kerunt's three-fiddy

[yura]

As some of you know I recently sold my '07 335i 6MT "snow white" (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?10516-kerunt-s-snow-white) and replaced it with a spawn from the dark-side (2006 Mercedes ML350), so I think a new thread is in order.

I don't anticipate doing much in terms of performance mods, but comfort/convenience and maintenance will definitely be happening.

The car is a local, single-owner vehicle. Leased, then bought-out and serviced by the same original owner at local dealerships. Unfortunately I don't have any service records, but I did speak with the local MB dealer and confirmed that the car has been well maintained. I'll try to pop by the dealer sometime soon to see whether they can give me a print-out of services done.

No accidents and the car is immaculately clean (got a very good detailing by the dealer I bought it from). Odometer reads 104,000 km (65,000 miles).

Car is very well equipped with leather/suede seats, bi-xenons, navigation, auto-folding mirrors, a whole bunch of other goodies, and my favourite, air-suspension. Air suspension lets you raise (and subsequently drop) the car 11cm (almost 4 1/2 inches) with the click of a button. It's very cool to watch the car raise itself up, level, etc. And, of course, the ride can be toggled between sport/normal/comfort with another button.

I do already miss having parking sensors, though. That option was very useful in my 335i, and I'll probably look into installing sensors into this car.

The "dream list" of mods includes:

- ipod integration kit (preferably with bluetooth)
- rear camera or parking sensors (maybe both)
- covering up the rear seats (dog-proofing)
- covering up the cargo area (dog-proofing)
- covering up some of the chrome on the grille with glossy black (will probably try plastidip)
- iphone mount
- ipod mount
- radar detector hard-wire
- dash camera hard-wire
- purchase + hard-wire additional camera for the rear
- LED tail lights

The purchase included 2 years of "Limited superior protection (http://www.lubrico.com/our-products/)" warranty through Lubrico. I've read mixed reviews about them, but it sounds that as long as you follow their maintenance requirements (an oil change every 6 months or 10,000 km/6000 miles) and "record" the maintenance in their system, you won't have much problems with them. I'm glad to have this piece of mind.

There are brand new tires installed on very clean 19" wheels. The tires are Taiwan-special Atturo AZ800, which translates to "garbage." I'll be looking into replacing these with a Michelin set sometime soon.

That said, even with these crappy tires, I'm very impressed by the ride. I'm finding myself driving and cornering at the same speeds as I was doing in my 335i without any issues; it handles very well and tracks predictably. Haven't had any tire squeal or loss of traction yet. The acceleration is also quite nice - feels much better than the E70 3.0 si models I've driven. Power is linear and smooth - you don't feel the torque at all. The brakes are taking some time to get used to, and I might look into upgrading them in the future. The brake pads are also supposedly brand new, but if tires are any indication, they'll be garbage and should be replaced with quality ones.

Now a few photos:

http://i.imgur.com/2NVVL5n.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/QugdsGT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UPVStqY.jpg

This is how it looks when the car is raised:

http://i.imgur.com/fjDgm7v.jpg

[Avetiso]

:thumbsup

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[yura]

It also seems to me that the tail lights are tinted - I'll have to take a closer look at them and see whether I can get them back to stock.

[JKO_ZHP]

I don't fully understand the Benz trims - the GL is the smaller one, then the ML right?

[Avetiso]

It also seems to me that the tail lights are tinted - I'll have to take a closer look at them and see whether I can get them back to stock.

Looks OEM to me. If I recall they are darker than other cars from the factory.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[yura]

I don't fully understand the Benz trims - the GL is the smaller one, then the ML right?

The smallest SUV is the GLK, which came out in 2010 (IIRC).
The next in size is the ML (what I have), followed by the GL, which is even more enormous (third row seating, I believe).


Looks OEM to me. If I recall they are darker than other cars from the factory.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Hmm - could be!

[ranger]

Welcome to the dark side - 2006 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG (my commuter that replaced the ZHP - RIP, 2007 MB E350 Sport - wife's ride) plus Daschund - another example of German Engineering!

[yura]

It has been a couple weeks with the car now and I'm loving it more than ever!

I've added a few goodies:

- ProClip USA cellphone mount (had one in my 335i and loved it, this one is just as good)
- Rear seat cover (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BI4SJ2S/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_dp_1) - $45 shipped and it's great
- CanvasBack Cargo cover - $180 shipped including the rear hatch cover

I couldn't find a cargo cover that would work with the 'cargo management' option my car has (the silver tracks which allow you to re-position D-rings and other goodies), so I called CanvasBack, and after a few phone calls, emails, and diagrams, they made me a custom cover that fits perfectly, securely, covers just about every little nook and cranny, and still retains the cargo area's usability. Love it! If you need a cover for your car, I highly recommend giving them a call.

See the photos of the cargo cover at http://imgur.com/a/PxgL7.

[yura]

And now for a discussion: whenever referring to my SUV, I always call it a car. Other people call their SUVs "truck." Which one is correctererer? "In my SUV" just doesn't roll off the tongue as well as "in my car" or "in my truck."

[Avetiso]

I refer to everything as "car" unless being more specific serves a purpose.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[HockeyGoon]

I say car unless it's like an actual truck like my dad's ford then I say truck

[Hornung418]

It's an SUV...a truck has a bed separate from the cabin. A car is not a truck.

Sent from my GS3.

[HockeyGoon]

Ohh and I call wagons wagon if that makes sense.

[JKO_ZHP]

Saw this thread before and even commented a few days ago but for some reason when I just saw this, I thought "wow someone turbo/supercharged their ZHP and badged it as a 350."

Oops /).-

[yura]

Okay, "car" it is!

Today was a day of hardwiring: radar detector (Valentine V1) and dash camera (G1WH) up front, and another identical camera in the rear. All powered via switched power sources and cables are neatly tucked away. I'm happy! :)

[johnrando]

Good stuff! And, I call it a car too.

[yura]

It may be hard to believe, but from the 20-30 wires in the overheard dome light/buttons area, there isn't a single switched wire. All powered wires stay powered on even when the car is off. I had to run a wire under the headliner, down the A pillar, under the glove box and to the 12V accessory tucked in the corner there - a bit of a pain!

To power the rear camera I tapped into the rear glass wiper, and that required taking off the plastic covering the rear hatch, which is held on by roughly a gazillion of plastic push-clips. A day later and my hands & fingers are still all torn up after that.

Oh well, all done now :).

[Avetiso]

Germans and their freaking clips, man. It will be the death of many.

[yura]

I'm considering grabbing this dark grille to replace my silver one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-ML-Class-W164-05-08-3-Fin-Front-Hood-Sport-Black-Chrome-Grill-Grille-/231374024795?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3AML63+AMG&hash=item35def7705b&vxp=mtr

I think it would improve the aggressiveness of the front quite a bit.

Any thoughts?

[yura]

Just ordered LED tail lights (aftermarket). Should be a nice improvement!

[Avetiso]

Looks nice! Love merc grills.

[yura]

Bit the bullet and ordered the grille.

I'm also getting a set of winter tires this coming Saturday: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 SUV in 255/50/19 all around. Already have a second set of wheels (identical to the one I have on the car now) ready for the tires.

By the way, these are the taillights: http://www.ebay.com/itm/190995886844?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[yura]

The tail lights arrived today. These are the Angel Eyes brand.

Here is the new tail light on the left, with the old one on the right:

http://i.imgur.com/b3P4UiZ.jpg

These three guys are found on both lights. I'm guessing resistors of some sort, as they weren't present on the original lights.

http://i.imgur.com/W1zM2Yn.jpg

Note the top three rows of LEDs not lighting up.

http://i.imgur.com/FTM9TaQ.jpg

Right side. Also no lights in top three rows. Furthermore, while the bottom rows are on, they do not get brighter when brake is applied (and as the left side does); basically, no brake light on the right side.

http://i.imgur.com/SVSxsrK.jpg

Brakes applied. Note the difference between left and right side.

http://i.imgur.com/1R7tUrV.jpg

This is a connector which was originally connected from the car's harness to the "top" light on the OEM tails. The new tail lights do not have a connector for this guy, and only have a single "main" connection.

http://i.imgur.com/wC2BAyk.jpg

Close up of the connector that's now not connected.

http://i.imgur.com/VcT6a5D.jpg

Error messages that showed up and aren't going away:

Brake lamp, left
Brake lamp, right
Brake lamp, right Substitute bulb on
Brake lamp, left Substitute bulb on

http://i.imgur.com/tiJ6c34.jpg

Close up of left side. Again, note the top three rows of LEDs are not lit.

http://i.imgur.com/X02iNc2.jpg

Close up of right side. As with the left one, top three rows are not lit.

http://i.imgur.com/Pn4N0Gw.jpg

So now I've got three issues:

1. Top three rows of both lights are not lighting up.
2. Right light's brake does not work.
3. Error messages on the computer.

I'm surprised by these. I was under the impression these would be plug and play. Perhaps these lights are meant for the '09+ models (mine is an '06) which have LED lights from the factory, and thus the connections and resistors are different? The auction said these would work on my '06.

Any advice on how to proceed? Already contacted the seller, but am not expecting to hear back until Monday-Tuesday.

[Avetiso]

Not really sure. Probably defective? I'd personally stay with OEM but perhaps you could tap the top leds to run off the bottom.

[yura]

Not really sure. Probably defective? I'd personally stay with OEM but perhaps you could tap the top leds to run off the bottom.

Did some more research. The "Brake lamp, left/right Substitute bulb on" message means that the break light isn't working, and the rear fog-light is being repurposed as a brake light. That would imply that the top three rows (the ones not working) are actually the break light (not working on either side), and on the left side the fog lights (bottom few rows) are activating for the break function. Strange. Will see what the seller says.

The OEM LEDs are incredibly pricy, and require reprogramming and (I believe) some other widget to make them work. Expensive and a lot of work :(.

---

Had winter tires installed today. Now I get random vibrations in the steering wheel at 100-120kph. By random I mean they're there one minute, and gone the next. When they're there, the steering wheel vibrates quite a lot. Ugh. What the heck could this be? Unbalanced wheels?

[Avetiso]

Unbalanced wheels would be consistent. Sounds like a bushing.

[yura]

Unbalanced wheels would be consistent. Sounds like a bushing.

Would that be a wheel bushing? Why would it happen right after a tire change? Kind of weird timing, no?

[yura]

Solved all tail lights issues.

The large, main lights connector had an empty pin. I disconnected the positive (red on the left tail, brown on the right tail) pin/wire on the "unused" connector (which, on the OEM lights, was connected to the brake light socket), and connected it to the empty pin on the main connector. Having done this on the left side, one of the four error messages went away (but the "Brake lamp, left Substitute bulb on" message remained) and the tail lights continued to function as before - no change (I cycled the key a few times, too). After also doing this on the right tail light, all error messages went away, and the top three LED rows (previously non-functional) started working as break lights on both sides. Everything is working great now.

[yura]

Have to say that the new taillights have made an enormous difference for the look of the rear. It literally feels like a new car. Huge improvement for very little $$. I'm a happy camper.

// edit - BTW, I did more research into OEM LED tails - about $400 for a used set of tails, another $400 for a used SAM module, and additional $$ for re-programming at the dealership. As much as I like (and prefer) OEM, $170 vs ~$900 (for essentially the same thing) is a no-brainer.

[Avetiso]

No pics?

[yura]

The grille arrived today.

Before:

http://i.imgur.com/Oqg05Yj.jpg

After:

http://i.imgur.com/Adq9yWv.jpg

And more pics of the tail lights:

http://i.imgur.com/OzVDHL5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EthtJqM.jpg

[yura]

Also, I did some more driving around and realized that the vibration is not limited to the steering wheel. The gas pedal and seat also vibrate quite a bit. Does this change potential causes?

[yura]

Got all my wheels balanced at KalTire - no more vibrations. They said all wheels were way out of balance. The kids at Discount Tire must have done a number on them...

[johnrando]

Good news.

[yura]

I'm considering getting this Bull Bar: http://www.amazon.com/BLACK-HORSE-06-11-Mercedes-Bull/dp/B004GGN0O2/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1418429493&sr=1-9

What do you guys think - steel/chrome, or black? I can't decide for the life of me.

It's tough to find photos of my-gen silver ML with a bull bar... here's what I've come up with:

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3720/ml63roadsideassist4.jpg

http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-89002704764953/mercedes-benz-ml320-ml350-ml430-ml500-ml55-amg-front-bumper-grille-guard-protector-bull-push-nudge-a-bar-stainless-steel-chrome-98-99-00-01-02-03-04-05-1998-1999-2000-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-1.gif

http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-89002704764953/mercedes-benz-ml430-ml500-ml55-ml-430-500-55-w163-front-bumper-grille-guard-protector-bull-a-bar-stainless-steel-chrome-98-99-00-01-02-03-04-05-1998-1999-2000-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-3.gif

http://www.cromtuning.ro/items_images/1337188192bullbar%20inox%20mercedes%20ml%202009.jp g

Can't find photos with a black bull bar.

[ELCID86]

Why do you need/want one? Cattle in your area??


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

I like the new grills….they look fantastic!

[yura]

Why do you need/want one? Cattle in your area??


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

Haha, no.

I like the look of it, but I'm also finding myself going off road quite frequently, so a bit extra protection would be nice.


I like the new grills….they look fantastic!

Thanks, Charlie!

[yura]

One of my zenon low-beam lights recently turned a vivid pink colour - a sure sign it's on the way out, so yesterday I ordered two OEM replacement bulbs (one for each side). Also ordered a set of running boards to spice up the look a bit!

[danewilson77]

One of my zenon low-beam lights recently turned a vivid pink colour - a sure sign it's on the way out, so yesterday I ordered two OEM replacement bulbs (one for each side). Also ordered a set of running boards to spice up the look a bit!

retrofitsource?

[yura]

retrofitsource?

No, on eBay. Haven't heard of retrofitsource before, but it also looks like they only sell kits to retrofit projectors into cars that don't have them, which isn't what I needed.

// edit - ah, I see they sell individual components, too. Good to know!

// edit 2 - these are the bulbs I ordered: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/components/bulbs/d2s-philips-85138.html. I paid ~$70 shipped on eBay, whereas these guys want $95 (and possibly shipping on top of that).

[danewilson77]

$70 shipped for Phillips D2S is an amazing price.

You should peruse the site I mentioned above. They are a good resource.

"No flamesuit required"

[yura]

$70 shipped for Phillips D2S is an amazing price.

You should peruse the site I mentioned above. They are a good resource.

"No flamesuit required"

Yup, I looked through their site. Lots of interesting products!

This is the eBay auction I bought the bulbs on (in case someone else wants these): http://www.ebay.com/itm/261211906619?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2F i.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D2612119 06619%26_rdc%3D1

// edit - the same seller has them even cheaper, $60 shipped for the pair: http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-D2S-REPLACEMENT-HID-XENON-BULB-FOR-BMW-E46-E39-M3-M5-X5-MORE/251752062976?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%2 6asc%3D27673%26meid%3D4fc8e93d986d4d7cad163947750a b67c%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D11378%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3 D6%26sd%3D261211906619&rt=nc

[yura]

Installed the new headlight bulbs - fantastic light output.

Also installed the aftermarket running boards (on just one side) - the worst aftermarket garbage I have ever seen. Missing (undrilled) holes, absolutely nothing lines up, the plastic moulding is horrible, etc. etc. I didn't expect perfection - aftermarket items never are - but this is the worst I've ever seen. Will be taking it back off and trying to get a refund from the seller, otherwise it's going on the local Craigslist.

The other thing I haven't considered is that it does add quite a bit of weight (they're heavy!) and decrease ground clearance a bit; I tend to do off the beaten path quite a bit in this car, so decreasing clearance isn't a good thing. (Car is raised on air suspension in the photos; it's normally lower.)

It does look nice, though... from 20 feet away.

http://i.imgur.com/SY6SNMY.jpg

[yura]

I ended up removing those running boards and sending them back to the eBay seller for a refund. It was an ordeal, but in the end I got my money back and only lost out on 4-5 hours of my time.

Yesterday I picked up my rear seat-covers from the alternation place down the street. I had them stitch-in 10 plastic buckles, so I could run two lines of webbing under the entire length of the rear seats, as well as three lines underneath each individual seat (perpendicular to the two lines across). This was all done to be able to tighten and really secure the seat cover in place (otherwise it moves around with the dog on it, which leads to fur and dirt all over the place).

http://i.imgur.com/40L6C04.jpg

While I wait for my shocks to arrive (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?16323-Leaking-rear-passenger-shock), I decided to do a little interior modding. I remembered that I had a bit of interior trim material left in the closet, and decided to wrap my interior trim pieces. I actually like the original aluminum-coloured trim, but thought a change would be nice.

There were a total of 10 pieces: two on each door, and two underneath the grab handles. Six of these were easily removed with a trim removal tool, but the remaining four (one on each door) required removal of the door panels, which wasn't all that much fun. Oh well, it's done now.

I also want to wrap the trim on my steering wheel, but that seems like it'll be a big job (steering wheel needs to be removed & disassembled), so I'm putting it off for now.

Before:

http://i.imgur.com/KgE4r4z.jpg

And after:

http://i.imgur.com/D8XGjR2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fHz8IUZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MmSFsWU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ni9igui.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/g4ntdY4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aRD479k.jpg


I also took apart my passenger-side C pillar; there has been a rattle coming from there for the last 3-4 months, and it has been driving me nuts. While I wasn't able to find the specific rattle, I did add insulation all over the place and secured a few cables and other items that had the freedom to move around, and it seems that fixed the rattle issue. I haven't done much driving yet so I'm not 100% sure on this, but fingers crossed.

[Avetiso]

Glad to see this thread still going. Hope you've been good! Trim looks awesome. I love subtle.

[yura]

Thanks, Dario. I'm still planning to get an M3 in a few years, so I'll definitely be around ;)

[johnrando]

Nice

sent from mobile device

[yura]

Checking in to confirm that the C-pillar rattle is officially gone. I'm one happy camper!

[yura]

This morning I made a platform to fill the rear seats' leg room space in order to make more room for the dog.

Having built the structure, I decided to make the top a tiny bit shorter by trimming both sides' edges, and that meant some rather creative balancing (this tiny workshop - in my mom's building - is the only place I can work):

http://i.imgur.com/7YlWLZe.jpg

I then added some stick-on insulation/foam around the perimeter to eliminate any sharp edges, and also protect the car from any possible contact/rubbing/vibrations.

http://i.imgur.com/8Olumb5.jpg

Once in the car it was secured to a D-ring tie-down on each side, and then "crushed" with the front seats. I'm confident this thing will stay in place even with the car upside down.

http://i.imgur.com/ZS1MWxQ.jpg

^ I placed two of the styles higher than the others in order to not interfere with access to the room behind/under the front seats - this way I can still throw small items there.

http://i.imgur.com/StVM5Of.jpg

End result is very stable and should work great. The only thing I didn't consider was that the middle rear seat is a tad shorter than the other two, so there's a small gap in that area. I might fill it with another plank of wood a bit later.

[yura]

And the hooligan in question trying to get in on my lunch:

http://i.imgur.com/CWXeJdG.jpg

[johnrando]

:like

[yura]

Installed a Yada BT54860-50 backup camera the other day. Digital transmission, some sort of "night vision," and wireless, so no running of cables from the back of the car to the front.

Hardwired the camera in the rear, and similarly hardwired the power for the display in the front. Picture quality is fairly poor, but about what I'd expect for a $100 aftermarket backup camera - it'll definitely do the trick. Mounted the display in the right corner as that's where my head tends to be facing when I'm backing up (rear + passenger-side mirrors, and looking back).

I was quite impressed by everything the camera came with: sturdy suction cup, wire taps + zap straps, hardwire kit with inline fuse + spare fuse, 12V cigarette lighter power cable, SAE power cable, SAE connector for actual camera, a LONG camera power cable, a properly written instruction manual (no broken Engrish), etc.

Apparently there's a way to enable the "distance lines" on the display, but I've yet to bother figure out how (and chucked the manuals immediately after install); not really necessary IMO.

Only complaint is the 110 degree viewing angle - it doesn't capture the corners of my SUV, and I wish it did. If I had to do this over again I'd get a wider-angle camera.

http://i.imgur.com/E1qlsIW.jpg

Also recently rolled over 122000km:

http://i.imgur.com/RzmcKhd.jpg

[slater]

nice. i might look into one of those.

peter

[yura]

Had the two new rear Bilstein shocks installed today. Feels like a new car; hasn't felt this great ever before (in my ownership). Way smoother over rough roads, yet at the same time it feels tighter and sportier. Maybe it's the butt-dyno effect? Time will tell.

[yura]

My rear passenger-side door lock has been semi-broken the last month or so. It turns out that a tiny little spring is the usual culprit on these models, so I ordered the spring on eBay and finally got around to fixing things today.

Taking off the door panel was simple enough, but the inner-door layer (steel) was not only bolted on to the door's frame, but also attached to the window regulator with three rivets which have to be drilled out. Drilling these (steel) mofos took about an hour - my titanium bits (one of which snapped in the process) just wouldn't cut through this steel.

Having removed the rivets, I managed to pull out the actuator just enough to be able to fit the new spring without disconnecting anything else. Packed things back up, put in two new rivets and a bolt/washer/nut on the third ex-rivet where I had accidentally made the hole larger than it used to be during the drilling process (so the original-sized rivets would no longer hold). Connected everything up and noticed that my one-touch window up wasn't working (although one-touch down was working). Turns out that I had to "re-teach" the window how to do it by putting the key into first position (accessories), and rolling the window up and holding the button for two seconds. Ta-da!

All in all about four hours of work - a massive, massive, massive pain in the ass. Cost - $5 for two new springs (they are actually different, depending on the side of the car), $32 for a rivet gun and $6 for a pack of rivets = $43. A bit better than "two-three hours of labour + cost of new actuator" that the indy wanted (probably upwards of $500 all in).

[Rovert]

You may need those Bull bars to get into Richmond Night market..... :innocent

[yura]

Hah! I've been to the Night Market once and that was enough for me.

--

Snapped a nice one today:

http://i.imgur.com/diCfZ4w.jpg

[yura]

Today's addition was a 4-foot dog crate:

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/eatsleepwoof/impact-crate/IMG_4205.JPG

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/eatsleepwoof/impact-crate/IMG_4209.JPG

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/eatsleepwoof/impact-crate/IMG_4207.JPG

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/eatsleepwoof/impact-crate/IMG_4208.JPG

Totally unhappy with the build quality for the price ($900USD shipped), but it's pretty much the only option that'll fit both the dog and the SUV. Will have to work.

[Rovert]

Looks like the Benz from Jurassic park. Transporting baby velociraptors. [emoji50]

[yura]

Looks like the Benz from Jurassic park. Transporting baby velociraptors. [emoji50]

If you know where I can score some of those, I'm all ears!