Krautbeaterwagen, Zwei

Holy carp. Time for another 3 month oil change...already? Maybe this weekend.

So, a quick update. The starter quit doing the "spin no start" thing, apparently out of the goodness of its electronic heart. However, now the ignition key occasionally will fail to energize the starter to work at all. Since the ignition lock is Mercedes, that means turning the key ALL THE WAY off, and then trying again. This has become a more and more frequent occurrence, and it doesn't seem to matter whether the engine's cold or hot. Interestingly, if the starter didn't turn, but I hold the key in the "start" position and run the shift selector through the gears a few times, occassionally something will click and the engine will turn over. Don't ask me how or why I figured this out.

I could simply replace the ignition switch, or troubleshoot a potentially intermittent neutral interlock switch, but being frugal (cheap) and stupid, decided instead to install a pushbutton switch to energize the starter relay.

Cost: Nearly Free. Old, slightly rusty but still good starter button from the electronic parts bin, some wire I got for free, and a few crimp terminals.

So now the Benz has an optional pushbutton start. Just like a race car, you know?

Of course, the key switch worked fine this morning.

Still trying to get spacers to fit the front wheels. The front tires are getting a might thin in the treads...

Short update: finally managed to squeak in an oil change on March 28, 2017. New oil, 15W-40, new Mann filter, and new in-line fuel filter at the injector pump.

The front driver's and rear passenger's power windows now quit completely. It's not the switches, I checked them out and they're good. Since the windows seemed to be working fine and then just quit, I suspect a wiring issue, possibly in the door.

It's been awhile. Since buying the Svensk Combi the 300TD has seen very limited use. When the S.K. was in the shop getting the A/C repaired, it saw duty for a few days, but mostly it just sat in the backyard, looking sad.

A bunch of stuff was wrong with it. The driver's side power window quit trying, so on hot days there was no immediate source of fresh air. The A/C...well, that 1980 climate control system was so far gone it was worthless to try anything. And it leaked oil so badly that my employer told me not to park it at work until it was fixed. And I'm pretty sure it was leaking from either the front main seal, the rear main seal, or both. And the rust. Oh, the rust. SO. MUCH. RUST.

With the Volvo now assuming wagonly responsibilities, the 300TD was redundant. I'd already decided to sell it when I came across an ad for a 240D, with a manual transmission, in what looked to be pretty solid shape. The seller was a local guy who'd bought the 240D as a hardware-store errand car (it had a roof rack) but really wanted a wagon. And so, yesterday...