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Mercedes 300D Suggestions
autojunkyjosh
Member Posts: 13
Hello all I am the owner of a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300D Non-Turbo. While driving it last year the oil pressure suddenly dropped the temperature shot up and then blap blap blap bammmm! Blew a rod right out of the bottom of the block. I would like to fix it again to drive to college, any suggestions and price info? All suggestions appreciated.
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There are a few ways you can go.
1. Used engine --these engines should be good for 250K or more if they are well-maintained. If you can find one that's still running to listen to before the yard yanks it out, all the better. A good Mercedes diesel starts instantly when cold. If it cranks and cranks, the engine is worn or something is wrong.
2. I have seen used engines on Ebay, but of course you don't know when they might come up.
3. You can just find another 300D. You often see very clean ones for $3,500 or less.
good luck
Shiftright the Host
(I have one of these cars myself with 226K on it. I'm surprised yours blew up).
I have been gathering parts for mine for over a year. I have three crates filled with hard to find items--no complete engine though! I'm not planning on replacing that.
I would agree that a $5K engine is a lot of money for a car that old. When faced with such a decision, I'm always trying to consider the overall state of the car (How much longer will the rest of it last ?) and how attached I am to this vehicle. If it will keep me from buying a new one, it may still work out, unless the car gets totaled somehow.
But overall I agree, $5K is probably too much.
I have an 82 300SD (214K) that has difficulty starting in temperatures below 15 to 20 degrees (which unfortunately is common during Iowa winters). Note - when the block heater is used it will always start no problem.
What I'm trying to figure out is if this problem starting in cold temperatures is normal / expected or if there is some sort of fix. One dealer told me there were different glow plug types and that I might try 'hotter' glow plugs.
After reading through the earlier messages, perhaps 'autojunkyjosh' would like to buy my car. It's very clean and he could get the whole car instead of a replacement engine - and have a lot of spare parts.
1. Using a very good anti-gel + conditioning additive to the diesel fuel
2. Replacing the glow plugs and checking the glow plug relay
3. Making sure you have a very strong battery
On my car, I rigged up a direct line from my battery to the #1 glow plug (which is in series with all the others). On very cold days, I would connect the battery directly to #1 glow plug (with an inline fuse installed, 80 amps) and in this way I can leave it "glow" for as long as I need to start the car. Works great. Of course, you MUST remember to disconnect that battery wire once the car has started.
I use a Redline additive, but any truck stop would have equally good additives. Cheap STP stuff in o good, you want something that is not only anti-gel but a "cetane enhancer" and an injection nozzle cleaner. It's not cheap but it really helps a diesel perform better.
I generally use 10-30 in winter months and 20-50 in summer months.
Someone suggested I go to 5-30 in winter since the lower viscosity should help with the starting. But, I have never been comfortable with 5-30 fearing it will break down rapidly - especially in a diesel engine which seems to be so much harder on oil than a gas engime.
Any thoughts on the oil issue?
Do you remember Radar O'Reilly from M*A*S*H ? Radar was the stereotypical small town boy from rural America. He was from Ottumwa.
I now live in a town that Radar would consider small !
(Oskaloosa is about 30 miles Northwest of Ottumwa and about 60 miles Southeast of Des Moines.)
Another thing ~ after reading all of the discussion about start-up difficulty in the winter, I am now feeling somewhat hesitant, because I live in PA!!
Diesel cold starts are definitely a problem and you have to take the steps necessary to address it. That includes additives and a block heater. If you can't hook the car up to a heater on frigid mornings, you may have to resort to starting ether (like the big rigs do sometimes--they have injection systems for it). My 300D is hard starting at around 25 degrees or lower.
As Shifty said, the dealer price may be a little on the high side.
If you can't do your own general repairs and troubleshooting then it will be a money pit.
A year or two ago, our master MB mechanic and independent shop owner said something in the fuel system might be responsible for the delayed starting and occasional excessive cranking. I forgot what he did, but it helped. Most of the time the engine starts almost immediately or after a crank or two. But once in a while it cranks for two or three seconds and then starts.
Should I be concerned? My wife would cry for days if her "baby" had to be replaced.
You know, with 21:1 compression ratio, a warm engine and good fuel, there shouldn't be any problem firing right up unless the compression were down.
Could I expect to get 500 000km and more, or am I dreaming in colors...............ps I really want to buy one of these car, but I'm afraid to end up with a nightmare like my old 300zx(A REAL MONEY PIT) thanx
I found that the Benz was no more expensive to repair than my suburban. Yes some parts are more expensive and you need to find a competent mechanic who will only do what is necessary to keep the car safe and running. But you do need to do basic service on the car religiously. The car at 150000 miles was as sound as a rock. By the way I found my wife a 1991 190e 2.6 with 50,000 miles on it I hope the gas version is as good to me as the diesel.
I'm also switching to a better brake rotor and metallic linings. The brakes on a 300D are really really excellent but as you know Mercedes does not allow turning rotors. You have to junk your rotors when they go past accepted thickness. So buying the better-stopping metallic pads works for me, even though they are harder on rotors, because the rotors are not salvageable anyway, even with regular pads.
If you are buying an already "rebuilt" transmission, I would be sure that there is written evidence of what was done and by whom. This is not something I would just take someone's word for, since many times automatics are just opened up and given a "small parts" rebuild, a kind of "quickie" to get them going again.
I just bought an 82 300D TurboDiesel. It has 123K miles on it. And everything on it works. The engine compartment was clean and the interior does not have a single crack, hence I believe that indeed it only has the 123K miles on the odometer. After it was off, I turned it on and it cranked right up. And while stopped I stepped on the gas and the car actually moved more than I thought. They aren't that slow, so it seems. What problems should I look for in the car? What do you think this car is really worth? I am in CA. I am just curious. The body is good not great! Do you think this is a good catch? Any ideas on how much it costs to have all the windows and doors resealed? And I see service bulletins and recalls with recent dates as late as 1999. Does that mean if I take this 20 year old car to a mercedes dealer they will still provide those services free? I would really appreciate the comments.
I'd say that if you have some cosmetic issues with this car, it can't be worth much more than a couple thousand dollars. Much of the car's value is in the cosmetics when it comes to a Benz.
As for service bulletins, no, you are on your own paycheck for those. And for a car that old, I don't think going to the dealer is the best idea. But the dealer is a good source for most parts. Mercedes has a great inventory on old diesels, it's pretty amazing. I just walked in and bought right off the shelf an oil filler cap, some dashboard bulbs, a hood release handle and a directional switch rubber boot. Not bad inventory on a 22 year old car, huh?
Thanks. About the sealing, I have seen that mentioned several times. And I did notice the rubber on the doors was in ok shape....dried out. So I am sure that new rubber would cut the noise. Maybe you and I are thinking different on the sealing. I am thinking the black rubber moldings around the doors.
It is more expensive than a couple thousand (3500). And I think I will be willing to pay a premium because of its low mileage. Most have close to 200K. I guess the car was just in really great shape and that impressed me. Am I going overboard? The ones I see selling here are all above 4K and they all have incredibly more mileage! I don't get it. It may just be CA. I do see a lot of them on the road and I have been searching for one for a long time. Let me know if you think that is totally too much. I still have not picked it up and can change my mind I suppose!
I have found the best prices on "OEM" parts to be from one of the many independent suppliers.
These cars do seem to run forever. It may be, in terms of reliability, one of the world's best cars ever made. Think of a Mercedes 300D as a Toyota with real sheet metal.
Don't forget the Volvo 240s, too. Those cars can run forever, and they were pretty reliable.
#47 of 48 by jrosasmc May 23, 2002 (09:58 am)
That's very true; 240s are an overrated car. That's why my father avoided Volvos for a very long time before buying one (an 850). Another comment; old Chevy Caprices are like Volvo 240s. They run a long time, but just about every part of the body falls off.
Jeez, kid, form your own opinion and stick with it.
I just did an appraisal on a 300SD that rear end a Toyota Solara. Mercedes is running still, Toyota is a total loss. Nobody hurt, that's good!