OK. I haven't read the rest of the posts here yet, but I've got to sound off on this.

WHAT ARE HER PARENTS THINKING!!!????

Mom doesn't drive. Ok, fine. But most people I know who don't drive are a little cautious about anything having to do with the infernal combustion engine. Why did she so cavalierly hand over the keys to another car, and that of the only adult driver in the house, to a 16 year old who (obviously) has not been trained on that car??!??!

And, Dad, I suppose, didn't want to train the girl properly so as to be a useful emergency asset in case he wasn't around!!?? I mean, his wife doesn't drive. His daughter does. Well, then, MAKE SURE SHE CAN DRIVE EVERYTHING THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO HER IN THEIR GARAGE SO SHE CAN RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY.

And, aside from that, what sensible parent would send out an inexperienced driver in an unfamiliar car on New Year's Eve when there is an added liklihood of drunk drivers on the road. And I have YET to meet a 16 year old who is a really good defensive driver. And that included me at that age.

SO, now that all that is off my chest...whaddaya wanna bet that she just took the keys and the car and wasn't "given" it for the evening?

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Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey

1984 300SD: Hilda the veggie vundercar

In the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), you can read examples of the use of the word "prove" over the evolution of the English language.

The reason the military uses "proving grounds" is to TEST weaponry.

Prove means "test". It also means other things these days; however, when this saying was coined, it was being used as "test". So, for modern english, this saying should read: The observed exception tests a widely accepted belief.

As someone used to say, "You could look it up."

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Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey

1984 300SD: Hilda the veggie vundercar

Reminds me of the time my sister wanted to drive my dad's car to a formal New Year's Eve party. My parents were in Florida. She didn't want to drive her beater, but wanted to drive the "good" car. I didn't want her to drive the car through the slush after I had just detailed the car before storing it for the winter. This caused me all kinds of grief from her friends at the party.

Later on, after talking with my dad he said, "Next time hide the keys!"

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

the doctor. RE: kidney stones.
Stopped for fuel:
A 240D was on the other side of the island, with a teen boy behind the wheel crying.

Daddy loaned him the car for the day.
While in the school parking lot; the front and rear star where broken off.
Someone poured bleach on the hood and roof.
He was crying because he put gasoline in the fuel tank and his dad was going to kill him for that mistake.
Two gallons of gas in 1/2 tank of diesel.
The boy was so shook up that he could not start the car.
I fixed a breather tube leak; it was spewing oil on the exhaust.
I had four gallons of filtered used hydraulic oil in my trunk; we filled his tank with this and took the 240D for a drive, to mix it up.
Gave him a business card and wished him well.

It's half a year later, but I want to tell you about an experience I had. I called to inquire about a 84 300D that was in supposedly immaculate condition for sale. So, I called the owner, and told him I would be there later that day. I called him later to ask for directions on how to get there. He told me he had just sold it to an ex-GM executive, but he was selling his mother's one owner 300SD that was in good condition, and needed a little work. I went to see it, and I was not impressed, it needed new paint, and new interior, and it was missing a door lock knob! I wanted to start it up anyway just to see how it ran. I got in and turned the key to the pre glow position. The man who was selling it told me, never mind that, it'll start right up anyway. I'm kinda glad that 300D was sold before I got there. He probably hurt that engine if he started the same way he started that 300SD!
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

3 teenagers across the street. 1 honda accord fairly new. hood up and young man is staring at the dipstick. i saunter over ''need a jump''? young man says no but there doesn't seem to be any oil on the dipstick..
i get a few qts out of my trunk. put in one.. check it.. nothing.
put in another.. same result !!
put in another .. now it's at the very bottom of the stick.. ok we're getting somewhere:p put in another 1/2 qt - shows to the bottom hash mark. i say better get some more soon.. they take off

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

That engines shot, capactiy on my Camry was 3.8 quarts Honda's are about the same I think.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

yeah i expect it had little or no oil at all in it
and it wasn't leaking out ...

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

" called my local MB dealer yesterday and for the giggles of it, asked how much a new motor would be for a 1985 300SD (OM617.952?)



$8700- new factory motor"

PO of my 85 300SD had the engine overhauled by an indy shop. The bill came to nearly $6000. This was in january of this year. At that rate $8700 for a brand new engine from MB sounds like a good deal.

..............and if you are a member of MBCA, you might get that engine for $7800. A downright bargain when compared to $6K at an indy.

Considering the crate engine comes with a warrenty and is new, the po would have been better off paying the extra $2k.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

My MB is not great, but its a damn good car. I have these teenage neighbors, and they sit in their lawn and laugh at me when i tinker with my car. So the other day, Im out there washing her, and drying her, and they are carrying on about how its not even worth washing a 20 year old car (stupid teenagers). Meanwhile they are jumping their newest vehicle... try to start, nothing, try to start, nothing. I said when you get that car STARTED you laugh at me for washing my car. try to start... vroom vroom (smoke EVERYWHERE). they start driving... and they BREAK DOWN 25 feet from the driveway... and IM LAUGHING AT THEM push their truck BACK into the driveway...

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Kenni
'85 300D turbo
208K miles
FOR SALE (kinda)

Comedy right there

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I know a lot of people around here drive their cars and never realize that they have to change the oil regularly and ADD oil as it dissapears....

*sigh*

The only time I ever saw a broken down MB was a 300D down in Beliz where I had no tools to help the guy out.
I asked him if I could take a picture of his car becuase I "have one at home". He agreed.

They were towing it with a diesel volvo...go figure
Sad thing was it was probably a 2 dollar filter change that is gonna cost him a great deal more...

Once I had a great idea to solve that breather hose problem that goes to your air cleaner since it leaks a lot. I went and got some aluminum tubing and fittings and hard tubed it. Except I forgot about that and 5 months later when i was doing some unrelated work, I crimped it unknowingly. I lost 6 quarts of 8 because I was driving at night and ruined an engine.
Every bad event has an upside. That mistake really shook me and put my head back in the game.I realized i was getting cocky and I learned a lot more about diesels and cars after that. I improved a lot more in my troubleshooting and learned to be patient.