Ok guys, I am a newbie, not to diesels but to mercedes ones. I own a 1994 Chevrolet 6.5L turbo diesel with some modifications done to it to make her haul tale! So on my quest to find something with better fuel milage I ran accross a 1982 Mercedes 300D turbo diesel. I am going to look at the car this weekend and wanted to know if there were any things to look for as fare as telling if it is a good car or not.... Are their any terminal problems these cars have tranny/electrical/engine wise? How well do these cars perform? And what kind of fuel milage are yall getting? Also I was wondering what you can do to up the power on these cars? Can you just turn the boost up and maybe the fuel pressure too? If so how hard/easy is it? Any help or advise would be great.

Thanks John Kruckeberg

i am kinda new also, but have purchased a 300D 1 month ago. just dont even think about racing anyone except a grandma (that sits 2 inches from the steering wheel) from a red light. 0-60 most get 12-14 seconds

great cars though, i will let the senior members and wise posters reply with all the technical things to look out and watch for.

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Grey '91 350SDL 214k Dad's car
Beige '81 240D 4 Speed 254k SOLD
Blue '82 300D 225k SOLD
White '95 E300D 46k SOLD
Blue '87 190D 2.5 Turbo 315k SOLD
Brown '80 240D 4 Speed 716k SOLD
Beige '80 300D N/A 119k SOLD
Blue '85 300D Model 186k T-Boned

Yea didn't expect it to be a real performer, just wanted to be sure it could cruise at highway speeds comfortably, and that if I pulled out infront of someone by accident that it wouldn't take me a mile to get to 60! lol

I just got an 84 300D last weekend and it's great on the highway. It's happy to move along at 70-75MPH. Though once or twice I was not watching it and found my self going over 85MPH. It think these cars really shine on the highway.

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2003 VW Passat GLS 1.8t wagon 73k mi
1998 Dodge Dakota Sport 228k mi
1974 VW Karmann Ghia Coupe 74k mi (for sale)

What kind of fuel milage were yall getting on your diesels?

Milage wise the turbo D should be getting 26 - 29 mpg. tranny/electrical/engine wise they are pretty much bullet proof. Other items can prove niggling though. There is a wealth of info on this site.

Good luck.

This all sounds pretty good to me! Just wanted to make sure there wasn't any tall tale signs of things going bad I should look for. I know there are plenty of things to look for when buying a chevrolet diesel truck, but didn't know if it would transfer to mercedes diesels.

Look for rust, in wheel wells, bottom inside of doors, around jack points, and here's a good one, behind the battery, you'll have to pull it. If there's no rust there, that is a good sign. A/C, cruise control, and front suspension are common points for repair.

Hey,
Rust would probably be the main thing to look for.
You also want to get service records if you can.

These are great cars, top speed 110mph or thereabouts. You can adjust the turbo and fuel delivery to a point.

However you are buying a very old car. You may have to replace bushings, mounts, ball joints, shocks....all inexpensive if you can do the work yourself.
Things like timing and injector cleaning and testing, valve adjustments would have to be done later.

Take it for a test drive. If everything works and stearing is tight then buy it!
Then come back here and enjoy.

Danny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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I am a pretty good mechanic so working on the car should be for the most part cheap. I read some articles in the sticky section and found some great info on what to look for. So far I have only seen ways to turn the boost up... what about the fuel? How can I turn that up? Also what do these cars run factory as far as boost goes?

The ALDA is what you are looking for, but there has been question as to whether this should be adjusted by the amateur mechanic. There is a balance that can be upset. But then again, a lot of people have done it. Just at least make a note as to where the original setting is.

Do you know how many miles are on the car? I agree with everything said here. These are great cars, but you need to find a rust free, well maintained example. They are pretty straight forward to work on. The auto climate controls are a pain, and cost several hundred dollars to fix when they fail. The AC and the vacuum system (door locks, heater vents, fuel shutoff) can be twitchy but they work fine once you get them straight. The engine is pretty bulletproof, if you change the oil and don't let it overheat. You want to pay attention to how the auto tranny shifts. If you see any flair between gears, you want to get it checked out. The 82 was the first year of the 300D turbo. As I understand it, the 82 tranny was not as robust as the later years. I replaced mine at about 250,000 miles.

You will have to decide if the performance is acceptable for you. They are pretty much slugs up to 2000 rpm, until you get into the turbo. They will hold their own at highway speeds, I routinely drive at 80 mph (3500 rpm) for extended distances without any strain. Again, the most important issue is rust. You do not want to get into one that has any significant rust, especially around the jack holes or the floors. Pick up the carpets and trunk liner.

Good luck.

Some guys get in the low 20's mpgs with thier 5cyl turbo's, so dont be surprised. Its arguable that inj pump timing, new injectors, more work etc. make the difference, but dont be surprised if you buy a turbo and only get 22.

Heck, I have the really-slow 4 cylinder and I get 24 mpg sometimes =)

All the turboD's have an automated climate control system- be SURE that this works before buying it, not having heat/defrost (or AC if you expect it) can ruin your day. Get the owner to show you how it works too =)

Dont buy the car if you want to make it faster - not worth it, MB made them to run forever at 12psi and 120hp.

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

As above. Here is the how-to. Mercedes Alda Adjustment Made easy

http://users.vnet.net/w123d/w123d/adla.htm

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1983 240D 4 speed running on B100 and SVO
www.b100wh.com/b100wh.html#reactor
My Biodiesel Reactor/Processor

I've been told by a senior member to be very careful when adjusting the ALDA. Just a slight turn [counter-clock wise I think] until you get the black smoke, then back it off only slightly.

Do NOT turn it too much! By that I mean 1/4 turn or less. I'm sure you'll find plenty of info on that here.

If you're looking for a speed demon, buy something else. The 300's are pretty quick compared to the 4 cylinder 240's which will get you 0-60 in 10.3 days.

BTW....I consistently get 28 mpg with my 300 wagon and most times 33 mpg with the 240, although the last tank I ran through the 240 got me 34.8 mpg. The lighter you are with your foot the better the mileage. A/C will cut your mileage way back.

Let us know if you get this car. Love mine and wouldn't own anything else. Too bad they didn't make a pickup!

Cheers,

Bill