Dev's Thoughts on Experiences, Projects and Lessons

 The W124 was made in a number of configuration and the engineers in Mercedes has worked on a number of permutations of the W124 springs. I believe this could also be the case with a number of other models made by Mercedes. The reasoning behind this is that with the change of load and weight, the overall geometry of the suspension changes as well and this will affect how the suspension works. What Mercedes did was come up with a point system that assigns a value for different options which are then paired with the correct spring pads. This will allow for proper parts to be installed along with preserving the correct comfort and handling benchmark as the car was designed. In order to get the correct set of springs for a W124, the correct way is to calculate all options added to the chassis model. The points will point to a spring group that fits the chassis the best. The other challenge would be locating a set of correct springs from Mercedes, and as an alternative, brands like Bils...

It's been a long time since I updated this blog. After a hiatus of over 1 year, there is some focus being put on Rhino. I took a break to allow my focus on other objectives and also to take a financial break from all the parts and labor paid for in rebuilding Rhino. To begin with, Rhino has been sent to a restorer who specializes in the W124. I am working to achieve a few goals this time, which are: Touch up the exterior to color-match all panels Apply and obtain the classic certification which allows for a road tax reduction of 80% bringing down the annual road tax from over RM 1600 to a reasonable RM 325. Address the fuel fume smell in the cabin Address minor issues like a faulty steering lock that does not engage and also a lamp relay module that is faulty As his place is about 250km south of where we are and Rhino does not have a valid road tax and insurance on it at the moment, we had to tow it. I have been informed and agreed that I am in no rush and he can take his time to a...

While I have closed the entry on vibration, I did mark that while the issue has reduced, it wasn't gone. Rhino drives great now, the springs have also settled down after the initial 3 weeks break-in period. It will need the wheel works soon with the new springs installed, only the alignment, castor, and camber alignment.  I took the car in to get the road force balancing done and with the exception of 5g off a wheel, all other wheels needed no rectification. A quick look under the car again saw no visible issues. I am rationalizing the mild buzz that I am getting: Buzz starts from 65kmh (40mph) Buzz is felt on steering and seats Buzz is not felt on the dash, pillar trims, door trims, sun visor At 65kmh, the buzz is felt, at 70 buzz is at its peak, at 75 buzzes reduces back to what it felt at 65kmh Buzz is felt when the car is in motion and engine speed of 1800rpm onwards Buzz is felt on and off-gas, accelerating and decelerating When speed goes below 65kmh, buzz disappears again So...

I wanted to replace the springs on Rhino and have been contemplating what springs do I get. From the VIN of my car, I would have been supplied with high ground clearance springs which will defeat the purpose since I wanted to get rid of the tall spring look. So I was considering between the normal height OEM springs and the H&R spring. After doing some research, I have decided to go with the H&R, and that too after waiting for about 7 months for the stock to be available. I also must share that there are different versions of springs that are made and they may look the same but each has a different model code that fits different configurations. The H&R spring version for W124 E280 (24 valves) is 29569-1 which gives approx. 35mm reduction in drive height, however, as mine if on the high ground clearance springs, my height reduction is more than that, approx 50mm or so. Initial impression, the car lowers nicely and looking sleek, however, under an aggressive high-speed bounce...

I saw a set of wheels that could potentially fit better on Rhino. The one I had before was poking out a tad bit that it wasn't good to me. A post on Facebook suddenly came up where a set of wheels with dimentions of 16 x 6.5 ET 38 while the present one fitted is 16 x 7.5 ET 35. The present one also had a problem where there was slight rubbing on the absorbers. Strangely, the online literature allows for 16 x 7.5 ET 31 which baffles me, as at 35, it was mildly rubbing the front shocks at full turn. The new set of wheels do not poke as much and have more clearance on the inside as well, 9.7mm to be precise. I believe it came off a W205 - C Class. An important component of the wheel is fitting, specifically in relation to the wheel studs. I had to get that replaced because the ones I have did not fit the new wheels and also it was of coneseat. Mercedes uses ballseat studs and that was used as the replacement set of studs. I prefer this look better rather than the earlier poking out st...

In one of the visits to the mechanic, when Rhino was in for its rear axle inspection, a leak was detected on the exhaust. We are in a lock-down and exhaust shops were mostly closed as they were not permitted to operate, hence this leak took some time to be fixed. I got a contact of an exhaust shop that has been around for decades and was managed by two senior guys. The reviews were good and they operate on a repair what is needed basis, which I like. I Made an appointment and took Rhino in for an assessment, to determine what was wrong besides the leak that I am aware of and how much the repair would cost. I had planned to replace the entire pipe from the downpipe after the manifold, all the way to the back initially, to resolve the issue once and for all but was saved from doing that since the exhaust system was fine with just a leak to be fixed. Rhino was hoisted and a full exhaust check was done. The way these guys did was different from what I have seen, once the car was hoisted, o...

I have just picked up Rhino after getting the AC system refreshed with almost all new components and after getting the starter blocker switch and flushed the cooling system with the Mercedes Citric Acid, I was on my way home. Hardly 30 mins later, the temperature spiked to almost redline and I was forced to stop by the roadside to stop any damage to the engine if there has not been any damage yet. It took the high-speed aux fan over 15 minutes to cool the temperature to below 85c. Paying close attention to the temperature I braved, braced, and prayed while I make my way to a mechanic 5km away. It was possibly the worse 5KM after the first time that this car overheated on the old engine right after picking it, back in Sep 2020. Upon checking the engine bay, I noticed that the serpentine belt was damaged. Upon reaching the garage, while we let the car cool down, we noticed a small pool of engine oil on the floor, the spare tank was also empty. I feared the worse if I cracked this engine ...