Hello,

A gentleman here in town has a 1985 (or 1987) Euro 300D 5-speed (non-turbo). The body style is the style carried into the 90's, so you guys would know which year is correct. I need some advice as I am trying to decide whether or not to buy.

It's got 118K miles, silver with blue interior. AC blows cold, the car runs great, starts right up. Shifts smoothly, clutch is good, brakes are good, tires are new. There's a (very) little rust here and there. Other than some minor cosmetics, the interior is great. He's asking $4000.

1. What should I get inspected?
2. What tends to go wrong with these cars? What should I expect to have to fix soon?
3. Is this a good model? Good engine?
4. What does it cost to fix things? AC, clutch, brakes, tires...
5. Are the tires metric? It's got chrome wheels. These may not be original.
6. Should I buy it?

Any advice you can give would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-g.

a five cylinder engine?

the basic car should be very similar to the us models. parts should not be a problem. it is a idea to get an inspection by a mercedes specialist. a compression test will reveal a lot of the engine condition.

the value hinges on two things. one the rust. if it is very extensive it very much devalues a car. if it is minor and can be sanded and rust bound and then the car painted that is good. actual holes is not good and places the value more like a parts car that can be driven.

a euro spec car will have had the speedo changed. so i always assume that it is not the correct miles. a mb expert will be able to offer a hint as to the actual mileage. for an 87 which it prb is 118k is very low miles and tends to make me think it may not be correct.

if the condition checks out and the rust is very minor then the price is not too bad. the car should be a very pleasant drive...solid ,safe, dependable, comfortable, easy to maintain and a good investment. i would love to have one and the,re rare as hens teeth.

hope it works out well for you.

tom w

ps if you decide to pass on it many here will want to check it out.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Welcome to the forum.

My guess is that it is a 1987 W124 with the OM603 engine. It's six cylinders with an aluminum head.

There are issues with this head if it has ever been overheated at any time in the past. So, a prepurchase inspection to check for a blown head gasket or a cracked head is imperative. You need to take it to someone who is familiar with M/B in general and the 603 engine in particular. Additionally, the odometer reading is exceptionally low for a vehicle of that age. You want the mechanic to give you his opinion on this.

If it checks out, it's an excellent vehicle to own. For those that have the turbocharged version with the automatic, they are quite pleased with it overall. It handles well, has good power, and won't bankrupt you on repairs.

The price is acceptable, especially if the mileage is legitimate. Run a Carfax to help verify if the mileage is accurate. There is an ongoing thread labeled "Carfax wanted". Find that thread and post your request with the VIN and your e-mail address. Ray has a corporate account and will send it to you for no cost.

Here is the Carfax thread:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=984957#post984957

Where is it at? Can you get some pics?

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Jim

Here are some pics I have. The car has been in Texas for the past 10 years, at least:

Ext front: http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/a3/2c/2a_1_b.JPG
Ext rear: http://i7.ebayimg.com/03/i/04/a3/60/32_1_b.JPG
Ext side: http://i7.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/a3/61/c8_1_b.JPG
Interior: http://i11.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/a2/ec/0c_1_b.JPG

There is oil present on the valve cover, but it looks more like seepage than an active leak. No idea on the condition of the heads. Will a compression test help diagnose cracked head or bad head gasket? What's the repair of that? The seller has already offered to discount the price if there are any major problems. He also owns two other Mercedes and has been very kind and seemingly honest.

-g.

NICE car! too bad there isn't a picture of the engine, looking top down (the hood raised straight up if possible).
If you don't buy the car I am certain there are some Forum members that might.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I wonder if a turbo OM603 fit into it mated to the 5 speed manual?

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

That vehicle does have the OM603 six cylinder engine without a turbo. It's a good package.

The compression test probably won't confim a cracked head or bad head gasket. Look for oil in the coolant. Any oil that discolors the coolant indicates a bad gasket or a cracked head. Drive the vehicle and let it sit overnight. Return to the vehicle and squeeze the upper radiator hose. It should feel soft. If it feels firm (you can't get your fingers to force it together), then open the expansion tank and listen for escaping air. Squeeze the hose again. If the hose is now soft, you have an issue with combustion pressure in the cooling system. It's either a head gasket or a cracked head. Don't buy the vehicle without a substantial discount. The cost to replace the head will likely be over $3K by the time you get done.

If the head checks out and the mileage on the odometer checks out, then it appears to be a decent value.

I would think the head issue could also be resolved by a compression test, wouldn't it Brian? The "squeeze the hose cold" test is valid and costs nothing. A leaking head gasket would show low compression on affected cylinders.
There are no signs of a head problem with the car or I am missing something. But anyone buying a 6 cyl diesel would want to have a PPI (pre-purchase inspection). Especially if the seller is willing to work to resolve any problems.

FWIW, I believe a non-turbo head is likely to use a higher compression ratio as is the case with the OM617 engines, so finding the right head might also be much more difficult than finding a #14 head replacement which I can say from experience is not only difficult from availability but its also a big gamble finding one that isn't cracked.

OTOH a manual transmission is very desirable for several reasons, one it is the ultimate in reliability, another thing it helps fuel economy and a better top end and thirdly the dynamic braking that a stick offers gives the driver control over the car in twisty or mountainous roads that an automatic can't match.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Interesting car, but rather odd. It's unusual for a euro car - at least a lower trimline one - to have the wood center console. Most all I've seen have plastic instead. And this car has the dreaded automatic climate control - almost unheard of in a euro car.

Electric windows are less common in euro cars as well. Some have electric windows in front and hand cranked in back - I've ridden in many a taxi with that configuration.

Looks like manual seats, though.

The price strikes me as reasonable, assuming good condition.

- JimY

Here's my thoughts:

A cracked head, especially in the early stages, allows very small amounts of gas through to the cooling system. Of course, it allows this on every compression stroke.

So, the reduction of compression due to the crack would be almost insignificant until the crack widens and the symptoms become so obvious that it's clear that the head gasket or the head has a problem.

If you run a compression test in the early stages of the crack, the variation of individual cylinders due to normal wear and tear will probably be much greater than the drop in compression due to the crack.

I've never heard of a non-turbo OM603 suffering from the "cracked head" syndrome. AFAIK this problem was confined to turbo versions of the OM603 with the trap oxidizer.

This certainly makes sense. The temperatures without the turbo would be significantly lower and the likelihood of cracking the head would be reduced.

With so few OM603 engines without a turbo in the US, I'm not sure if the database will allow any firm conclusions.

unless it is run hot.

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Jim

Perhaps a quick check with a european site source may determine if that engines head is subject to the cracked head syndrome. Possibly for starters it may be cast in a variation of the type of alloy being a non turbo head and was not subject to the problem at all. Hopefully a more mallable alloy as well. It is a distinct possibility as the design perimiters would be for less overall stress than the turbo head. A starting point might be to get the casting number from the head post it here and go from there. Others with more knowledge might comment. The best anyways.