1987 300D odd symptoms.... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Marcb · #1 10-14-2006, 02:58 AM

Hello,

Well, my trusty 1987 300D is acting very odd again. It's been having a little stumble and miss when I've been trying to start it cold (and sometimes warm) lately. I thought it might be a weak glowplug but the light comes on and it has been running well. The low coolant light has came on at least 4 times over the past several months and I've topped off the coolant in the expansion tank. Now, I haven't been worried about the coolant loss as I've noticed some air in the heating system since my indy flushed the system about 1 year ago. I haven't had a chance to get it purged yet...

Tonight, I drove the car about 50 miles and shut it off for an hour long dinner. Funny enough, the low coolant light illuminated as I entered the parking lot. It had been almost 3 weeks since it had done this previously. When I restarted it after dinner, the car was missing and there was a large amount of thick smoke coming out the back. I couldn't tell if it was coolant or diesel smoke or ...? It did this for a little bit and I shut it back off. I waited a few minutes and then tried to restart it and there was more smoke ....

While it was smoking the injectors were nailing and it was very noisy... it didn't seem to miss, but the poor engine wasn't happy. The smoke finally went away and I topped off the tank and drove it back home where it is sitting right now. Does anyone have any ideas what in the heck is wrong with the poor 300D? It has 232k on it and we've been very faithful in the maintenance, good synthetic oil, etc. The temp gauge has never been in the "danger" zone and it wasn't overheating when it was smoking, etc. Even driving home the temp was right on 80C the entire time. Does anyone have any ideas? I have my fingers double-crossed that it isn't the head... I hope it may be a radiator cap, trapped air in the heater core, etc. Oh, I did notice that it seems to bubble in the expansion tank when I fill it up and I hope that isn't a *bad* sign. Please, please, please let me know your thoughts on this. I really hate to part with the car after all of the time, effort and TLC we've put into it. Heck, it even has new seats and seat covers!