This is a car we've owned for 6 months and this was the first long drive taken with it, 180 miles one way starting from the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC back to Raleigh, N.C. I'd driven the car to the mountains about 10 days earlier, elevation 3600-4000 ft. The car is a '71 280 SL showing 58,000 miles ( +/- ) which according to the previous owner who had it 17 years is close to accurate. He had purchased it from the mechanic who worked on it for the previous owner ( daughter of the original buyer ).
Questions:
1 - Upon arriving at the destination on the drive back I heard an erratic tapping noise from the engine, the engine was running smoothly but the noise seemed to be coming from the injectors, a "clicking" sound that wasn't a pattern but erratic. I first thought it was coming from the front of the engine but as best I could determine from "listening" it seemed to be coming more from the mid to rear length of the engine.
I turned the engine off, unloaded and about an hour later, started it to take it to the storage where we keep it. No noise. Any thoughts appreciated.
2 - My wife who was driving behind the car noted some white exhaust from the car when it was decelerating. Might this be related to the injector noise, although I would have thought this would be darker exhaust gas if it was related to fuel.
3 - This being the longest drive I've taken with the car, I noted the automatic transmission face plate in the drivers compartment was extremely warm after about 40-45 minutes driving, normal? Transmission fluid checks ok.
4 - Downshifting coming to stop signs at the end of the journey seemed a bit rougher/ louder. No transmission noises or shifting problems were noted in the drive, just the downshifting "bump" as your approach a stop. Normal for this transmission?
1971 280 SL