Hi guys. I got a 1982 300d turbo. I love this car, but it won't go anywhere. It will start but there is a knocking noise in it. As soon as I try to drive it quits. Before it became totally undriveable, I was driving on the interstate and it would start to surge at 55mph and it had no more power to get beyond that. I pulled over and there was oil all over the engine. It appeared to come out of the dipstick, but maybe it came from the oil cooler hose. I don't know. Anyway the oil on the dipstick looked bone dry. I got some oil filled it up and drove about 10 miles back home.

I let it set overnight and checked the oil. The oil was way to full about twice what it should be. I know the dipstick showed no oil the night before.

I drain the oil and start the car it sounds fine. I check the oil. The level is perfect. I take it for a test drive it still won't get over 55mph, but this time it quits it loses all power and the engine starts knocking. I have it towed home. No garage I found would take it.

Here is a video of the car idling. I hope someone can tell me if the engine is gone or what. I had one mechanic say it sounds like a bad fuel injector. He works on those big diesel trucks and says when one goes bad they sound like the engine is knocking. I had another guy say its definitley a blown valve. One guy told me he has never worked on a diesel, but its definetly a blown rod.

Any ideas?

By the way, just before it quit on my test drive the oil pressure guage went to 0. I don't know if that was because the engine was losing power or what.

heres the video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghp-uCJt_u4

That knock or clack shakes the whole car. Is it hopeless or can I fix it without getting another engine?



UPDATE 7/24/07

Ok I checked the fuel injectors and they appear to be ok. I loosened each one individually and they sprayed gas at a steady rythmn. Sometimes I would losen them and the car would quit, but I'm assuming that was just because I losened them to much.

I will take the valve cover off next. I put up another video of my car idling. When I take off the oil filler cap the noise is more intense. Its seems to definitely come from the top part of the engine. Look at the video and notice how much smoke is coming out of the oil fill hole. I don't ever remember that much coming from it before. I do remember just a little bit coming out of it when she ran good. If thats normal then again excuse my ignorance.

When I take the valve cover off is there anything I should be looking for to figure out if its a bad valve or cam lobe? Or will it be obvious that something is out of whack?

Heres the latest video

Oh and the oil pressure guage stays pegged to 3 for some reason. Even when idling.


Update #2 The Valve Cover Is Off

Well I took the valve cover off and started it. I don't see anything that looks out of the ordinary. I put a video of this up to. What do you guys think?

Idling with valve cover off video