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  #1  
Old 05-22-2015, 09:03 AM
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Going cross country.

About to take off on a nice long drive. Headed back to California from Tampa, FL. Should be an interesting trip. A little worried about the car, got plenty of problems and all sorts of maintenance that may or may not have been done ever, but haven't really had any massive issues so far. Lots of little stuff. Replaced pretty much all of the vacuum lines that are still there. All were leaking, cracked, brittle to the point that they would snap if you looked at them wrong. Good tires, fresh oil, getting new fuel filters today. Plan to stop in with family in Southern Illinois to change oil, readjust valves, new differential oil, whatever else we do while I'm there.
Thought I'd share that.
Wish me luck.

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Old 05-22-2015, 09:11 AM
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Route? Planning to visit forum members along the way?

Safe travels! Be at ease, highway miles are the easiest. Tires, brakes, wheel bearings, cooling system: those are the most common trouble points, and if they hold up to daily driving duty, with the exception of wheel bearings, they will likely do just fine on the trip.

If you can check yourself or have a shop check the wheel bearings, that would be good. Alternatively just check them after your first hour on the road, if any wheel is noticeably warmer than the rest, you've got an issue to sort out (could be dragging brake or wheel bearing or low tire pressure).
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'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
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  #3  
Old 05-22-2015, 09:13 AM
Diesel Preferred
 
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I'd also have the oil level in the differential checked before you take off, those will go forever with no oil in daily driving duty but overheat and die on a highway trip with no or low oil.
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M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC
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  #4  
Old 05-22-2015, 09:23 AM
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Cooling system is ugly, but works well. Maintains temp while sitting in traffic in the Tampa heat. Brakes are good. New pads lines and master cylinder, rotors were turned and probably need to be replaced. Very slight sort of bump while braking. Almost imperceptible. Maybe a high spot on the rotors. But sufficient. Would prefer to just change the oil in the diff right now but I don't have the tools for it at the moment. No apparent leaks. Don't know any forum members to stop and see. Have a whole family of diesel mechanics in Illinois, though. So that stop might be interesting. Wheel bearings seem alright so far, I have no reason to suspect anything from them, although I have no reason not to either.
Route so far is straight to Southern Illinois, then probably 80 across to the 395. Then I'm there. We'll see.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:31 AM
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I've taken my Diesel SL on many road trips - three times to NC from CA, once to AR from CA and once to BC from CA. The car is essentially a 123 with 107 skins.

My road issues have been a failed voltage regulator, two flat tires within 150 miles of each other (improper valve stem installation) and a wheel bearing.

There are several threads about tool/spare parts kits to take with good info. Definitely take fuel filters, return line hose, belts, etc.

A good tip is to only stop at name brand truck stops for fuel. I've got about 75k miles on my current fuel filters as I'm meticulous about where I fuel up. Bad fuel can strand you.

The nice thing about these cars is that they generally fail gracefully. While things like timing chains, vacuum pumps, oil cooler hoses and the like can be catastrophic, most things will provide ample warning and allow you to "limp home" to a place you can get a part/repair.

Look at getting an upgrade to your AAA for the trip. Tows can get expensive quickly, especially out west.

Good luck...pictures are always nice.

Here are links to my road trip threads -

SL Diesel Road Trip

380SL Diesel Coast To Coast Road Trip

Diesel SL - Time for another Road Trip

SL Diesel - Another Coast to Coast Road Trip
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Last edited by mach4; 05-22-2015 at 09:45 AM.
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  #6  
Old 05-22-2015, 10:22 AM
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I had to put in new alternatoor belts once as a roadside repair and did not have the tools with me - had to buy them. I'd recommend briinging at least the wrenches you'd need to change belts and filters. Changing the secondary filter can be hard to do without a filter wrench. Make sure your spare is aired up and you have your jack and lug bolt tool; wheel chocks and a jack stand, too.
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  #7  
Old 05-22-2015, 12:12 PM
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New fuel filters in today. Replaced return lines pretty recently. Don't have much in the way of tools right now, but they stay in the car all the time. Belts are good. It should be ok. As long as I can get to Illinois without a hitch, everything should be smooth. I've limped a few cars a long way in the past. Had to stop and work on my beetle constantly on a trip from CO to IL once. Had to do quite a few roadside repairs on my Enfield in India as well. Will try to get pics. And will check out your road trip threads in a bit.
Thanks All.
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Old 05-22-2015, 07:39 PM
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I have a couple threads on road trips I did in my euro. Last one was in March.

I have done a ton to my car before I even took my cross/middle? country trip last summer. And the euro is the plan jane taxi version so noting to really go wrong. I did take my 78 on three trips to Cali.

The 78 pretty much died here after the first trip. Had to replace starter, glows, battery cables, battery. The euro had an axle boot go bad and that was it but second trip the front main seal went and my home made shifter bushings gave me issues..

Its pretty much once these cars are running they stay running unless there is a fuel issue. What I like! As was said only a few things will leave you stranded.

Bad motor mounts leading to the slicing of an oil cooler line is one of the biggest. I just showed my friend that both his oil cooler lines showed rub marks...he said he had no idea.
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Old 05-22-2015, 07:48 PM
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YOu can comb through the car's operating systems bumper-to-bumper, and still have a surprise breakdown/failure on the road. I experienced mostly unpredictable breakdowns in my old Benz when on the road. Way too many items that may be believed to be sound, which are on their way to failure. You cannot always predict which part(s)/system will fail, and when. BTDT in several old cars over-the-road, and over the years.
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Old 05-22-2015, 08:07 PM
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Yeah, if I had the money, everything would be brand new, and I would still have some crazy issue. But I don't have the money, so I've got what I've got (plus elbowgrease). Family in Illinois should help get things straightened out. Shop full of tools to use for a day or two and a couple hundred years of experience to pick the brains of. Might get crazy and weld a roof rack and some bumper bars while I'm there. Kind of worried about the donkeys wandering highway 95 in Nevada in the middle of the night. Almost got them once, my brother almost got them once. I'm sure others have had the same experience...
Should be interesting.
Makes me miss India. Tows are very cheap there, as are parts and labour.
Glanced at one of the road trip threads, will look at more. Will get pics and vids along the way.
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Old 05-22-2015, 08:39 PM
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Put 2 extra fuel filters of both kinds in the trunk. There are members along the way if you need help. I'm in Mid TN ~ 1/2 way between Tampa & Chgo. A few others are close. Email if you have a mechanical.

At 18, I loaded bicycles and my GF into a ragged 1965 Mustang and headed to Tampa. The trans crapped out just before we reached where our friends lived & I got a job making pizzas to get enough cash to fix the car. GF got mad & called Mama for a plane ticket home. I should have seen that as an indication. GF became wife 1 & later x-wife. I recently found pics from that era & remember what the attraction was. Fun times.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:30 PM
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Your biggest challenge will not be your '82 300d......but all the orange barrels from all the road construction going on in every state of the Union. Good luck & safe travels.
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  #13  
Old 05-22-2015, 09:57 PM
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If you're going to be headed through UT I'd love to meetup and grab some lunch or similar. I'd also be willing to help out if you're nearby and stranded.
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  #14  
Old 05-24-2015, 09:17 PM
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Thanks all. Made it to Illinois with no trouble. Car does great. Got to figure out the mileage, see how pictures turned out.
One point around Atlanta was kind of funny. There was a truck ahead of me with a Benz on a trailer, then me, then another Benz behind me.
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Old 05-24-2015, 09:47 PM
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Good to hear you made it through leg 1.

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