mercedes nut needs to have a basic understanding of the system. There are two versions of K-jetronic injection.
The first version was used from 1976 till 1985 on the following models: 230E/TE, 280E/CE/TE, 280SE, 350SE, 450SE/SEL, 450SEL 6.9, 280SL, 350SL, 450SL, 380SL, 380SEC, 380SE/SEL and 500SE/SEL.
The second version was called KE-jetronic and covered models from 1985-92 including: 230E, 260E, 300E, 300CE, 300CE-24, 300SE/SEL, 420SEL, 560SEL, 560SEC, 560SL and the very early 500SL (R129)
I was going to write an article about this system but found heaps of them on the net already. The best one is this one. It is well set out and easy to read. The article is mainly about the K-jetronic system. The KE system is very similar, however there is a computer that does the job of the warm up regulator. More about that next Newsletter.
1.Fuel tank 2.Fuel pump 3.Fuel accumulator 4.Fuel filter 5a.Fuel distributor 5b.Air sensor 5c.Pressure regulator 6.Throttle plate 7.Injector 8.Warm up regulator 9.Auxiliary air device 10.Start jet 11.Thermo time switch
Please note the above information is related to the models available for sale in Australia. There are some differences with models available in other countries.....
Cars for dismantling
The following cars have arrived to be dismantled:
W114 280E 1974, engine and transmission worn out but with a very nice cream MB-tex interior. We want $350.00 for the complete interior!
W114 280 1974, same as above but with a carburettor engine. Total heap. We traded both of these cars on the White 1990 190E that was sold last week.
W123 230E 1984, now here is a strange story. A good customer, who lives out of town, comes in and has a look at the nice 380SE we had for sale. He likes the car but decided to think about it. He drives off and about five minutes later is on the phone to me. His 230E has "failed to proceed!" So I jump in the 380SE, drive out to see him and do the deal on the side of the road. Maybe his car was trying to tell him something? As a result we have a W123 230E with a shot transmission but a very, very good engine. I know this because we rebuilt it only 30000kms ago. First one in with $1500.00 can have it.
Links of the week.
The link of the week last Newsletter was the German site http://www.mobile.de/. It would appear that they have a system of changing their listings so giving people links to them does not work very well. Sorry about that. One thing we have learnt about the site is that you can use their own German>>English translation. To do this, go to their site, look down the bottom of the front page and click Great Britain. This directs you to the English version and the cars for sale in Great Brittain. However, you can look at the cars in Germany from the GB site by going to the search page and selecting Germany in the "Country" box.
We have a great page set up to help people work out what the codes are on their data card. There are a few others on the web like this one that has a great list of colour and interior codes as well.
Interested in a 6.3, a 6.9 or maybe even a 600??? If so you need to check this site out. You might even like to subscribe to it. They have a great online Library that is available to Members. There are also some excellent pictures in there Photo Gallery.
Here is a great link showing a 360degree view of a W123 sedan interior! It is about 1/2 way down the page.
The 300E did not sell as expected, so it is back on the Cars for sale page. The C220 Sport arrived. It is a great car and looks good with its colour coded bumpers and mirrors and the 15" alloys. The car also features a tilt action sunroof and electric windows. We may have a cheap 450SLC for sale next Newsletter so stay tuned.
The 380SE and 190E have been sold and are now with proud new owners
Click here to see all the cars for sale.
The following car have been sold:
380SE 1985 sedan only 136000kms!
The following cars have recently arrived for sale:
C220 Sport 1994 model 146000kms
Also in stock we have:
Collection of three factory Stretch Mercedes-Benz's
So that's it for another newsletter. Hope you liked what you saw. If you have any ideas or want to contribute any articles, pictures or other material please e-mail me here. Also, don't forget that you can check out the old newsletters here
Thanks, John Green.
