Service Suggestion - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 08-20-2002, 11:54 AM

I have '85 300sd that I recently bought and have driven for six months. I have had new glow plugs, brakes and muffler done as well as oil & filter changes every 3,500 miles. I have put 20,000 miles on and it just hit 225,000. I do not have any service manuals or owners manual.

It drives nice but is there any preventative maintenance I should get done?

#2 08-20-2002, 12:48 PM

Well Denis, I reckon it depends on how much you want to spend and how determined you are to upgrade the car. Here is a list of things to consider doing at some point. Do a search on any one of them to learn more:

suspension components (rubber bushings)

shocks (nice immediate improvement in ride)

rubber tubing that connects vacuum lines

air cleaner bracket

oil and transmission cooler lines

transmission fluid and filter

hoses and belts

engine shocks and mounts

clean drains

all bulbs, including those inside car and dash

windshield gaskets

vacuum pump and water pump

This is not a complete list by any means but gives you some items to think about.

Good luck with your car.

Nic
'85 300CD at 152k miles

Nate Stanley · #3 08-20-2002, 02:44 PM

Denis,
Welcome aboard!

One thing that needs mentioning is valve adjustment.

These engines, due to their design, lose valve clearance as time goes by. Mercedes suggests a check / adjustment every 15,000 miles. If left for too long, in extreme cases the exhaust valves may not seat, causing them to burn.

Do a forum search, lots'o' info on valve adjustment wrenches which must be bent to do this job easily. This job is best done on a stone cold engine, and M-B provides specs for this on a sticker under your hood.

As for oil changes, do it hot & often, which you are already doing,
but make sure the 2 little o-rings that are on the long stem attached to your oil filter housing lid are soft and pliable. They are often overlooked- The ones on my 300D Turbo were hard as rocks and shattered when I tried to remove them. They are very cheap, but are crucial to getting oil to all areas of your engine.

All that and the usual attention to air and ful filters makes up most of the preventative stuff your Diesel needs.