My truck has died and I'm facing having to get a new vehicle by the end of the week.

Wondering if anybody can comment on a couple of issues that concern me on a 123 300D I'm considering purchasing. Car is a 77 with 230K on it. Odo is working and it appears to be correct. Quite a lot of blowby. The oil cap will dance a jig on it when it's loose though it won't actually shoot off out of the engine bay like my 240D's used to. So I know there's wear in the motor but my question has to do with the fact that when it's running there is what can best be described as "vapors" that seep out of the dip stick and emanate from the oil filler hole. It doesn't splatter oil the way my 240D did but at the same time I don't recall seeing this sort of steam for want of a better word before.

It's not a huge amount but looks to my untrained eye to be water vapor and is just enough to be noticeable. Anybody else have an idea what this is? Is it a manifestation of an engine on it's last legs? Oil pressure seems good staying above the halfway mark even at idle after a long freeway test drive but I've never owned a 300D and so I don't know if it's actually idling too fast or not and the idle adjustment knob is not connected so I can't adjust it to find out.

Second would the Chrysler combination valve abombination which is leaking a small amount of water have an effect on the vacuum in any way? The owner said he thought that would be the reason the vacuum is not working. Engine shut off has to be done manually from the stop lever and the door locks don't work from vacuum.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S