Damsel in distress on way to Austin, TX - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

groovinola · #1 10-06-2007, 09:24 PM

I was hoping there is someone in or near Austin who could provide some diagnostic assistance for a friend of mine by taking a look at her 83 240D tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday. She is on her way from New Orleans as I write this and should be arriving late tonight sometime. She is burning through a ton of oil (2 quarts in 300 miles) and also has a coolant leak up near the connection into the car behind the transmission dipstick. She was planning on visiting with a friend for a few days in Austin before continuing on out west to New Mexico for a much needed vacation. She is trying decide whether to keep going on her trip or to return back home and needs some advice. If it is a quick inexpensive fix she'll go for it, if not she'll need to get the car back here and scrap the vacation.

Some quick history on the car. It has a rebuilt motor in it and since she has been driving it (@ six years) has always had to keep up with the oil with maybe a quart per 500-700 miles on average. Two years ago she used it to evacuate herself, a friend, and three dogs, after Katrina, all the way from New Orleans to Tuscon, AZ and back. Since then it has been used mostly around town and hasn't been on many long trips. Just this past week I took it for a 200 mile highway trip and it ran well but apparently needed three quarts of oil when she went to fill it up with fuel the next day. It doesn't seem to have any oil puddling underneath it when it sits however so I have no idea where the oil is going. Could it be burning it off somehow?

As for the coolant issue; it ran between 80-90 degrees C for me on the trip last week at 75-80 mph and hasn't had any overheating issues. Today before she left I checked the radiator and it needed a good 1-2 quarts of coolant so I filled it up for her.

thanks for any assistance
peace,
woody

jbach36 · #2 10-07-2007, 12:05 AM

I dunno about the oil, and sorry to have a simplistic answer for the coolant, but it would seem the coolant would be easy to spot, and probably a hose, I guess.

As to the oil, are you sure the drain plug is on tight??? That's a lot of oil in 300 miles. Seems like if it were burning it, all her exhaust would be black smoke, at the rate she's losing it, 1 quart per 100 miles.

Take it to a shop open tomorrow, Sunday's rough, but it can be done. Place an ad on Craigslist, you'd be surprised at the response. The sooner you place the ad with keywords mechanics would be using, the sooner you'll get someone.

Good luck.

Jeff

jbach36 · #3 10-07-2007, 12:07 AM

If she's "3 quarts low", I wonder if she had as much oil in to begin with as she thought. Still, that's a lot of oil to be low on, seems like her idiot light would have come on to warn her earlier.

jeff

JimmyL · #4 10-07-2007, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbach36

If she's "3 quarts low", I wonder if she had as much oil in to begin with as she thought. Still, that's a lot of oil to be low on, seems like her idiot light would have come on to warn her earlier.

jeff

It's an '83 240D. What "idiot" light might you be referring to??

Johnhef · #5 10-07-2007, 12:12 AM

I've seen these engines come in with nothing on the dipstick and take quite a bit of oil but still be ok. No idiot light on a 240D for low oil.

dwoloz · #6 10-07-2007, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

It's an '83 240D. What "idiot" light might you be referring to??

Mercedes knew that 240s were obviously the sensible choice for intelligent people, no idiot lights here

kerry · #7 10-07-2007, 12:22 AM

Under what conditions is the oil being checked? If she's checking immediately after getting off the interstate, it might not be an accurate reading.
High speed driving can exacerbate oil losses. If the coolant leak is resolved and she's religious about checking the oil on the trip, I don't see why she couldn't continue.

JimmyL · #8 10-07-2007, 12:24 AM

Does an '83 240D have the type of vac pump that can rupture and send oil to the air cleaner? I'm thinking that that was only earlier models, but am not 100% sure....

Whiskeydan · #9 10-07-2007, 12:36 AM

Did she make it?

Motorhead · #10 10-07-2007, 01:13 AM

If I had a 240 that was going through oil fast, I sure wouldn't hasten the oil consumption by driving it 75 to 80mph! I don't even drive my Healthy '77 240D prolonged over 65mph. The things are screaming at 70.

pjc · #11 10-07-2007, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groovinola

She is burning through a ton of oil (2 quarts in 300 miles) . . . . It doesn't seem to have any oil puddling underneath it when it sits however so I have no idea where the oil is going. Could it be burning it off somehow?

A quart every 150 miles? If she's burning oil at that rate, she should have very noticeable blue/grey exhaust. If not, there's gotta be a significant leak visible somewhere under the car. If by "[no] puddling . . . when it sits" you mean with the engine off, how about sitting in one place for 10-15 minutes with the engine on, and maybe revving it to 2000 rpm a few times?

groovinola · #12 10-07-2007, 03:53 AM

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. First off please understand I am deaing with my ex here. Not an easy task. Although we are still very good friends she doesn't always take my advice on things even though I am still her "designated mechanic."

Responses in order of postings:
jbach36: The coolant problem is not the major issue here but if someone were to check out the oil leak I would ask them to take a look at where the coolant was leaking as well. I agree it should be easy to fix.

The oil plug is not the problem. I did the last oil change on the car and checked it prior to her leaving.

Kerry: She has been checking right after getting off the highway but still she has gone through 6 quarts of oil over the course of the last 800-900 miles. I checked the level today when she left and it was right on and she had to put at least three if not four quarts in it to get to Austin (@500 miles).

Whiskeydan: Yes, she made it to Austin OK and is calling with an update in the morning.

Motorhead: She doesn't drive nearly that fast. I did because i wanted to check the cooling system of the car under extreme conditions (hot temps/high speed). She drives more like 65-70-not in a huge hurry to get anywhere.

pjc: No noticeable blue/gey smoke coming from it and no puddling/dripping/leaking under the car at idle when I checked it out this morning. In my experience with my wagons when I have had an oil leak and the car sits overnight it drips a little where the oil has collected. It doesn't do that here. With the amount of oil it goes through I would expect there to be oil everywhere underneath but it doesn't seem to be the case.

From my experience with the car it seems at times it can burn through alot of oil really fast and then stop leaking/burning it for some time. I had it checked out by a mechanic in Chicago a few years ago and he said it was the front main seal. I haven't gotten under it since then and really cleaned things up and looked around for a leak because I've had my own cars to deal with and the problem seemed to be under control for the most part. If anyone knows someone in Austin familiar with these cars it would be nice if they could have a look. I'm into this way more that i want to be but one of our dogs is on the trip with her and I want to build up some good karma by helping out a good person to the extent that I can on this end.

peace,
woody

R Leo · #13 10-07-2007, 08:30 AM

However, this morning I'm in Oklahoma.

But, we're leaving El Reno around 9:00am and should be back home no later than 6:00 tonight. When we get home, I'd be happy to roll her car into the shop, take a look at it, and do what I can to get her on the road.

You can have her call me (512-293-1648) to coordinate a meeting. I'll have my cel on but, we travel on US281 and the cel coverage sux in some places so leave a message if need be and I'll call back.

JimmyL · #14 10-07-2007, 10:17 AM

If she is your ex, and you are her designated mechanic, I would buy her a Honda!

groovinola · #15 10-07-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

If she is your ex, and you are her designated mechanic, I would buy her a Honda!

Yeah Jimmy I hear you on that one. Thing is I convinced her to trade out her Toyota 6 years ago for the 240D. When it is running she loves it. When something goes wrong she reminds me of her cheap to fix Toyota. The thing was more like a golf cart than a car but she did have it when she lived in Colorado and I think it still might be on the road around town. I have a standing offer of $1000 anytime she wants to dump the 240D but like the rest of us I think she is hooked.

No more buyin her anything on this end. I don't mind helping out when money doesn't need to exchange hands. Friendship and finances don't go well together.