i've owned a 1981 240d for about 2 years now. it has about 330,000 miles. it starts, idles, runs, shifts well. but it's got to go.

it's the stupid little things failing that is making me hate it. the heat works great, but the blower doesn't work. windows? switches of course long since failed on all 4. fine in winter, but gets HOT in the summertime with no ventilation. and summertime has arrived. sunroof failed this winter so i can't get any air at all and it's 30 minutes back home from work. and tomorrow it will be 80. vacuum system of course has never really worked and has since completely failed. worst part i guess is that it only gets about 16 miles per gallon. supposedly having the injectors cleaned would fix that, i dont know why as i'm not mechanically oriented but that's what i've been told. list goes on and on.

in any case, i cannot justify spending potentially thousands of dollars fixing up some old heap when new(er) cars are available for not much more money.

i have tried to find some information on what i should get as a replacement, here is what i have come up with. please critique:

i'd like a bigger car. and i dont want a straight 300d as i really dont like the rounded body style. what i would like is a 300 sd, sdl, or cd. 1985 or older, so preferably '84 or '85. this is because they all had the same engine, which is legendary for it's longevity. from '86 to '90 mercedes fiddled with other engines which kept breaking, so then they went back to the tried and true for models '91 through '93. is this true? is there anything important to watch out for? what can i do to keep from screwing myself with a bad purchase?

alternatively i could try to get a '91 sd or sdl, or perhaps even a 350 sd / sdl. i could probably swing the initial cost but i am not a rich man. what kind of maintenance would i be looking at annually?

do the 350s have engine difficulties? or any other important issues for that matter? i have not been able to find much information on them.

opinions needed! i am scientifically oriented so feel free to get technical, but i dont know much about engines and such. i just know i like the fact that i have through negilgence or fate ran my 240 out of both engine and transmission oil and it is still truckin. i am totally and completely sold on mercedes being some of the toughest most reliable vehicles on the road. i would like to get another one, i'd just like to not go skipping into known disaster.

thanks,

Nick

The 82-85 300D, CD, TD and SD have the same basic engine as your 240D except with one more cylinder and turbocharging. All automatics in the US. You know the 300D is a sedan, the CD is a coupe, the TD is a wagon, the SD is an S-class sedan. Pick the one you want based on body style as the mechanicals are pretty similar and pretty robust.

The 6 cylinder aluminum head turbodiesel in the next body style was available in 86 as the 300TD wagon and in 87 as the 300D sedan. I think that's right, you should verify. These are fast Diesels. The 90-95 E-class Diesels can't keep up with the 86-87 Diesels. I don't know who told you these engines keep breaking. They're more sensitive to overheating than the old 5 cylinder engines but they're pretty tough in their own right.

The 90-? E-class has the a 5 cylinder version of the 86-87 aluminum head turbodiesel. These engines don't seem to be as sensitive to overheating but there's a disproportionate percentage that fall victim to timing chain failures. Maybe it's only certain years. If you're a DIY kind of guy, be aware that these engines have almost as much electronics as a gasoline engines. Many say that the 86-86 have electronics as well but 90% of the electronics is dedicated to emissions control devices that as your conscience permits can be left nonfuncitonal when they fail. The other 10% is idle control. Even that can fail and you won't be stranded. The 5 cylinder aluminum head Diesels are another story.

The 95 E300 has the 4 valve 6 cylinder Diesel. This engine continued through the E-class body change in 96 and was available as a turbodiesel in 98 and 99. I don't know much bout this engine except that it has expensive-to-replace glow plugs that don't last as long as the pre-90s glow plugs.

The 90-95 S-class (90-91 350SD and SDL, 92-93 300SD and 94-95 S350) share the same 3.5l version of the 6 cylinder Diesel. These are fantastic performers but they have a reputation for requiring expensive repairs when the connecting rods bend. This story is perpetuated by many who've never owned such a car, including myself, so take it for what it's worth.

If you're the kind to let maintenance slip, the 82-85 cars are the most forgiving, and the least costly to repair when the 'evitable' happens.

Sixto
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

I didn't get into the 190-class Diesels. I'll leave that soliloquy(sp?) for someone else.

Sixto
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

Personally, I'd suggest a Honda or Toyota. The pre-'85 123's and 126's are going to take some mechanical orientation on the owners part. Nothing you described is really hard or expensive to fix if you diy but they do require some basic mechanical ability to do them.

Whether it is obvious or not - this is not a good thing.

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Jim

keeping these 20+ year old cars running and in good shape is a love/hate thing. It's like owning a Harley. Unfortunatley for some they are not aware of what it takes to maintain one of these cars. I happen to be in a similiar boat in that i didnot know how much attention the car would need. One the other hand I like to wrench and can do most of the repairs myself and enjoy the theraputic cursing of my MB hobby.


thebern

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1982 240D 313,000 (4 speed)
1984 300CD 172,483
1985 German Shepherd Dog -Lacey- R.I.P.11/04/05

Hood Stars, Wrist Crowns and Obsession Dobs

I am with Engatwork on this... a good Honda or Toyota will be much less regular hassle ( much less !) with stuff going wrong, or trying to find parts or someone that can install them correctly.

Your post sounds like a poster for praising MY 240d... I have manual crank windows, manual transmission, manual ac controls, and NO sunroof...

Ran out of oil due to " fate " ... Sort of a fatalistic attitude towards the God of Machines ?

If you are not inclined to do the work yourself, and cannot afford to have someone else do it, then you should get out of Mercedes and into a Honda or Toyota.

If you simply must have a Mercedes that you can run into the ground, find a 240D with manual transmission and windows. The rest of us here will just have to mourn the eventual demise of another 240D.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Czarn,

What do you expect for a car over 20 years old and 300,000+ miles. Most other cars that old were in a junk yard long ago.

Get yourself some tools and repair manuals and DIY some things to your car instead just letting them go and complaining. If its just window switches, replace them ETC. And keep the engine full of oil. NO excuse for not doing that.

P E H

Or if you find a good indy, you can go that way...

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

These minor issues happen to any vehicle regardless of if it came from Stuttgart or Windsor...but, Detriot banks zillions every year on the fact that you'll be willing to fork over a good chunk of your income for 60 months as all the little trinkets fall off of one of their ill-engineered junkers.

They're also betting that you either won't, or can't do your own maintenence and will eventually become so disgusted with the appearance and operation of your vehicle that you willingly return it to the dealer to accept a fraction of it's intrinsic value in trade for the privilege to do it all over again.

Sure, there's some stupid things on a Benz. It's just that the things that really count are constructed far better on a Mercedes than on a GM or Ford product.

So, go ahead, "owe your soul to the company store" and continue to bankroll one of the biggest scams ever foisted on consumers or take charge; get involved with the care and feeding of your transportation and use your skills to tell the robber barons in the motor city (and wherever else they burrow) to KYA. Most of the time, it's far easier than getting a raise, to pay for that short-lived US vehicle, trust me.

I yield the soap box.
R Leo

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Man, is that the gospel truth!!!!

What everyone else said. If you can "do it yourself", Find another 240D or a one of the models with the 5-cyl engine. Plan on spending what you paid for the car all over again within a year or two. Then keep up with the maintenance and laugh your way past the rice burners and detroit dinosaurs as they're towed off to the wrecking yard.
And let us know how much you have to have for your current 240D

__________________
past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

If you can find one running, a 260,000 mile, 1983 Lincoln Continental bluebooks out for $855.

A 260,000 mile, 1983 300D bluebooks for $1300 and, more than likely is a one owner, with the original engine, complete service records and you'll probably have to pay more than $1300 for it too. And, it will get 20+mpg while being more environmentally-friendly than that Lincoln ever dreamed of.

my .02

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

10-4

They are cheaper than a shrink and much more useful. Be glad you don't have a prediliction for old Jaguars

M.

thanks to the people who tried to help, especially sixto for actually trying to answer my question.

anyone else willing to stop preaching long enough to make a relevant comment on the various diesels, which would be the best pick, which have what flaws, what maintenance is going to cost on a '90 or newer?

thanks if you do,

Nick

You come on here whinning about something which is simply inherent in dealing with old cars.... asking too generalized questions which are much more dependant on the specific car and the way in which it has been treated than the general specifications of the models , and showing an amazing attitude towards things which are essential to people's car lasting a long time... like actually keeping oil in the crankcase...
When asking for opinions... you have to give the respondants freedom to go where their instincts move them or you get skewed results...
The pole results are in : You belong in a Honda.