My hunt for two perfect 82-85 300Ds continues. One to replace my totaled baby ASAP, and one to get my husband out of his decrepit Toyota before it fails smog check. I am trying to be smart, but not driving a Mercedes diesel is "bummin' my groove" significantly. It's been almost 60 days in a borrowed 1997 Lincoln, and the withdrawal pangs are getting worse. My settlement is due to arrive this week, and I'm chomping at the bit. I miss the smell, sound, and sheer awesomeness of the W123 diesel.

Anyway, I found something interesting, if overpriced, on Craigslist this morning, and I wanted you guys to have a look at this picture of the odometer. Looks fishy to me, and Carfax was no help. Shouldn't the numbers line up? Unless the guy has service records, I'd walk anyway, but I'd love a few opinions before I bother making contact.

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Current car:
1982 300D A New Hope! Three-plus tons of China blue steel, rubber, and magic.

Past cars:
1985 300D, Glorious anthracite on black. Gracie. (R.I.P.)
The rest were crappy--including a 1970 Orange Gremlin.

It looks to me like it's just getting ready to roll over to 160,000. How's the rest of the car look?

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1984 300D, 228k, Light Ivory, Java MB-Tex

No, the numbers don't always line-up. I bought an '83 300SD with verifiable miles/records with 93K on it, and I drove it to 305K - there were times when the numbers in part didn't always line-up perfectly.

That was my experience with that odometer. Keep a watchful eye nonetheless when checking out a car.

The rest of the car looks pretty clean from the pictures, but you know how that is--I'd have to see it in person. Good pictures of the engine compartment, interior, etc.

The seller says he's the original owner, and that interests me. He's asking for top dollar though, and the only thing he says is wrong is that the AC "needs freon." We all know how that goes. I had two compressors replaced in my previous 300D, and it sure was not cheap.

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Current car:
1982 300D A New Hope! Three-plus tons of China blue steel, rubber, and magic.

Past cars:
1985 300D, Glorious anthracite on black. Gracie. (R.I.P.)
The rest were crappy--including a 1970 Orange Gremlin.

my 300D's are off quiet frequently started happening once they started to slip.

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Matthew McIvor

2016 E350 4Matic Black/Black
2007 GL450 4Matic with Off-Road Pkg Silver/Black
1995 E300 Diesel White/Gray
1994 S600 Euro Black/ Black Velour
1986 560SL Blue/Blue/Gray
1986 190E Blue/Blue 93k

So that they line up perfectly when they roll a new decade/century/etc., the 9 pushes the next number wheel slightly. Typical, normal, do it when new.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

The numbers never line up perfectly. They are all continually rotating a little, like the cogs in a clock. So don't worry about it. All the 123's I've ever seen are a little mis-aligned.

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The odometer looks too clean if that makes any sense to you. All of the mercedes I have seen and granited that is only about 4 that I have worked on the odometer at the tenth reading are brownish.

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Moss Gate Bed & Breakfast
1985 300 TD GG done in by a red light runner
1984 300 CD Sold
2008 Titian
2000 Cadillac SLS
1966 FLH Sold
2003 Harley Ultra

X 2

X3 on the browning.
Also,
With these odos, it seems like folly to buy the car based on a mileage.

They are just too prone to stop/slip, and too easy to roll back/(or even forward ) to make them reliable. IMHO

Better to look at the condition of everything else around the odo (I mean the rest of the car) and make a more educated guess about the care and maintenance the car has had for however long it has been rolling.

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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

How smooth has the steering wheel become around the 10 & 2 spots?
How does the brake peddle look?
Is the white symbols on the turn indicator stalk waring off?
X4 on the clean odometer. I once took a "low mileage" car for a drive. When the sun was on the instruments, there was a thumb print on the inside of the lens. I didnt think it could have been there from new!!
The ware in other places soon gives away how much work the car has done.
Good Luck!!

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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

Brownish? Like this (first and lower) one?

The lower cluster, is from my '87 300TD. Upper cluster from my (former) '87 300D. The 300D lived in Michigan, garaged most of its life, the 300TD in Nashville and definately sat in the sun part of its life.

The lettering in the gauge face and tenths wheel on the Michigan car are a nice clean white, the TN car both are beige.

So, sun exposure? I bet so.

Oh, the needles are getting a nice lacquer nail-polish.

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__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Well the trip odo all on zero to me would raise an eyebrow in sales pictures.

1. Most do not care about it (so mileage is usually there)
2. Others use it for keeping track of mileage (again, so mileage is there)

Seems like the button was depressed (resetting it), when the odo stopped working or began reading very slowly. So, chances of someone resetting it for a picture seem odd to me.



As others pointed out, unless you can confirm mileage by documents, do not bet the farm on it being true. Look for overall condition.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I have 8 123's in varying conditions. NONE have an odometer that looks that clean.
100odd thousand miles and dust gets into the crevices. grime collects on the digits. everything about that odo looks so pristine.
it MUST have been cleaned at a minimum. it's possible it was taken apart and "set" to the mileage it's at, but like mentioned above, totally look every part of the car over for signs of wear.

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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 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I really appreciate your input--all of you. I think I am going to have to hire someone who knows these cars specifically to come with me. I have a great inspection checklist put together thanks to the folks here, but I just don't have the chops to evaluate mileage on my own. And my husband and I are far too trusting. I can see us going to check out the car, getting seduced by cosmetics, and a seller who seems "nice and honest" and making a big mistake. We have to get real here.

And that odo does look super clean. I could not see it as I was distracted by the numbers. (See what I mean!) My car was well kept, and it didn't look nearly that good. Ugh. Guy wants $6K anyway, and I'm not paying that if it needs a compressor, even if he's got service records since the dawn of time. It will cost just over a grand to fix that.

I admit, I am having a hard time not overly focusing on the mileage thing. Mine only had 120K when I bought her, and 180K when she was ripped from my clutches! There is something about that over 200K thing that psyches me out. I want one that is just like mine was, and so far, that's not happening. (I had no idea the black interior was so uncommon.) I guess I have to be patient, not one of my foremost character traits.

If the car is still available this weekend, I'll take a gander and report back.

Damn, I miss my car!

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Current car:
1982 300D A New Hope! Three-plus tons of China blue steel, rubber, and magic.

Past cars:
1985 300D, Glorious anthracite on black. Gracie. (R.I.P.)
The rest were crappy--including a 1970 Orange Gremlin.