Anyone else kind of giving up on Mercedes Diesels? - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tyl604 · #46 03-09-2020, 08:31 PM

Wondering what is SWMBO?

Usaguy · #47 03-09-2020, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

I know of at least one head on collision involving a diesel versus gasoline in which the gasoline (honda) driver died at the scene whereas the diesel (ford F250) walked away.

This example proves nothing. I think that a F250 even without a motor would still be safer in a head on collision than an average honda.

However in other crashes (rollover) I would rather be in a honda than in an F250

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

deaths involving rear engine porsches.

light car without great structural protection + pendulum effect + fast car + performance oriented drivers = high death rate

vwnate1 · #48 03-09-2020, 08:49 PM

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R.Diesel · #49 03-09-2020, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

Nothing in life is guaranteed. That said, diesel engines by design weigh a LOT more than their gasoline counterparts. In any head on collision, that weight works to your advantage.

I know of at least one head on collision involving a diesel versus gasoline in which the gasoline (honda) driver died at the scene whereas the diesel (ford F250) walked away.

You seem to have absolutely zero grasp of the concepts involved in collision safety or common sense for that matter.

R.Diesel · #50 03-09-2020, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father Of Giants

In my experience finding a good example has become an expensive proposition. We did acquire one, a E300D 2.5.

That car needed glow plugs, but when my hex key broke off inside the the intake manifold bolt, I officially called it quits in diesels. I went through hell with sheared intake manifold bolts on my 1997 E300D already.

I can find clean gassers all day long, plus honestly the gas engines are much simpler to work on and diagnose.

Currently I'm looking at two different W124 gasers

One M103 Sedan and one M104 powered wagon, which ever runs, drives, and stops better I will take home.

The OM602 powered W124 is probably the best overall classic MB diesel. If that Model turns you off to diesels then sure, move on. I’m reading your post as a frustrated And Resignationist rant fueled by your own mistake/incompetence. You could learn from your f-up and fix it properly. Frankly I find it odd that a professional mechanic like yourself would come on here and admit to throw in the towel because you’re having issues with a bolt. That’s rookie shade tree DIY mechanic grade bs right there. That being said get that early 2000’s mustang you were thinking of if you need a change.

t walgamuth · #51 03-09-2020, 11:33 PM

It sounds like you may not have anything that is degraded enough to do a major repair. The compression numbers are not that bad.

87tdwagen · #52 03-10-2020, 09:07 AM

Vehicles that people buy have many motivations, performance, looks, cost etc. Depends on what you want to achieve. Any car older than 20 years will require maintenance, how much will depend on condition and mileage and wear life.

My 87 300TD is my daily driver and has been for nearly 2 decades, without ever leaving me stranded. Granted as an older car it needs repairs at times, but in many cases the longevity of the parts makes the repair worthwile, meaning in some cases the repair I'm doing now that has taken 200-300k miles to fail, may likely last another bunch of miles likely meaning I'll never have to do it again.

I track all expenses, purchase price and all repairs, options added to a vehicle divided by the miles I drive that investment. I've owned in excess of 30 cars over the years with only 2 of them diesels (both OM603's) and the diesels by far have been the lowest cost to own for me. My 87 300TD costs me $0.07 a mile. Granted I spend the least amount of money on it and drive it the most, but all in, this has been the lowest cost of ownership car I ever had, my #2 least expensive car still cost $0.13/mi almost twice what I have into the W124 diesel.

Then again, you have to shop wisely, my wagon was fully documented from the ship rolloff inspection at US port of entry with Mile 1 up to it's current mileage. Im the third owner but it was obviously well loved and cared for by the prior 2 owners, that I feel an obligation to continue that legacy for the next person should I ever choose to sell it.

79-240d · #53 03-10-2020, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 87tdwagen

Vehicles that people buy have many motivations, performance, looks, cost etc. Depends on what you want to achieve. Any car older than 20 years will require maintenance, how much will depend on condition and mileage and wear life.

My 87 300TD is my daily driver and has been for nearly 2 decades, without ever leaving me stranded. Granted as an older car it needs repairs at times, but in many cases the longevity of the parts makes the repair worthwile, meaning in some cases the repair I'm doing now that has taken 200-300k miles to fail, may likely last another bunch of miles likely meaning I'll never have to do it again.

I track all expenses, purchase price and all repairs, options added to a vehicle divided by the miles I drive that investment. I've owned in excess of 30 cars over the years with only 2 of them diesels (both OM603's) and the diesels by far have been the lowest cost to own for me. My 87 300TD costs me $0.07 a mile. Granted I spend the least amount of money on it and drive it the most, but all in, this has been the lowest cost of ownership car I ever had, my #2 least expensive car still cost $0.13/mi almost twice what I have into the W124 diesel.

Then again, you have to shop wisely, my wagon was fully documented from the ship rolloff inspection at US port of entry with Mile 1 up to it's current mileage. Im the third owner but it was obviously well loved and cared for by the prior 2 owners, that I feel an obligation to continue that legacy for the next person should I ever choose to sell it.

A lot of wise words right here.

When you buy any used car, and especially a 20-40 year-old car with six figures on the odometer, you're buying the prior owners as much as you're buying the manufacturer and its reputation for quality. If you buy a car (especially a higher-performance car or a car that has a bit more fussy engineering) that has had maintenance deferred for the last decade, it probably has a bunch of ticking time bombs waiting to blow up in your face.

If you want the cheapest, lowest-hassle transportation possible, buy a 2013-ish Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic with relatively low mileage, drive it another hundred thousand miles, sell it, and then repeat. Your depreciation expenses will be relatively low and your other running costs will likely be minimal. You won't have performance or, in my humble opinion, any aesthetic style whatsoever, but you'll have low costs and most likely will have minimal hassles.

If you have other objectives (speed, aesthetic style, extreme comfort, badge snobbery, etc.), you're going to pay more in terms of money and/or time spent repairing.

pawoSD · #54 03-10-2020, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father Of Giants

In my experience finding a good example has become an expensive proposition. We did acquire one, a E300D 2.5.

That car needed glow plugs, but when my hex key broke off inside the the intake manifold bolt, I officially called it quits in diesels. I went through hell with sheared intake manifold bolts on my 1997 E300D already.

I can find clean gassers all day long, plus honestly the gas engines are much simpler to work on and diagnose.

Currently I'm looking at two different W124 gasers

One M103 Sedan and one M104 powered wagon, which ever runs, drives, and stops better I will take home.

Hah! The M103 when running smoothly is a great engine, but they have plenty of annoying issues as they rely on the CIS-E injection system and use a mechanical distributor/rotor/coil system vs electronic coils. They also don't get great fuel economy at all. I've owned or own: OM617, OM601, M102, M103, M116, M112 (3.2 and 2.6), OM651 and M274. Of all those, The two I like the least by far are the M102 and M103. My M116 was solid, maybe by luck it never had any significant issues but guzzled fuel. M102 and M103 are obnoxious to keep running right. OM617 and OM601 are the true workhorses. Can't deny that my current batch of engines (M112 3.2, OM651, and M274) are all fantastic and way ahead of the old ones. Zero problems especially considering the miles I've put on them in comparison. The diesel needed a DPF under warranty but it didn't cost me anything so whatever.

Some day I'd like to find another real nice W124 with a 602 in it (or maybe do a wagon swap) as a sunday driver, but as for the others my interest has faded overall.

My modern diesel has been great and I plan to keep it a while.

Maxbumpo · #55 03-11-2020, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father Of Giants

In my experience finding a good example has become an expensive proposition. We did acquire one, a E300D 2.5.

That car needed glow plugs, but when my hex key broke off inside the the intake manifold bolt, I officially called it quits in diesels. I went through hell with sheared intake manifold bolts on my 1997 E300D already.

This sounds like a tool problem, not a diesel problem. Do gassers need less work to maintain?

I tend to buy cars that need work, those are still cheap. Bought a '95 E300 recently with about 290k miles, $1000. Paint is bad in a few spots, interior is tired, and it had fuel leaks (bad o-rings) and miscellaneous problems ranging from no heat and no AC to failed outside temperature gauge. It did make a 400 mile trip home just fine, I've fixed most of the problems, and now it is returning 29 mpg in city traffic, and as high as 34 mpg on the highway. It still has a way to go (AC is becoming more important quickly, the constant low oil light is bugging me, driver's window is loose in the track and one rear window is not working) but I can see daily driving this for another ten years or more.

I also recently bought a '94 wagon with a blown radiator for $500. Need to sort out the central locking system on that, then change all the fluids and fix a small coolant leak and she will be in the daily driver rotation. Long term plan is to cannibalize the gasser parts to get my $500 '95 cabriolet running (same engine) and then swap in a diesel engine (into the '94 wagon that is).

cmac2012 · #56 03-11-2020, 04:38 PM

I had two BMW 325i models as daily drivers - long trips also - for about 16 years. Great cars in some ways. The electric fuel pumps were a pain. Two of them, they later changed to a single 'in tank' only unit. Mine were always whining and threatening to go out. Twice I replaced the inline pump on the road - always traveled with spare and one jack stand.

The smog test every other year was a pain. I welded in new cats 5 times over the years. Big job but it saved me $4 to $5 hundred.

I hope my diesels outlast me. And they might.

If I was going to go MB gasser I'd look for an early 90s W126, an SEL. Some of those suckers were fast.

cleeves · #57 03-11-2020, 07:17 PM

I could envision a millennial demographic that buys Teslas nowadays as having some parallels to the boomer demographic that was buying up MB diesels back in the 80s and 90s when their gas mileage and reliability was so much better than other vehicles on the road.

See this Tesla that went for over 400K miles with a relatively low amount of servicing required: https://electrek.co/2018/07/17/tesla-model-s-holds-up-400000-miles-3-years/

That's a pretty compelling reason to get a Tesla. So some loosely defined multi-generation demographic may be giving up on them, but it's unclear exactly how to define it, or how to separate it from the fact that most of these diesels are becoming very, very old.

-Henry

filp · #58 03-11-2020, 08:05 PM

I sold 1989 420SEL to buy a 1992 300D.
Best decision ever in terms of reliability.
Did I encounter problems? Sure. But the car fired up every time and got me where I wanted. Cannot say that about my 420SEL, which ultimately decided to spit out antifreeze on the day of sale. Also it needed engine rebuild at 130k miles which I couldn't and cannot afford.

If I had unlimited money for maintenance and gas and could own multiple cars then sure, I'd go with gas engine. If one fails, take out another one. But unfortunately, I'm a millenial in college with very limited means.

If y'all are giving up diesels, I'm in for a w115 220d

pawoSD · #59 03-11-2020, 08:51 PM

Yeesh, my 1989 420SEL provided me with 7+ years of faithful service. I did a handful of jobs to it, like replacing all the rubber pieces and gaskets on the engine to eliminate vacuum leaks...many hours of work but only about $120 in parts. Replaced the aged fuel pumps, a relay or two, EHA valve, idle valve....the catalytic converter.....belts.....all calipers/rotors/pads and some suspension work....but thats really about it of any significance. Did normal fluids/etc on a yearly schedule.

Engine started every time, ran great. Bought it with ~118k and sold it a year ago with about ~180k still running good. It did inhale fuel, was only moderately fast (my GLK diesel would outrun it pretty easily) and the handling is obviously boat like vs today's cars, but comfortable. It also turned heads and got a lot of compliments/questions. It was still running the original A/C compressor with R12 too! Still cold!

Tesla's are questionable in their quality. Plenty of people have had entire motors and control units replaced at very low mileage, they can ONLY be repaired at Tesla shops, and parts are ultra expensive and very hard to come by. I'd trust a Chevy Bolt over a Tesla for reliability and fit/finish. I walked past a model 3 the other day as they are everywhere around here and you can SEE the panel gap misalignment and flaws from several feet away. Pretty crazy. The range is "good" but a far cry from a diesel MB. If I fill up and hop on the freeway it will be well past 600 miles before I need to fuel again.

Now if I could find a mint 560SEL and had the garage space......

tbomachines · #60 03-11-2020, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc lover

This is why there have been (and will continue to be) horrific high speed accidents involving Teslas. They remind me of all the deaths involving rear engine porsches. Nothing up front but hot air.

Hit something SOLID traveling north of 70 MPH in either a Tesla or a rear engine Porsche and believe me, you and your passengers are gonna feel it!

You are completely full of it. Teslas are one of the highest safety rated modern cars available.