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Sponginess is usually an air problem. If you can't get the air out, you may have to bleed the fittings in the master cylinder as well. If that doesn't work you may need to have them "power-bled" at a shop.
Did you put on new rotors? If your rotors are worn (even if they are relatively smooth) you may be pushing your luck. On your car, you don't turn the rotors when they wear to minimum thickness, you replace them (not too expensive).
Why would you do that anyway? to reduce squeaking?
And I don't think you need to put grease on a spindle either unless there is something about those cars I don't know?
You can try to bleed the brakes yourself using the old brake fluid in a bottle method. That works pretty well. You could even make your own power bleeder. I've done that. I drill a small hole in the plastic top of the master cylinder reservoir and insert very tightly some clear tubing (like for fishtanks) and then hook the other end to a can of compressed air (or you could even use a bicycle pump). The clear hose has to be tight, though. Then, with the brake fluid under pressure, I can do each wheel one at a time. Of course you might have to re-pressurize if you have to add fluid to the reservoir. then when I'm done I just plug the hole I made with silicon or wax or something like that. Be sure not to drill into the plastic cap's little air hole or if you do, be sure to leave that open when you seal the cap back up.
You might wish to ask this question over in the Sedans topic, where they compare gasoline cars.
I think my oil pressure is a bit low. Its above 45 when driving or accelerating or when it is still cold. After it warms and im in traffic or something its right around 30. When i get off the highway after 10-20 miles at about 70mph it is right around 22 or 23 ish. It just seems a little low but i could be wrong. Any feedback would be great. thanks
Your oil pressure should "peg" when starting up cold. If you started cold and only got 22 psi, that would be worrisome. But warm? No problem.
all seems to be in working order, but it won't shut off, so after reading this forum, I am pretty sure the problem is a broken/leaking vacuum line, but has anyone ever had the vacuum pump itself fail?
Also... is this car worth my time and money with all of the mileage on it? It is in awsome shape, in and out, but it has been off the road for 7 years... so i'm not really sure about it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Well if you've been off the road for 7 years you're going to have to clean out the fuel tank I think, change all the filters, get new tires, and certainly flush the brake system, radiator coolant, and replace the belts and hoses. So you might have to spend a couple hundred dollars to see if this car has any life left in it. 300km isn't too bad if the car was well taken care of, but 7 years of inaction are going to take their toll of course.
1) Waste gate was stuck.
2) 3 vacuum lines at the turbo were cracked, broken, or missing
3) The intake mainfold pressure line to the vacuum control switch was missing.
4) The Over-Boost Switch was totally plugged with carbon and the electrical contacts were badly corroded.
5) All rubber vacuum line connectors were cracked and deteriorated.
6) The air cleaner filter element was plugged badly.
The test drive was incredible. It does not seem like the same car. The boost really kicks in at 2400 RPM and feels steady from that point on.
Driving upgrade it was like a different engine, good steady power.
It took a couple days but was worth it, on to the A/C problems!!!
Dad was telling me that when he first started having problems with the car shutting off, he couldn't find the problem, so he switched the hose for the locks, to the shutoff hose, and that worked fine for a while, but then that stopped working to... so...no the power locks do not work. I am still thinking that it is probably the hoses. Would you by chance have any access to some type of vacuum line diagram, so I can see what needs to go where, and which hoses to check?
I am going to just use some additives for the fuel tank for now, change the filters after some of that has went through, and I have to change the engine oil, tranny oil, and i will flush the coolant system. If the brakes work... do I have to flush them?
It will need new brakes, and tires... for sure... but other then that... all seems to be well... ha ha... "other then that" :P
Thanks for your help!
I have the opportunity to get into a family owned 1989 300 SE with 71K miles on it and in very good condition for very little money. I was looking at leasing TL's and Bimmers but this sounds interesting.
The help I am looking for is, Am I getting myself into a money pit? What type of MPG can I expect? how is the ride, how is the stereo? and how satisfied are present owners?
Thanks, for the help...
djocks
In my opinion, having owned a total of 5 Mercedes is they can be a money pit when they get old. My daughter's '86 190E had a fuel injection problem that cost more to repair than the car was worth. All of the M/B's I've owned have all had A/C control system failures both electronic and vacuum. That's over and above the typical leaks associated with all cars. My '87 30SDL is in the shop today.
I own them because they have a classic look, I enjoy restoring older vehicles, and my first car was a rusty beatup 240D that lasted forever.
Oh I forgot, the sound systems sucked but I've never owned a 1993 or newer.
Vacuum line diagram:
You might try over at www.mercedesshop.com; otherwise, if he can't help you (he knows a lot) you'll have to buy the factory shop manuals (set of 3) which are well worth the money if you really like these cars and like working on them. They aren't cheap but after your first home repair you've paid for them easily.
RE; BENZES in general. Old rule of thumb: "whatever got you into that used Benz cheap will eat you for breakfast sooner or later".
So buy the best used Benz you can afford. Don't buy a project car, you can't win...if you're in it for fun, then great, it's not such a problem and you're doing a lot yourself, but sometimes it is much much easier to spend more money up front and get a really well cared for Benz. Only the very skillful and clever and patient should buy a "fixer upper".
Stay away from 190Es, that was not a great model.
Other possibilities? Maybe your cruise control is kicking in and out by itself? Perhaps you can disable it by pulling the fuse temporarily? Usually Mercedes cruise control on these cars conveniently disables itself, or runs amok, and often---it's quite unreliable. I'm just trying to think of different things it might be. Just pray your injection pump is okay. It's VERY rare for that to go out. I believe it is also adjustable (the pump) but this would require an expert who knows EXACTLY what he is doing.
I bought this car about 7 months ago, it's a 1984 300D European (Yes, it's gray market.. most things are written in german, it has a top-front filling radiator, and the three-dial system for the A/C. The car was apparently non-turbo when produced in Germany, but a turbocharger (and transmission) were later added. I checked, and sure enough, there was the old turbo.
Now, the problems. I've owned an American 300D prior to this one, which had more problems than I ever wanted to deal with, so I ditched it for this one. The car isn't the fastest thing in the world, but I have to wonder if the turbo is even working at all. On the american one, it sounded fine.. the car would rev, shift, and the turbo would go *Pfsst*. Pretty fast little thing, too.. for a diesel. Fast forward to now, and instead of hissing when shifting, the turbo sounds like it's constantly purging. During acceleration, there is a constant hiss. It's probably the wastegate valve, like I've read on many topics.. but where is this valve located, and how do I unstick it?
The only other major problems I have, is the A/C system. I turn the dials to cold (For the right and left sides of the car), close the middle vent slider, and turn the upper dial to 100 (for 100% through the compressor). As soon as I turn it off 0, I hear a relay under the dash click, but the engine won't even bother engaging the compressor. My guess, is that the system simply has no R-12 in it, and it just needs to be recharged. Probably leaks, too.. but that's for a later time. Also, there is a small rainwater leak in the rear right floorboard.. my guess, is that it comes in from the sunroof (This one has a manual sunroof with a tommy-lock.. which I personally like better than the clunky auto one I had). My question is.. how do I clean the sunroof drains?
Thanks in advance for the help.. oh! And one more thing.. is there a way I can determine the engine model? Since this car differs so much from the American model (even has cloth seats), I want to make sure it's not just a 240D in disguise.. so where on the engine would the OM617 designation be? Thanks guys!
First thing you need to determine is your chassis type...is this car a W123, W116 or W126? Then you'll know if it had a turbo from the factory or not.
I can't imagine anyone would go through the hassle of adding a turbo to a non-turbo W123 but they could have installed an SD or SDL engine I suppose.
I think you are correct about your diagnosis regarding the turbo and the AC problems.
Totally forgot that the 240 was only 4CYL.. whoops. The engine type is an OM617 (Engine says R-O617.9..something), so I'm pretty sure it's a 300D engine. Found it printed on the side of the engine, near the injection ports. Anybody else have one of these Euro models? A good deal of stuff on it, is pretty foriegn to me, compared to my old US model. For example, I can't find the upper valve for the A/C system (to charge / discharge). The lower valve seems to be on the compressor itself, and the upper? Who knows.
Now, if I only knew what the wastegate valve looked like, where to find it, and how to fix it.. I'd be set!
1/2 a tank and below it begins to jump wildly, 1/2..1/4...R. I was told to check the fuel level sensor it may need to be replaced. Its easy to find under the first aid kit but how do I tell if its bad and how do u remove it? Also the reserve light on the fuel gauge stays on all the time.
I don't know any easy way to test it although I'm sure the answer is buried in the factory manuals, using an ohmeter or something. Since the symptoms are correct for a bad float level switch and since you've hauled the old one out of there, might as well take a chance and replace it.
I patched up the leaky exhaust system wwhen I bought it last year, and it shut off then. But I banged it up last month and now it won't shut off again. I presume it's a problem with inadequate back pressure due to a leaky exhaust, but I won't rule out an electrical problem (the curse of the 300D).
Kenji
I'm getting tired of opening the hood and pushing the emergency shut off every time, so any help from any of you out there would be greatly appreciated!
RE: Restaurant Oils: --Can you tell us briefly how you solved the filtering and heating of your waste oil? Did you buy a kit from Greasel or some such?
I really don't know the answer to your question. I'm not even sure what you mean by pulsating exactly. If you have (and keep) even pressure on the pedal, does the engine slow down/speed up/slow down/speed up ....or ....???
I still think you should also disable your cruise control for the moment while testing.
Your injectors could just be worn out---they do wear you know. Maybe if all else fails you can have them pulled and tested--but you need special equipment for that.
Messing with the EGR valve on a gasoline car is difficult because it can make the car ping (spark knock) dangerously.
So what I'm driving at here is that if your engine is running fast and slow, fast and slow, the fuel supply is being tampered with, and varied, by something.
I'm still not sure what this pulsating is as you haven't explained if the vehicle gains and loses speed or if you are just feeling a vibration of some sort.
ANYWAY, you should have a compression test done, and the valves adjusted (when was the last time?)...at least then you know that you have a basically sound engine and won't be throwing money in the wrong direction. European Auto Repair on Mill St. in San Rafael is a good diesel place.
Many owners neglect to adjust the valves on these cars and between that and clean fuel, it can make a world of difference in how they run.
I just bought a 83 300 SD and I am having exactly the same problems as you are with the A/C. The fan does not stay on and if I change it to constant air, it just blows warm air. I know the compressor is working because it is removing the humidity from the air and dripping water below the car. Did you get any further in your investigation of this problem? Any advice you can give me will be GREATLY appreciated!!
Thanks,
Tyler
Recently got my A/C working again (After finding a bad ground wire behind the compressor relay on my 78 300D Euro). Blows nice cold air (I love R-12 Freon).. The only thing is, at highway speeds, this car tends to run hot. Hot being, at about the 100-110C mark. The aux fan does not kick on while driving, as far as I can tell. However, I've noticed strange things relating to the Aux fan..
First, and what appears to be randomly, it will kick on at temperatures above 85C.. usually while sitting still for a while. Here's the strange part... if I turn the car off, the fan will stay on! It usually stops after a minute or two.. but still, my last 300D (A 1984 American model) never did this. I suspect it may be the fan relay, so I bought a new one.. however, it has not arrived yet. Any help as to what the problem could possibly be, would be greatly appreciated!
[1] Get the cleanest used grease you can. I get mine from my favourite Japanese restaurant (Asian restaurants generally really do have the cleanest oil)
[2] Try to let the oil settle as long as possible [optional]
[3] I use a Transdapt #1028 (I'm pretty sure that's the model) Remote Oil Filter Mount which fits a regular PH 8A engine oil filter. They are the cheapest and most readily available (under $4; good for about ten fill-ups before it starts clogging, but it really lasts for over 20 fill-ups).
[4] I pump it through the filter with a cheapo drill pump, but I'm going to get a Fill-Rite Rotary Hand Pump, which should make things much easier, as well as getting me off the electrical grid when I'm on extended trips in my Ford F250 diesel/camper, which I run the same way (although it's a [non-permissible content removed] to start, but it does have two fuel tanks - one for starting on diesel, and the other one for the bulk of the trip on veggie). My deep-cycle batteries aren't in the best shape so they would discharge about half-way through a fill-up during my last big trip (10,000miles).
Priming has been the worst part, but the Fill-Rite hand pump is self-priming, so I'm hoping that makes this a bit easier.
The 300D smokes a bit more with 80% veggie oil, but it starts up fine every time.
I know that starting below say 40F can be tough with veggie oil. I remember trucks used to have a little ether injector handle right on the dashboard. That would be great for cold starts.
I think you have a broken vacuum line somewhere, probably under the hood but it could be the doors.
I doubt your cruise control has anything to do with this. They are always broken on these cars and it's the amplifier 99% of the time.
If it's not been maintained, any of these components could be faulty. I found that a small handheld vacuum pump was very helpful in finding these problems. I could disconnect a line at one point and test a component somewhere else. The factory body service manual was almost a necessity for this.
I agree with Shifty on the cruise control, the amplifier is almost always the culprit, but there's a possibility it's something else. Other components should be tested before making the decision to replace it.
The 2 main problems are failure to shut off when turned off ( apparently a vacuum leak issue )and the air cleaner housing is getting oil into it somehow. The levels are quite substantial (there was about 1/16 of an inch of liquid everywhere in the housing.
The car started easily when cold and ran smoothly so I suspect that the engine clearances must not be terrible but I don't know why this oil is being forced into the air cleaner.
Any ideas?
VTM
If you have decent WARM oil pressure and you aren't belching blue smoke, you might be okay. Look for cans of oil in the trunk, or ask the owner what the oil consumption is, then double it :P