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May 3, 2017

Mercedes W211 E Class W219 CLS Alarm Siren Replacement

A common (ish) fault on these cars is the alarm siren backup battery leaking or suffering corrosion over time and damaging the unit. Symptoms include random, fast flashing of indicator lights when the car is locked or the alarm siren randomly going off or making strange noises. The fix is to replace the alarm siren. Mercedes actually updated the part...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 3
September 15, 2016

Windows 7 / Server 2008 Installation Disk Issues with USB 3.0

I came across this annoyance when attempting to install Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 from a USB 3.0 stick. At this point, I’m not sure if it’s the fact that the OS doesn’t natively support the controller or whether it’s just the fact that the USB stick I am using is 3.0 but the issue seems to occur whether...

Categories Computers/Guides Comments: 0
August 2, 2016

Writing Embedded Image Resource to Disk (C# .NET)

I was writing an application using the .NET 2.0 platform in C# with some embedded resources to perform a simple automated update. The resource files included some plain text files, some binary files and some image files which were to be copied to a given location on disk. After adding all the files as resources to the Visual Studio project and using System.IO: Writing...

Categories Blog/Computers Comments: 0
March 30, 2016

Mercedes CLS55 AMG Air Intake Upgrade DIY E55 AMG 55K M113

This is a brief guide on how to modify the air intake assembly on the M113K/55K AMG series engines found in the CLS55 (W219/C219) and E55 (W211) to name a couple. Reasons for doing this include better air flow, looks and induction noise. You can buy some kits (Fabtech Performance (FTP) or NeedsWings) that achieve the same end result but they...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 13
July 18, 2015

Mercedes CLS55 Engine Valve Cover Gasket Replacement W219 W211 E55 M113K 55K

This DIY guide is applicable to all M113 Kompressor and NA engines. The process is also the same for M112 engines but with different part numbers for gaskets applicable to the V6 rather than the V8. These engines have a known problem that develops over time where the valve covers (particularly the breather case attachments to the top of the...

Categories Cars/Guides Comment: 1
July 18, 2015

Mercedes CLS55 AMG Engine Painting Surge Tanks, Valve Covers and Supercharger 55K M113 E55 W219 W211

A quick DIY on how to freshen up the engine bay of any 55K AMG engined car by re-painting the Supercharger, Surge Tanks and Valve Covers. What You Need (Very) High Temperature Paint (colours of your choice) Black Extremely High Temperature Spray Paint Brake Caliper Engine Block 650’C Silver Extremely High Temperature Spray Paint Brake Caliper Engine Block 650’C Replacement...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 3
July 11, 2015

Mercedes CLS55 AMG Spark Plug Change M113K 55K E55 AMG W219 W211

A brief guide on how to change the spark plugs on an M113K (55K) engine found in the E55 AMG and CLS55 AMG and others. What You Need: 16mm Spark Plug Socket Sealey AK6557 Spark Plug Socket 16mm 3/8″Sq Drive Thin Wall Wrench and short extension bar set Draper Expert 71244 71-Piece Metric/AF Vortex and 1/4-Inch and 3/8-Inch Square Drive Gear-Ratchet...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 2
June 7, 2015

Mercedes CLS55 E55 AMG 55K Front Brake Disc and Pad Change

A brief guide on changing the front brake discs/rotors and brake pads on the Brembo AMG 55K braking system with 8 piston calipers. What You Need: Breaker Bar Sealey 750mm 1/2-inch sq Breaker Bar Drive Jack Trolley Jack 2 Ton Hydraulic Lifting Floor Car Van Garage Heavy Duty 2000kg Axle Stands Sealey VS2003 Axle Stands, 3 t Capacity Per Stand 17mm...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 3
June 7, 2015

Removing a Stuck or Seized Brake Disc/Rotor

This provides a brief set of instructions on how to remove a brake disc that has become fused to the wheel hub due to constant heating up and cooling down coupled with moisture (rust) between the surfaces. It is often very difficult to remove them – even with a hammer! The method explained here is preferred because excessive shock forces with a...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 0
May 21, 2015

Mercedes CLS W219 NTG2.5 Reversing Camera

Since I fitted the NTG2.5 system (see this post) to my car I wanted to make use of the Reversing Camera feature. The headunit has a dedicated video Fakra input which the unit can be set to switch to when reverse gear is selected. This may need to be enabled in the Comand system – if you don’t have STAR...

Categories Cars/Guides/NTG 2.5 Upgrade Comments: 2
May 18, 2015

W219 CLS55 AMG Comand NTG 2.5 Entertainment System Retrofit

After many months of planning and buying parts, I took the weekend to perform quite a major upgrade to the entertainment system in the CLS to the latest version of Comand available to the W219 CLS during its production run. Unforauntely, I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have liked as I got too engrossed in the job :P...

Categories Cars/Guides/NTG 2.5 Upgrade Comments: 0
January 16, 2014

BMW E46 Facelift Coupe Power Fold Mirror Retrofit

After some kind individual decided to rip off my driver side wing mirror, I decided that rather than just repairing/replacing the broken one like for like, I would take the opportunity to upgrade the entire setup to power fold mirrors. There are different types of mirrors and mirror switches that BMW installed on these cars and the setup of any...

Categories Cars/Guides Comments: 8