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Comments
Your suggestions will be appreciated.
The cruise control could be a vacuum problem but it could also be something else like the amplifier or speed sensor.
As for the sunroof, does the motor run when you try to close it? If not, check the switch and motor. If you hear the motor run, then I would have a look at the teleflex cable that operates it. It's a big job, you will have to disconnect it from the sunroof and pull it out to inspect it. They usually go bad at the motor end which has a hard spring that acts as a worm gear and shock absorber.
You could really use a factory body manual for these kind of repairs.
I was assuming that the cruise worked just before the vacuum problems appeared----but maybe I read that wrong.
Quite frankly, using cruise control on these cars gets very annoying as they are so down on power that you are constantly downshifting...also on cruise you forget that you need a running start to get up hills. Once mine broke, I never bothered to repair it for this reason.
Where is the speed sensor and amplifier for the cruise control and can you tell me of another repair manual other than the Haynes that tells me what the Haynes doesn't besides the factory manual and where can I get a factory manual? I must be crazy thinking about the manual but I went for the factory manuals for my 1972 BMW 2002 and there is nothing better. $150 well spent.
You really don't want to go faster than 80 mph in these old diesels. They aren't as happy at high rpm as modern diesels are, and if you run them up too high for too too long, you risk damage to the cylinder head. Really a 300D engine is useless over 4,000 rpm.
I'm not sure about that body but in others the vacuum storage tank for the locks is in the trunk up under the package shelf. It should be a plastic thing with a bunch of bubbles molded into it.
Many models also have another another vacuum storage tank for the climate control, cruise control, etc. It's smaller (since those things are used when it's running) and usually in the front of the body on the firewall or behind one of the fenders.
For most MB models the Haynes or Chiltons manuals are not very useful, especially for the body systems. They don't have the detail, wiring diagrams, vacuum diagrams, etc.
For troubleshooting the vacuum systems one of those Mityvac handheld vacuum pumps is very useful.
http://diymbrepair.com/
http://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_diesel_maintenance_tips.htm
The AC question is really hard to answer unless you've started some kind of "diagnostic tree" to figure out what isn't working and why. First thing is to determine if the compressor is rotating, and if so, if there's any refrigerant in the system, and if so, if the compressor clutch is engaging. You need to have a working and fully charged AC compressor before you can diagnose the rest.
I don't know your climate locally or your needs, but unless AC is critical, you may end up spending a lot of money to rejuvenate an AC system that was, at best, pretty mediocre right from the factory.
i'm 17 and i just purchased a 76 mercedes 300d, for $701.99, it is my first car. it has 107,106 miles, so far the only problems that are wrong with it is my interior dash lights don't work, and my cassete deck (after market) doesnt work. for the dash lights i was wondering if it could be a fuse. also wondering if it could be the same for the deck. thanks for any and all help.
The tape deck has its own fuse no doubt, probably an in-line cartridge off the hot wire.
If it's a 350SD, I wouldn't even bother to look at it--let someone else suffer in your behalf.
thanks
I saw one of those this morning. What sort of misery do they entail? Maintenance hogs, or just underbuilt?
Now I have someone else who emailed me to find them a W210 diesel. I'll just pull it out of my imaginary car hat....they are rarer than W202 AMG cars it seems.
You know, if it were ten minutes in and out, I'd take a chance on patching up an old alternator (new brushes, cleaning, whatever) but not on one where you have to dig it out of the engine compartment.
As for driving it a long time, if you drive it at 5500 rpm, you won't be driving it for a long time. Old diesels like that do not enjoy high rpm and you'll crack the cylinder head for sure...besides, the power on a 300D is all gone at 4400 rpm or so, and that's plenty fast in 4th gear for that car's suspension and brakes.
There are a LOT of websites that talk about cooking oil conversions and what equipment you'll need. Mostly you'll need to filter it, and heat it up a bit before starting the car (or have a dual-fuel system to start on diesel fuel and then switch to cooking oil). You biggest obstactle after installing the tech you need is mostly just fetching and hauling the greasy stuff home and pre-treating it.
You sorta need time on your hands for this kind of thing.
Anyway, lay off the rpms would be my best advice and good luck with the car. It will serve you well if you take care of it.
I have removed the rear cover and have taken the c-clip out, and also the outer bolt on the axle in the center of the hub. Is there any way to get the axle out without having to take the entire rear suspension out. This is the passenger side axle.
Thanks in advance and any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
The ones who have done it have worked out the kinks and also know the upsides and downsides (there's always a downside). I do dimly recall that all the stuff you need costs around $700, but that's just a wild guess.
It's kinda hard to make a sports car out of a German brick. Nothing worse than a 60 year old man dressed like he was 25. :P
For me personally, with an old Benz diesel, I'd go for some new wheels, and get those yellow fog lights. Maybe I'd flat black the rocker panels or even two-tone the car below the belt line like more modern Benzes. Anything to fool the eye and get rid of those slabs of vertical metal that look like walls of ice in the Arctic.
You need to make the car look lower I think....even a darker top than the body paint might help.
But you've got the right attitude...running on cooking oil IS a hobby, where the hours spent are for fun, not profit.
My door locks won't work (except when engine is on- then 3 of the 4 doors lock when I press the driver side knob). Heat does not work (cool setting works fine). Lately the brake pedal is hard- in fact, sometimes when I just start the car I hardly have brakes until I pump a few times.
Question is- are all these 3 issues related? Can they all be caused by a single vacuum leak somewhere? And how do I go about checking for vacuum leak? Thanks.
You'll just have to live with it and check the oil more frequently and keep your air filter clean.