Hi everyone,

I just bought my first Mercedes Benz a couple days ago, a 1985 300SD. I found it on Craigslist for what seemed to be a good deal, so I bought it with the thought of running WVO in it.

I have 2 problems right now that need sorting. First, lights. My PS headlight is out and the front and rear lights on the PS don't work. bulbs are ok so I am thinking the is some bugged wiring somewhere. Directionals aren't working either.

Second is the glow system. I found a nice trouble shoot write up from Diesel Giant and that is leading me to belive the glow plug relay is not working properly. It is getting power from the battery and on both sides of the blade fuse. With the ignition switched on, I get no voltage from any of the 5 pins that correspond to the glow plugs.

So before I drop the coin on one of the more expensive parts, I wanted to post here and make sure I'm headed in the right direction.

For the lights, start with fuses. There are actually FOUR headlight fuses. One each for left low beam, left high beam, right low beam, and right high beam. This is a good robust design for ensuring you are never without any lights. My Kawasaki has only two headlights and routes them both through the same fuse. Bad engineering.

Directionals could be fuses as well (always check those first), or a wonky 4-way flasher switch. My turn signals cease work on a somewhat regular basis, and cycling the 4-way switch a time or two gets them working again.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

The harness to the glow plugs can become loose or corroded so try energizing the glow plug system and wiggling or pressing on the harness at the same time. If it clicks you found your problem.

This was the source of my problems once. The fix is to carefully deconstruct the plug and pinch the female sockets a little so that the plugs get a better grip.

Oh dear......

Just that if done wrongly--As in most cases is IS done wrongly--It ends up in disaster.
You'll get LOTS of nay-sayers and puritans on here saying Don't Do It!

I say--Do It--But Do It RIGHT!

We aint talking 'conversions' and twin-tanks, extra filters FPHE all that crap--We are talking the Quality and Purity of the WVO. No conversion needed--IF THE OIL IS RIGHT and the ENGINE is carefully prepared and proper blends with std. diesel/RUG are used.
--I speak from experience having run WVO for well over ten years 100-200K miles with NO disasters.


Oil MUST be Dried of WATER. Veggy Absorbs moisture--That You CANNOT SEE--so the oil will need very careful drying--ie, boiling at up to 150 deg C.--This moisture if left in can and does cause the pump to rot out and fail.

After that, It will need Filtering--down to at Least 5uM....

Better still--Seeing its all that work Anyway to make Veggy suitable for use in an engine--

Why not do the job PROPERLY and make BioDiesel from the oil?
--Then the car will at least be 'Safe' from destruction by cruddy, wet, impure FFA laden, Crappy Oil!

--These days I make proper BioDiesel fuel, as the work extra to do it isnt that much more, when you're set up right....

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Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

Hi,

and thanks for the tips on the lights and the pre-ignition system, I'll let y'all know today if I can sort either of those.

In regards to the veggie oil, I have been reading and researching for close to a year now. At one point I was getting ready to start making Bio, but ran into a problem of what to do with the by product lye. I still have my 50 gal water heater tank, so I may get that set up so I can make fuel for the Benz and my wife's 11' jetta.

I would post some pics of the car but she isn't much to look at.

WHOA there, I would not put ANYTHING but diesel in the 2011 Jetta. They don't even allow Commercial Biodiesel over 5% into them. You will be looking (crying) at a 8k fuel system replacement if you put that stuff in the TDI. Its a CDI, pressures exceeding 30,000psi on injection. Diesel only!! Not to mention it would probably destroy the exhaust system also (about 4k) Vast vast difference in tech between the 617 diesel in the 300SD and the TDI space ship.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Nah--No probs with a 11 Jetta, --Even the PD ones are good!
--In tank pumps fail at 100-120K, BUT they do anyway on Std. fuel, regardless of make.

Loads of 'em running on BioDiesel--At 100% here in UK and Europe!

CDi, DCi, HDi, CDTi, you name it, the Common-Rails and Pumpe Deuse systems have proven themselves here in UK on GOOD biodiesel--and there wont be much difference between those here--and in USA.

The ones I consider most 'fussy'--The Renault DCi --as used in Nissan Joke (Juke)and Cashcows (Qashquai) are perfectly fine on GOOD Quality fuel, I used to supply commercially fuel that I made to very high quality to many customers with brand-new diesel vehicles. Never had any issues at all.

But--It MUST be Good Quality and well Purified fuel. IF the exhaust system DPF gives issues--It shouldn't on good fuel though, a lot depends on the vehicle's use, the DPF system is known to clog-up on Std. fuel with cars owned by grannies and old-fogies--you can always delete it anyway, and definitely Doesnt Cost $4K to replace, even at a Stealer!

Old ploy with a DPF, is remove it and boil it up in Caustic, pressure-wash it out and there you go, job done.

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http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0TDnoplate.jpg

Alastair AKA H.C.II South Wales, U.K. based member

W123, 1985 300TD Wagon, 256K,
-Most recent M.B. purchase, Cost-a-plenty, Gulps BioDiesel extravagantly, and I love it like an old dog.

W114, 1975 280E Custard Yellow,
-Great above decks needs chassis welding--Really will do it this year....

Could definatly void warranty remember if any is left on the 2011 jetta.

Well guys, I am all for a discussion on alternate fuels but that was only the tale end of my first run-on sentence in the original post.

I need to get the car into a safe condition to drive and right now with no glow system, bum lights and signals, and brakes that work about as good as me opening the door and stomping my foot the ground. The last thing I want to talk about right now is how I am going to fuel the thing.

So, I didn't get the chance to do anything today except change the oil and top off the power steering. We had some much needed rain that kept me from getting any farther.

Tuesday I will be taking it into the shop with another friends 300. I probly wont take any pics, just to save time really, but I will let y'all know how it goes.

Thought I had it!

Upon closer inspection of the fuse box, I realized it was all jacked up. One fuse had a crack on the end, not on the thin part of the filament, so just glancing at it, it looked fine. It wasn't until you removed it you could see the fracture. I also looked closer to what size fuse was where, and several had the wrong amperage. So after all that, nothing changed. Still don't have a working PS headlight or blinkers

I usually stay out of threads involving wvo....but...I will chime in...

Your blinkers aren't working because your hazard switch needs to be cleaned or replaced.
Hazard light switch cleaning

You most likely need a new headlight on the passenger side...

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No you don't.

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Current fleet
2006 E320 CDI
1992 300D - 5speed manual swapped

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

hey dibsen, where are you? please put that info in your user profile so it shows up in the upper right corner of your posts. that way if another member is close bye they might be able to help you knock this stuff out.

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1982 300sd from craigslist $800 greased on one tank with NO CONVERSION in the Hot Texas Sun. (currently dead & awaiting engine damage investigation and/or longblock swap)
new daily: '03 vw 5speed jetta tdi wagon. bagged&chipped

The turn signals ,and hazards, on my '83 SD didn't work properly when I first bought her. It turned out to be a bad flasher relay which is mounted behind the instrument pod. Replacing the relay solved the problem. Would the '85 S use a different signal/hazard setup than my '83? I know with Gen ll W126 ('86 -up) everything electrical pretty much changed.

Also in replacing fuses it's best to use brass style instead of aluminum. Less chance of corrosion from dissimalar metals.

I've read about the hazards effecting the turners, I've tried cycling it but this is the first I have heard of needing to replace it. I'll look into that thanks.

now I need to find a diagram for all the relays in my fuse box. I ordered a second hand Haynes manual off Amazon, it wasn't Prime so no telling when it will show up.

I live in L.A.


Lower Alabama