Is the W124 a car for raunchy moves?

Holly Jean wrote an article on various positions possible in cars for couples in heat without wanting to spend any additional $$$ or wasting any time waiting for a room.

http://www.myfatpocket.com/sex-love/car-ma-sutra-hot-sex-in-cars.html

If you think her suggested moves are do-able on our W124's , do share!

Personally, I'd rather get a room with attached shower.

That is unless you like the drive with the stank of cuttlefish in your car the next morning.

Megasquirt and W124 and DIY

A self-made LCD Gauge getting readouts from the Megasquirt ECU implemented on a W124 8valve 4cylinder model.

Left to right top row: Manifold Air Pressure, Ignition Advance Angle, Air Fuel Ratio
Left to right bottom row: Fuel Volumetric Efficiency, Coolant Temp, RPM

LCD display is created using Arduino.
For those interested in the code, kindly use the contact links found here.

And upgrade to a larger LCD has been done.
See this post!

Key components affecting Fuel Economy in W124

Tire pressure, octane level and injectors aside..

What are the key components that affect the fuel economy or fuel consumption of the W124.

Lighting Control Module Removal, Replacement and Diagnosis

A short writeup of my personal experience with the lighting control module [ aka lamp control module ] of the W124.

My W124 8v had the recurring issue of the dashboard indicator [bulb symbol] lighting up which indicates to the driver that one of the front or rear indicator lights may not be working.

Faulty headlamp/exterior bulbs warning
from dashboard warning indicators

Quote of the day

Work Hard, Get Married, Have Kids, Get a Merc....

W124 Losing Coolant?

Is your W124 losing coolant rapidly?

Check for signs of leaks around the connecting rubber hoses to the radiator, thermostat housing and engine cylinder head. Check also for water stains at the coolant expansion tank cap itself.

If external leakage signs are not present (ie water stains), it may mean the coolant is leaking into the combustion chambers via a damaged engine gasket or worse a cracked cylinder head.

Signs to watch out for :

Fuel Vent Valve

This inexpensive valve that is mounted on the fuel tank may be the cause of failing fuel pumps and poor injector sprays and may even cause bad fuel consumption with the combined effects experienced.

W124/W201 Fuel Vent Valve
Part number
A 201 476 02 32

Importance of Thermostat and Fan Switch settings

In any automotive car, the engine produces heat as a by-product and this heat needs to be dissipated to prevent overheating of the engine and its internal components.

Thus the cooling system consisting of the water pump, radiator, thermostat and fan switch is required.

Though it is desired to keep the engine's working temperature down, that does not mean that the ambient engine operating temperature (assisted by the cooling system) should be as low as possible.

The engine optimum temperature is said to be within a range of 90 degrees celsius (with a plus or minus 5 degree accuracy) so as to achieve the optimum viscosity of the engine oil that is flowing within it. To achieve this working temperature range, the thermostat and fan switch is the critical components in play.

Cooling System Survey

Help us consolidate your coolant, temperature fan switch and thermostat settings so we can find out what is the best combination for our w124s in Singapore.


http://w124-madness-in-sg.blogspot.sg/p/thermostat-and-coolant-and-fan-switch.html

Ignition Timing and Vacuum Advance - Part 1

Do take note that you need to have an interest in automotive engines before proceeding to read as this article can get quite technical. 


This article was written for owners of automotive vehicles using mechanical and vacuum advance ignition timing in mind. Certain parts of the article may no longer be applicable for modern cars with its own computer controlled, distributorless Engine Management System.

Ignition Timing Advance


We all know spark plugs are used to ignite the air fuel mixture in the engine cylinder chamber. The combustion/explosion results in the sudden expansion of the volume of gases and in turn pushes the piston. The vertical forces of the piston is then translated to rotational forces by means of the crankshaft.

Step by step diagram of the 4 stroke cycle

Water treatment for W124

If you had driven on a rainy day and encountered better engine performance, this is most likely due to the moisture in the air going into the intake and aiding the combustion in the engine.

So how to prolong or make the engine performance a permanent effect without waiting for a downpour?

Water injection is the key!

Water injection is not a new discovery. It has been commonly used for racing engines, especially for turbocharged engines. According to Wikipedia entry on the subject, water injection cools the combustion chamber and creates greater compression ratios and also eliminates engine pinging. It is also said to be able to increase the octane rating of the air fuel mixture.

W124 Fuel Pressure Regulator

The Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR) in any modern car is quite a critical component of the fuel delivery system.

The purpose of the FPR is to ensure a constant fuel pressure that is higher than the intake manifold pressure. In most natural aspirated (NA) engines, the intake manifold maximum possible pressure is 1 bar, which is the atmospheric pressure of almost all places on earth. To ensure proper operations of the injectors, the fuel pressure must be higher than 1 bar, else air will enter the injectors instead of fuel exiting the injectors.

Bosch's stock Fuel Pressure Regulator for W124

Leaky Oil Filler Cap?

Do you have the problem of oil stains around your oil filler cap?

It may not just be a leaky cap that is the problem.

Many have tried replacing the cap without any resolution to the leaking oil through the filler cap.

The problem may be built up pressure within the engine due to a blocked engine breather (crankcase ventilation) air passage.

Leaky filler cap? Or other issues?

The engine releases built up pressure from the evaporated fumes via the crankcase ventilation hole.
This is connected to the engine breather hose that routes these fumes back to the air filter box for combustion again in the engine.

If the engine breather outlet is blocked, pressure built up is unable to escape and thus the only other outlet will be via the oil filler hole, causing the oil to stain the area around the cap.

Idle Air Control Valve aka IACV

The idle air control valve is located between the 3 and 4 air intake header [ further away from front bumper ].

IAC Valve in engine bay [ Pic courtesy of Benzworld forums ]

W124 original Bosch IAC valve outside engine bay

CO and AFR relationship

Relation between CO and AFR

The maximum allowed %CO in Singapore LTA smog testing during inspection is as high as 4% for non-catalytic converter vehicles.

Tuning Results Table

Rolling Results of tuning sessions
The aim is to get to 14.1 - 14.2 for most leanest condition.

CO/AF Tuning Session

Sign up for the air/fuel mixture tuning session here!