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  #1  
Old 05-18-2005, 03:10 PM
Live Fast, Drive Slow
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 3
New Diesel Owner Needs Help

Hi All,

I have done some extensive searching of these forums and can't quite get the information I need. Perhaps some of you can help.

I recently purchased a 1979 240D. I had some initial trouble with the car that seemed to be resolved by changing the diesel fuel filters and hoses. Although the odometer is broken, I believe that this car has between 150,000 and 200,000 miles on the chassis.

The good news: 1. the car starts right up and idles pretty well when cold. No to very little smoke comes from the tailpipe. 2. The automatic transmission seems to shift very well and at appropriate times.

The bad news: 1. the car is very slow. I mean really, really slow. It is not so much an issue around town, but on the highway any incline produces a dramatic loss of speed. For example, let's say I'm on the highway going 60mph and I hit a slight hill, the speed will drop to 50 very quickly and flooring the accelerator does very little to curb it. If I floor it all the way, sometimes I can get the car to stop decelerating. 2. I feel as though the car is not making any power over about 3000 rpm. This is a problem for accelleration around town and up hills, and a problem for accelleration on the highway for merging and the issues described above.

I have changed the engine oil and filter, changed the diesel fuel filters and hoses, and corrected a vacuum leak since purchasing the car.

Finally, I can't get the cruise control to work. After correcting some vacuum issues, the cruise will work only when I'm holding the cruise control lever in the accelerate position. As soon as I let off of the lever after having set my speed, nothing happens. I can get the acceleration every time by moving the lever, but it never sticks. Any clues there?

Sorry for the babbling, but I would really appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks

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  #2  
Old 05-18-2005, 03:18 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: RI shore
Posts: 2,937
search under "cruise control" and "amp". Also, valve and IP timing to help power issues as well a diesel purge. The 240D is slow, however. Did you know that the name originally came from using the top cruising speed extrapolated to continuous running would circle the earth in 240 days, hence 240D ...Seriously, welcome!
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  #3  
Old 05-18-2005, 03:22 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: central Texas
Posts: 17,281
You may have to move to a FLAT STATE.... LOL
Be sure to check your accellerator linkage..... lots of people have found that they were driving around with only 3/4 of the movement of the throttle they should have had... and they had lived with it for years because it came on so slowly ( pun )....
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Old 05-18-2005, 04:06 PM
d.delano's Avatar
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: DC
Posts: 1,466
so, leathermang-
If I have about 1-2" accelerator PEDAL play before the pedal starts influencing the linkage, is this normal?
Also I hear replacing some bushings in the linkage will tighten it up. New ball joints will too.
I think I got me a good old fashioned loose linkage that needs adjustment IMO.

for the record, I mean ball joints in the linkage, not the suspension
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Last edited by d.delano; 05-18-2005 at 04:39 PM.
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  #5  
Old 05-18-2005, 04:26 PM
dannym's Avatar
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Deltona, Florida
Posts: 2,360
Quote:
Originally Posted by leathermang
You may have to move to a FLAT STATE.... LOL
LMAO, You can move here to Florida. No hills here!
There are some good transmission tutorials in the DIY STICKY at the top of the forums. That and adjusting your valves, checking your timing chain stretch, timing your injector pump and cleaning your injectors.
Ball joints and bushings won't increase your speed but will give a more comfortable ride if their shot.
You may also want to check your brakes. If their riding heavily on the rotor that could cause speed issues and while your in there you can check/repack your front bearings.

Congratulations on your new car and welcome to the forums! Any old car purchase will need lots of attention even if they were well maintained.

Removing the instrument cluster is easy. there are tools that you can buy or make yourself to yank them out. Or you can push them out from under the dash. But first you need to unbolt your speedo cable from the firewall under the dash. Unless your speedo is electric of course I'm not sure if yours is or isn't.
Then you can find out what's wrong in there. I replaced my odometer gear from www.odometergears.com.
DO NOT MOVE THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE BY HAND YOU WILL BREAK IT!

When you get a chance add your location and car info into your signature and profile. This will help us to help you better.

Good luck!

Danny
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Last edited by dannym; 05-18-2005 at 04:33 PM.
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  #6  
Old 05-18-2005, 06:06 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Woolwich, Maine
Posts: 3,598
The play in the ball joints has to be very bad to affect throttle response or throttle travel. As others have noted, a Diesel runs with the air passage wide open all the time, and power is throttled by controlling the amount of Diesel fuel that is injected. The throttle is actuated by the pedal like in a gas car. However, due to the fact that the throttle linkage is supported by the firewall, and has to reach out to the support attached to the valve cover, there is a lot of relative motion as the engine bounces around, compared to a gas car. This relative motion, and the probability that Diesel fuel has been on the linkage joints from leakage by the jumper hoses, all adds up to the joint in the linkage becoming worn. This joint, at least on later manual transmission cars, consists of a set of male prongs at the end of a rod coming from the firewall that go through a set of slots in a metal and rubber female part of the joint. There is typically a cotter pin or some other device to prevent the joint from falling apart as it loosens. The rubber is the material that takes the torque from your foot and moves the injection pump parts that control the volume of fuel injected on each power stroke. Eventually it debonds from the metal, and then you have a substantial clearance around the male prongs, and you lose most of your throttle travel.

I temporarily fixed this for over 150k miles by filling the gaps with popsicle sticks and using electrical tape to hold them on to the prongs as well as make the fit nice and snug. It wears and loosens over time, and I reapply it. Works just fine, and I have yet to locate the failed parts from a dealer or other supplier. Good luck, and I hope an automatic's throttle arrangement is at least similar so I have not wasted your time. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)
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