new owner, new member, many questions!

[bob66542]

hi my name is bob,i live in tecumseh,ks-not a lot of w113s around here! just bought a 65 sl 230,4sp,no air, euro,i think.has euro headlites, spedo in kph.Q#1- spedo reads in kilometers also,correct?( havent driven yet,trailered home,brake problem) which leads to Q#2- what type of brake fluid should i use after i fit new rear wheel cyl. i dont know what type is in it now.Q#3- engine seems to run fine but batt. is not charging. batt. is good, belt is not loose, dont see any obviously loose or broken wiring- can someone lead me thru the troublshooting procedure? i have a fluke meter. thanks!-bob

65 SL 230 4-sp. purchase 12-08-03

[ja17]

Hello Bob,
Standard type dot 3 or dot 4 fluids will work. I prefer not to use generic domestic  fluids. I have always used Castrol, Ate, Girling , Mercedes brand (which is probably one of the previous). Any decent foreign car parts supplier will carry one or more of these brands.  The rubber seals seam to last longer in these early German cars with these brands.
There has been a lot of discussion on the silicone base brake fluids. The factory justs recommends Mercedes brake fluid and change and flush the system every two years.
If the wiring to the alternator looks good it may be easiest to remove it and have it checked. The unit comes out easily and it's nice to take a look at the brushes etc. I do have a factory test procedure which is a bit long and involved if you would rather go that route. In addition I have the Bosch rebuild procedures and Bosch parts lists with numbers for the 230-SL alternator if you need them.
The voltage regulator can be the problem also. It is the rectangular metal can mounted under the hood on the intake side of the engine bay.
Do yourself a favor and get a good original quality fuel filter (Knecht or Mann brand). Keeping your fuel clean is critical. Those old fuel injection parts are expensive!

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[rwmastel]

Bob,

Welcome!  Regarding the fuel, make sure you take out your rubber trunk mat, lift up the clear (or white) plastic cap, and remove your fuel gauge sending unit.  Look down into the fuel tank with a flashlight and inspect for rust.  This is very common problem!  Make sure you buy a replacement cork seal for the sending unit.

The speedometer and odometer would both read in kilometers.  To determine if your car is truly an original Euro model you need to check your data plate on top of front left fender under hood.  On the third line, the first eight digits of the third line are the first eight digits of your VIN number.  The last digit designates the sales market that ordered the car.  For example, 2 and 3 are domestic (Germany), from 4 to 9 are export (where 7 = North America).  There is also a three digit field on the Data Card that explains more precisly where it was delivered.  Examples are:

511   Albania
513   Belgium
515   Bulgaria
517   Denmark
529   Finland
531   France
533   Andorra
535   Greece
537   Great Britain
539   Ireland
541   Iceland
543   Italy
545   Yugoslavia
547   Luxembourg
549   Malta
551   Gibraltar
553   Netherlands

I have a whole list in a spreadsheet that I plan on entering in our database section of the web site (http://www.sl113.org/data).

FYI - the search tool on this site works very well, so we recommend using it before asking a question.  This is because most common issues have already been addressed and you can learn a lot from these previous messages.

Enjoy your new purchase!

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[bob66542]

thanks rodd and joe for the info-just got air,oil,and fuel filters along w/ rear wheel cyl. from JW imports in KCMO via ups today- hope to be able to take a short drive somtime this wknd.-bob oh by the way, if anyone reads this, another quick question- what to use in trans and rear end- is regular 80-90 gear lube ok?

65 SL 230 4-sp. purchase 12-08-03

[Cees Klumper]

According to the owners manual, the rear differential takes Hypoid oil, all year SAE 90 (5.3 US pints). Unless you have the optional limited-slip differential, for which "a special hypoid oil must be used". The automatic transmission takes ATF "Dexron B specially tested" (7.9 US pints)

Cees Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic