₦airaland Forum

try to get all weather tyres , its common around as new ones.

usually winter tyres found here are written on them M&S that's mud & snow .

the thread on winter tyres are more and often in zig zag form or look

I hope u can manage with this lay man's idea and get what u want ....

inze: the fan comes on immediately at start-up

What's ur take on that?

^^^ that's where I have issue.

smthn is not right going by what u just said there.

the electric fan only should kick in

- when AC is turned on and engine already at running temp.

- when temp exceeds 100deg centigrade. it enters emergency mode and u would here a full blast of the fan.

- when your temp sensor is faulty and cannot tell the ecu the right temp, e.g when wires doesnt make contact etc....... bad wire harness .

- finally when our rewire must have bypassed the fan module and get power from your alternator.

Ikenna351: I dont know about Benz, but below is how to test Peugeot cooling system Thermostat while its still in the system/engine. You may find it useful for your Benz.

http://peugeotarena.com/how-to-test-peugeot-engine-cooling-system-thermostat-while-its-still-in-engine/


Ikenna

Ikenna the peugeot expert....

even though this is benz, I believe most internal combustion cooling system are somewhat conventional, they are just too similar... even with diesel engines..

Toyota camry, Benz, BMW, Ford Focus, .....their cooling follow same pattern...

Ikenna, you are tempting me with this ur 406 o!.... I almost made up my mind about it some few months back... would look more @ that your thread now, because I am noticing more of Peugeot around

kuntash: I got a used one from toks engine when I had the need to replace mine... you can look thru my posts here on this thread, I am sure I could be replicating same thing...

you can go thru pages 6, 7 & 8 on this same thread, I think I have documented my past experience with this thermostat stuff

aikerism: I have not checked the thermostat before... I will have it checked in the next hour and update the house... And pls this BEHR brand how much is it sold? Cos am heading to Apo Mechanic Village now now

I got a used one from toks engine when I had the need to replace mine... you can look thru my posts here on this thread, I am sure I could be replicating same thing...

aikerism: Uncle Kuntash, truth is I have had this car for 11 months now and it has NEVER gotten to 40 something degrees before its always between 18 and 30 something... Don't know if its a fault or its normal.
I do know dat it came with a very small radiator which was replaced with a bigger one. I have never had any over heating issues as I use the A.C 98% of the time.
I changed my water pump in august this year cos I noticed the collant level was droping constantly.
I use ordinarily distilled water in it and all seems well. I have done north to east travels and back more than 5 times since I got her and all seems pretty okay.
What do you think?

I think the thermostat has been compromised... two things... , there are two brands OEM for that ride- WAHLER & BEHR,

as you know, thermostats are designed to fail in the open state.. i.e allowing water to flow thru all the time, no restriction, - such can lead to what u have.

secondly the thermostat must have been removed , by the person that sold you the car, whether dealer or whoever here in Naija, such can also lead to your scenario..

the first instance of failure is prone to the WAHLER brand of thermostat , and its the common one around....

I would advice you ask your mechanic to check if the thermostat is there, or failed..... in any case, do look for BEHR brand and put in there. its usually rated 87 or 91 degrees centigrade..

best of luck...

aikerism: Last weekend I decided to take the cleaning business a lil more personal
I took it all apart to get into the never cleaned areas just so my baby will be clean in and out... It was scary and fun at the same time

The pics r refusing to upload...

hello bros, I am worried about your running temperature, or was this pic taken when the engine was cool?

mine usually took + or - 5mins to get to the half mark (i.e 87- 91 degrees centigrade)

even @ that temperature the RPM should be higher than that, that's how its designed...

aikerism: Uncle kuntash u wia responding to another member with the above... And

"What engine oil to use. I know Mobil 1 but I have not seen any mineral oil of 0w-40, 5w-40 or even 10w-40. I know I should ordinarily use Mobil 1 0w-40 but because of the high mileage of the car 210,000, some are speculating that the oil will be too thin for the engine due to the wear and tear it must have accumulated over time and as a result, leakages will occur. Is there any truth to this or can I just go ahead and use Mobil 1 0w-40. If I cant use Mobil 1, whats the next best available oil for me to use."

Oga Zic you quoted someone who had some questions... One thing I want to ask is is 0w-40 okay for engines that have done over 200k odometer reading? Cos I have just been seeing 5w, 10wn and 15w-40 in the last 2 pages...

BenZ for Ever

Yes, weak engine can be susceptible to oil escape from the rings,

there are various oil weights and viscosity, there are several topics/threads relating to oil use on Auto section in nairaland... I wouldn't want to say something here on Mercedes Benz thread now and my oga @ the top would say a different one...

bottom line however, is most car manufacturers prefer the use of synthetic lubricants... and if I must say, our popular mobil-1 marketed in naija here are not same as what u get in yankee, both in packaging and quality.

Mercedes benz (W202- C-CLASS - 1993-2000) for All TEMPS .. These oil weights/spec are valid 0W-30, 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40, 5W-50, 10w-40.

for me, I prefer 10w-40 , or 5w-40 fully synthetic or semi-synthetic.

This place is not for Advert, but u can check some of my other posts regards some excellent synthetic brands... or u do me an email....

ican2020: Thanks for the response.

The car is old but it has strong engine and great body and I love it.

its a fantastic ride...

is it a straight-4 or 6 engine?

jp philips: @ car doctor;

When i bought my ride from an Agent here in Nigeria, the check engine light came on after a few days, so i used the VIN to track the ride to realize the CAT was removed in the States because it has already failed emission test from the carfax report.

Now, i wanted to replace it, then I connected my OBD2 scanner and drove a full tank twice, did same for my friends car, same model, same year and my fuel consumption was lower than his, till date i still drive around with the MLT light on.

Can you explain this unprecedented phenomenon?

in my little learning and research about catalytic converters, aside emission control, there seem practically nothing else ESPECIALLY FOR CARS WITH NO OXYGEN SENSOR AFTER the catalyst... however, for cars with sensors after the converter, there seem to be a correlation between the ECU, and the sensor before it that tells on the amount of oxygen in the fumes.. thus regulating fuel supply by the ECU.

the catalyst on its on is a restriction on the outbust of exhaust on the engine, so in your case its possible you had no oxygen sensor after the catalyst, moreso, your friends car could be having other hidden issues which you never can tell even with a scanner, for example the Mass air flow meter of your car could be cleaner than that in your friend's car and that's a major issue... check the exhaust pipe end of both cars for soot...

Catalytic converters seem more related to Laws governing emission controls especially in the US.. , I think i have read somewhere where they say some people do remove theirs in Europe, for better flow..

ican2020: This is a great thread and I appreciate the great comments I have gone through so far.

Hence, I am asking for help.

Please, what oil will you guys recommend for Benz 300E.

Your response will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Thats the old reliable W124 I guess... the best Mercedes models ever..

bro, if u can get 15w-40, it would be fine depending on how solid the engine is, but as you know, that car fit senior many people with access to the internet today... (1985 - 1996)

I wouldn't mind a good brand of semi- synthetic though

Zeroid105: Fibre and plastic materials on post early/mid 90's german vehicles are made to expire within shorter periods compared to those used by asian vehicle manufacturers. Similar trend is obtained on electronics. The german plastic/rubber become brittle as it ages. The manufacturers of these components actually stamp the dates on these parts as a guide. Performance critical components as vaccum hoses, coolant hoses, pipes and seals fall in these category. Hence the reason for complains from many owners of german cars(in the aforementioned category). The competence level of our Naija techs is another horror. This is futher compounded if the vehicle owner does not know JACK about his/her car.

you are spot on bro.

saintjoel: Sir,I'm so sorry but if you have been to cotonou to buy cars like you have stated,you'll definitely know all you've written are pure lies and gibberish.

S

quite hesitant to respond to that comment of yours, however, I have to assume your mindset as a human being, and leave it as that.... more so, you might be someone who does purchase of cars for people thereby making your livelihood, thus I would understand slightly your position.


but let me ask you, of the two instances of Rav4 & Honda you gave , Honda was N3m while the Toyota would be N2m, and could be more for the total expenses.


now, your having access to the internet tells me you can read and understand very well what I wrote based on my experience and that of others I know. can you read thoroughly again and let me know the pure lies and garnish or gabberish as u called it...??

The point is very clear and lots of car dealers here would agree, between $10k to $13k USD can get u a very clean Honda of same year , now tell me how much it would cost for shipping and clearing at Lagos ports.... good enough there are clearing agents here too... the sum up the cost..

so before u say anything my friend, read well and understand the position of the other person, if u even look well at what I wrote, there are points that favour you very well for your biz..

Xmas dey come, pls mind your comments O........

The average temperature daily from this time would hover between 30-32 centigrade with a feel of about 37 or 38 degrees centigrade.

how ready is your ride to face the high temperature this period?


remember to dash off from that mechanic suggesting you should remove your thermostat in order to resolve an over-heating problem..

where is thy location? are you in Lagos?

ziccoit: Where can I get the recommended MB ATF fluid and how much. Remember mine is 5-SP. I got to know that the fluid should meet MB 236.10 spec sheet. I will need 7.5L

Thank you all.

Check for Genuine Toyota ATF, its usually dextron-IV.... I am sure the spec would fit the c-class tranny

moreso, Benz says the ATF from factory is designed to die with the car or tranny- i.e , lifetime ...

If you are an auto enthusiast and keen to know the technical nitty gritty of what u are buying, if you cannot go to overseas yourself, go to cotonou, WHY?..... because you would have opportunity to see many cars as it was... without changing anything there... (THATS NOT TO SAY THEY HAVE NOT STARTED SUCH IN COTONOU AS THEY DO HERE IN NAIJA)

if u dont care how the car gets to Nigeria, i.e you can cope with the risks of customs before and after the car lands ur house.... , you can reduce the total cost by avoiding paying the correct tax... (this is what many of the agents so to speak do).... if you notice, you would still have to pay the same full cash to the Benin Govt, its only on Naija side that the magomago begins... - quite unfortunate..


If you care about how much u spend and you are not too interested in the technical nitty gritty of cars, maybe u just want smthn to move and YOU DONT WANT CUSTOM WAHALA.. just ask someone u can trust overseas to help u , or just buy here...


and Lastly, if you want to manage your cash within a budget and can easily change ur mind on the car you want... and you are sure of how to manage ur way with our customs... ... call up cotonou guys to help u, cos, they can present several options for u and cheap cars to get , often completely different from what u originally wanted...


These are my take from a personal experience.... not once, but twice...


summary, WHEN YOU BUY A CAR IN COTONOU , AFTER CLEARING THE CAR THERE, PAYING ALL EXPENSES, PAYING FULL DUTY AS AGAINST THE ACTUAL YEAR OF MANUFACTURE.... ITS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN shipping and clearing directly in Naija

omicron: Here is the more active thread for Honda Owners
https://www.nairaland.com/996664/maintenance-tips-honda-cars

ok.

Gee2728: That's all I cld achieve with a full tank of fuel on city drive.... 306miles.

almost 500km with a fuel tank of 62-65 litres, I think its very very fair.

its also good to note that whether its a V6 - C280 or a straight -4, the diff between them in MPG are small.

just as I have stated in the BMW forum, same applies for 3.0 litre & 2.5 litre of BMW E46, you can seldom notice difference in their consumption ofcourse when everything works the way they should.

Moreso, our petrol here are of poor quality, if u wanna know, get a tokunbo ride thats never tasted naija fuel and take the fuel in the tank for lab test... u would know what I am talking..

the problem of most Benz as from w202 is that most of its emission and combustion systems are vacuum dependent, and as the car goes old, these tubes, hoses tend to degrade and thus causing a leak.. sometimes these could pose a big challenge whilst tracing the cause of your leak.

however, when the system is really air-tight with no single leak, you can achieve good fuel-mileage that can even surpass many Asian cars.

benz1x: Thank you so much for your response.

I think they already bypassed the fan. The fan comes on immediately I start the car. I will have it reverted to factory settings at the end of the month.

I have seen 0w-40 (Mobil 1) and 5w-40 (Total) but I havent seen 10w-40 anywhere.

Also, in reference to the condensed water, do you mean condensed water from the AC alone, or mixed with coolant? I thought the whole idea of the coolant is to lubricate the water pump (to prevent rust) and also raise the boiling point of the water?

Thanks.

There is 10w-40 weight spec for lubricants if thats what u want.

I understand the condensed water from the AC seem to have a higher boiling point.....

I didnt want to use the popular green coolant , and because I couldnt get the yellow coolant , I used ordinary water.

Despite the Honda cars everywhere, just two pages since April? I am surprised !

vague .....

are you relating your comment with the subject of your post? or they are supposed to be together?

Emperoh: Ok, another BMW shopper in the house.
I saw this sweet looking E39 last night on Copart. it is a 530i
I had wanted a 525i cos of fuel. . . . .but who can guide me, is he difference in consumption that much?
I know the 525i has a consumption capacity almost that of a 4 cylinder engine.

Click this link to see more on the pics and advice. http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e1s1&lotId=27987983&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

I am also put off by the fact that it was a manual drive. But that is an incentive in a way.

Whatdo you guys think? I won't bid more than $5k for it.

I was almost wondering if this is the emperor I sabi on Nairaland , what kinda guide u need again, knowing very well that the quality of petrol dispensed at our pumps are not same quality as what these oyinbo car makers recommended thus using to judge their MPG.

having said that, you know also that a manual tranny taste for fuel is less than that of an auto drive.....

The M54B30 fuel mpg which is in that car as far as I am concerned could be negligible compared to the younger broda of M54B25 that's in 525i (Manual drive), even though you would get more torque and power.

The most important thing is to keep your car in top shape and timely maintenance is the key... and put at the back of your mind that our kinda fuel here cannot give you the city miles of 18miles per 3,77 liter of fuel.


moreso, when the car lands, check for lots of things like the catalytic converters, it would amaze you that these things are sometimes removed at the ports...

Gee2728: The car also had a badly looking fix on the front fender on the passenger side and to cap it up the whole car will need a re spray.

PRICE......... His lip sealed, asking us to make him an offer. My friend is good for 1.8mill

Sadly was carried away by that sweet revving I6 I completely 2 take pics of the car.

House pls on the little info I've given, need ur advice for a 1st time buyer. Tnx

The fender work could mean an accident must have occurred ... a really clean E90 could go for between the 1.8-3M, it all depends. remember its from year 2006...

as @ today in naija, I would opt for an E46 still (2004-2005) . specifically with the M54B30 engine, reason being affordability as well as competence in support and maintenance. the N52 or N54 could still pose a challenge to our everyday support by many engineers.

The revving and performance of an M54B30 would make you happy as well... remember , its got lots of awards to its credit too.....

body parts could be cheaper as well, since you dont drive in isolation,. the new okada line in the name of keke marwa are everywhere seeking your side mirrors and rear lights to crack..

choice is yours however..... best of luck.

benz1x: Not only them, the Edo people too.

Seriously though, a friend of mine wanted to import the car from France. On a good day, if you have 600k, you should be able to purchase, ship and clear a clean w202. People have been doing it.. My friend wanted to bring one in but his budget of 600k was not enough because according to his person in France, the sellers said the demand for the car from Nigeria was high.


Anyway, Kuntash, could you please help me? I need to know the correct fluids and plugs to use in my newly acquired w202 C220. I stay in Benin and despite the fact that the roads are flooded with w202s, the mechanics are not very smart. Please I want to know the acceptable fluids. For instance, I know that the green coolant is bad, but I dont know which one is acceptable.

Thanks in advance.

Hydraulic Fluid is any Good DOT-4 (must be DOT4, else u are on ur own)

For plugs, see below...

GPSERIES PLUG BKR5EGP NGK7090
IXIRIDIUM PLUG BKR5EIX NGK6341
STANDARD PLUG BKR5ES NGK2460
VPOWER PLUG BKR5E NGK7938

For Lubricant- Engine oil, patronize 5w-40 , 10w-40 synthetic engine oils, ..... you can contact me if you need any of these..... even in Benin city

The yellow Coolant from Havoline is the recommended one, and I have checked all d while I used mine and was unable to find.... best bet for you is to use a condensed water from the home airconditioners ... ( i.e the water that comes from the AC) its better than most coolants.


Lest I 4get.... NEVER, NEVER. I MEAN NNNNNEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEERRRRR... allow any incompetent electrician to mess up that car by attempting to bypass any connection..

White smoke at cold start especially during cold mornings... THATS GOOD!

white smoke that appears blue whether in the morning or anytime - sign of oil getting into the combustion chamber ---- BAD OIL OR WEAK RINGS

Blue smoke at high revs -....... Rings could be getting tired for the particular engine oil weight.

Black smoke .......... sign of a faulty emission and combustion devices, (air flow meter, air filter, injector nozzles etc)

few white smoke and water from exhaust pipe -............ Sign of a healthy fuel combustion



from your explanation, I think that's what I always like to see in my ride, steam!!! and water...... with clear exhaust & no soot

kc007: The mechanic removed the thermostat, though we're yet to test it. The car was driven for up 2 miles distance, coolant temperature heating maximum, no evidence of coolant boiling.
Anybody with idea, please help oh!!!

CHANGE MECHANIC.... you seem to have answered your own question.

Any mechanic that is bent on removing thermostat in a bid to resolving over-heating problem is not qualified work on vehicles.

What an elegant look. very neat, and believing same would be of the overall maintenance prior to this pic ....

sold mine and was hoping to buy another of same model but with this exact engine (with electronic throttle) ...... mennn, for where, it was off my budget, even in Cotonou and I was not ready to fly the car.

There were several cars I saw, however, few (just 4) got my attention, they were devoid of rust and it was top of the range....reaching between 2.2m - 2.6m CFA...

I opted for cotonou because I wanted to see and have a choice to pick, two days of very tasking adventure, what kept me out was insufficient cash.

another thing I noticed, it seems our brothers from the northern part of the country have mounted pressure on this range of cars thus driving its price up.

since these assets as cars are transient, even though I needed a replacement for my C-class, I had to settle for a ford Focus.... and that has been another experience for me...

However, just like the old saying of "who fights and run away.... would be ready for it another day".... W202 for me, is undoubtedly a car to settle for, I wont let the little experience I have had with that ride be swept away.... I would sure get one again soon...


nice ride it is..

ziccoit: As I promised the house sometimes ago concerning 1997 Mercedes Benz C230/C180 Classic controversy vis-a-vis VIN report and engine picture.
The car has arrived. Very neat inside out except for some little isolated area around the handles by the driver's side showing signs of rust! I wasn't told of this. The agent thought it is nothing!

Honestly, W202 is a beauty, classy and inviting. Very comfortable a ride.

Kindly formally welcome me to W202 club. Lol
Here is the engine pix

and who says the ladies are more careful in managing cars?

Cult wine,

dem sabi themselves... mashed grape properly fermented with yeast gives an outstanding wine taste.

but the thread says " alternatives to buying Ram for Sallah "

funkybaby: which yeye point

you miss road enter this thread

everyone knows inspired for his sensational titles for his preorder threads. so i do not understand why this particular thread title is so much an issue for you that you have to rant about it.

Lets, end it woman... e don do....

make I remove my post?