Careful with pressure washing. You may want to spritz some degreaser and agitate a bit and use your home hose.

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83 SD

84 CD

I don't have any suggestions for you sadly, but I just wanted to say:


Totally awesome car! I love it. Sometimes I grab my automatic in the hope I can change gears like you cool folks! Your fuel economy also makes me jealous.

Enjoy the ride!

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

I really enjoy the performance of my latest stick 240D. It's a good all-round driver, more suitable for the highway than my automatic version.
But my automatic is great for local errands, and I often manual-downshift this one when needed for that little extra 'poke' uphill. Plus, I've learned how to give the accelerator just the right touch to control some of the upshifts too.

With a 5-speed 300TD and a manual 240D, I really should be thinking about selling the automatic 240D, but it was my first diesel and I did bring this car back from 'total junker' status, so it's going to be hard to part with her.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

My original plan was spray it w/simple green than drive it half a mile to car wash . . . but I just discovered we have a presure washer here at school . . . what do you think is best . . .?

__________________
82 240D Manual 277K and still rolling!
02 Volvo S60 AWD For Sale

What weight Mobil 1? can I put like 5W30 in? or 10W30? which would be better? Or should I stick with what I bought?

If I recall the 5W30 means that when oil is at ambient temps, (cold) it is a 5wt oil, and when it is in use and warmed up, that it would be a 30wt oil viscosity wise anyways . . . Do I have this right? So if I put in 5W30 when it was cold it would act like 5wt oil WOULD THIS BE TOO THIN? and once it is warmed up it would act like I had 30wt oil in it, WOULD THAT BE TO THICK?

I would prefer to have synthetic oil in it . . .

Owners manual calls for 10W20 or 20W . . . but I can't find that in synthetic . . .

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82 240D Manual 277K and still rolling!
02 Volvo S60 AWD For Sale

I have been using Rotella 5-40 diesel oil in all my vehicles.
I also simple greened my engine compartment and gently pressure washed it off after letting it sit awhile

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

Letting Simple Green set for a bit is a good idea, just don't let it dry, so I'd avoid a drive.
If you have some capable hand brushes, use it on the stubborn areas. A gentle pressure wash comes from the hose on your house.
I use 15 40 Rotella T oil.

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83 SD

84 CD

I think he means in the tranny

I went with a thicker oil b/c I had read that it might coat the components in there better and thus reduce the slipping I was having from 1st-> 2nd gear. Seems to have worked.


It will never really get too hot in there - certainly not up to engine operating temps, so thinking about how it will be once "warmed up" is not appropriate.

Pretty sure I used plain old 10w-30. Also, here in Texas, we have very few days below freezing, so the thicker oil seemed like no problem.

__________________

Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

Yeah, I'm wanting to know about tranny oil . . . I may try the 10W30, as it has the "10" in it, but goes to "30" when hot, it does warm up in there, but probably not as hot as a engine . . .

Since I have a dirt lot out back of the school, I can clean the engine here with the presure washer, I just got done with using it on some trash barrels, it has 3 nozzles . . . one of them is not too intense . . . I just don't want to mess up my front yard at home . . . (we live right on the golf course!)

Also how long is it to "dry" stage with the simple green . . . 5 min . . . 30 min . . .

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82 240D Manual 277K and still rolling!
02 Volvo S60 AWD For Sale

Nice car !!

same color as my 300D and my folk's former 240D (auto).

Its a Calif. car huh?

Hey won't synthetic oil in the rear diff cause gasket leaks?

Slap some sheep skin covers on those front seats !
Or get replacements at the junk yard !

Nice car !!

replace the brake fluid if it hasn't in 2 yrs. save your calipers !!!

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

Actually started out in OR, then WA, Then CA, now AZ!

Don't know about leaks starting in the diff . . . but in time it may . . . but was it the synthetic, or time/age . . .? Also it has some leakage now, after I clean it up, Hopefully I can tell where it is coming from, may need new gasket now . . .

I plan on replacing the brake fluid soon . . . and the rubber hoses!

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82 240D Manual 277K and still rolling!
02 Volvo S60 AWD For Sale

The rear has a tendency to leak a bit sometimes as per a mechanic's lore. Actually now I don't recall whether the diff cover has a gasket.....
I had mine serviced some time ago but at this moment don't recall the fact about a gasket. RTV type sealant was used perhaps in conjunction with a gasket.

If you replace the gasket , assuming there is one, then replenish with synthetic it ought to be OK. unless it may cause leaks in the side seals...

Be sure to clean the cap flange surface well.

Synthetic oil in general has a tendency to clean up old deposits on gaskets that would normally prevent leaks.
That's why an older engine would spring leaks if one begins using full synthetic oil, in significant probabilities and as claimed in many threads.

Best to research....archive search..

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

no gasket on the diff - just sealant.

__________________

Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

OK, so if it leaks enough to leave a spot on the ground, it gets fixed . . . no matter what kinda oil is in it, it is almost 28 years old!

On a diferrent note . . . do you other 82 240D owners (or past) know if the 100 mph speedo is original, I remember reading in the OM that the peg is set at 85 . . . so maybe they did change out the speedo?

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82 240D Manual 277K and still rolling!
02 Volvo S60 AWD For Sale

Both of mine are 85

__________________
1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily