Hi All
We (my wife & I) are in North America-currently in BC-about to go in to the USA with a 1993 european mercedes 410d van that has an om602 diesel & an auto gearbox.
We landed in Nova Scotia 10 weeks ago & have been having some mechanical issues that are puzzling us.
1 problem is the temperature of the engine is not stable-it has a wide temperature variation when the engine is working hard & it has a (separate?) vibrational problem that hasnt been solved with alignment and balancing work.
As we head south (taking 2 years travelling to South America through USA & central America) & the ambient temperature rises we are not convinced that the engine will not over heat with steep climbs & hard driving (it is sort of OK in temperatures from -5 degrees C to 15 degrees C).
We were hoping to find a mechanic or garage recommendation in the North Western USA that loves these old 5 cylinder engines & has experience working on them.
Any and all help will be greatly appreciated - Mark & Saskia

 

Hi ForcedInduction
Thanks for the reply.
So we had a brand new rad before we left the uk fitted by an experienced mechanic and in Nova Scotia we had had a new viscous clutch fitted. Also had the thermostat replaced as well. We are regretting not having the water pump looked at at the same time though -which is why we want to find a mechanic but with a recommendation from you guys.
We also have a speed/rpm van wobble/shake which as I said wasnt completely solved but made a little better by wheel balancing and alignment work, we have been advised that having done the work we have had done that we should now have the drive train checked by dis-assembly and inspection - from the flywheel, torque convertor, autobox take off, drive-shaft, UJ's to the diff. Again work that really needs a pit or 5tonne hoist and some warmer air than Whistler's -5 C - hence the northern/western USA.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mark and Saskia