Thanks much for the info. Happy wife, happy life. She had always admired X-Fires, and I really needed to give her a gift for having looked after me during 2 years of gawdawful chemo and stem cell transplant.

Seeing as how you're close by, perhaps one sunny day we can get together over a sudz or glass of wine?
cheers,
Ted

 

Sounds like a plan, will do.

 

Just checking if my two photos came through?
Ted

 

Thank you all for your information! With the help of a block of wood, and some effort to pull the bumper cover away....the reluctant headlamp assembly finally came out. Once I was able to clearly see into the bays where the lamps live, it became obvious that there is an adjuster screw that independently moves the inner (high beam) lamp carrier. A 6 mm socket on a screwdriver type handle allows adjustment. So, back went the headlamp assembly, X-Fire down on the ground and ready to move outside. I had to wait 3 days for winds and snow to ease up a bit, before moving the vehicle outside at night to where alignment could be carried out on the garage door. Fifteen minutes of turning the major adjuster, and then the inner adjust brought all to near perfection! I've tried to attach a photo, and hope that it comes through OK.
Many thanks to all.....
Ted

 

That is new info for me with the internal separate adjustment of the high beam: Thanks very much for posting a picture !

 

Hey Zippy!
The headlight adjustment was driving me nuts for a while. And removing the headlight assembly a real pain to finally locate the adjuster. Today I bought a "Bore-Scope" at Harbor Freight. It would have saved me several hours labor earlier, had I had it a few days ago. Live and learn.
I see you have something called "Eurocharged Tune". Pardon my ignorance, as I'm a newbie here....but what is it?
cheers,
Ted

 

There are 3 'normal' upgrade options for the NA's, in this order :
1. Single CAI ( Cold Air Intake ) from NeedsWings.
2. 74 mm throttle body from eBay, here, or a junk yard ( car-part.com )
3. Eurocharged tune from eurocharged.com - this remaps the PTCM to utilize the above two to greater advantage. expect 25 - 35 more HP, better response, more torque and better economy.

 

As George, ala-xfire stated above the eurocharged tune is done after installing the other upgrades. It alters the parameters of the Engine Control/Power Train modules from the original factory settings. Assuming your car is original it has 68mm air intake at the throttle body and two air filters that sit above the engine which can absorb heat. Most of us who have installed a larger 74mm throttle body and larger more direct air intakes/filters retune the car to take better advantage of the "upgrades". There are other companies who can also do a retune of the electronic modules on the Crossfire/Mercedes SLK 320. You can go to their website and read the info there. EuroCharged for some reason was unable to work their magic through my old microsoft computer here at my home, so I found it necessary to travel to Atlanta, GA to one of their franchised locations and have the retune completed at that facility.
One other thing I would add to the list that ala-xfire mentioned is an oil catch can that is available from "Needswings" (google needswings). The catch can is placed in the emission control system between the vacuum lines from the valve train and the throttle body. It "catches" the oil that would otherwise be drawn into the throttle and general gums things up. It needs to be drained of oil accumulations at least at every oil change. I drain mine a time or two more than that. It should be the first thing on the list and I recommend you get it even if the other things are not done as it helps maintain the engine. It is a rather easy install.

 

It should be noted that the picture shown is upside down, the screw is actually at the top.
Using the yellow icon at the top of the reply/add comment page allows for full size photos to be uploaded directly to the post, the photo is automatically resized in the post. The photo uploaded as you have shown is often too small to see detailsin any clarity.
The photo below was directly uploaded from my computer to this post. The screw is not in this picture, it is just an example of what can be uploaded.

 

Welcome to the forum, nice picture. Enjoy and Merry XMAS!

 

Thank you all for your input...it's very much appreciated to this "NEWBIE" kid. "Onehundred80" is correct about the photo upside down. I took it with my EYE-FONE, then sent to my WINDOWS laptop. For one reason or other, things seem to get transposed in the shuffle? Maybe it's just me?

I'll be looking into EUROTUNE shortly, but not sure if HAPPY WIFE would appreciate me messing with the engine. So far, I've given her car a great polish and wax job, installed some very nice footwell and trunk LED lights, painted the disc calipers red, oil and filter changes, (MOBIL 1) and generally inspected from one end to the other. Yesterday I picked up a beeper from Radio Shack to instal for sound-off from the keyless entry. The X-FIRE is now covered and awaiting Equinox in March. Me too...

Has anybody actually put their standard car (non-SRS) on a dyno to verify horsepower improvements from Eurotuning? Is there any noticeable change in driveability? HAPPY WIFE is a somewhat aggressive driver who would appreciate 10% more at the "LOUD PEDAL".

Speaking of loud, is there an exhaust modification that works well, and simultaneously gives a nice tone to the tailpipe? Some of the "tuner cars" sound AWFUL! Thanks to all once again for your continued support.
regards,
Ted

 

You missed out on the larger MAF housing. CLICK
Also the Mercedes engine cover instead of the NW intake is a cheaper option and probably is just as good or nearly as good. CLICK
Your 25 hp is probably max on either mod and it will be at the crank not the wheels. Euro claims 18 hp at the crank if my memory serves me.
At the wheels 200 hp would be hard to obtain, 195 is probably the max

 

Thanks again "young fellow" for the input regarding EUROTUNE. It seems a bit expensive for perhaps 10 hp at the rear wheels. The Mercedes engine covers look very cool though. Do you have any further suggestions for simple modifications? The chromed metal grill looks good in the pictures, but does it show well in the real world? Cost seems reasonable enough, and gets rid of more plastic. The top-down switch seems like it could be a good thing to do as well.

Just a thought....I usually don't fish from shore. Aha ha Ha,
Regards,
Ted




Dawn in Exuma Sound, Bahamas

 

I just wish my MRS was as spunky as your HAPPY WIFE is! You being 72, whatever your doing, keep doing it!

.

 

"Happy Wife" has been a great care-giver and advocate during the past 2 years of my Chemo. I was in a hospital bed for weeks and weeks. She drove to Toronto almost daily, bringing me home-cooking etc. during the last winter. She looked after me very well. And then we went to Buffalo for Bone Marrow Transplant. I was in a hospital bed all summer. But things worked out for the very best. I owe her!! And, yes, she's SPUNKY! The X-FIRE is the very least I could do.....

We are planning some tops-down rides in the spring. Sweet car, runs GREAT! It's in need of some accessories? I'm about to start on the beeper for the keyless entry system. Radio Shack didn't have a LOUD beeper, but the second best one may be good enough.
cheers,
Ted

 

I like the wind restrict or for the convertibles.

 

We lived in Panama, Central America for 7 years. She always wanted to learn to ride a horse. So I bought her a gorgeous show horse. Here's a pic of "SPUNKY WIFE" learning to ride bareback. Aha Ha Ha! She rode daily during our time there....and became quite expert at it.
Ted

 

Hey SPEEDY,
Where do I find the wind restrictor? No more wind in my pelt?

cheers,
Ted

 

ForumRunner_20161222_150538.png

They are on this forum, I think they have a sale going on atm.
Do a forum search by name
Windrestrictor

 

Hey Fellows,
Regarding the blowby catch can...I made one during last winter's project car in my workshop. This is a link to fabricating your own can. I used ABS pipe, due to availability, and it seems more durable. The finished product was wrapped with a BUDWEISER aluminum beer can for the humor factor.


The car is a Volkswagen Beetle, with a Corvair 140 HP engine in it, which has been warmed over with a small Holley 4 barrel, headers, reverse cam, etc. The catch can has replaced the old blow-by pipe that dripped oil on the garage floor. I'm attaching a photo of the Baja Bug, that we call the Ice Cream Car. You know...."Honey, get in the car, we're going for an ice cream cone"!

Again, thanks to all for your kind support. Merry Christmas!
Ted




Ice Cream car...HAPPY WIFE!