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  #1  
Old 07-21-2007, 02:49 PM
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Came up a ditch pretty hard 1980 300SD

Mercedes 1980 300 SD Turbo Diesel

Iīm driving through Latin America (started in Los Angeles, now in Peru), and I went around a corner and went down and came up a 3 foot ditch pretty hard. There were no signs at all!

Anyway, that was at 8000 feet in Peru, between Nazca and Cuzco. I was worried but not too worried, until about 3 minutes later when my car stalled and came to a complete stop. I opened up the hood and there was white smoke coming out from under the air filter housing. I opened the air filter hose and there was smoke coming out of that as well. I waited about 5 minutes, restarted the engine, which thankfully worked, and climbed another 3000 feet for the next 30 miles. When I turned off the engine at a mechanicīs shop and opened the hood back up, the smoke was gone.

I am still in Cuzco, where there are no Mercedes cars or Mercedes mechanics. Any ideas on what I need to check up on and what caused the smoke and the engine to stall?

PS I started my engine today and revved it up. As soon as it got revved up pretty high, I heard some sort of a hissing noise and the engine stalled then as well.

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  #2  
Old 07-21-2007, 03:31 PM
toomany MBZ's Avatar
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Any radiator hose damage?
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  #3  
Old 07-21-2007, 03:36 PM
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oil hose puncture,radiator leak,oil pan puncture,
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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
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1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.
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  #4  
Old 07-21-2007, 03:39 PM
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If something is wrong with the radiator, can I continue to drive another 1000 miles or so until I get to Santiago, Chile? There are no Mercedes around Peru... What are the dangers and what should I do so that my engine doesn't blow up?
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  #5  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:12 PM
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Ask if there is a good mechanic locally. Let him examine the situation. He does not have to be a mercedes specialist. Better than damaging anything further by driving and he may be able to help. Could be something minor even.
Part if required could probably be sent by bus. A lot better than being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a worse problem because you did not fix this one.
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  #6  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:13 PM
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Radiator damage will cause coolant leakage and severe engine damage if you continue to drive. Let the mechanic look at it and determine if it's safe.
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  #7  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:23 PM
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What an amazing and courageous trip. That could make for a good book.

The only Mercedes Benz dealer in Peru is back in Lima. I was married to a Peruvian girl who was from Arequipa and I made some trips around, to Cuzco, Nazca, Huaraz and around. The Panamerican highway is good, but the roads in the highlands can be dangerous, and foggy also. The buses, minivans, and trucks are dangerous to encounter because many are in poor condition and overloaded.

The Peruvian mechanics though are very ingenious, they could probably help a little bit in cobbling together a workable repair for you. I have seen some Mercedes in Peru, like 380SEC, fintail taxi, 250C coupe, C43 AMG, several W123 sedans, but mostly in Lima and Arequipa only.

If you can't get a mechanic in Cuzco probably at the border in Tacna you could find a place, I think. Cuzco is large enough that there should be a good mechanic there, you could find. Many of them are VERY clever with improvising repairs.

Good luck. I wonder if Colombia and Panama were difficult to traverse.
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  #8  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:29 PM
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Thanks for all the responses so far, I will try and look for a mechanic that specializes with radiators on Monday.

In case you're interested, you can follow my drive through Latin America here:
http://www.drivetosouthamerica.com/PhotoJournal/index.html

And yes, shipping the car around Panama to Colombia was very tough. It took me a bit over $1000 and 11 days of patience. I'm driving solo and I haven't taken any spanish since failing out of AP Spanish (level 4) with a C+ to play varsity baseball 6 years ago. Been gone since 1st of June.

Last edited by elbarto83; 07-06-2008 at 11:56 AM.
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  #9  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:39 PM
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Elbarto,

Is your cooling system full??? I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like you may have collapsed the exhaust system. There isn't much else that would cause a diesel to stall.

The smoke/steam could have been water/mud on the hot engine...Robert
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  #10  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:40 PM
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This happened about 48-72 hours ago and I rechecked the oil level and the coolant today. And they're both on the same level as it was on the day of the accident, both at full level.
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  #11  
Old 07-21-2007, 05:14 PM
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Elliott, what an amazing photo journey!!!

It brought back many memories of my travels in Peru. You are correct about yellow schoolbuses from America going to South America, when done here, they go there usually via Miami. I have seen many all over Peru.

You have learned the secret of how beautiful the South American girls are.

It is a different world for sure. Amazing for me to see soldiers guarding the entrance to a Disco, in Arequipa Peru, in a uniform with a submachine gun. But you feel safer.

Is your plan to sell the Mercedes in Chile and fly home? It'd be exhausting to drive back all the way I think.
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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)
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  #12  
Old 07-21-2007, 05:21 PM
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I'm trying to sell it either in Chile or Argentina and fly back home last week of August/first week of September. But from what I hear, it's a lot easier said than done because of the legal issues, made worse by taxes and all. It costs about $5000 to ship it back, so I may just end up donating it or (god forbid!) dumping it...
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  #13  
Old 07-21-2007, 06:02 PM
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Selling

Well, you could maybe sell it through the Mercado Libre ("Free Market") sites
if there is enough time. The car has some real value down there. Plus, it looks to be in beautiful shape. It would EASILY sell for what you paid, back in the USA if it got back.

http://www.mercadolibre.cl/ (Chile)

or www.mercadolibre.ar (Argentina)

Check Craigslist too, they are International but not too big in SA yet

You will find there are a LOT of Germans living in the larger cities like Valparaiso, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Rosario, etc. I'm sure there would be keen interest in a car like yours. The W116 300SD turbo isn't exactly easy to find outside the US, and impossible to find a rust free California one with the original blue plates on it. (How many miles on it)

PLEASE, post here on your further adventures. This is fascinating. Better than a Natl geographic read by far. South America is pretty unknown to many people from the USA, it's a journey worth the telling.
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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)
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  #14  
Old 07-21-2007, 06:25 PM
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Yes I agree ....Please keep posting about your great adventure ! Good luck !!
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  #15  
Old 07-21-2007, 06:57 PM
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I just read through most of your photo journal... very interesting.

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