i have a 1970 or so chiltons repair manual for european cars. including mb. it has a lot of detail which will be helpful with your 115. maybe you can find one on the internet. be sure it is the one with mb. i think there were two of them, with different makes covered.

tom w

If you can, post a photo. I think the '75 & '76 are the same car. I attached a photo of the canister filter on mine. If you need a filter any Napa will have them, part # Napa Gold 3167.

Pull up the carpet on the parcel shelf. You should find a rather large bolt hole which will likely be filled with crud making it hard to see. I almost garuntee it's there because there were shoulder belts on a '75 parts car I've been pulling from. See attached photo.

Exactly. Someone else chime in, but it would seem that when parked next to a w123, the w115 would be shorter bodywise (not sure about the extended bumpers.)

hi michael.ive got a ton of stuff saved from several 114/115 cars i previously owned.send me a PM and ill have a look around.i think i have a set of the rear seatbelts with shoulder straps and retractors in very good condition:)

My Oil Spill in 115 chassis here:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/attachments/diesel-discussion/29140d1130041869-link-topsider-oil-spill2.jpg

I found the oil filter at NAPA, but didn't get it- there was a paper wih installation instructions that said the O ring supplied in the kit should not be used for mercedes and a special order part number was given for the right ring, or it should be purchased from the dealership. I figured I'd keep looking for the whole kit with the right ring instead of paying $12 for the filter and who knows how much more for the O-ring.

Wow, dieseldiehard- that's a normal occurance? Aside from using a drip pan, is there any other secrets to the job so that that doesn't happen? What's the oil change routine on these cars? Is it 3,000 miles like a gasser, more or less?

I have a chilton's from 1970, but it's for American cars (I had a '68 Galaxie 500) so I guess I need to look around for the Euro counterpart. Anyone have any ideas when the retractors were installed on Benzes? I found a 114 from '73, but it had set length non retracting belts all around, and another real old girl with the barber pole speedo who's interior was definately too old. :)

Oh, is there any way to tell what kind of transmission I have without dropping the pan? I tried getting the filter kit, but I don't know if it's a 3/4" neck, 1" neck, or no neck.

I've seen that before.:mad: The oil filter is this wonderous design that if you take it straight off your arm and what ever else of you that's under the car gets drenched in oil. Best thing you can do is unscrew the bolt far enough that it holds the canister on but allows oil to flow out around the bolt. Then you can walk away for ten minutes and on your return the canister is much emptier and one can stay much cleaner.:)

Phoenix02: The Napa oil filter instructions refer to two things: 1. the nylon disk which sits on top of the oil filter. it is reusable and it should be in the oil filter housing now. It is a rather necessary piece as without it the oil filter is not held tight and your oil never gets filtered.:eek: 2. The o-ring supplied is the wrong size. Not a big deal, any rubber o-ring that will fit the housing will work.

Nontheless I don't use the napa oil filters (they're fuel filters are fine however) as they are really hard to put on. Hengst filters work much better.

Your car was specced to have retractors as I believe they were standard by '74

I haven't seen the underside of the engine enough to see the filter housing- is it integral to the block, or would it be possible to modify a remote mount filter adapter and remove the canister, so that a standard screw on filter could be used? Also, there's a small tank next to the radiator- is this an oil cooler or trans cooler?

Phoenix,

I have a 1975 115/300d and love it. It goes like the wind and is as solid as the day it was make. I got it in San Antonio literally from a little old lady school teacher. Had 104k miles on it and had had $3,500 worth of work done to it just 8k miles before. I think the mechanic saw a chance to screw her before she retired the car. When she retired her husband gave her a new Caddy and so the MB sat from 1998 until I bought it in 2004. I jumped the car and it fired up.

I put all new seals in the body, a new paint job, tires, carpets, etc. and it looks good as new. The oil filter is not fun to change but after you are done and wash your hands and arms it doesn't matter. My recommendation is if you drive your car long enough to get the oir hot and keep it hot for 20 minutes then you can run your oil 10k miles. I know there has discussion ad nausium on this board about oil and the change interval but from someone who is 63 and driven many, many cars both here and overseas probably into the multi millions of miles I can say that even if you don't use synthetic oil you can easily get 10k out of an oil change, esp. if you have to add a quart from time to time.

In all the cars I've owned, and there have been a few, I have NEVER lost an engine to an oil related problem. Use any name brand oil, change the oil, oil filter, and fuel filters at 10k, avoid short trips that do not get your oil hot, drive the crap out of the car, and spend the time you save by not doing oil changes at 3k with your kids and wife. Also, don't forget to check the condition of your engine to oil cooler hoses.

Phoenix02
I found your thread about this car in the vintage forum and me thinks you have something special.:cool:

Frankly we need pictures!!! This thing sounds cool.

although to some it may feel smaller than a 123, i have owned both and i think th 115 is a bit heavier and perhaps a bit bigger overall. to be fair you should compare an early 115 with small bumpers to a euro 123 with small bumpers.

my 115 drove larger and less agile than my 123s but rode better.

not much difference though.

tom w

Dunno, but the handling on mine is really tight. It'll take a curve rated for 30 at 75 with no slide at all. I can make it do things that break the tires loose in my much lighter Elantra. Really it feels glued to the road in comparison. Trouble is it takes so long to get there.:D

Well, I just drove 30 miles and now there's a loping feeling in the steering- The tire pressure's fine and I didn't hit any curbs or anything to put the rim out of round- could it be my power steering? I'm having problems with it going in and out... any ideas?

W115s are way lighter than W123s from the numbers I have seen. Unfortunately I've never driven one so I can't comment on the feel.

I have a '76 300D and it has the same canister fuel filter arrangement that yours does. I had no trouble getting this filter- took 2 days for a local Eurocar indie to get me a Mann brand filter. BTW- the cartridge oil filter is a NAPA #1010- same as used in many Ford and MF tractors, so they likely have some right in the store. I've gotten air filter from NAPA also with next day service. Your PS pump is also same as mine. Check for fluid leaks- keep your eye on the fluid level. Your intermittant PS operation sounds like a loose belt to me. The belts on these cars are VERY hard to get at and adjust- even checking the tension requires great dexterity. I just had all my belts replaced, but I couldn't do it myself. The Indie mechanic had the hoist raised and lowered like 5 times in the process of changing the belts. All of these little servicing issues are because MB crammed that huge 5 cylinder into a car originally designed for a 4, or 2.5 litre 6. But hey- the W115 is so much cooler looking than a 123, and you get that absolutely classic dash and center console- the 123 interior is so absurdly boring in comparison;)