I took Josie out for a ride and cruised along. All was going good until I got home and turned off the ignition. The motor turned off as expected but the electric radiator fans kept on spinning even with the ignition key completely removed. After some troubleshooting it turns out the piece of shit Durale controller failed again! This is the second one I purchased. I thought the first failure was due to a fluke but I guess they are not as robust they claim to be.
I ended up using a temp sender on the intake manifold that is set to 175 degrees fahrenheit. This activates a 12V 60A relay that powers up my dual electric fans. So far it seems to be working, it turns on as expected and the engine is running about 185 degrees (original setup was at 180F). Even though it is an increase in temperature it is not necessarily a negative thing. I’m closer to optimum running temperature.
I still need to figure out a manual “turn on” mode just in case something happens to the temperature sensor on a hot day.
?Apparently the stock alternator of the SLK cannot provide enough output current to sustain the small 500w amplifier I installed in the back trunk area. If I turn up the volume the interior dash lighting and front headlights fluctuate in brightness when a heavy bass beat is produced.
I may have to update the alternator to a higher amperage model, I’ve had this issue with other high power stereo systems in the past. Nothing new.
I’ve been a subscriber for the Apple Music service since it came out. I had never really use the service until recently. What a great freakin’ deal!! I can download music onto my device and play jams on my way to and from work. When I get tired of the download I can remove it and get something else. There is a huge library for my to choose from.
After messing with the stereo levels I wasn’t at all impressed with the level. I had the audio set at maximum of 35 and the sound was just average, though it wasn’t distorted.
Today I rewired the inputs by taking the RCA plugs and separating the positive and negative into discreet wiring to the aftermarket plug I purchased. The quality was much better and the annoying popping sound was gone when changing in the radio panel. Since I was doing a rewire went ahead and wired the car for a rear trunk sub woofer which meant fishing wire throughout small confines and the precise trim fitting of a Mercedes Benz.
Since the trunk space is limited I had to use a small 12″ kicker subwoofer fitted into a small enclosure that the available space allowed. The amplifier is also a small footprint model made by Alpine. It is only a 500W model but that should be enough to at least indicate if I need to upgrade the equipment.
