Also make sure that you don't have bad diesel fuel.

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'95 E300 Diesel, 264,000 Miles. [Sold it]

OK, I think I can rule out bad diesel, as I have drained the tank, plus filled up at several different places. I can rule out the turbo line, as I am a non-turbo. I will disconnect oil breather hose first. I'm assuming that is hose from valve cover to air breather. How would I check for oil being sucked in from the vacuum pump? Thanks so much for the help so far! I will check this when I get home. Any other ideas are most welcome.
Jimmy

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

On the models that can suck oil from the vacuum pump, there is a clear plastic line going from the pump to the air filter. Make sure there is no oil in this line.
I thought the 80 TD's had the turbo and that only the 79 wagons did not?? Is it 81?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I think the turbos started in '81 on wagons, but wouldn't swear to it. Just know mine doesn't have one. I don't have any type oil line, clear or not, going to the air cleaner other than black hose from valve cover over to hole in air cleaner.
Went by an indy today in the same parkinglot as one of my customers(not in my MB), and explained my situation to him. He said it sounded like IP problems. He said it sounded like it was running rich, which wouldn't let it idle correctly, and would cause it to smoke. He said it would run OK at speed, which it seems to do. I asked him about fixing that and he recommended using the car for parts and buying something else. Basically said the cost of the IP work isn't worth it for the car.
What do yall do when you have IP problems? Does his theory sound plausible?
Jimmy

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I can't recall an instance on this board where someone with the symptoms you described discovered it was a bad IP pump running rich. I agree it's running rich, but I think the source of the fuel is something other than the IP pump.
You've probably got the newer style vacuum pump without the line going to the air cleaner.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

If I have the wrong vacuum pump, would it just start causing the smoking and idling problem out of the blue one day? Ive had the car for 3 months, and this all started rather abruptly. I'm guessing there will be a place on the pump where the line should be coming from?
I will check that out tomorrow. Thanks for your ideas...I hate not being able to use it.
Jimmy

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I don't think the pump is wrong, just different. I don't believe the newer pump can fail in such a way as to cause the symptoms you describe.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

If the IP is bad, ask around the forum and check local junkyards.
It is rarely worth a factory new IP on a car this old.