Unfortunately, I believe that there are more reasons for problems on the later 603 engines in addition to Donnie's carbon explanation. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone one day talking to one of the major independent MB engine rebuilders after we had an extensive discussion about these engines on our list. There are a number of plausible theories out there about the failure of these engines but one thing is certain: they do fail in much greater than normal proportions and are a real black eye for the history of Mercedes-Benz diesel reliability. And -- it's a shame because the long-bodied "L" chassis -- with this more-than-adequately-powered diesel is a great combination -- if the reliability and durability were up to typical MB standards.

Richard Easley
Waco, Texas