New 1995 E300D Owner - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Opokhna · #1 04-25-2013, 11:35 PM

I just picked up my first Mercedes diesel, drove it back to Ohio from Tennessee. It is a two owner car. Books came with the car but no service records traveled with it. The car has been owned by an older couple for the past decade. They seemed to have taken care of the car. There are a few dings here and there, paint seems great but the car is very dirty since it has sat for 3 years outside and a year unstarted. Interior like the exterior needs a good cleaning but checks out great for the age. Once I started driving the car I quickly found out that it will need tie rods, new tensioner shock because there is a ridiculous clicking coming from the engine bay and once you push down on it, it stops, and it also makes a loud clunk once in a while coming from the rear diff, I read a little bit up on that and will start with the flex disk and differential bushings. I planned on getting a little project and slowly make it cleaner and better which to me it seemed like a great buy. Especially with 190K miles. I plan on changing transmission fluid, differential fluid, brake flush, coolant flush. Also I will put in new tie rods, center link, idler arm bushing kit, steering damper,flex disk and diff bushings. I will check over hoses and any vacuum leaks in the engine bay. I do not know diesels that well yet and was wondering what you guys would recommend I also replace or check. Any help would be great.

Zulfiqar · #2 04-26-2013, 09:17 AM

whilst tackling the tie rods, it would be wise to replace the front ball joints too, at this age their original plastic boots are usually ripped open and the joints worn out - The top strut hats are usually torn up too, The rear suspension has 10 links in total and their bushings wear out after a decade of use, you can buy the entire kit to recondition them, Also check the rear subframe bushings, if you can move the frame with a screwdriver - they are toast and your car will feel like a worn out suzuki/honda/toyota eco sedan on the road.

It is also a good practice to remove the intank fuel strainer and clean it up, mine was half blocked and I was losing a boat load of the available engine power.

These cars run fantastic when correct. And you need to belt the engine to get power - dont be afraid the engine loves to rev its heart out.

On the engine, best remove the vacuum pump and see if its still the original item and has an open ball bearing, if yes and its quiet its good for now, but these are known to go bad after 200,000 miles and the bearings dump into the timing case wrecking the engine. Replace or save up to replace (its a $400 up item).

Opokhna · #3 04-26-2013, 11:45 AM

I will look into ball joints too since I will already be working on the from. I will check the rear bushings but will probably hold off on those since there are no sounds and I have some other priorities. Will I need to buy a new in tank fuel strainer, or just clean it with some throttle body cleaner? And does the tank need to be empty for that? I will also check the vacuum pump once I get into the engine. When I take it off where do I look and if the ball bearing is intact it is good then? I am currently working on the drivers lock tumbler, since the key is stuck in it sideways. Also there seems to be a vacuum leak with the locking mechanism. I hear the pump working but door locks dont do anything.

vstech · #4 04-26-2013, 12:05 PM

door lock tumblers are available at the dealer that match your key... brace yourself, it's over $200.
yes, the fuel tank needs to be empty to pull the strainer, but unless you run the tank TOTALLY dry, it's still gonna dump fuel on you when you take it out. also, you will need a 46mm socket to pull the strainer. Northern tools has them for around 12.00, but if you can find a plumbing supply house, they have a "tank wrench" socket that is thin steel that works great.

pull the radiator, fan clutch, and belt tensioner FIRST and get all that sorted out. pull the vacuum pump while you have the front open, you want to look at the plastic cage that holds the 12 bearings in place on the pump. if the plastic is still good, you can put the pump back in, and use it for another 5000 miles before you need to pull it and inspect it again. the gasket is pretty stout, you should not have to replace it, but the upgraded steel gasket with the oil dam is only $7 and could prolong the life of the pump, and retain the balls if it fails.

Opokhna · #5 04-26-2013, 12:15 PM

To get the tensioner shock off I need to pull the radiator and fan clutch? Where would I find the steel gasket with the oil dam? ******** only has a VictorReinz and it looks rubber to me.

vstech · #6 04-26-2013, 12:25 PM

click the mercedes tab at the top of the page. our WONDERFUL forum is supported by parts sales. if you cannot find the gasket, call the sales number, and ask them for it.

you don't have to pull the radiator to get the the tensioner shock, but to get the fan clutch it's MUCH easier to pull the radiator, and pulling it to clean it out is a must do for a newly aquired 124 6 cylinder car!
once the radiator is out, you can easily get to the fan clutch bolt, and the belt tensioner arm bolt. the shock is pretty simple to remove as well.

Jeremy5848 · #7 04-26-2013, 01:57 PM

Congrats you have the start of a great car. The '95 has all of the changes and upgrades made during the 10-year run of the W124 yet still is much less electronic/complicated than the W210. My '95 E300 also came to me at 190,000 miles. It just turned 200,000 and is running great. DOHC engines love to spin so don't be afraid to wind it up once in a while, like every day, once the oil has warmed up.

I will differ from my forum friends and say that the radiator does not have to be pulled to access the fan clutch. Remove the fan shroud first. It should be a 2-piece shroud. You rotate the inner part so that it unclips from the outer part. Put the inner part over the fan, then pull up and remove the outer part. Then the inner part can be moved off of the fan and pulled up and out.

Now you can access the fan clutch screw. The clutch/fan is attached with a single Allen-head cap screw. You will need a stubby Allen socket (I think it's 6 mm). For myself I use a regular Allen wrench with an 24-inch length of 1/2-inch pipe as a lever arm. Once the screw is loose you can back it out with your fingers.

Even lacking records (mine was the same way) you can sometimes tell what work has been done. For example, replacement suspension parts often come with a paper label that mechanics tend to leave on. Years later the label, now worn and dirty, is still there for you to see (original factory parts do not have labels). So, any part you find with a tag means service was done at some point.

At 190,000 miles the suspension pieces will pretty much all need replacement if they haven't already been replaced. It's all stuff you can do yourself. The various links come with new bushings and are bolt-in pieces. There are a few bushings that need to be separately replaced; if you don't want to buy the special tool you can make your own for a few dollars -- just ask, forum members will share their knowledge.

The vacuum pump should be the later kind with an enclosed bearing. When you take the vacuum pump off of the engine, be sure to loosen the screws evenly, one turn at a time, because the pump is under spring pressure. The case could break if the stress is uneven. Once the pump is off you can look at the bearing. If you can see the little balls in the bearing it is the old style and should be replaced. The old ones can disintegrate and spit steel into the timing chain, probably ruining the entire engine. The bearing should be totally enclosed in steel (not plastic -- I'm looking at one as I type this). If you want pictures of old and new search the forum or ask.

I was quite surprised, some years ago, to discover that Mercedes has no spec for changing the power steering fluid. Just "check and top up." Most cars have never been changed so the fluid is black with age. Ditto the differential although that oil seems to hold up better.

When you're changing the primary fuel filter, please notice that the new filter does not come with a new o-ring. Move the o-ring from the old filter or buy a new o-ring. Otherwise air gets sucked into the fuel lines and the car will not start.

Consider blocking the EGR valve so that it doesn't continue to dump soot into the intake manifold. Easiest way is to make a solid replacement gasket (thin aluminum works well) for the connection between the valve and the intake pipe. Leave everything else as-is. When you have time, pull the intake and clean out all the crud. With the EGR valve blocked it will then stay clean. If the car has to be inspected you can just swap back the original gasket and the engine will be stock.

The dealer will want to see proof of ownership but then they will be able to supply keys and locks that are the correct ones for your car. If the ignition cylinder feels worn and getting hard to turn, replace it (about $100) before it jams. You do not want to know what some folks here have had to do to fix a jammed lock!

There is an enormous amount of information here. Read through the various wiki lists and use the search function and ask questions. We have already made most of the mistakes so you don't have to!

Jeremy

chronometers · #8 04-26-2013, 10:31 PM

Hi Jeremy -- Can the new kind of vacuum pump be verified visually without doing a disassemble?

-- Chris

vstech · #9 04-26-2013, 11:31 PM

no.

you can verify that it's NOT the original type, by the outer cover of the pump. if it has no bolts holding the cover on. all the replacement pumps have allen head screws holding it on. but they still used the open cage bearing with the screwed on cover for a lot of revisions.

only way to know if it has enclosed bearings is to take the pump out and look.

Jeremy5848 · #10 04-27-2013, 01:10 AM

There's a date code stamped in the case on the outside of the pump but it's almost impossible to see on installed pumps and definitely impossible on dirty pumps that have been on engines for a long time. In any case, I don't know the date code that would correspond with the change to the enclosed bearing.

I have four data points: The original pump on my '95 E300 carried a "94T.340" date code, which may mean that the pump was made on the 340th day of 1994. I replaced it with a newer (junkyard) pump carrying date code "96T.054," which may mean the 54th day of 1996. The original pump on my '96 E300 carried the date code "95T.250." The (brand new) replacement pump was date coded "99T/147." All four pumps have sealed bearings.

It is my opinion that by the time our '95 cars were built all pumps had sealed bearings but I have no way to guarantee that statement and advise you to take vstech's warning seriously. The only way to be sure is to look.

Last year there was a suggestion made in this forum that ANY vacuum pump with ~200,000 miles or more should be replaced as a precaution, given the damage that could be done if the pump failed and spit metal into the engine's timing case. Therefore, I replaced the original vacuum pump on my '96 E300, which had about 280,000 miles. I couldn't see anything wrong with the old pump but my x-ray vision isn't as good as it used to be.

Jeremy

Zulfiqar · #11 04-27-2013, 05:03 PM

the first 2 digits are the year of manufacture. if you remove the radiator and get down and dirty with HD simple green and a toothbrush and a can of brake kleen - you can easily read the date specially if you remove the tensioner arm. Its near the most bottom bolts of the pump.

Pabster · #12 04-27-2013, 09:49 PM

I bought my 1997 E300D with very little history to it and its been about a year since. I addressed so many tune up issues and it runs so well now. I still have a few outstanding issues, but this car has a lot of life left to it.

I use to it putt back and forth to work and visit clients. Cars this age and older do need hands on owners, but they will last a long time.

Just take it one step at a time and don't over work yourself. Usually, previous owners just do nothing to maintain it and sell it to people like us at a firesale.

Pabster

Chris W. · #13 04-28-2013, 09:09 AM

FYI you do not need to pull the rad and fan clutch to replace the tensioner shock. Just carefully back out the bolt on the shock and then the bolts on the water pump pulley, bit by bit, until you can take the shock bolt out.

606 Belt tensioner shock, Yes, it can be done relatively easily!

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 392K, just back from a 900 mile trip

connerm · #14 04-29-2013, 06:19 AM

You don't need to buy a new tank strainer. Clean the old one, but also clean the anti-slosh bowl inside the tank. You will likely find tons of slime and gunk in there. Taking out the tank completely isn't that hard to do. You will take a diesel bath though. Welcome.

Zulfiqar · #15 04-29-2013, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pabster

I bought my 1997 E300D with very little history to it and its been about a year since. I addressed so many tune up issues and it runs so well now. I still have a few outstanding issues, but this car has a lot of life left to it.

I use to it putt back and forth to work and visit clients. Cars this age and older do need hands on owners, but they will last a long time.

Just take it one step at a time and don't over work yourself. Usually, previous owners just do nothing to maintain it and sell it to people like us at a firesale.

Pabster

Yep - I dont get why people think cars are toasters. Some infact think that they are living beings (the eyelashes on headlight crowd and the teeth in miata crowd)

Bin it when it dont pop toast. Ask the bank to tie another tether to their necks.

When I tackle repairs on my car - the items are either factory at 18 yrs age (no maintenance) or the repair jobs (mostly electrical) are a monument to stupidity. e.g. the NSS wiring on my car was goofy, the PO had the starter circuit cut somehow and the repairman added 2 ft legs each of wire on the one cut wire and fished it really awkwardly under the kneepanel to simply join them. I took out the entire wiring - takes 5 minutes extra when doing a trans fluid change and cleaned up the original harness like it should be.

All I can think is that - the owner looked for the cheapest shadiest repair shops in town to do the work.