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  #1  
Old 05-18-2002, 05:54 PM
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,373
Road Trip w/ New 300D

Hey Everyone:

I had a bonding moment Thursday night and Friday when I flew to Texas, picked up a 300D-T that TXBill had checked out for me, and drove 1400 miles home to Michigan. What a cool trip and a great car. Drove straight on Friday from 7:12 a.m. to 1:05 a.m. Saturday (rare 15 minutes stops every 250-350 for fuel). I would only do that in a MB.
As usual, the majors are in place with the engine not using oil and the tranny performing quite well. I have two minor questions however:

QUESTION #1: There is some type of short in the instrument cluster as the fuel guage and temperature guage were pegged on full the whole way. When I turned the headlights on, the bright light indicator, seatbelt light and glo plug light took turns winking at me the entire way home (and I'm pretty sure its not my looks The clock stops working once the headlights are turned on. PO told me that he had the instrument cluster out the previous week to check on the AC temp thing. As he was showing me the car, he noticed the cluster acting up and got very concerned. I had to talk him into not worrying about it since it didn't seem major. He is a great guy and a MB salesman in Houston. TXBill met him as well so I don't suspect anything there. He seems genuinely worried and surprised.

I just took out the cluster and everything looks the same as my other cars. Any ideas.......?

QUESTION #2: The car came with tinted windows from that 3M material. The door windows stripped off pretty easy but the back window seems like its on there forever. As well, I'm concerned about the window defrosting elements (horizontal across the window). I don't want to damage them. Any ideas on that one?

Thanks,

Don

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DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed
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  #2  
Old 05-18-2002, 07:26 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Woolwich, Maine
Posts: 3,598
diesel don,

Never experienced the problem myself, but I have read some threads here that discuss similar symptoms and the remedy was re-attaching the ground connection for the instrument cluster. If you take the cluster out, it must be apparent, but I have never looked for the thing so I cannot be of much more help with identifying which connection is the ground. Jim
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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)
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  #3  
Old 05-18-2002, 08:03 PM
The Warden's Avatar
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Pacifica (SF Bay Area), CA
Posts: 2,946
Bad ground sounds right.

On my old IH Scout, I drove it at night once with the instrument cluster sitting in the dash, not attached by anything other than the speedo cable and the light wires. All the lights in the cluster were acting up...it was kinda unnerving 'till I realized what it was and pushed the cluster up against the bezel on the dash and the system grounded itself and the lights worked fine. Once I put the screws back in, it worked like it was supposed to...
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2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999
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  #4  
Old 05-18-2002, 09:13 PM
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,373
Thanks guys:

After I took the cluster out, painted the bulb housing for brighter lights, etc., I reattached everything and discovered what you are talking about. I found a place where everything worked but upon pushing it to its final destination, lost the ground again. Finally, I just made my own ground with a wire. The problem now is that I have no dome lights. I'll check the fuse next but hope I didn't short something else out. At least all my other functions are working.

Thanks for the support

Don
__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed
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  #5  
Old 05-18-2002, 09:45 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: central Texas
Posts: 17,281
All I can say is that you had a lot of optimism/guts/luck(?) to take off on a 1400 mile trip no matter how good the car was inspected before hand... LOL....I did that on friday... on a 200 mile trip but I have relatives on both ends of that journey... so I was never more than 2 hours from somebody being able to come rescue me in case something big happened... Greg
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  #6  
Old 05-18-2002, 10:12 PM
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,373
Yeh, I wondered about that going through the swamp towards Baton Rogue after midnight. My general experience with these things is that once started the tend to keep going. Only turned it off once during those 1400 miles.

By the way, my final electrical problem was the ground. After putting a fuse back in place, all systems are a go.

Don
__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed
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  #7  
Old 05-18-2002, 10:15 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: central Texas
Posts: 17,281
yeah, you can have some serious thoughts anywhere near a swamp... LOL....

One flat tire,,, and you can be sitting on the side of the road being eyed by large reptiles which are not convinced that humans are at the top of the food chain...

Last edited by leathermang; 05-19-2002 at 09:30 AM.
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  #8  
Old 05-19-2002, 09:35 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: central Texas
Posts: 17,281
They have a right and obligation to search... but you have a right to a respectful and careful repacking ... I hope everyone will call the supervisor when this happens so the workers will get the message...Otherwise the terrorists have won another point...

This posted out of order... !
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  #9  
Old 05-19-2002, 10:36 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Lathrup Village, Michigan
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How many times did you get searched?

I flew from Detroit to Dallas a few weeks ago to pick up my 190D 2.5 and got searched 5 times and was questioned by the FBI in Detroit. I checked one bag because I has tools, etc with me and didn't think I would be able to carry them on. They searched that bag before they would even give me my ticket. I carefully packed that bag, but security very sloppily crammed stuff here and there, and wouldn't let me touch anything. I should have asked for the supervisor. That's what a one-way ticket will get you...

I drove to Memphis the first day, Spent the morning in Memphis at the Mississippi River Museum on Mudd Island. Left Memphis at 1:30pm and got home about 4am.

Filled up when I left, and twice during the ride. It was great!:p
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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

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  #10  
Old 05-19-2002, 01:41 PM
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,373
I was never searched but wondered if I would be. I had a fuel filter and tons of wierd stuff for the trip (technology stuff like cig-chargers, etc). Wanted to take tools but only had a 45 minute layover and feared that the "checked" bag wouldn't make the transfer. I had purchased a round tripper however.

The lady in front of me at the GR airport caught all their attention and my briefcase went right through.

Don
__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed
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  #11  
Old 05-20-2002, 08:24 AM
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You had a round tripper, that's why.

How far did you get the first day? Which way did you go. Unfortunately, it rained for most of my ride.

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

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