Grounded to the ground!

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/25/2015 at 00:13 • Filed to: None

This is my ride for the next few days while I’m in DC for job interviews. It’s washing machine white, and even an SE for maximum grounded-to-the-ground-ification. So far my impressions of it are:

It’s quiet, the bluetooth works, the headlights are mediocre, the seats are hard, and there’s this stupid ECO light on the dash that comes on when you’re coasting to tell you you’re doing a good job saving gas, but really just distracts you by blinking on and off randomly.

DISCUSSION (100)

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:20

How many miles does it have?

Textured Soy Protein > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
06/25/2015 at 00:21

I...didn’t look.

It did have a bunch of nicks and scratches on it that I made sure to take pictures of before I drove it off the rental lot though.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:21

the eco light could also mean cylinder cut-off, not sure what Toyota calls it. It basically stops injecting fuel into certain cylinders and collapses the lifters for the valves on those cylinders.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:25

I think the Honda eco light means that certain cylinders are deactivated. You are very correct about the distracting-ness of it. I was rather startled the first time it came on (Mom’s car).

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:25

It’s clearly been in the fleet for quite a while. Were you mean to the person at the Hertz counter?

Textured Soy Protein > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
06/25/2015 at 00:26

Toyota doesn’t have cylinder deactivation, and even if they did, this car wouldn’t have it because most cars with cylinder deactivation have more than 4 cylinders.

Textured Soy Protein > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
06/25/2015 at 00:27

I was very nice.

She told me it was in spot #344, which was empty when I went to the lot. I asked the lot attendant guy and he said, “oh it’s this one in spot #334.”

They must have been having an off night at the Hertz in general.

M54B30 > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:27

I don’t hate these. I probably wouldn’t buy one unless it was a crazy good deal, but i don’t mind them. Brain-numbing maybe, but sometimes thats all i want

Textured Soy Protein > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
06/25/2015 at 00:30

My gf has a ‘13 Civic. It has glowing LEDs on either side of the speedometer that gently cycle between green and blue as you use less or more gas. Green means you’re doing well, blue means you’re being a gas hog.

It also has an ECON button that turns on a light that looks like a leaf. As far as I can tell this changes up the engine and shift mapping to make the car slower and use less gas.

The Camry’s ECO light is doing the same thing as the Civic’s green/blue dealie but it’s far more distracting because it’s an on/off situation as opposed to lights that are always on but just change color. Plus you can turn the damn things off in the Civic if you want.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:31

Well. Good luck with the Camry, and remember, ”With a rental, never be gentle”.

Textured Soy Protein > M54B30
06/25/2015 at 00:31

If I were ever to buy a boring 4-cylinder family sedan, I would at the very least want nice comfy seats. These seats aren’t comfy.

Textured Soy Protein > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
06/25/2015 at 00:33

I wish I could beat on it, but there’s also a Hertz GPS mounted to the dash, which I believe you have to pay extra to actually use, but there’s a camera right on the front of the thing. They’re not even trying to hie the camera. First thing I did was point the damn thing as far away from myself as I could. I then swore a lot at other drivers. Not sure if it also picks up sound. But they’re spying on me for sure.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:35

Then buy a Subaru. They’re at least somewhat sporty but can also be boring. Also pretty good 4 cyls.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:36

I’ve heard of those. Hertz claims that it doesn't record, but I really don't believe them.

Dunnik > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:38

That camera isn’t operational. The company doesn’t want to pay the big money needed for the bandwidth, but since costs are always coming down, the decision was made to bake-in this feature in case it’s needed someday, rather than redesign a totally new unit. It’s meant for a video Concierge service. But I don’t blame you for turning the camera lens away inside the turret.

And you won’t be charged for the use of the Alwayslost. If it’s not on your contract, you don’t have to pay it, and there’s really no way for them at that level to find out if you did use the GPS. The reason you were given it is because whatever you reserved wasn’t available, so they give you that Camry. Otherwise, Neverlost is about $8/day or so.

Krieger (@FSKrieger22) > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:38

From your impressions of it... yeah, I have even less of a clue as to why people here aspire to own a Camry. Unless it’s reflective of Malaysian society...

Dunnik > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
06/25/2015 at 00:39

And this is reason #27 for the Not Buying an Ex Rental Car article I’ve been meaning to write for a while now.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:45

The Honda I was referencing is a 2012 Pilot. It is just an on/off light. The Civic gauges are pretty nice.

Textured Soy Protein > Dunnik
06/25/2015 at 00:49

I booked a full-size, which in rental car company speak is a midsize. I’d say the Camry at least qualifies as that. I went thru Hotwire so maybe they just gave me whatever “full-size” was available and this already had the thing hard-wired into the car. It doesn’t look like it’s just clamped on there.

Textured Soy Protein > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
06/25/2015 at 00:49

I will not be buying a boring 4-cylinder family sedan anytime soon. Well, maybe my gf would. But I wouldn’t.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 00:55

Those tail lights. Every time

Kinja'd!!!

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 01:07

They’re only somewhat boring on the highway. At least the seats are comfortable.

M54B30 > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 01:12

I figured thats where toyota would’ve concentrated their efforts on: passenger comfort.

I have 350 empty miles to the nearest city; I’m done with sport sedans with firm suspensions. My next car will be as comfortable as a Lay-Z-BoyLay-Z-Boy in front of a fire place on christmas eve

Tohru > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 01:25

So you’re planning on moving out of cheese country?

Textured Soy Protein > Tohru
06/25/2015 at 01:29

We shall see. I’m from DC originally. It’s super expensive, so it’d have to be the right offer for me to move back.

Dunnik > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 01:42

Yea, mid-sized is a full-size, somewhat inexplicably. A Camry is classed as a “full size”. So you actually got the car you reserved, but your res was without Neverlost (NL). They must have ran out of non NL cars (only about 25-30% have it) and gave you that, rather than upgrade you into something better, or piss you off by putting you into a Yaris.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 02:14

I reserved a full-size from enterprise a few years ago, have me one of these. Asked me how it was when I returned it and I was honest, politely mind you with a jovial inflection, told them the car was terrible mostly because I hate Toyotas. The guy literally lol’d and have me a voucher for a free upgrade on my next rental.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 02:29

as a 17 year old whose mom DD’s this, the traction control actually unlocks power. 10 second hold the traction control button on the left while in park. Manual shifting is not faster. Oh yes it does not hold gears in manual mode. And turning off traction control disables that stupid Eco light.

Tohru > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 03:31

If you move out, can I have your old job?

shop-teacher > M54B30
06/25/2015 at 07:27

Then stay away from the Camry. I rented one for a 2000 mile road trip a few years ago. I was already in pain 80 miles in from the horrible seats. After 500 miles I stopped and swapped it for another car. You’ve never seen someone so happy to get behind the wheel of a W-body Impala.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 08:25

I wish there was an Econ button in my FoST that kept the RPMs limited to a low number, kept me out of boost, and limited fuel delivery. The “nerf” button, which could be forced on in valet and mykey mode...

Textured Soy Protein > Tohru
06/25/2015 at 08:29

Pretty sure that decision won’t be up to me.

Textured Soy Protein > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/25/2015 at 08:32

In 2009, I had the misfortune of renting a Chrysler Sebring sedan. It was awful . The next time I rented a car, the lady asked me if I wanted to upgrade to a new Camaro “FOR ONLY $10 MORE PER DAY.” As soon as I heard the name of a car that was not a Sebring, I said YES YES I WILL TAKE THE UPGRADE.

This was also on a trip to DC. It was right when the 5th gen Camaro first came out. The car was yellow. People in DC do not drive cars like bright yellow Camaros and do not take kindly to the people who do drive bright yellow Camaros. I’ve never before or since gotten so many dirty looks in a car, and people driving light straight up assholes all around me.

Textured Soy Protein > Dunnik
06/25/2015 at 08:35

Ever since I got stuck with a Chrysler Sebring sedan one time in 2009, I’ve developed the habit of always asking the person at the counter what kind of car they’re giving me. One time I booked a “midsize” which of course is not a midsize but a compact, and when I asked the lady at the counter what kind of car I had, she said, “you have a Nissan Sentra midsize car,” as if by calling it a midsize that would make the size description less ridiculous. I had to try really hard not to laugh.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 09:08

Hertz used to be really good for renting brand, brand new cars. Since Ichan took over, I keep getting three-year-old beat to hell cars unless I bitch or pay to upgrade.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 09:42

You poor bastard, a Sebring, you have my condolences.

Wow. I don’t understand the mentality of people that drive like assholes just because car X is right next to them.

Dunnik > Textured Soy Protein
06/25/2015 at 12:48

The counter agent wouldn’t have gotten the joke, since their product knowledge approaches zero. Although you may occasionally find somebody who likes cars, and will sympathize with your being stuck with a Sentra, Versa...or Seabring.

Textured Soy Protein > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
06/25/2015 at 14:40

This one has more than its fair share of scratches and nicks. I made sure to take pictures of them before leaving the lot.

I don’t really have any loyalty to one particular rental car company over another. I get discounts with Hertz, Avis, Budget and Enterprise through USAA. I cross-shop those discounts with Hotwire (where you don’t find out which company you’re renting from until after you pay) and go with whatever’s cheapest.

Textured Soy Protein > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/25/2015 at 14:45

People in DC really don’t need much provocation to drive like assholes. It’s in their nature.

(I grew up in DC. Since I live in Wisconsin I have to suppress my DC driving urges. But I let the beast out when driving in big cities.)

But there was a noticeable increase in dirty looks and bad vibes in my direction when I drove that car around here.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/25/2015 at 22:32

Yo, it’s me again, the dude with 2000 C230 K. I was wondering if I could pick your brain for a minute.

The head gasket is leaking on the car. It doesn’t seem too bad, at least, if it didn’t just happen today. I only noticed a tiny puddle on the floor after it had been sitting all day. And once I got it up in the air and pressure tested it (15psi or so) only one or two drips came down. I want to fix it though, I don’t want to put any snake oil crap in it. So I’m wondering, what special tools I might need, are there any secret tips or tricks you have for me? I’ve never pulled a head before, nor screwed with a timing chain, so this is a first for me.

Any help is much appreciated. And if you’d like, you can email me at livestrong126m at gmail. Thanks!

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/25/2015 at 22:33

Yo, it’s me again, the dude with 2000 C230 K. I was wondering if I could pick your brain for a minute.

Any help is much appreciated. And if you’d like, you can email me at livestrong126m at gmail. Thanks!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/25/2015 at 23:15

Not really uncommon. IIRC no social tools needed. Pretty easy job, especially on that engine. Follow work instructions and you will be just fine. Mark the chain to the sprockets in big markings with a paint pen before removal. Replace head bolts and follow torque specs and order perfectly. When the head is off, send it to a machine shop for cleaning, a valve job, and to make sure it’s straight. Make sure to put plenty of assembly lube on the cams and journals on reassembly. Take lots of pictures from lots of angles so you know exactly how it goes together. As you disassemble, put bolts back into their holes sho you know where they go, but if that’s not an option keep them with their respective components or label them with bags and tape. Replace your breather hoses and PCV valve, they will be brittle. Replace your thermostat and spark plugs because why not, and obviously all related gaskets and seals. Don’t put vice gross on camshafts (no joke, people have done this). Put the gasket on dry, except where it crosses the block/front cover seam, then just a very small dab of sealant/rtv.

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these and I’m little jealous, I just got done putting an M274 back together after replacing the pistons and rods and that engine is much less fun to work on. The M111 is a decent little engine to work on and they pay pretty well (I know it’s yours so you’re not getting paid for it, but still). Even for your first time you shouldn’t have any trouble getting the head off in less than a day, some of us can do the whole job in 4-5 hours.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/26/2015 at 15:09

Alright so do a valve job. What about the timing chain and oil pump chain, it’s got 152k miles. And should I replace the wager pump too, or just the gasket? The pump is kind of expensive (150 or so).

His Stigness > His Stigness
06/26/2015 at 15:15

See comment above, I messed up.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/26/2015 at 21:19

Don’t worry about the chains. You can do the water pump if you want but the only part of the job that overlaps is draining and filling coolant, it doesn’t get touched for the head gasket. Use your judgement here, if the bearing is inconsistent or loose then replace it.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/27/2015 at 00:14

Do you think I should re-build the whole head, or just new valve seals? I talked to Metric Motors down here in San Fernando Valley, they only do Mercedes engines and do work for dealers all over the country. I plan on keeping this car forever (first car, so sentimental value), so I’d just rather rebuild it now, then do the chain and bottom end later.

Some procedural questions though: does the chain need to be separated , or once I remove the tensioner will it just come off the cam gears, or do I need to remove a camshaft gear ?

When reinstalling the chain, what exactly do I need to do? Some of the reading I’ve come across talks about retarding the intake cam 20 degrees. Will I know what to do when I get it apart?

Also, do I need to take the intake manifold out, or just lay it to the side?

Oh and final question, do I need this tool, or can I just stick some allen wrenches in the holes?

Thank you so much for the help, I wish I knew what I could do to repay you for all the help you’ve been.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/28/2015 at 19:43

Alright so I’ve got everything off of the head, and I have cylinder number 1 at 20 degrees atdc, I think. Do I stick a pin in the the intake cam and then rotate the crank a few more degrees to stick a pin in the exhaust cam?

Also, how do I know if the intake is retarded 20 degrees, or does that have to do with putting the chain back on?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/28/2015 at 22:53

That’s what the big bright paint marks on the sprockets and chain are supposed to be for. Don’t rotate cams and crank independently of each other with them still installed. Isn’t the crank supposed to be at 40 after? I also don’t remember needing pins for the cams, but if you do put them in before taking the sprockets off.

Pretty sure I usually just set the crank where it’s supposed to be, paint the sprockets and chain so I know where they line up, then pull it all apart. But like I said, I haven’t had one of these apart in a long time so I could be foggy on the details.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/28/2015 at 23:05

Somehow I missed this post until right now, Dirty about that.

I would rebuild the whole head, because it’s easier to do it now rather than do all this again later if a problem does arise.

Chain does not need to be separated. Once you remove the sprockets from the cams the chain will come right off of them.

I don’t know about retarding the can on reassembly, like I’ve been saying, I always just put paint marks on everything and make sure they ask line up when putting it back together. Actually, everyone I know does it this way, it’s super easy.

Intake does not need to be removed, but I usually do because I like the extra space and then can also replace vacuum and breather hoses much more easily.

I remember that tool now! Those would be the pins you were talking about! Man, I’ve had sho many different engines apart it’s hard to recall specific things sometimes without actually seeing them. I’ve never tried the Allen wrenches, but this tool works very well. If you try the wrenches, make sure they fit snugly, that is very important.

Hey, don’t worry about it. I like helping. If you have a bunch of trouble getting it back together shoot me your VIN and a fax number and I will send you a present.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/29/2015 at 02:01

Thanks for the help. I forgot you said paint the chain and the sprockets, so now that I’ve got number one lined up at 20 degrees (according to the book) I’ll mark the chain and put some pins in the cams to hold the gears. I can’t get the tool I showed you in time, so I’m just going to use some drill bits.

Also, do the camshafts (the actual lobe assemblies) come out in order to remove the chain. Or, do they stay in but need to come out before sending the head to the machine shop?

I just left the intake, and the exhaust on. I’ll replace those vacuum lines when I get the head out though. I also ordered a header online, not sure if it will fit though lol, but it would be sweet if does.

And I’ll send the fax number tomorrow. Thanks!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/29/2015 at 02:54

Drill bits should work great.

Cams stay in until after the chain is off, but remove them before removing head bolts. Remember to keep all of your valve train stuff in order so it goes back exactly where it came from originally.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/29/2015 at 11:04

Got it. Can I send the cams to the machine shop probably to have them inspected them and see if they need to be replaced? Or should I not bother because they're easy to replace with the head on the car?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/29/2015 at 13:44

Look at them yourself, it’s pretty easy to tell if they’re bad. If there are rough spots or inconsistent wear areas, or if some lobes look lower than others you can measure them for consistency.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/30/2015 at 00:03

They seem fine. In fact, everything is super clean and has hardly any wear on it. The pistons and valves have no carbon. I’m really surprised considering the car has 152k miles.

The head came off with no trouble, hopefully it goes back that.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
06/30/2015 at 00:11

That’s a Mercedes engine for you! Not a bad job though, eh?

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/30/2015 at 19:38

Oh and I looked at the intake valves in the intake side, and they were spotless, and I’ve only been putting the Liqui Moly Jectron stuff for a little while. But damn I’m happy at how clean it is. And it was quite easy to take off, hopefully it goes back on just as easily.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/01/2015 at 00:13

Your should be fine putting it back on, just make sure there’s nothing in the way of course. And be careful with the gasket. But that’s all pretty straight forward common sense.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/01/2015 at 01:55

Yup. Thankfully I’ve got two good mechanics who will prevent me from doing anything really stupid. And it’s nice how light the head is.

Oh and I didn’t take the intake cam adjuster off, I just took the whole cam with the gear off. One of the guys on the forum who has been giving me advice told me he tool it apart and it was a bitch to get back together, and I guess had a bunch of sludge in it.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/01/2015 at 02:39

Yeah. Don’t take the adjuster apart. Yo can take it off of the cam without taking it apart. But your way works great too!

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/02/2015 at 01:39

It looks like no sealant was used at the joint where the block and timing cover meet, but I just want to make sure I don't need to use anything, or if I do, which sealant.

Kinja'd!!!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/02/2015 at 02:54

Looks like there wasn’t any. Pretty much ask of our stuff calls for it these days. I would put just the tiniest little dab of black RTV there. By tiny I mean about 1mm wide by about 6mm long. At least that’s how I always do it and what WIS usually calls for.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/13/2015 at 02:04

So I finally finished and have my car back! I finally got the head back from the machine shop on Thursday, $832 later (9 valves, four of one side and 5 of another, plus the guides seals and seats). I got the chain with absolutely no issue; not taking the intake adjuster off was such a great idea. I put in a new tensioner and called it a day Friday. I thought it was only going to be a few hours from there since it was so easy to get everything off, but boy was I wrong. I think not including the cleaning and prep work I took about 12 hours to remove and replace the head. Getting the supercharger back on was a huge pain in the ass, oh and I changed the oil on the kompressor. It started up beautifully. I let it idle and get hot and then drained the oil (had relatively new oil in it anyways, otherwise I would have put fresh oil in it before I started it because I’m super anal).

I do have one question though: since I changed the tensioner but not the chain or lower guides, is the chain tighter now (tensioner had 152k miles on it). The only reason I ask is because it seemed to crank a fraction slower. I may be imagining things, and the first few times was definitely due to it sitting for two weeks still connected (I put it on a trickle charger every night). I charged it when I got home and it seems fine, but I thought I’d ask anyways.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/13/2015 at 02:44

Awesome! Good job! Changing the kompressor oil was definitely a great idea, BTW.

The only way the chain would be tighter than it should be is if the tensioner was the kind that ratcheted out and couldn’t be compressed, and was fully extended when you installed it. But this is nearly impossible considering the tensioner was new and this engine doesn’t use that type of tensioner. Moral of the story, you’re fine! But if there is an issue the engine will yell at you before long. Don’t worry about it.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/13/2015 at 03:23

I actually bought the oil a few years ago but when I went to change it I couldn’t suck it out, so I left it alone, and when the clutch died last year I didn’t take the kompressor out then either, so I left it again. Finally got to change it.

Well I’m also super paranoid when I work on my own car, and there’s a lot to screw up on a head gasket job. I did screw with the tensioner and it came compressed then I pushed the spring and a bit at the end popped out and it would go back in. It wasn’t hard to put the body in, or the spring and cap, so I’m assuming if I hadn’t screwed with it it would have been harder to put the cap and spring in and it would have popped out anyways? And like I said, it seems fine now, I’m just being paranoid, I did keep the radio off the whole way home lol.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/13/2015 at 10:04

Those tensioners are technically reusable, so you should be fine with what you did. Your supposed to install them, then rotate the crank counter-clockwise a few degrees to disengage the lock. Or as soon as oil pressure hit it out would pop out.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/13/2015 at 13:47

Are you supposed to install the spring and cap and then rotate, or install the body, rotate, then install the spring and cap?

Oh and do you know where I would find parts for my car that the dealer can’t get any more? I broke the vacuum check valve, it’s the one where one line comes off the oil separator, goes behind the engine to one port on the valve, and another part comes from the booster, and the third part goes to the intake.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/13/2015 at 23:15

Install and torque the body. Then install the spring and cap. If installed together there is a possibility that the chain could be stretched.

Maybe FCP Euro, Rock Auto, or a normal parts store then modify the system to work with a generic check valve. Or even check hardware stores to see if they have something close. Other than that I don’t really know.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/14/2015 at 01:34

Was I wrong in screwing with the tensioner and having the end pop out, or would that have happened anyways when putting it in? And sorry for all the questions about this, I’ll just sleep better if I know I did it right.

I fixed the valve today (after it popped off twice while driving to work) by just melting the plastic together and then sealing it with glue so it wouldn’t leak.

Oh and I forgot to ask, does the lateral acceleration sensor have to be programed, or is it plug and play? I installed a new one on Sunday but the BAS light never came on, and the ESP works, so it looks like I’m done with that. (if you don’t remember, I had a code for the llateral acceleration sensor, I just hadn’t changed it till now.)

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/14/2015 at 03:01

With this tensioner you should be fine, as long as you didn’t assemble it then install it while it was extended. That being said, more and more parts are coming new in assembled states and shouldn’t be tinkered with. Lots of things come assembled and require special tools to get into that state, or may be ruined by tinkering. So be cautious in the future.

No programming, but perhaps a calibration road test? I can’t remember as it’s been so long since I’ve done one. But I think you should be fine as is.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/15/2015 at 00:30

Not fully extended, no. I grabbed my old one to make sure I didn’t screw anything up and I didn’t. The end of the tensioner popped out when I put the spring in, but I installed the body first, with no resistance (or hardly any), then installed the spring and cap, which was hard to put in. I also primed it with oil first, and then it leaked out when I put it in.

The light hasn’t come back on and the ESP works, so I guess we’re good. I just though I needed to go do a road test calibration, but I guess not.

Oh and would you happen to know what the thermostat temperature in on the car? The engine seems to be running kind of warm, perhaps 90-100/105 (I haven’t checked it with the scanner yet) since doing the gasket. And I put a 50/50 mix in of Mercedes coolant. Thoughts? I’m thinking of adding some water wetter to it, either Motul or Redline, but don’t like the idea of additives.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/15/2015 at 01:48

I want to say they’re 85, but I’m not positive. It does sound just a hair on the warm side. Make sure your fans are working properly. Then just swap in a new thermostat. I’ve never had a bad experience with water wetter, but you don’t want to use it to mask a real problem, if there is one.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/15/2015 at 02:29

The fans are currently not working, I haven’t tested the module yet to know for certain that it is the module, but the fans are good, I know that. But they haven’t been working for a while, so I know what temperature it should be with them off. When I’m going 70+ that’s when it’s 91/92, not 78 like before.

I did replace the thermostat like you said, and with an OEM one from WorldPac, are you saying I should order a new one because the one I got may be slightly defective?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/15/2015 at 02:33

Well 78 is too low. Old one may have been stuck open. If you installed an OE thermostat that’s probably not it. For some reason I just assumed you hadn’t replaced it. If it’s been hot outside lately then low to mid 90’s with dead fans is perfectly normal.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/15/2015 at 02:36

That’s what my co-worker thinks when I showed him my old thermostat; he blew through it and it let a little air past. And 78 is only when on the freeway, but it would hardly go over 80. And it has been hot down here, so I haven't been super worried, but it still does get to almost 90 even in the morning.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/15/2015 at 09:33

That’s fine. I wouldn’t worry about your cooling system, except for the fans.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/16/2015 at 10:17

Do you have that Airlift tool that vacuums the systems and then fills it back up with coolant, preventing and air pockets? I’m thinking of getting it but I’m not sure if Mercedes are prone to air pockets like BMW’s are, or other cars.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/16/2015 at 22:58

Yup! It’s all I use. They’re not nearly as prone to air pockets as BMW, unless we’re talking V12’s. It’s faster and safer than just pouring coolant in, and it will tell you if you have a leak (if it doesn’t reach 25in vacuum or hold vacuum it’s leaking). Highly recommend.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/17/2015 at 01:14

I think I’ll get it then and use it on my car, and at the new German shop I’m going to. It’s bad they don’t work on Mercedes though =(

Do you need to completely empty the system though, including the heater core, or does just draining the radiator and block suffice?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/17/2015 at 01:25

So they only work on stupid German cars? Seriously though, congrats on the new job!

Just draining the radiator is fine. It’s best to at least have enough out that when all of the hoses are collapsed there won’t be any coolant in the reservoir/near the airlift.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/18/2015 at 11:01

Lol pretty much. They do work on Porsches though, and I haven’t heard anything bad about them. There’s a Mercedes shop right next door though, so that’s why they don’t really work on Mercedes.

How do you prime the hose when you're filling up the system?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/18/2015 at 11:29

I suspect you will end up hating Porsches.

No need to prime.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/18/2015 at 13:11

I doubt I will hate them, but I’m sure I’ll get frustrated if they make space a scarce resource like VAG does; I’m not a fan of longitudinally mounted engines in VW AG cars. But you underestimate how much I HATE American and Asian cars.

Oh really? So you just vacuum the system, hook up the fill hose and let it fill up? It doesn’t suck up air when you do that?

And in the directions it says some vehicles may require a second vacuum, could you elaborate on that?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/18/2015 at 18:47

Any air, which would be a small amount, will just stay in the top of the reservoir. Good question though.

SL65 bi-turbo V12 for example, needs vacuum applied at bleed ports on both intercoolers and at the main water neck at the back of the engine. That’s just the low temp circuit. The normal high temp circuit is completely separate. So total of four places to apply vacuum. Most of our newer bi-turbo engines aren’t that complicated and just have two software systems with one place to apply vacuum each.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/19/2015 at 04:30

Interesting. Do you know if it’s the same on radiators where there is no resevior like the Germans?

Holy crap that sounds complicated. I’m sure once I read the manual though I’d get it. I know if you tried to explain the EGR circuit on a VAG diesel I’d be like “huh?” but I get those. It’s too bad the Mercedes dealerships around here suck, because I’d love to just work on Mercedes, but learning about all Germans isn’t so bad, especially since I plan on owning all the brands (maybe not Audi...).

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/19/2015 at 12:01

The air is such a small amount that it will stay right at the top of the radiator/neck. So then you may have to pour in a small amount after you finish with the vacuum fill.

It’s definitely good to be well-versed and multi-faceted. I know some amazing techs who’ve only ever worked on one make. But I can almost always name better techs who’ve worked on “everything”.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/19/2015 at 14:06

Oh that makes sense.

Yeah that’s why I’m glad to be well rounded. My current boss’s friend worked at Chevrolet for many years, and can’t even answer questions on German cars, or even Ford’s or Chrysler’s because he never worked on them. I get not being able to answer manufacturer specific questions, but questions about hydraulic lifters transcend manufacturers, but he wouldn’t answer any questions.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/19/2015 at 16:08

Get some more experience under your belt with German cars and then try taking an ASE. Those tests are a joke. Written for and about domestic cars that are at least ten years old. German tech from the 70’s is above and beyond half of what shows up on those. The guys who write ASE’s are the exact kind of guy you’re talking about. I’m not saying they’re bad, they’re not and in fact they may be brilliant, they’re just limited.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/19/2015 at 16:44

Lol its funny you say that, between I’ve got 10 ASEs, and an American shop was shocked and incredibly impressed (I was 22 when I was applying). I passed my first two ASEs when I was 20 (A8 and the new light vehicle diesels A9). And I got the rest last year. Those tests were stupidly easy, and require zero hands on experience if you're book smart. The German shop I'm going to work at was impressed that I have so many at such a young age, but they don't have any ASE things posted around, and I've never really seen any German shops advertise either.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/19/2015 at 17:59

Good job! I know exactly what you mean. I passed all 8 (at the time that’s all they had) in one night after work. Interestingly, I was also 20 at the time. Never bothered keeping up on them because they don’t really mean anything when all you work on is German cars. I still work on other stuff and help the younger guys with other stuff, but those instances are few and far between.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/19/2015 at 18:52

Yeah I highly doubt I'll pay a butt load of money to renew them next year if my new job pans out. Unless my new boss wants to pay for the renewal, then I'll get them. I'd really like to go to the WorldPac classes though and learn about German cars. Do you know if the manufacturers offer certifications to techs outside of dealerships?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/19/2015 at 19:00

Not that I’m aware of. I’ve been to some worldpac ones, and they’re decent. They’re nowhere near factory training but they’re not bad.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/19/2015 at 20:00

Well I suspect the WorldPac ones are better than what my local supplier puts in via AC Delco; I went to a diesel class (small euro diesels) and he didn't know jack shit, I actually taught the class all the useful information. From what I've heard about the WorldPac classes though it seems they're taught by indy shop owners who specialize in them, so you sort of just learn about that particular brands quirks.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/19/2015 at 21:09

I’ve been to lots of supplier ones and most of them were as useful as you could hope they would be for only bring three hours long after the end of a workday. But you are right about the worldpac ones, a lot of quirks. The ones I’ve been to were actually taught by former factory master techs and an emphasis was put on getting indy shops up to speed with what dealers had been doing under warranty for the last two or three years.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/19/2015 at 22:55

Yeah I certainly wasn’t expecting German levels of information. I’m so glad the only class I was able to take with VW was ODIS, and that was right as it was coming out, so now I actually know how to use it. There was a really good one I went to out on by Denson about hybrid systems, and they instructor who taught it knew his shit about all the hybrids, so it was useful.

How long have you been at Mercedes? It seems like quite a while if your an AMG specialist, or did you just move up quickly because you’re very good?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/20/2015 at 03:10

Not quite three years. I’ve been the AMG specialist for more than two. Maybe it’s because I’m very good or maybe it’s because I got lucky with timing and certain jobs that came through the door. Or both. Not a lot of people want the AMG title though to be honest, harder to make money on, and often have really weird problems compared to normal Mercedes. But I personally prefer the challenge and would get bored otherwise. All of those things are probably why I’m also one of very few with hybrid and electric certs, as well as a few other things.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/21/2015 at 11:50

Holy crap man that is incredibly impressive. I agree with you though that the odd problems keeps things interesting. So do you also one of the few that work on the hybrids and electrics? And where were you at before you went to Mercedes?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/21/2015 at 21:40

Yeah, I am one of the few to do hybrids and electrics. But hybrids are pretty rare in Mercedes-land. Though the B-class is fairly common now they’re not terribly problematic.

I’ve done wheel refinishing, worked in a body shop that worked on everything from civics to classics to semi trucks to buildings, a Napa indy shop, a hot rod shop, a Rover(90%)/BMW(3%)/Mini(7%) indy shop, a Firestone (don’t ever do this), an Infiniti dealer, and finally Mercedes. I left most of those because they were poorly managed in such a way that was not conducive to a healthy income or psyche. The Napa shop however was awesome (thanks to the owner) and I would probably still be there if it were more desirable geographically.

I’m happy to have found a company I want to stick with for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, for some of us, that can be a difficult thing to do. On the other hand I feel like my wide array of experience has made me a much better tech than I would have been if I started working for Mercedes fresh out of school.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/21/2015 at 23:30

Yeah, I can’t think of another hybrid besides the V221 hybrid. And I looked at the B-Class BEV, but it’s too much, I’m just going to get an e-Golf instead.

Wow, that is a wide array of things you’ve done. I’m only 23 but I’ve been through five different shops now, and I’ll be going to my 6th next week. I know what you mean about Firestone, PepBoys was my first shop experience. Thankfully I was only there for 6 months before I went to Volkswagen, but that only lasted a few months because the service manager was an idiot and over hired (he had a tendency to do this each year). After that, I went to America’s Tire for 6 months where I learned pretty much everything there is to know about tires (hint: Michelin are the best). I was at a DCH store (Honda) for a few months before I got fired for pissing off the wrong people. And now I’ve been at this indy shop for a year and a half where I’ve worked on pretty much every common car. From day one though I’ve always loved working on German cars, and I’m so excited to be going to a German only shop. While I would have liked to stay at VW right out of school, I’m really glad I got to work on domestic and Asian cars for a little while, even though I hated working on them, I was just so glad to have found a shop where I wasn’t always fighting with people, and I wasn’t afraid of losing my job over tiny mistakes.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > His Stigness
07/22/2015 at 00:08

Aside from the 221 there is the 212, 222, soon to be 205, and previously 164 which was lease only and ask had to be turned back in to Mercedes after not to be sold again.

It’s so nice to work in a place where everyone gets along. Hopefully your new ship works out for you. Pro tip: sometimes you have to put up with poor managers and overcrowded shops for a little while and that’s fine; managers don’t have great “life”-expectancies so it may occasionally be worthwhile to stick it out.

His Stigness > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
07/22/2015 at 00:26

Oh I didn’t know the 222 is out already. All I care about is the 222 bluetech, since I hate hybrids.

eah I’ve noticed that with managers. I’ve also noticed good managers never last because they don’t maximize profit and therfore management gets rid of them.