It never overheats, engine sounds good, etc. How do people get 33 or more etc.

Mostly they lie! Some 240's can get that, and certainly the W124 diesels seem to be able to hit that on the hwy. But I have never gotten above 28mpg on an OM617. I got 28 a couple of times in the '85 wagon and I just today filled up the '81 wagon and got 27.13, but 33 ain't happening......

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Do the easy checks first,
check that the odometer is reading correctly over a known distance.

Check that the brakes are not dragging. (jack up each wheel and check that it turns freely)

After that its your fuel system, any leaks?

Any smoke?

__________________
1984 Euro 300SDC, (4spd standard)
1986 Toyota Landcruiser Diesel HJ60 5spd X2

Gone but not forgotten (some sold, some stripped)
1983 300 SD, 1985 300 SD, 1983 240D, 1986 300 SDL, 1985 300 SDL, 1983 300 D, 1984 300 D, 1985 300SD, 1987 300 SDL, 1983 300 SD, 1985 300 TD Euro, 1983 380SEC, 1990 300 D, 1987 300D, 1982 300D, 1982 300D, 1994 E420, 1987 300 TD, 1987 300 D, 1984 300 D

The best I remember getting was 29.8. usually around 25 to 26 or so on the hwy.

If you want to get 30 to 40 mpg, you have to get one of those e-bay cars .

Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I have gotten 33mpg with a 617

__________________
1981 300SD 512k OM603

ditto's , I've watched my mileage for 3 years and I get 19 to 20 in town
and 25 to a max of 28 on the highway... and I always c-dipstick!

Charlie

30+ is a very rare occasion and will never happen consistently, especially with a non-turbo 300D. Anyone claiming to average 30+mpg with an OM617 is driving a 300SD only on the highway, guessing, using incorrect math, has mechanical problems (odometer) or is just a straight up liar.

If you do lots of stop and go driving then 20mph will be about normal. Otherwise 22-27mpg combined is normal.

with a stick and three o seven rear you can get thirty highway with the na trhee hundred. with that diff and a five speed mid thirties is routine.

if your driving is mixed and you have an automatic you are about right where I would expect you to be.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Could be the fuel cetane rating that can affect the fuel mileage...

__________________
Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

How was that possible? 45mph?

__________________
1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

I get 45 mpg. It is very simple, really. I just plan my commute so that I am always going downhill.

In my 84 I get about 22 mpg in the summer and around 20 in the winter. I drove a few hundred miles on the PA turnpike last summer in my 85. It has far fewer miles and the engine is practically new as far as diesels go. I don't remember the exact mpg but I think it was in the 24 to 26 range. I drove out going around 65 to 70 mph with the A/C on. I wanted to see what difference I could make coming back at 55 mph without A/C. The difference was negligable. Granted I was headed east with the wind at my back going out and west with the wind coming at me on the way back, but the wind was not much, maybe 5-10 mph. I doubt it make much of a difference.

__________________
85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale**
84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds
00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold)
15 Subaru Outback 43K
11 Subaru Outback 67K
98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now.
30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60

I get 33+ but only in my SEC which has a 2.24 rear end, and i very much doubt that anyone else would want to live with the takeoffs. Ill report the mileage back when I get the 2.47 installed.

20 is pretty low, on my 300K miler i see way better than that. 24-26ish.

__________________
1984 Euro 300SDC, (4spd standard)
1986 Toyota Landcruiser Diesel HJ60 5spd X2

Gone but not forgotten (some sold, some stripped)
1983 300 SD, 1985 300 SD, 1983 240D, 1986 300 SDL, 1985 300 SDL, 1983 300 D, 1984 300 D, 1985 300SD, 1987 300 SDL, 1983 300 SD, 1985 300 TD Euro, 1983 380SEC, 1990 300 D, 1987 300D, 1982 300D, 1982 300D, 1994 E420, 1987 300 TD, 1987 300 D, 1984 300 D

The top mileage my 300cd has gotten is 24mpg. The lowest is 21. It usually gets 22 mpg no matter how fast I'm going.

__________________
1980 240d
1999 SL500

Anyone can get 30mpg...


drafting a semi, downhill, with a good tailwind of course.


My 240d has gotten upwards of 27-28 but i never see 30. The biggest bolt on difference in fuel economy was a new coolant thermostat. A cold diesel is a very inefficient diesel.

__________________
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m...73378_30-1.jpg

How many miles you get from a gallon of fuel depends allot on where and how you drive, it does with my 240Ds anyway. Driving 45-55 mph on more or less level terrain, 32 mpg is not uncommon around here (4 spd 240), Driving 65+ on the freeway, well, folks dont talk about their great millage then

__________________


1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"