Why I love my 82 240d. RANT AND RAVE

[rodsob]

In addition to the great fuel economy, easy enginework, cheap diy parts, good looks, great diesel sound, great diesel smell, comfortable seats, etc. (feel free to add anything i missed)

The best part is it DOES NOT HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT!!!!!!

My other car is a 95 volvo 850 with a super sensitive check engine light that comes on whenever anything is not PERFECT. It came on again today. the thing monitors everything from the A to Z. Half the time, the sensors are wrong and nothing is really wrong. I am lucky I am still able to reset the light myself. Newer ones have to see the dealer.

I am never getting a car with a check engine light again.

Thanks for listening guys.

rodsob

[Stevo]

rodsob

I agree 100% on your 240d evaluation, they are wonderfull cars.

I have a good friend that has an import auto shop, anyway since I have been hanging around his shop one thing that I have learned is "Volvos have wiring problems that are sometimes real hard to find"

as a condition where nothing needs to be added, or taken away.

The 240 is, IMHO, the almost perfect car in this respect. For my purposes, it has EXACTLY the instrumentation and controls it needs. It even has what I'd call the "thinking man's idiot light," the flickering headlamp dash light that indicates the need to replace the front brake pads.

I've now got two of the jaspers, one auto and one stick...I aspire to have diesel W123's for the rest of my life...even if that requires not living too much longer!

[Rick Miley]

240Ds are fantastic!

Now please, shut up and don't tell anybody else about them. If anybody asks, say they're old, slow, stinky, and temperamental.

[airfoill]

I like the fact that my 240D does what I ask without complaints and has never left me stranded.....very reliable.

I love the fact that there are is no ignition system to ignite the fuel. It ignites fuel the same way a jet engine ignites fuel; by compression ignition.

I also like the very manual controls for the a/c, heater, and ventilation......Nothing to break.

I like the fact I can work on this car and there is lots of room under the hood to do so.

Herb
'82 240D
'87 300SDL
'92 300D 2.5 Turbo

[The Warden]

What are you guys talking about? The 240D is junk, ESPECIALLY in a 115 body mated to a manual transmission. I can't understand why anyone would want to own one. They're so slow and temperamental, and oh yeah, parts cost a fortune!! THey're not very reliable either.

BTW, I have a facility here that I'll offer to fellow board members. If they have a 115 240D 4 speed that they've decided is too slow and temperamental or difficult or expensive for them to drive, I will be happy to "dispose" of the car for them, free of charge.

[R Leo]

Originally posted by airfoill
I love the fact that there are is no ignition system to ignite the fuel. It ignites fuel the same way a jet engine ignites fuel; by compression ignition.

Sorry, but it's not like that at all. First of all, turbojets are continuous ignition engines: the combustion is continuous as long as the engine is running not intermittent, as it is in a reciprocating engine. And second, for startup and flight through heavy rain they use ignitors that are similar to sparkplugs on reciprocating gasoline engines. Once the engine is running above startup speed the ignitors are usually switched off.

The jet's combustion process is 'held' in one place by flame holders in the combustion chambers....kind of like a burner on a gas stove or furnace.

Anyway, jets only have compression ratios ranging from 3:1 to 13:1...not enough heat generated there to spontaneously ignite fuel introduced into a combustion chamber.
(http://www-psao.grc.nasa.gov/Reengine/types.html)

my .02

[The Warden]

Originally posted by 300SDLLLL
Soon (the 15th of this month) I won't have that feeling anymore, I'll be back in a 300SD.

That's ironic, in a way...did you start out with 300SD's before going to a 123, a 116, then a couple of 115's? Coming around to complete the circle...

What year's the 300SD?

BTW, thought you might be interested in this, but a friend of mine's followed in my footsteps...he's in El Paso right now on his way back to CA from the Houston area, after picking up an '84 300D.

[Toblin]

I own a 300D (no-turbo) but I have to say I see allot more 240's plying the streets of NJ. In fact non-turbo 300D's are rather scarce around here. Something about the 240D model seems to add to their longevity above and beyond that of all the other MB diesel models.

[The Warden]

Originally posted by 300SDLLLL
I thought you had two friends that were making the Mercedes conversion Warden?

I'm still working one one of 'em. After a deal he had set with an '83 240D went sour (the seller decided that the car wasn't for sale anymore...after promising the car to the friend and after we drove up to Berkeley and back twice), he's wavering back and forth between getting a Benz (if so, it'll be a 240D 4 speed) or pouring the $$ he's saved up into his '65 Corvair. I think I've finally convinced him to not try and make the Corvair his daily driver (it basically needs a frame-up restoration; I think he needs to get the 240D as a daily driver while he restores the Corvair, then make it a show car/weekend driver), but I think he's still wavering back and forth.

The other friend...well, last I heard (around 3pm today), he's in El Paso with his new-to-him '84 300D, and had just learned the art of changing OM617 fuel filters (with me talking him through it over the phone). Other than that, his trip's been flawless thus far, and he's completely fallen in love.

Congrats on the 126 How's everything been out there?

[240Demon]

I have worked on Volvo's supposed "Best Model" the 240DL, but I have come to the conclusion that...


VOLVOS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a 240D and I think that I should put monster tires on it to run over every Volvo I see, since the 240D is superior to a Volvo in every aspect!!!

[240-diesel]

There are several 240d around my area and the same amount of 300d also .
I have seen younger folks driving them around lately, They are so darn reliable , ride so true and straight it makes for great economy.
They are a last breed , makes you want to keep it going .
We should be seeing many diesel vehicles when the low sulfur becomes available . Love the smell of diesel in the morning.

[OhioMercedesBoy]

Older Mercedes aern't very plentiful around here. 240Ds are very very hard to come by.. I haven't seen one in person in over 6 months. There is one old 300D (looks to be a W115 from what I remember) tooling around campus, but thats about it.
~D.J.~

[Stevo]

Out here in the upper left corner there are lots of folks getting into old MBs. You see several every day. Now in addition to all kinds of fancy coffees and micro brews (a very GOOD thing) we got bio diesel in town Its really becoming something allot of folks are getting into..

[structure]

I love my 240D. I have both a 300D and 240d. This morning,here in NY, in 20 degree weather my 240D started right up with no problems. I use my 240D as my winter car. Even with all the snow covering the car and the cold weather still started right up. I didn't even put in the MB Block heater yet that I had bought. This car amazes me for it's age. It's also very good in the snow. This time last year I was driving my 92' BMW 325i Convertible(e30), what a nightmare that was.(spinning out all over the place: no traction at all). Sorry just felt like giving my 2 cents.