Hey! Got my free 240D today. 4spd manual. Cleaned the tree sa[ off, and everything looks awesome. I fixed everything, power windows no all work after rebuilding the buttons, but one problem: Where the clutch and break are there is a leak of black fluid in the INSIDE of the car. What could this be? Is it an easy fix? I don't think it is steering fluid, but can't think of what other fluids would leak inside my car. Any thoughts?

Could be oil from a leaky oil pressure gauge, dripping out and running down the back of the dash.

KylePavao,

It could be a leaky oil pressure gage, as noted, or it could be a bad shut of diaphragm on the injection pump.

The vacuum system operation that shuts off the injection pump and thereby turns the engine off is activated by the position of the key in the switch in the dash. The vacuum line between the key switch on the dash and the operating element (a diaphragm) of the shut off mechanism fills with oil if the diaphragm leaks due to a rupture or some other defect because the injection pump side of the diaphragm is exposed to engine oil. The fix is to replace the mechanism (white plastic assembly) on the injection pump, and clean out or replace the vacuum tubing and connectors. The connectors get soft and greasy and won't stay put for long once they are soaked in oil.

In either case it makes a mess and you have to really clean the underdash cover parts or the oil will continue to drip and drizzle off the bottom of the covers.

Sounds like a deal on that car though! Good luck, Jim

__________________
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)

R.I. is very tough on cars which are declared BIO HAZARDS due to leaking oil behind the dash... you might as well sell that car to me so you do not have those enviro police watching your house at night.

It has been inspected until 2003 by previous owner. Ill fix the leak and keep my free car. BTW, previous owner abused engine, so it had a brand new one replaced at 300,000. Therefore I have only 17K on this engine

Kyle,

Congrats on the freeby. If the previous owner abused the car and the engine is that new, assume he never changed the oil since the new engine and get an oil change now!!! BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN EVER MAKE. YOU'LL LOVE THAT CAR!!

Ben

MY 300D DEVELOPED A LEAKY OIL PRESSURE GAUGE AT 185K. MADE A MESS OF THE FOOTWELL AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I COULD NOT SEE SEVERAL OF MY LIGHTS.

FOUND A CLUSTER AT THE LOCAL SALVAGE YARD. EXCHANGED THE SPEEDO AND IT WORKED GREAT. ALSO NOW HAVE A CLOCK THAT WORKS.

SAVED A BUNDLE, DEALERSHIP WANTED $347 FOR THE GAUGE, GOT THE CLUSTER, NEW DASH, GRILL, REAR LIGHTS, FRONT LIGHT COVERS, AND A FEW MORE THINGS FOR $80.00. FIVE HOURS LATER I HAD A CAR THAT LOOKED AND WORKED GREAT.

GOOD LOOK W/ YOUR FREEBY, YOUR WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE.