Hey guys,
After months of searching for a W123 300d turbo, I think I may have found 'the one'. It's a 1984 300D. California car, no rust, one owner, very clean. A mechanic has looked at it, and basically he says 'do it!'. But I just want to make sure that none of these problems are worse than the mechanic thinks...

First off- sorry, so far I only have the report over the telephone, so I might have some of the wording wrong, but something along the lines of:

slight oil leak
engine cooler (coolant?) leak
vacuum pump gasket leak
air filter mounting problem
transmission mounts problem
horn doesn't work

He said all of these problems/leaks are slight, and should be expected in a car of this age. He said it's probably the cleanest MB diesel he's seen in a long time. He said all of these fixes would run about $800 total in his garage.

So do any of these leaks/problems seem out-of-the-ordinary, or catastrophic, or a red flag to run far away?

Lastly, I'm a little concerned about the horn, especially since I don't think I can pass inspection without a horn. Is this a cheap/easy fix?

Thanks!

Depending on the cost of the car and mileage, it sounds like a good deal. None of those issues are true show stoppers

__________________
2012 Mercedes ML350 Bluetec 91K (hers)
2005 Corvette 55K (fun car)
2002 VW Jetta TDI 231K (mine)
1998 Volvo S70 T5 Turbo 196K (kids)
1994 Ford F150 4WD 249K (firewood hauler)
1983 Mercedes 300D 376K (diesel commuter)

My question on the first two would be "Where?"

Vac pump gasket leak? That is specific, did someone trace it to the gasket on the pump? Vac leaks can pop up anywhere - are we sure it doesn't need a new pump? May want to just conder that as a possible cost.

Air filter mounting - a couple bucks and your set.

Tranny mount - not that big of a job and not very expensive. If it's bad you should check the engine mounts, too.

Horn - hard to say, never had to replace one, but seems like a pretty simple system. Check the wires I guess and if that doesn't work find a used one - I bet you could find one here pretty easy.

Good Luck!

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

Engine cooler leak.

Sounds like bad oil cooler lines at the nut. This is a DIYable job, but a pain in the butt to do. I would recommend fixing this now rather than later. A burst line will kill an engine by draining all of the oil out.

Perfect time to replace motor and transmission mounts. In fact the transmission mount is REALLY easy to replace. I used a 19mm (or was it 17mm) crows foot wrench to get at the bolt that is facing upwards towards the chassis.

For the horn, get a voltmeter and make sure the wires are good. Check the fuse as well. Dieselgiant has a nice guide on replacing it. I've always wanted to put a different style horn in.

I'm not too sure about the oil leak since I can't see it, but the air cleaner mounts are simple as well.

Never had to deal with the vacuum pump seal before. Good time to check the condition of the unit as a whole.

Good luck! This forum helped me a great deal get up to speed on a lot of the issues with these cars. You'll probably get bit by the "over repair" bug soon enough

__________________
-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

slight oil leak
engine cooler (coolant?) leak
vacuum pump gasket leak
air filter mounting problem
transmission mounts problem
horn doesn't work


These sound like all DIY items. just need to be more specific on the leaks. oil leak can be from a lot of places. drain pan bolt, oil pan gasket, turbo drain, rear/front main seal etc...

Engine cooler, radiator, hose connections, water pump, aux water pump etc.... from what area of the engine?

Vac pump gasket, about $4. DIY.

Air filter mount, maybe $50 with new bracket and rubber mounts. easy DIY.

Transmission mount, maybe $25 to $30 for a new one, easy fix. DIY

Horn could be as simple as a loose wire, again easy DIY with help here from the forum.

Go up the the user CP in the top right and fill out where you are located, and signature. maybe a forum member in the area can give you some help.

Depends on milage and condition of vehicle, maintenance and condition, oh I already said that. remember, it is all about the condition of the vehicle.

Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

I would have wanted a compression test.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Thanks for the help guys.


I bought the car