Should I buy a 92 300SD w. 156k miles no service records for $6,500 ?

Its black on grey, nice condition, runs fine but has a glow plug light flickering while driving.

Doesn’t seem to burn oil but how would I know on a test drive? Any other things I should look carefully at? All electrics seem to work fine (aside from glow issue). Did ALL these have rod bending engines or just some? Would the current mileage and the lack of copious amounts of blue smoke while starting/driving indicate the engine was not a rod bender? Or do they develop bent rods after XXX miles ?

I really wanted 86-87 SDL but this W140 is all that’s around. I wonder if I could sell it for same if I decided not to keep it?

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Paul
Benz-less
I need an SDL !

No, you should not buy it. In fact, you probably should not own it if it was given to you for free.

Yank the motor out of the car,and install a 300sdl engine.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

Why? the motor seems fine.

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Paul
Benz-less
I need an SDL !

If I were you I would listen to Brian

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Pete.

For $6500, no way. Move the decimal over a point and I'd say drive it 'til something expensive breaks or the oil consumption from the bent connecting rods gets to be too much, then junk it.

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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 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

If oil consumption is a problem I would avoid it, but if it wasn't an issue, and on some of these 3.4L sixes it isn't, I would consider it, but not at that price.

I might consider assuming responsibility for everything that needs fixing on it for maybe half, but even then it could be monumentally expensive if the evap housing hasn't been replaced.

We can't paint all 3.4L sixes with the same brush, some are apparently not afflicted with the oil consumption problem, just bear in mind if the engine does have this problem there is no resolution.

steve a

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Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others

Pass. I would buy it for $250 and drive it until it dies then part it out and get your $250 back.

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

$6500 is really expensive for a car that old with a track record of major issues.

Wow, Im sensing there’s not too much respect for the W140 diesels on here!

Ive seen these come up on autotrader/craiglist/fleabay and they usually disappear quickly so I figured they must not be too bad.

I have no way to diagnose the possibility of bend rods on a test drive, and the owner isn’t disclosing any type of massive oil consumption issue (is there anyway to tell?)

Aside from that, what other issues are a major concern? Someone mentioned evap housing – is that a typical costly failure ?

What else? Im not too bothered by the engine issue, an OM603 can be swapped in if need be down the road.

As I mentioned, the body and interior are very nice and all electricals seem to work fine. Its black, Im tempted … It would be perfect for 3 car seats across the back and my frybrid system.

I have a garage and am somewhat mechanically inclined, I was able to maintain my 87 300D and install a frybrid wvo kit for 60k miles so Im not afraid to dig into it. But I don’t want a money pit either.

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Paul
Benz-less
I need an SDL !

I've read a few times that German Engineers blamed the poor quality US fuel for the rod bending. Whether Veggie oil is considered a lesser fuel as well is a matter of opinion.

I believe Old South managed 400k+ out of his before the oil consumption became unbearable, but he owned the car since new and was fastidious with maintenance. My 1991 350SDL maid it to 212k before croaking with a failed head gasket. Still drove just fine, though. Perhaps I could have got away with just the head gasket, but sold the car before making the repair.

Evaporator and a myriad of electrical issues is all I've heard of.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

I just bought one a month ago...but it was considerably less expensive than the one you're looking at. I really like the car and although there's a lot of bashing sometimes you just put up with it. I'm notorious for buying things / cars other people hate....like Peugeot, I've owned 504's 505's and even a 604, all diesel powered.

I watch these places too and they do disappear, but no one can ever be sure why...sold? pulled ad? Who knows, but I agree, they do disappear quickly for some reason.

nope, neither did I, but I looked at the blow-by (or lack of in this case) and the smoke output from the engine and decided that it wasn't a problem yet.

Besides the self-destructing evap housing (around $5k to have someone replace) the wiring harnesses were manufactured a little too biodegradable for their own good so some of the underhood harnesses disintegrate and create a cascade failure in the electrical system. I've inspected some of mine and found the wiring to be fine so who knows, but others on benzworld complain of wiring decay. Also there are some problems with the soft-close pumps, the lock pumps, the Bose amplifier fries easily and at a minimum costs about $225 (or more) to repair. Front suspension wear causing vibration at speed is an issue for some.

The better install is the OM606.xx engine.

I would definitely not buy it if you intend to use a frybrid system. The admission from Benz regarding these failed engines centers around the low US cetane level...unofficially. If you go to a WVO system, which I DO NOT advocate, you'll be running a cetane level even lower, which could accelerate engine failure. There are better candidates for WVO systems than the W140.

Good luck

Steve A

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Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others

Interesting points.

The 606 is bad for veg - glow plug issue, and overly complex fuel delivery system, I have avoided the E300 for that reason.

Agreed there are better candidates. I wish I could find a decent SDL. But I would think the use of veg oil would be better than low sulfur D2. It burns more slowly, less jerk (rate of acceleration) on the con rods, should result in less G force. Im assuming jerk is what causes bending of the rods.

$5k for evap housing? Degrading wiring...these 2 issues are more of a concern than anything else so far. I will look close.

Thanks for all input guys.

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Paul
Benz-less
I need an SDL !

This is basically the same chassis the maybach was built on I have heard. Read into that lots of expensive maintenance is a good possibility unless you are really competent to deal with it yourself.

Cheap or reasonable priced parts may be scarce. To me it verges on being almost a collector car rather than a daily driver. To run this car on vegatable oil is not a good ideal either.

You will have the potential of too many problems without adding that one to the mix as well. I certainly would not expect the vegatable oil to eliminate the engine problems either . It might but to count on it might be a major misteak.

There has been almost endless speculation of why the engine problems occur. Weak rods alone as a rational do not hold up well. Many other possibilities of the true cause or causes seem better.

Now if you are bent and bound regardless to obtain it. Do so at a price that reflects what it is really worth. That is not what an unknowing person would pay either.

Site members basically have given you fair warning in my opinion. You as a free person are entitled to do as you wish.

Looks tend to be totally superficial remember once expensive problems occur with too much frequency. This as a new car was a wealthy persons car. As a used car that may not have changed very much.

Rod-bender+veggie If you want that much trouble just buy an '80s model Jaguar.

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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 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.