1987 190td
 

Hello all,

I just bought a 1987 190 turbo diesel (2.5) with 153k miles on it. Everything seems to be mechanically sound and it runs great. I have been browsing through the boards and was just wondering if ya'll had any advice for me as far as maintenance or anything else I may need to know. I am using it as a commuter vehicle so am hoping to get 40+ mpg. Thanks in advance!

Well, the first thing you need to know is that you have a 1987 190D. No such thing as a 190TD. Mercedes does not use the "T" for Turbo, it is for Wagon {"Touring"}.
The second thing you need to know is that you bought a very nice model of the 190D, kind of a 1 year wonder for that particular engine in a 190. Very quick little car! I don't think you are gonna get 40mpg, but it will be respectable, with power to spare.
Pics? Where are you located?
Oh, and if the trannies on those make it to 200K, consider yourself lucky....

What he said.

Keep the body clean, rust is a problem around the rear jack holes in the rocker panels.

The transmission is a soft point, most I have seen for sale were listed with transmission problems, not driveable due to transmission problems, or "freshly rebuilt". If it is shifting harsh or flaring, get the vacuum system working properly so that the transmission shifts properly, additional trama it does not need. Also maintain the fluid and filter properly.

40mpg is doable if you run all of the right fluids, tires, tune, and drive gently. My best on summer diesel was 42.6 round trip on the cruise control. I usually got 29mpg in town "spirited driving", liked the quick launch. I ran all synthetic fluids with my favorite snake oils in the fluids and fuel, plus good Michelins, tires can make 1-3mpg difference. Oh, the 43.6 was with the tires uncomfortably hard, dropping back to fuel-flap pressures reduced my mileage.

It is a great car to drive. The '87 300D is by the numbers faster, but it certainly doesn't feel it. The 190Dt has an energy and responsiveness that will make you grin, and get you sideways in the rain if you're not careful. Kind of Jekyll and Hyde, it will run economically and under radar in its subtle-soft way, but step in it hard and toss it in curves, it'll show its breeding.

I miss mine.

you will not get 40 with the turbo. maybe the 2.2 5-spd.

T stands for either turbo or touring.

My old 82 wagon was designated a 300TDT "turbo diesel touring" in many sources and references. But my new 1987 wagon I'm not sure of but I think it's just considered a 300TD and the extra "T" was dropped.

No offense Odie, but have you owned a 2.5turbo? With the 2.65:1 gears and the more efficient turbodiesel, it can get 40, I've done it, by the GPS. It takes finesse, good fluids/fuel/tire etc., but it happens.

well mom has never seen 40mpg but she is fanatical bout mileage just drives it Dad on the other hand is dangerous on the road with his SDL because the engineer in him has researched, graphed, charted, extrapolated and generally been a pain in the .... so he doesnt drive ever over 57 with an even foot and slow take off And his son who just beats on everything he owns gets better mileage go figure

Thats pretty good. What speed?

Best I can get is 35mpg cruising at a steady 60 on the highway with my 2.2 auto.

I always thought the turbo was the wosrt mpg of the diesel 190s

Running 60 on the 2-lanes, some with cruise on at 75, mostly 4-lane but a little 2-lane 60mph stuff.

Sidewall max. air pressure in Michelin Symmetry, Delvac 1 w/ Mr. Moly .5micron MoS2 in oil, Mobil 1 ATF with soluble molebdenum, syn PS fluid, Mobil 1 gear lube with MoS2 in diff, Mobil summer diesel with RedLine Diesel Fuel Catalyst.
Windows up, A/C off, sunroof open.
Light breeze, 75* day, driving easy, antenna down/CD in.

I'm a fuel mileage hound, got 27.5 every day in my Grand Marquis ('00) for example with all of my snake oil etc., at 77mph hwy.

A turbo should improve the efficiency at low power settings, and the 2.65:1 gears really keep the engine near the top of its BSFE curve.

Speaking of 190TDs, anyone ever seen one of these?
 

http://www.cwwcardesign.com/cars/pic...oric_w201t.jpg

If the image dosen't work, here's the link:

http://www.cwwcardesign.com/cars/190td.html

No sir. Read what jimmyl posted above. The 190 2.5 TURBO is NOT a 190TD, nor does the T stand for EITHER turbo or touring. If you have a 300TD, you have a wagon. If you have a 300TD-T you have a turbodiesel wagon. If you have a 300D-T you have a turbodiesel sedan. If you have a 190D TURBO, you do NOT have a 190TD etc, etc.

I fixed the img link, and in my opinion, that is one ugly conversion...
I hate the sloped roof line.

I kind of like it -it's a lot like that Renault/Citroen joint effort that came out in the late 70s. I've never seen one of these here though.
It looks like the footprint and length on this one is the same as the 190E/D -the only difference being more side windows and the fast/squareback addition. Even the top edge of the trunk lid looks the same as on the sedan.

Carry spare pre fuel filters with you. Try runnings a couple of tanks of B100 through the tank and change out your filters. My filters were clogged with what looked like soot and grit for the first few months of driving until they eventually stopped turning black with grime.

The extra T was never there on your 82. If you saw it somewhere on the Net, then whomever wrote that info was misinformed.

On Mercedes the T stands for Touring (wagon), period.

Mileage on 2.2L
 

I had the 2.2L for 6 years with the 5-spd (crunched by 15-yr old driving daddy's suburban . . . sniff, sniff). I never got less than an average of 37 mpg on the highway. I drove cross-country a lot. That mileage was with 195's instead of the recommended 175s which garnered the extra mileage bringing one up to 40-41 mpg (which I had for a short time). The one 2.5L turbo, with a 5-spd that I saw, and spoke to the owner about, claimed he got a steady 36 mpg. According to him, hell would freeze over before he gave up his rare car.