My two MBs smell much different.

The 84 smells like a tractor or Bobcat's exhaust to my nose.

The 87 especially after the cat was added in hardly smells like a diesel. Seems like some of the newer quiet diesels with cats also have this smell. Maybe the new Dodge trucks and Jeep liberty.

It's a weird smell. I'm thinking it's because of the cat but I could be wrong.

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-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

Interesting about the different smells of different engines. My sense of smell has really been desenstized over the years.

When I first started driving a diesel, I recall with even a small fuel leak that I could smell, I would feel a constriction around my head and a small tingling numbness on the tip of my tongue. I don't get that anymore from over dosing over the years.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Actually it probably speaks more to the effects of inhaling exhaust fumes all these years.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

I don't mind the smell of diesel exhuast. What I do mind is when the boat next to me fires up its tired pair of 2 stroke Detroits...all of a sudden an oily fog rolls in.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Some diesel fumes smells ok, like the older diesels, now the newer diesel fumes smells like bleach to me and that just ruins my day by giving me a headache.

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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

Yeah but the sound of a two stroke detroit is awesome!

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

The function of the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system is to reduce the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). NOx is a strong lung irritant, a major constituent of "smog," and a contributor to acid rain. NOx is formed during combustion when temperatures and pressures are high enough to cause a chemical reaction between the oxygen and nitrogen that are present in the combustion air. EGR reduces combustion temperature and pressure by replacing some of the oxygen-rich air with a more inert gas: exhaust gas. This slows and cools the combustion process, thus reducing NOx formation. EGR reduces engine efficiency slightly and if there is too much EGR it can affect driveability, especially in gasoline engines. Many people disconnect their EGR systems. I choose to leave mine operational because I like to minimize my personal contribution to the damage of the environment within practical limits.

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1987 W201 190D

I'm with you!
I love the smell of a non-cat gasser almost as much as I do my oil burners. I especially love the SDL on B100 - smells like linseed oil on fine wood!

Tell ya what Swamp, I'll stick a jug under the tailpipe of my Jeep and send ya some good old fashioned, non-cat inline six, carburetored, breaker point fired, kinda rich exhaust!

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"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

I miss the smell of JP-4, 5 or 8. Oh the days of aviation....

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92 300D 2.5L OM602 OBK #59

The cummins 5.9L on B99.9 is much more pleasant than petrodiesel....at a distance.

OM617 on B99.9 is sometimes almost raw smelling when on a cold startup.

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

Louder than I prefer, its annoying trying to have a conversation on the flybridge. I prefer the modern quiter electronic diesels.


I find it embarresing to fire up smokey diesels down a quite marina, or with people on board. On the Rybovich we would light them off about an hour before everyone shows up, and let them smoke as we went in the saloon or wiped dew off the bow. After 15 minutes they would have a little heat in them so when you start them up again the smoke isn't that bad. Than when people show up cast off the lines, light them off and go to keep the smoke at bay.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

my 300sd was very tolerable. I have been behind some vehicles and I cant breathe. I have had to seriously race in front of them or drop way back because it was so intollerable. I believe most of these vehicles were fords. I still like them better than the dodges because once I was sitting at a light next to a dodge and when the light turned green, he punched it and smoked the crap out of me. My window was open and everything. What an A-hole.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Not when you're sandwiched between them in the engine room. The Detroits aboard 85ft R/V Yellowfin were mostly smoke free even when cold. It did have a nice whirring of the air starters and water muffled growl at startup topside.

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

My '98 and the GF's Golf both have cats and the smell is quite "un-Diesel" like. The truck doesn't smell too bad and I only really smell it if I back up through the exhaust.

I believe that when you're behind a vehicle and you get the "stinky Diesel" smell it's from reduced compression in an older engine. But that's just a theory.

If you're smelling exhaust in your Benz while driving, you have a leak somewhere under the hood. You should never smell it while driving forward.

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Send it my way!

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)