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Comments
The glow plugs are ready to start in 2 sec and then stay on for about 45 sec. This is to lower emissions and to improve gas economy. This glow plug system is wired into the the sensors on the car and if the glow plugs need to come on again they do so automaticly... nrk
Important: If your existing relay is original, it will have 3 prongs, and the new one you got may have 4 prongs- do NOT worry about the extra prong. The relay can fit in only 1 way in the socket, and the extra prong will just hang loose- that's ok- they must have consolidated this part number with another part to give it more coverage. Just make sure you fit the relay in correctly- match up the 3 holes in the socket with the prongs in the relay- it will fit only 1 way.
Good luck!
Trust me- it's very simple, no need to take to a mechanic.
Now,I am wondering if a relay is involved with my oddometer and cruise control not working.
Meanwhile the mowerperson caught the chrome strip and popped out the whole thing on the passenger back door. I am told that only the Mercedes clips will really hold this in place. Is this so?
It was not clear to me whether you are talking about the top molding strip (thin) or the lower ones (wider).
Anyway- try www.performanceproducts.com- they have a bunch of door moldings and clips- here's the link: http://www.performanceproducts4benz.com/Drawings.aspx?bmid=146
Ps. thanks Mr Shiftright for all your other help so far.
Peter
You guys need to bite the bullet here and get those workshop manuals :P
I don't know about removing the primer pump, never had to do it.
Anyways, assuming it is the hand pump at fault and not the actual injection pump (single most expensive object on the entire car), then yes, it just unscrews from the side of the injection pump, 19mm for the newer styles, 23mm for the older.
Just make sure you use the copper O-ring, as it offers a much better seal than anything else.
Peter
Peter
Thanks!
Once the battery is fully charged AND tested (you could have dead cells) then put a voltmeter on the battery while revving the engine. Your volt meter should read over high13s/low 14 volts and the needle should move (slowly) as you race the engine.
Also, if you remove the alternator, usually a place like Autozone will bench test it for you.
-Ryan
Would placing a jack right under the differential be a good idea?
(I'm aware there are sources about these things, but the manual I have was written in '85, and it assumes you're working on a new-ish car without drop rail rot)
Thanks in advance
-Ryan
Thanks in advance!
Steveo8
I've been researching the 300D for a while, and I love the diesel (possibility to convert to biodiesel or waste vegetable oil), style, safety, and the German engineering on this car.
I've been talking to a guy who will sell me a 1983 300SD turbodiesel for $2900. I think I might be able to get him to drop the price a few hundred.
It looks wonderful, and while I haven't been able to take it for a test drive or have it inspected yet (tomorrow) I do know that the engine runs and idles smoothly, the car seems to be cared for, and the owner is a nice guy (who got the car from his uncle, 2 owners total AFAIK).
Here's the problem: 270,000 miles. Yikes! The engine has been overhauled by his uncle, but the transmission is original. Avoid this car like the plague, right? Well, maybe...
Here's the twist: the owner has a spare engine and transmission from his uncle with 138K on them. They are supposed to both work (how to check?).
What to do? I'm no mechanic, but I'm very technically minded and want to learn everything I can about cars- this would be my first ride. I love this car, but don't want to buy a car that will be a money-hog or completely unreliable. It's either the 300sd or a 1990-1995 Honda or Toyota, for reliability.
Thanks,
cyrus
A new Toyota Camry is good for 250,000.
If you get 1/7th that mileage out of your car, or 35,000 miles, you'd more or less "break even" with the new-car buyer.
So, my thinking is that if you can nurse this car for 35000 miles, after that it doesn't owe you anything and you can just ditch it if something big breaks.
Will that engine last another 35K miles. I think so if it was rebuilt competently.
Will the transmission last? Who knows? Best thing you can do there is drop the pan and have a look. If you see piles of metal in the pan, by all means grab that spare trans and pop the pan on IT. If you don't see lots of metal, put in a new trans filter, change the fluid and just take 'er easy.
With an old Benz you just have to know when to GIVE UP---if you buy it and the engine blows up in a year, don't fix it---junk it and go find another one.
There is no sense sinking money into these old barges, since the newer diesels are so much more efficient. I'd rather see you buy a new diesel someday for $300 a month in payment that sink lots of money in an old slow stinky Benz (sorry 300D lovers, but they are).
Of course, if you run veggie oil, then you are still slow but not stinky anymore!
Thanks!
Steveo8
I just finished installing new shocks and fixing some rust, and I hope to run it for many more miles. If otherwise the car has been maintained properly and looks in good shape, the 270K on a (good) rebuilt engine would not concern me that much- at that price. I did have the transmission shift points adjusted by a MB mechanic.
Watch out for the 4 jacking points on the vehicle and make sure there is no rust/ holes around that area. I found out the hard way that water can get from the holes into the inside floor pan and cause rust; and you never know because it gets under the carpet in the rear and stays there- until it rusts out and makes a hole. You should lift up the carpets and check.
good luck.
RE: Acceleration---when I say this, mostly I'm referring to either the non-turbo 300D, which is painfully slow, or to the usual high mileage clapped-out SDs people buy for cheap. But if you have a well maintained turbo diesel with good compression and a good turbo, all tip-top, acceleration is certainly adequate.
I just like people to have a realistic point of view when they first start out buying an old Benz that they know nothing about (in terms of past history I mean, not whether they can turn a wrench). So many of these cars are worn out at 250K, and then it's just one thing after another.
Hopefully, people will take the time to shop and find cars that OTHER PEOPLE have done the "new parts shuffle" on, rather then the newbie having to pay for all the neglect and deferred maintenance of past owners on a "veggie oil binge" who got bored and dumped the car without properly fixing it.
You can't go into a neglected car and expect low running costs...diesel or no diesel.
As for the jacking points, I was referring to the 4 holes (exterior) at the bottom/ near the quarter panels where the standard OEM jack shaft fits in- below the doors. I'll post some pictures "before and after" the rust, and also what it did to my floor pan.
Great discussions and learning points!
I don't use the "monthly payments" argument anymore, like I used to, once I added up my 3-year monthly average to keep my Porsche running at top notch efficiency.
My standards for an old car were this:
"A 16 year old kid should be able to take the keys off the kitchen counter at any given moment and drive this car coast to coast with no problems".
It's a high standard and for the Porsche and even the Benz diesel, and lemme tell ya, it was not a cheap standard to maintain! It came very close to car payments per month.
Besides- there's a "did it myself" fun factor- unless we are talking about a BMW 7 series or.... but then again, that's 60K plus!
My Quicken program punched out some UGLY (and unfortunately, REAL) numbers on my Porsche.
Between better gas mileage and a full warranty, a new car costs me less per month than a used one.
DIY is fun, but not when you need to get to work.
For me, an old car like a Benz diesel will have to be a second car....OR...I'd have to rebuild it and amortize that great expense over many years of use.
I am working my way around my 85 300D turbo diesel trying to fix the relatively minor things. One thing is bothering me particularly; ever since I've owned the car, the gas pedal has been way too non-responsive. Essentially, from a stand-still, I have to depress the pedal a good deal before the engine receives any fuel. The result is often a sudden lurch forward. I would like to "tighten up" the relationship between the pedal and its delivery of fuel so that when I push the accelerator, I get an earlier/quicker response. For what it's worth, the linkages do not seem to be where the problem lies; when the accelarator is pushed toward the floor, it's as if there is a "lag" between that movement and the mechanism under the hood moving forward.
Any thoughts? Can this just simply be out of adjustment, and if so, what is the thing(s) to adjust? As I said, I don't think lengthening the linkages is the answer, but could be wrong!
Thanks in advance.
Steveo8
I'd recommend the usual 300D remedies for starters. All new filters, a good dose of strong injector cleaner, and a valve adjustment. All money well spent regardless of whether it solves your problem.
The linkage can be adjusted (you need the workshop manual to follow the detailed instructions) and ditto for pump timing, which might be best left to an experienced professional.
I fixed a vacuum leak under the dash a couple of days back (because engine would not shut off- now it shuts off fine)- would that have anything to do with the odometer? anything come loose?
Thanks.
It can be fixed by removing the shaft and putting it back after roughing it up bit or put a VERY LITTLE amount of superglue on it.
Anything in general would be appreciated.
While I have the radiator out, I was thinking of having it cleaned. The engine now has 119,000mi on it, this wouldn't be a waste of money would it?
Thanks in advance.
-Ryan
My first MB, my first diesel, my first post.
The car is a 1982 300D and, thanks to all of you, I have learned quite a bit in my two months of ownership. However, I have a problem I haven’t seen here yet: If the automatic transmission is in “D” the engine high revs between shifts. It’s only for a second, it’s worse when the car is cold and it does not occur if I shift manually. Any help? Thanks, Simeon
I had the transmission serviced as a matter of course when I purchased the car, flush and fill and filter. I know well the previous owners and they, for 8 years, had the problem. Their theory is that the car was towed improperly and the trans thus damaged. I have also heard that there is a “ modulator” on the trans itself which can be adjusted Also, if I really have my foot in it, such as merging it shifts just fine. Please help me sort fact from fiction. Thanks, Simeon
Sounds like a fair price as these are becoming harder to find with the standard transmission and relatively low mileage. Watch out for rust as these are prone to that.
He has to learn to do his own maintenance and basic repairs, like oil changes, brakes etc. otherwise it'll eat you alive in cost. I'd be interested in buying it if he isn't.
Good luck!
Main issues are climate control system, which, frankly...sucks....Other common faults that aren't so bad are vacuum leaks (door locks don't work, engine won't shut off immediately), hard starting when cold (not a good sign) and sagging rear suspension (obvious just looking at it), and faulty cruise control.
I think it's a great car for a young guy because it will completely dispel any aggression one might have driving. The cars are painfully slow, so attentiveness, planning and patience are habits the driver will either develop, or he'll sell the car right away. So we'll see, right?
If you start off with the right diesel Benz that's been maintained and is in top shape from Day One, it can be a very low-maintenance vehicle. If you buy one with problems, it will eat you alive because it ain't cheap to fix the big stuff.
I kept careful records on my 300ds, and to maintain them very well, doing many of my own repairs, it cost me $83 a month for repairs and maintenance. Fuel mileage was between 20 and 25 mpg. I changed the oil and filter every 3,000 (important!) and the secondary fuel filter every 3,000 as well. I used Redline fuel additive and injector cleaner every couple of fill-ups, never drove over 75 MPH (they don't like high revs and you'll crack the cylinder head if you do it a lot).
Great cars if you understand what you have and are willing to give them regular care, especially clean oil and clean fuel!!
Thanks for any input!