Ongoing saga with gasoline smells and no visible leaks, culminating
in Mother backing off the drive the other day by slipping her foot
off the brake onto the gas (or so she says, the story changes with
time, eh?).
Upshot of the whole deal was that I got home last Thursday to find
the car crossways in the drive and it won't start. I know the fuel
pump was leaking, so I'd bought a new pump but hadn't gotten under
there to get it in yet. So I crawled under and started in.
First thing I found was that the supply line to the pump was old,
felt funny, and was cracking, so I ordered a new one -- or what I
thought was a new one. Got the hose, it was the one from the filter
to the FI system, but the wrong one for the TE (shorter, I think).
Anyway, so I ordered the "tank to pump hose" listed as "pump to pump"
because I though I only had one fuel pump.
So I tackle the pump replacement. Some gorilla has overtightened the
outlet fitting on the check valve. I'm completely unable to unscrew
the cap nut, so I have to undo all the pressure side fittings to the
filter and accumulator and remove the whole pump. Naturally, the
wire nuts are just barely more than finger tight, and the check valve
fitting on the pump, with pressure line attached, is swinging free.
Bloody gorilla turned the check valve while overtightening the
pressure line fitting! No wonder it leaked.
Took the pump and fitting down to the garage, unscrewed the pump from
the check valve and managed to get the cap nut loose by putting the
fitting in a vice. I hate idiots.
Back to the car, fight for a while with the rock hard inlet fitting
on the inlet side and get it all buttoned up. Huge PITA working on
the gournd with gravel in your hair, naturally the wheel tracks are
lower than the gravel under the car, etc.
Crank it (no start) and look for leaks. Fuel pouring off the diff.
Another bad hose. Give up for the night.
Order the new hose, listed as pump tp pump, although I still think I
have a single pump car. Wrong. Get the hose, crawl back under, and
find the other fuel pump right by the tank. This time I get the
fitting off without major hassles. but the hose is a bitch. Still
not fully installed, I just cannot get those grommets in the hooks
when I cannot see what I'm doing, so later today I'll go over to my
brothers and put it up on jack stands or take it over to his buddies
and put it on a lift. This would have been an easy job with some
clearance underneath.
Now I have the hose installed, crank for a few seconds, check and
find no leaks, so I try to start it. Sorta kinda runs for a few
seconds, then quits and I smell LOTS of gasoline. Back under, no
leaks. Hmmmm. Must be something else.
Go down to the garage, get the starting fluid, pull the air filter
cover, and discover that, at some time in the past, a mouse has been
using it for storage. There is half a pecan shel, empty, holding the
airflow sensor flap open about half an inch, no wonder it won't
start! Take the housing off, clean all the crap out (the mice live
on wild cherry seeds and dogwood seeds around here, Mom's car is
always full of them along with pecans). How it got in there I don't
know, except that I do remember finding the breather hose loose a
while back, don't remember when but it's been several years,
probably. Certainly that pecan wasn't from this years crop -- I
don't think there are any, and they don't start to fall for another
month, anyway.
Cleaned it all out, lost three of the nuts for the filter cover --
must have brushed them off into the drive or something --. crank it
up, and it starts after holding my food to the floor for a while.
Runs better than it has for a long time, I wonder how long that pecan
shell has been holding the air flow meter flap open part way?
Never a dull moment, eh? Nice to have the car running and not
leaking fuel, too!
Peter
_______________________________________
http://www.okiebenz.com
For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com
To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/
To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to:
http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
