I only get stranded at home when I can't finish what I'm working on. Happens all too often.

The 93 300SD at ~260K miles changed my plans when the alternator cable post so I had to head home on just the battery. Turns out I forgot to tighten the cable nut and the post burned off the alternator. Even the latest US spec 603 does not need electricity to get you home but you don't want to drive at night without lights. You'll get home more quickly if you do the vacuum to boost wastegate actuator mod

The 91 300SE at ~150K miles stranded me when the voltage regulator failed. Changed my plans when the tranny slammed into second on the freeway and wouldn't shift past. I limped home then limped to have the tranny rebuilt.

Sixto
87 300D

Maybe yours has a WVO mod? The mechanical lift pump on the side of the IP will pull enough suction to collapse the fuel tank if the vent gets clogged.

Our 97 Suburban 6.5 has both a mechanical lift pump and an electric supply pump but it will run at easy loads on just the lift pump.

Sixto
87 300D

I've only had 2 times in 280K miles and the second was yesterday! The first was an ignition switch failure. If the key is very rough going in and out, you only have a few times before the tumblers will fall out. It's a tow in and $500 repair. Much cheaper to do at home and much easier to get the switch out when the key still works!! Number 2 was a rear half shaft that snapped. It was a little rusty and corroded right at the outer boot. I had an all-out emergency stop on anti-lock when someone blew a red light at about 50mph- one of those paint thickness close calls. About 2 lights later, I was accelerating from a stop and when I hit 2nd gear the shaft broke. No idea if the 2 were related, but I felt happy to have my next ride in a tow truck rather than an ambulance. I did have an alternator fail once but was able to drive 80mi to a Mercedes dealership with no electricity. By the time I got there my battery was totally flat and they gave me another one for free because the one I had was less than a year old. I told them that it just needed a charge and they said Mercedes had it covered, so don't sweat it! (Millennium Motors on Rte 22 in NJ.)

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Reid
Past ('59 220Sb, 2-'59 190's, '92 300D 2.5T)
Current
'04 E320 4Matic Wagon
'00 E320 4Matic Wagon

Only stranded twice by any MB.

RF hub / rotor / spindle seized on me at about 30 MPH on my '83 300CD. I have no idea how it got so bad that it seized - I heard a bit of worn-bearing-sounds that day as I was driving out of the neighborhood so I planned to drop the car off at the shop that afternoon. 2 miles later it seized - accelerating onto the freeway...

Ignition lock locked up on my '92 400E in a Sam's Club parking lot. That is not a DIY task if the car is not at home. Expensive but top notch parking lot repair by an ATL area locksmith whom I'd consider more of an artist than a locksmith.

I've only been stranded once with my 1986 w124 300E. A gasser go figure The trani gave out in the middle of a sand storm. Car was very dull and sand blasted on that one side afterwards. It's all good though it got keyed anyways at my local community college

With my 83 240D. It never stranded me once and had 305,000 miles on it.

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76 MG Midget
78 Datsun 280Z
86 Peugeot 505
01 Subaru Outback

“Owning a car is like owning a dog. Every now and then, it craps on the carpet — but it’s still your dog.” - Jeremy Clarkson

So far its only stranded me once in the last year. Locked up ignition switch. Gave no warning, just wouldn't turn. Had to have it towed home.

Even when a got some fuel that was probably 50% gasoline and it hammered the rod bearings it still limped home...

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1984 300 Coupe TurboDiesel
Silver blue paint over navy blue interior
2nd owner & 2nd engine in an otherwise
99% original unmolested car
~210k miles on the clock

1986 Ford F250 4x4 Supercab
Charcoal & blue two tone paint over burgundy interior
Banks turbo, DRW, ZF-5 & SMF conversion
152k on the clock - actual mileage unknown

[quote=sixto;2143453]I only get stranded at home when I can't finish what I'm working on. Happens all too often.

X2!!

1st time: cheap ass Indian fuel filter(spin on) blew out on bottom, cracked the housing about 2 inches long, ran out of fuel...never bought cheap parts since.

2nd time: hit a 5-6 point buck at 70 mph, was already dead on freeway from big rig, launched car into the air about 2 feet, rack went right under my side, almost lost control in pitch black rainy middle-of-nowhere, tore the tranny line off the front near radiator, lost all fluid before stopping.
Hit a doe two months later at 80 mph, just clipped drivers side mirror, only damage- broken mirror mount(still works though!)

vehicle- 83 300d, 340,000miles, no rebuild, still goes 100mph

I've never been stranded. I've pulled over, wondering what the noise was, but never stranded. Found out what the noise was, I needed a new half axle in the rear, sounded like someone was trying to bang through the trunk into the passenger compartment.

I bought my 84 300D in 2002 with 220K. It now has 260K and runs fine, but I think I may need to check the fuel filter and the tank screen, from reading the posts here, because in cold weather she dogs out on the highway, its like she makes 50 HP or something. But since its Spring, I can drive my old MG. Want to start a stranded thread on that piece of engineering beauty?

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84 300D, 303K
71 MGBGT, ?K
96 GMC C1500, 115K

1) Hit a deer with a 190E 2.6
2) Timing chain broke on 190E
3) Stranded at home (also 2 blocks from home x2) with air leak at lift pump in 300SD

I can't ever remember getting stranded away from home farther than a block or two in any of the diesels.

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Never on the road, just usually at home when you forget to hook up the tank feed line at the fuel tank and get halfway down the driveway, Grr. haha live and learn I guess

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Regards,
Ian White

1995 E300 Diesel w124 OM606
2014 E550 w212 M278 biturbo

2001 BMW 740i E38 M62 (past)
1981 300SD w126 OM617 (past)