Fuel mileage and diesel Benzs... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

The Warden · #1 04-23-2002, 02:27 AM

Okay, I'm confused now.

I originally thought I had heard somewhere that most of the 5 cylinder Benz diesels averaged around 30mpg. However, it seems that in the past few weeks people have been talking about getting mileage more like in the low 20's.

Can anyone shed light on this? I typically stick to the speed limit, but acceleration is an issue so the 300D turbo is my first choice...although I'm starting to wonder if a 190D would work better for me, if I could find one?

Thanks in advance! So far, Venkat's 300D sounds like my best bet if I can get the van sold fast enough...

DieselHead · #2 04-23-2002, 03:10 AM

I have a 1983 300D Turbo and no matter how I drive, fast or slow, highway or city, I get about 26MPG with the use of additives. I like to switch between Power Service and Redline DFC. Actually, I should change that mileage number. I get anywhere between 24MPG and 26MPG. Never lower, rarely higher. I use Mobil 40 Cetaine diesel which I think is pretty fresh. I used to think it wasn't good enough when Diesel cost more than premium, but now that it's back to the same price as regular gas, I'm pretty happy about my mileage. None of our other cars doing as well so consistently, not even the MG.

Alex

#3 04-23-2002, 06:30 AM

My mom's 190D 2.5 averages near 30 in town. Highway mileage has been as high as 36 at times. Slower highway cruising would likely return a better figure but would never reach that of a 2.2 liter 190D, which is quite astounding for an "old-tech" diesel.

-Joe

engatwork · #4 04-23-2002, 06:36 AM

24 to 26 with the 300D. A solid 27 with the 240D (mostly hwy).

thebern · #5 04-23-2002, 06:48 AM

33 mpg average at 55 mph to and from work, 22 miles each way and only one stop light. I use Delo 400 oil, 40 cetane mobile with a redline additive.

CJ · #6 04-23-2002, 07:23 AM

I get a good solid 35mpg.

curston · #7 04-23-2002, 09:04 AM

I have an '85 300D with 103,000 miles on it. I am the second owner of this car. It has all of the maintenance records and documentation that came with it when new, including the window sticker. The sticker says 21 city and 22 highway.
I run delvac 1 oil, Mobil transmission fluid and diff oil. I use B/20 fuel and I get from 23 to 24 in mixed driving. The car is kept in tune and runs very well. I am sometimes astounded at the mileage claims for these cars, as I have never come close to some, and I don't believe there are many 300D's out there that come close to being in the shape mine is in. It is out there in the garage now, waiting for anouther coat of Zaino.

silverfishk8 · #8 04-23-2002, 09:12 AM

Perhaps the original window sticker is so low because they used a different type of diesel back then? I am not sure, but with new, low emissions fuel, shouldn't milage be a little higher? I'm not saying I know this, it just seems logical.

Tom Sweeney · #9 04-23-2002, 09:13 AM

My '82 300 SD averages 29 mpg mostly highway miles (288,000)

Tom

rickjordan · #10 04-23-2002, 09:16 AM

You will find that the mpg for these cars varies. By that I mean between different cars as you can tell frm the numbers above. My TD gets 27 mpg in combo driving and I use PS Kleen cetane booster. My SD gets the same if not better, go figure it weights more too. Yes a 190D will do better simply because the car weights less. Find a gasoline car that weights as much as these W123s and see what kind of fuel economy they get. You could try to use some Lubro Moly Diesel Purge and see if things improve.

lrg · #11 04-23-2002, 11:54 AM

I get a pretty steady 23-24 MPG on my 1985 5 cyl turbo, slightly better if all highway and I keep the speed down.

jobah · #12 04-23-2002, 11:59 AM

190D 2.2 5 speed

Never lower than 33 regardless of driving habits.

35-38 highway between 75 and 90 mph.

as high as 44 to 46 at 60 to 75 mph.

The 44 number was reached while driving through canada on route from Chicago to Lake Placid New York. The car had about 302,000 miles on the clock at the time.

The Warden · #13 04-23-2002, 03:33 PM

It's interesting that the 300D mileage numbers vary so much...I'm happy with 30mpg, and can live with 25 and up...however, any lower and I don't think I could support it (my financial situation's kinda weird). So, at this point, it seems like I'd need to see fuel mileage records for a 300 series before I went for one...

And I'm sure these cars would get worse mileage with a g@$$er engine, but I refuse to own anything that doesn't burn #2 diesel (and Volkswagen's out 'cause I don't want to deal with a timing belt and an aluminum cylinder head)...I dunno...I also don't have much more than $3K to play with, and I won't even have that 'till the van sells...hopefully quickly now...

{edited out comments on 190D; just saw in another thread that they use aluminum heads and I really want to stick with cast-iron...}

jobah · #14 04-23-2002, 03:52 PM

Parts are just as easy to get as for 123's, 124's and 126's. They sold a lot of 201's.

Also, there is no problem with engine parts for the 601. They sold over 1.8 million 201 bodies with 601 engine (euro 2.0 and us early and late 2.2) variants worldwide, so the parts should not be an issue.

The Warden · #15 04-23-2002, 03:58 PM

Jovan, thanks. I was wondering 'cause I used to have an '80 IH Scout with a Nissan turbo diesel, and parts were so difficulkt and expensive to find that I wound up selling it to a guy who parted it out when the engine died...the body was in such bad shape that it wasn't worth it to fix the engine.

THe 190D sounds nice, but reliability is my #1 priority (fuel mileage is #2) and I'm concerned that an aluminum head will eventually fail due to accidental overheating...I do my best to be careful on those things, but I just don't wanna take the risk, eh?

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