So while I'm trying to diagnose my wife's '79 brake problem, my '85 wagon won't shut off. Guessing vacuum problem as in a leak somewhere as I just got a new vacuum pump installed and there are no other vacuum related symptoms. For some reason I keep getting these hard to pin point problems and vacuum leaks always evade me.

Anyway, the true problem is that with both cars down, our neighbor offered to sell us their 2002 gasser wagon. My wife used it to drive to work today and texted me: "I love this car. Want to buy it". Arrgggh, 16 mpg! And I can't even run my homemade fuel in it. We're going in the wrong direction here.

I don't have much of a leg to stand on because our two diesels keep having little breakdowns and meanwhile my wife is crying for something more stable....as in a 2002 C320....I'm sympathetic but.....

Sell me your wagon, I'll come get it.

__________________
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?

I might be selling it but you're a little far away. I think I'll end up keeping the '79 300D because it is in near perfect shape and very fun to drive. The wagon is a little rough around the edges.

I drove 600miles there & 600 back to get my euro wagon. Its just what you got to do to get a goodn !!!

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I feel for you man, at one point this winter, during the worst {best?]
snowstorm of the season, the TDI wet the bed, 82 240 was trapped in the garage [snow too deep], Chevy plow truck blew a PS pump line.
We were running the Cummins at 15MPG for all travels and it had just come off of a 2 week hiatus with a fuel system R&R!
My wife was lobbying for a gasser awd car and to heck with these tempermental diesels!
TDI is still down but the snow has melted and we can see spring ,
so the pressure to replace has lessened.
You just need to get through this rough patch; unless of course she is bound and determined to get another vehicle then you need to balance matital harmony vs diesel love.
Good luck.

__________________
1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

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

My 91 Chevy 2500 6.2 has been in the transmission shop since before christmas!!!
and now, my lovely 83SD is beginning to slip in first gear... and I've already changed the B2 piston. so believe me, I feel your pain.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

although many will probably hate me for saying this, in the interests of marital bliss, it may be worth it just to buy a gasser for your wife to use when the inevitable happens. She will probably never understand that it breaks down just as much as the diesel, because it will inevitably always be running fine when the diesel throws a fit, allowing her to say- "see? what did I say?" Chances are, she will begin to drive the gasser all the time, and all the diesels will become 'yours'.

Im not married, but ive endured a succession of ladies who have no respect for my automotive tinkering tendencies, and not having to argue about it is just such a relief that the additional fuel cost might be worth it. Knowing nothing about your situation, my feeling is that if she's not on board to begin with and excited about the car, trapping her with no choice might create unneeded friction.

16mpg is pretty bad though, maybe you can compromise and find something far more fuel efficient for her to drive in an emergency.

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Thanks for all the input. I'm lobbying to keep the '79 300D as I love that car...it is so fun to drive and is in such great shape. Then my idea is to replace the '85 300TD wagon with a 2005 Jetta or Passat wagon (sorry to say). I'd love to stick with a mercedes but we absolutely need a wagon and there is no newer mercedes diesel wagon (in this country). So it looks like it is either the
- 16mpg Mercedes 2002 C320 gas guzzler or
- 40mpg Volkswagon 2005 Passat diesel sipper

The bottom line for me is to get a fuel efficient, lower maintenance cost vehicle....which for me is the Passat.

My wife's bottom line is just one: reliability.

However, the main thing I'm trying to drill down to is what's the expected annual cost to run/maintain the C320. I guess I'll ask this on the gasser side of the forum.

I hope you have gauges and AirDog or FASS to go with your new VP. 15 seems low unless it is around town with 410 gears.

__________________
85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.