looking for car - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lyle_H · #1 01-19-2007, 01:40 PM

ok guys...am looking for a newer to me car...

diesel vs gas...and model?? /yr

am looking at 1983 300sd...1981 300sdl...or 86 500

are the gas engines by mercedes as reliable as the diesels??

lyle

sixto · #2 01-19-2007, 02:00 PM

For 80s gas engines it's best to avoid the 81-83 3.8 V8s with a single row chain. If it was properly converted to a double row chain you should be okay. The 80s V8s in general should get a new chain every 150K miles.

The 86-up 6 cylinder engines live long lives without touching the chain. When idle quality issues arise, they can be difficult to resolve.

I don't know much about the 4 cylinder engines. MB made a number of changes to the 190E engines so I imagine late 80s cars are more reliable than early 80s cars. The 230E with the same engine as the 190E seems to not have as many problems.

Diesels are Diesels. If not for the Diesels of the 70s and 80s, MB might not be a name worth remembering :/

Have a reputable independent Mercedes shop do a pre-purchase inspection of any MB before you pay for it. $150 spend up front is much cheaper than the headaches a bad car can bring.

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

vstech · #3 01-19-2007, 02:01 PM

Sort of...
it really depends on the level of maintenance that the PO gave the car.
I have seen chevy Gas motors go in excess of 500K and still running strong, and I have seen MB Diesels with totally worn out motors in less than 50K.
1 OIL CHANGE INTERVAL
2 air filter change interval
3 attentiveness to problems and levels of repairs.
John

stcbenz83 · #4 01-19-2007, 04:06 PM

my friend had a i beleve 80's 300sel and in a couple months it crapped out on him. Because the car was leaded before and the lead had already done the damage to his car. the motor was completley junked and before that was in the shop every other week. He warnd me not to get my 240 saying MB's are crap, but i got it anyways, dumb butt didnt know it was even diesel.

Knightrider966 · #5 01-19-2007, 08:45 PM

No the gas engines are not more reliable. Gasoline is a solvent and diesel is a lubricant. That's why diesel engines last longer. They also get better fuel economy! You can also use vegetable oil, diesel or biodiesel for fuel!! Biodiesel and veggie oil will make your engine last even longer and Biodiesel does not require any expensive conversion!

jbach36 · #6 01-19-2007, 11:50 PM

I had an '88 300CE, lovely car, great design. Quiet ride. The car was 10 years old when I bought it, been in Atlanta its whole life. MB made a great car with about 10 exceptions.

1-9 were bad seals. Transmission seal leaked. $500 to fix. Oil seals. $300 for upper, $300 for lower. Power steering fluid seals $400 to fix. A/C 0-rings, $500to fix. The whole car was destroyed due to $10 and $20 dryrotted seals that cost $480 to get to and install. Also requires premium gas. More $$ yet.

#10 goes with all MB's, a bad a/c system that will cost you a few thousand to fix right, compliments of the chef.

I now have a 1991 300d, had to fix the a/c system of course, and a few dryrotted O-rings on the injector pump, the power steering thing is temporarily not leaking since the advent of a good power steering leak additive "fix" (hopefully it will stay that way). But the diesel car I find much more fun to drive. I love it, it's my first diesel, had it since June last year.

Jeff 1991 300d, 100k

t walgamuth · #7 01-20-2007, 08:16 AM

i have a 500sec. when i bought it as a one owner car it had 80k on it and the ac had recently been overhauled. new hoses and everything.

it now has 134k on it.

it suffered from lack of regular use by the po. imho.

it has been very very reliable. less $ i think than maintaining a diesel.

very very nice driving car. firm ride with very sporty handling.

it uses more fuel than a diesel but at the crazy prices we have now with diesel almost a dollar a gal more it' regular unleaded is actually probably cheaper overall.

absolutely no blowby. i would sell it.

tom w