So an interesting thing happened to my 81 TDT on the way to work. I started the morning up by filling up with diesel, checking the oil and headed off to work. I was riding along at about 75mph, thinking to myself how good it was running for over 300k, just humming along, and then a ping, or a pop, the sound of something under pressure or with some force hitting somewhere on the inside, and bouncing off the undercarriage. I assumed that something on the road bounced off the chassis, but then..the sweet smell of coolant. I checked the gauge, no movement. I thought maybe someone in front of me has some problems...then the smell of oil mixed with it. Jeez, I thought someone is going to have a bad morning...all my gauges where fine, as was the way is was running. Then came the smoke...lots and lots and lots of smoke, white, blue, gray, you name it, it was spewing from the car. I drove to the nearest exit and got off the highway, stopped, and droveup a slight hill with NO power, found a grassy spot and pulled off. The car cut off and would not restart. I got out, faught the smoke and popped the hood, coolant was POURING out of the front of the motor, but not from the water pump or any hoses, all of those seem fine. After having it towed, I inspected the damage and am baffled. The oil is low, but normal, the coolant is gone, and when I removed the cap, it started spewing again. I am assuming an external failure of a head gasket, but it seems so violent, I am not sure. Any ideas?? Anyone ever heard of this before? Is it dead? What should I start checking? Thanks to all...

I've only seen one external head gasket failure, so it's rare but possible. From your description that could very well be what happened. Pull the head to find out for sure.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

All the symptoms say headgasket failure, though I don't want to believe it.

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Yeah, I am in disbelief...I suppose,though,that a headgasket might be the best case scenario

That doesnt sound good, Typical headgasket failure is usually internal, with pressure generated in the cooling system from the combustion gases.

Is it possible you got bad diesel and the ping was a bad detonation.

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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

Sorry, I can't be of help, but I send my condolences. My transmission failed in one of those catastrophic flukes.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

What ever happened, it had a good deal of force behind it, but was a small object...judging from the sound. I keep thinking that it was a bit of the headgasket that I heard hit something.....but that is soooo hard to believe. I can t wait to get it apart.

Let us know. You have my curiosity on high.

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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

300K+ miles.....75 mph.....could be numerous things.....

Man I was doing 400-500 miles a week on the highway....75-80mph all the time. She ran like a watch!

No compression, no diesel. Run a cold compression test. You'll probably see a bad cylinder.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Be sure to let us know what the problem is.

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1993 W124 300D 2.5L Turbo, OM602.962
2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2.4L DOHC
2002 Ford Explorer, 4.0L SOHC
2005 Toyota Prius, 1.5L

http://www.fuelly.com/sig-us/40601.png

Ok.........it wasn't from the pump...........and it wasn't from the hoses..........and since it was pouring out..........where was it coming from??

A bit more information will go a long way to assist you.

With it stopped, ie--Not running-

Keep pouring water in and look where its coming out.....

Then you can move forward....

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http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0TDnoplate.jpg

Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

Use your cooling system pressure tester (you do have one with the correct adapter?) after adding water and look for leaks. And as stated earlier, run a compression test

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DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, DON'T BE A HACK
Political Correctness is NOT part of my vocabulary
and finally FIGHT CRIME...SHOOT BACK

'82 240D Stick
'85 300D Auto
Drove my first MB at age 16 1960 300SL W190