hello all,

My oil pressure line cracked! I fixed it by robbing the one off of the parts car, but now i have oil on my carpet on the floor and on the side carpet under my center console. any ideas on how to get this stuff out?? Also, since i haven't had the car very long, and i don't have an owners manual, what type and weight of oil do i use in it? Also, I have a trans filter to install, but i don't know what type of AT fluid to use. Lastly, my tach won't work! I know the cigarette butt trick, i reseated the tach several times, swapped it with a verified good one, and inspected the tach itself. all looks normal. any ideas? thanks again gents.

83 300d

Ron:

Carpet cleaner will eventually remove the oil, but it will take several tries. You may not ever be able to completely remove the carbon black.

Oil can be any oil rated for service CD or better (current rating is CH-4 or CI-4). MB spefically does NOT recommend 10W-40 oils except Mobil 1 -- they feel the viscosity extenders are not adequate for diesel use. Brands I see here on MercedesShop are Shell Rotella (and Rotella synthetic), Delo 400, Mobil 1 (I use 15W-50), Delvac 1 (Mobil's synthetic for diesel use) and others.... the list is endless. Do a search if you want to be swamped!

ATF is Dextron/Mercon III or better. Some of us use Mobil Synthetic ATF, that's what I'm putting in for all mine now. Makes them shift smoother cold, and probably will make them run longer.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Ron, If you can find some actual TSP ... trisodiumphosphate... this used to be in normal washing powders... it is what did the work... and you could get it straight as a powder to clean tough stuff....I used to use it to wash grease rags... I mean really ugly ones.... wheel bearing grease, rear end lube.... gobs on the rags..
I put a cup of it in a wash tub with hot water and let the rags soak overnight.. then washed them with Tide....I have it from good sources that uniform rental companies ( that rent out red mechanics towels used it also )
However, now they sell FAKE TSP (named TSP) at many places for washing house walls before you paint them.. to get the oils off so the new paint sticks... but when you read the ingrediants,,, no actual trisodiumphosphate.... so I don't know how to find it anymore.... You might find it being sold to clean concrete driveways.... good luck..

YEa,

That's a big mess! I've done a few of those cars. Cleaning the dash with a good spray cleaner- I think last time I used westly's wheel bright or something.
Throw away the old insulation on the leg well closeout panel and buy a new one ($25 from Mercedes). If the carpets are oily, I would see if you can't find a few used ones.
I would make sure you get up the oil so it doesn't get into the tar layer under the carpets. I've replaced them to get the oily smell out of the car. Not hard, not expensive-but it will take a few hours.
Remember the front mats are higher than the rear- so make sure you soakup anything that heads toward the passenger seat.

TSP is a good idea- Where do I find it? SAMS? COSTCO? Industrial supply company? Restraunt supply company?

As far as oils- that's probably the most loaded question on the list. I would say Delo 400 15W40, noting that Mobil 1300/Rotella are good products. If you want to go synthetic... that's another ball game. Dextron III and I node the preference for Chevron brand due to quality over some-noname house brand.

I've done this several times- so shoot me and email if you have questions. I'm leaving for 4weeks on Christmas.

Michael

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Michael McGuire
83 300d
01 vw A4 TDI
66 Chevy Corsa
68 GMC V6 w/oD
86 300E

TSP... I don't know.. if you find it be sure to tell me where...LOL

Legitimate tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) is available at Home Depot.

Custom Building Products
TRI-SODIUM-PHOSPHATE (T.S.P.)
5 lb. box / $6
http://www.custombuildingproducts.net/onlyproducts/tsp%20ds.htm

Look for it in the painting supply aisle. Be sure to WEAR RUBBER GLOVES!

Simple Green has worked wonders for me just about everywhere

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1996 (W210) E300D 86K - Traded in for a Lexus
1992 (W124) 300D 2.5 Turbo 202K - Sold
1983 (W123) 300D, 146K - Sold
1970 280S, 263K - Sold - Beginning of addiction

Thanks Joe, I had better stock up.....

Go to AutoZone and buy some Blue Majic carpet cleaner. It works great, even on oil. My daughter managed to step in some oil in our garage and then proceeded to track it inside and it was all over our brand new carpet. The Blue Majic removed every bit of it effortlessly.

Mike

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Don
'85 500SL (Euro) - 186,000 w/a complete restoration and engine rebuild at 154,000
'95 C280 - 174,000

My 2 cents worth, I use "Shout it Out" that my wife uses to get stains out of clothes on oil spots on my driveway. Spray it on, let the enzymes work for about 15 minutes and then use a good carpet cleaner. Of course, on the driveway I use Tide and water after Shout it Out and the driveways turn out spotless.

Ben

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www.reproduce100s.com

About your tach... I fixed the one on my '79 SD by replacing the tach sending unit under the hood. It's the plastic cylinder mounted under the hood against the fender -- just screws off. Bummer is that it costs about $60 to replace.

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'79 300SD W116

Kerosene and alot of rags will remove most of the oil the rest with a good spray carpet cleaner and a brush with hot water.
you will have to do the whole rug but it will look like new.