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Early in the summer of 2023, I had a decision to make concerning my 2004 SL500. With only 78,000 miles, the car was pristine, but I found I was just not driving it very much. Whenever I came out into my garage, I would shy away from looking at the car, hoping it was not "on the ground" or leaning to one side. When I drove it, I drove it with great care, trying not to hit any potholes or cornering too hard. The red warning light started coming on more often, and I feared the accumulators were going bad.
As the picture here illustrates ,it can all be a little confusing and overwhelming at times. Reading the many manuals on the subject often does not clear the "fog" So in September of 2022 Kent set out to produce a number of DIY repair kits with special tools and detailed video instructions that can help you troubleshoot Bosch D-Jetronic (1970 to 1975), Bosch K-jetronic (1976 to 1985) and Bosch KE-jetronic (1986 to 1993)
Neither videos nor PDF written instructions are shipped. They are both digital and reside for you on my website for viewing. You must be logged in to your account in order to view them.
Notice I added in here - enjoyable. You can have a reliable diesel mechanically, but that does not necessarily mean it is going to be enjoyable. If the seat springs are broken down, heater works sporatically, power windows stick and make noise, water leaks into the cabin, glove box door won't close, etc., etc., etc. - then it may not be all that enjoyable. There is nothing that can put a bigger smile on your face than when you get into an old W123 diesel, starts right up, drives smoothly and everything works - even the cruise control.
They are old and they are tired. Even the newest model is now 30 years old. If you own one of these cars, you might agree that your systems “works” most of the time but sometimes, not so good. In the past you probably replaced the mono valve and things improved. At least you were getting hot when you wanted it and could turn it off when you desired. But now you find out that Bosch is no longer making the mono valve replacement and your system is acting up again. There are a lot of Mercedes still on the road that suffer these maladies.
This is a very special 300D turbo diesel sedan. It was named "Bubbles" by the previous owner because she felt the color looked like the color of champagne. Rather than try to tell you all about this car, I am going to have you watch a number of videos below. The first video will explain how we came to be owners of this pretty W123. The second video will show you why this one is a real rocket when it comes to acceleration and speed. The third video covers what we did to get the automatic transmission to shift properly.
You are looking at examples of two of my favorite car designs of all time. I named them after the legendary Mercedes Benz designer Bruno Sacco. I personally consider this man one of the best automotive designers of all time. He shaped the face of Mercedes Cars during the 1980s and 1990s. The W126 released in 1980 was the first model he was almost solely responsible for and the R129 is considered by many to be one of his finest achievements.
The M116 and M117 V8's survived production for over 20 years (1970 to 1991), so now these engines are all 30 to 50 years old. The rear fuel delivery system is an important part of these engines and it is often neglected even by professional mechanics. Recently I have seen two cars that had their fuel pumps replaced professionally, but the old fuel hoses were not changed! Every single one of these old V8's I have seen in the past 5 years needs something done back there whether it be for safety, reliability, or performance. Once again, if you want it done right you need to do it yourself.
Look what just arrived at Mercedessource. It was 40 years ago and Kent remembers clearly the first time he really noticed a Mercedes Benz. In fact it turned his head when he walked by. It was 1980 and he was walking around the Pamona Car Swap Meet in Southern California. To be continued...
So you want to pick up and restore an old Benz - maybe even a classic SL convertible? I have a recommendation. Bring home a running and rolling restoration project. Do NOT bring home a project car that is not running, needs a repaint, and shows severe signs of neglect. I get people disagreeing with me all the time on this, but you can not believe how many "project" Mercedes I run across that people have given up on. Follow along as I do this on a loved 380SL. You will understand better why I am such a believer in approaching any old car project this way.
There are a number of reasons for removing an engine from an old diesel: rebuilding, replacement, restoring, repairing and detailing. Feel free to print out this checklist and use it as a step-by-step guide anytime you plan to do the deed. CLICK ON READ MORE. Kent Bergsma
Diesel Engine Removal Checklist:
Have you ever wanted to make a cross-country road trip in a 30 plus-year-old Mercedes? I have always thought it a little “risky” unless the car was thoroughly checked over. I usually recommend if you are purchasing a car that old from “afar” you might want to consider having to truck it to your location. We have heard from a number of our customers who have made such a trip successfully and suggest I might be a little too cautious. A couple years ago I sold a 1980 240D to a buyer on the East Coast. I suggested he truck the car back east but he was adamant about driving it.
"So how did you happen to go from being a pilot to getting involved with older Mercedes Benz?" This is a question that Kent gets ask a lot. Most of us can recall those seamingly insignificant events that end up changing the whole course of our lives. CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO LEARN MORE. So was the case here. It all started with a 1982 240D in the early 1990's. Watch the video below and he will explain how it all happened and why he continues to be passionate about old diesels.
From my own experience and from hearing from lots of other's experiences I can not stress enough - DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR IGNITION TUMBLER AND STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY! If your key is starting to "stick" or "catch" in the tumbler then you shoud replace it before it will not turn and leave you stranded! In the picture here the owner tried to drill it out, but let me tell you they do not drill out very well. If you neglect this warning you could end up spending hundreds of dollars instead of less than $50 for new new tumbler and keys.
Fuel Leaks. Air Leaks. Rough running diesel engine. All around your diesel injectors! Collar nuts might just need to be tightened, but could be too worn and need replacment! If you are having problems with your diesel prechambers we have tools and parts to help!
Below is a great Video Kent did on all the in's and out's of Prechambers and will explain in detail what each part is, how it works, and how to replace it. Watch the other two videos to see how the tools work along with a warning if you plan to remove a pre-chamber.
It is the end January 2017 and Kent has just finished filming a new video on how to find air leaks in an Airmatic suspension. There is nothing like driving a Benz with Airmatic, but there is a price to pay... and that price does not need to be that much if you learn to diagnose and repair the leak (s) yourself. Do not be afraid to tackle these systems! Kent will make it easy for you to save lots of money if you are willing to learn and apply knowledge.
Not all older MFI and CIS fuel injectors are "restorable." Some are just plain worn out. If the tip is worn out or damaged there is nothing you can do to repair that. There are no replacement parts available for Bosch mechanical gas fuel injectors. You can not replace the tip. The fuel injector is sealed up tight during the manufacturing process.
This is that time of year we pull our prized Mercedes out of winter storage and get it ready to hit the road. Just today (April 8) it was 72 degrees and bright blue skies here in Bellingham. Tomorrow I am going to put the top down and take Happier (my 280SL) for a tour of the countryside. :-)
You can save Thousands $$$ and you can do it yourself if you have done brakes and shocks before!
When you want the “full scoop” then watch my on demand video :
Many owners forget that sunroofs need to be serviced. If neglected there is a price to pay. The NUMBER ONE cause of sunroof failure is lack of lubrication! When a sunroof can not slide easily on the tracks due to dried out lubricant and dirty slides, it puts a heavy strain on the drive mechanism. This leads to tilt arm, motor drive and cable failures. Even manually operated sunroofs can suffer from broken handles and latch mechanisms due to lack of proper lubrication.
So what is a 2000 hour inspection? How do you know when you have 2000 hours on your car? Many aircraft engine manufactures recommend rebuilding the engine at or around 2000 hours.
Over the next several months he will be working on a series of videos that focus on specific maintenance tips related to the older diesel engines. New videos will be added weekly. Most will be very specific and will run 3 to 8 minutes in length.
If you are having problems with a sticking key, a fussy steering lock, a malfunctioning electrical switch or worse yet - a key that will not turn, I have the solutions to help you fix it yourself. In fact, for the 1975 to 1995 Mercedes models my website has the most the complete set of resources to help you fix these problems of any website in the world!
I realize that not all our customers want to restore an older Benz. Some would rather spend the money and purchase a nice Mercedes that does not need a lot of work. Even if one spends top dollar for a pristine model, it usually turns out to be cheaper than buying a project car and paying to have it fixed up. From my experience, the only time it pays to restore an older Benz is if you do all the work yourself and don't count the cost of your own labor!
I had decided a year ago that my days of restoring old cars were probably over. I don't seem to have the energy I once had and with all that is going on in the this business every day, I hardly have time to do oil changes on my numerous daily drivers. But no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to rid myself of the desire to rescue another special Mercedes. And so it has happened again. Look what I trailered home on November 22. It is a 1978 450SEL 6.9 (European model) with classic Euro bumpers, headlights, and velour interior.
This weekend (July 30, 2011) I had the privilege of meeting a true American World War II hero. Our radio Control flying club had a model warbird fly-in on Saturday. We invited Joe Moser to attend the event and share his story and sign copies of his new book. Joe was a P-38 pilot who flew 44 combat missions over Europe in the period leading up to D-Day and the weeks immediately following the invasion of Europe. On August 13, 1944 his P-38 Lightning twin engine fighter was shot down by enemy gunfire over France.
My father, Les Bergsma, passed away on July 24th at the age of 90. On Friday, September 3 the family gathered together to remember and celebrate his life. It was a very special day for us as we gathered at the old seaplane base location and had a Cessna floatplane fly overhead and drop roses on Lake Whatcom. He was a kind man with a gentle spirit who lived a life of integrity and faith. What I have done and what I am doing today is largely due to his influence. Many of you know that I have a background in aviation, but few know that my father was also a pilot.
Meet our new company mascot! It is a very nice white 1966 Fintail 230 sedan. You can tell we are pretty excited around here about receiving this little sweetheart. There is a reason for this. It is not often a customer drops by to give us something. It is a new experience for us that a gentleman Mercedes enthusiast would drop by to tell us he wanted to give us his car! Thats right - give it to us... He has owned the car since 1970 and wanted it to find a home where it would be maintained and lovingly cared for. I have seen a lot of Finbacks over the years.