suggestions for Dad's 240D
 

Hello!

My Dad's got a pristine '80 240D 4spd....I don't get to see him very often but last time I went to see him I recall his merc had no passenger side mirror. He bought the car in '80 in Frankfurt and I believe it came that way. Is there someplace I can get a mirror to install there that will look like it belongs there (ie perfect match) ? ts been awhile but the car is silver and I think the mirror (drivers side) is Black????

His car is bone stock, are there other things that might make the car safer/more enjoyable. Not looking for "bling" just looking for practicality. He hardly drives but when he bought the car he said it was the last car he was going to buy, and I can't convince him to sell it to me.....I'm going to see him in 8 days or so so I can either A) have the mirror delivered and install it when I get there (if he wants me to) or B) get more info. on the car while I'm there.....

Thanks for any assistance you can provide....
Rob M Concord, MA USA
2001 VW golf TDI (up for sale if/when I find the right 240 or 300 diesel mercedes)

I bought one from Silver Star Recycling. Be aware that right side mirrors are in high demand, so they are kind of expensive. It didn't come with the trim plate for the inside, so I had to buy a new one separately. The final disappointment is that the mirror glass is flat, so it turned out to be of very little use. Just makes the car look complete.

Thanks for the info. Rick! IF I source and obtain the parts is this a difficult thing to do? (I can't imagine that it is)
Rob M concord, MA USA

The trim plate can be tricky, but the mirror itself is a piece o' cake. To remove the existing trim plate on the inside, pry away from the door frame at the top of the triangle, then lift. The bottom is held with two tabs in slots.

Cool. I can see it now I show up with a mirror and break the trim plate inside DOH! Thanks again....Rob M

Well, you won't be using the one that is there now. You'll need to get a new one that has the hole for the adjusting knob. Speaking of which, make sure to get a manual mirror, not an electric one. For the electric version, you'd need the wiring harness and the switch in the console. Much more bother than it is worth.

I found one on E-Bay last month or so. I got it for about $20 complete with cover plate. Install was a snap. Try doing a search at E-Bay motors for "W123". I have seen some lately, but not nearly as cheap.

Good Luck!
George

There is a forum member "Jim" that sells lots of parts for the older mercedes. He is a very honest person. I've bought things from him for my mom's 240D. Look in the parts section of this forum.

Good luck.

A manual right side mirror for a 240D would be pretty scarce, but well worth having if you can find one. I don't know how people can change lanes safely without one.

easy!
 

go and get one atyour local boneyard...........if you can ONLY find an electric one from a 300............NO BIG DEAL!......CUT the wire harness, use the EXISTING interior cover plate and adjust the mirror MANUALLY from the OUTSIDE...ie: as if the switch was dead.
This should cost next to nothing and function reasonably well.
How often will you ACTUALLY need to adjust said mirror? Be the ONLY driver.:D ....,enough said.
spo out:cool:

Paul, I thought all the 123 right rear mirrors would fit.... I was planning on putting the one off my 79 wagon on my 80 240... Do you have contrary info on that ?

Hey Greg

Of course that should fit.

I guess I should have explained better.

Most of the 300D's, or at least the later ones, came with electric mirrors. Most of the 240D's came without any right side mirrors, therefore spare manual right side mirrors are scarce because there weren't many of them to start with.

Now go put your mirror on. I guarantee you will like it.

Nelliebelle didn't have a right side mirror when I got her, and I felt it was downright dangerous. I got lucky and found one on another MB forum for that car. (Thanks Napoleon!)

The 280CE & 300CD uses a different right (pass) side mirror. The rest of the w123's use the same mirror...
Mirror glass is different in the manual vs. electric mirrors, they mount differently. The mirrors scratch very easily, I think the reflective coating is on the outside of the glass......

WHEW ! You had me worried there Paul, I too think absence of a right side mirror is dangerous.... am looking forward to getting my 240 road worthy.... the mirror and the AC are the only sticking points...

As for being unsafe without the passenger side mirror.....How often is a 240D out of the far right lane and needing to shift right anyway??? I AM KIDDING!!!!!! Thanks to all for the good info. I'm going to resolve to casually search for a mirror and gauge my Dad's interest when I see him next weekend....
Cheers
Rob M Concord, MA USA
curiouser and curioser about delving into the sordid world of MB diesels....

on a sightly more serious note re: mirrors. Some people need to increase the use of the swivel between their head and shoulders and use the mirror in conjunction with looking, before lane changes etc...Being alert isn't just a moniker..........

The one I have to be really careful about changing lanes with is my Isuzu pickup. It has a big right hand mirror, but because of the camper shell there is a huge blind zone between the inside mirror and the right hand mirror. It has almost gotten me into trouble several times.

Greg, is that the 240D you got from Brian? The one they were doing the compression test on at one of the GTG's? As I recall, that was quite an oil burner. Have you been overhauling it?

Stayalert, I am worried about joggers passing me on the right side on the shoulder of the road....I don't want to turn right and run over them...

Paul, I have those valve seals installed in the glove compartment... but NOT filling to the top of the full mark on the dipstick made a LOT of difference... plus I use Delo 400 40 wt....

It has not gotten off the farm much due to studying for fixing the AC and my time on the tractor....... and the pickup truck has great AC.... so I have not measured it lately on the road.... but it is much less than it used to be...and the rest of it is in such good shape....and it RUNS great....

You can buy the whole mirror assembly from Performance Products. They also sell the right side mirror in the "objects are closer than they appear" mode

http://www.************************/BitMapPage.aspx?bitmapid=127&bitmapname=Body%20Parts#60

You can get the electric mirror version but will then need the wire harness, center consol switch and wood trim, its getting expensive.

Or you can get the manual mirror and adjust it once. The convex mirror I think is extra. Item number 65

http://www.************************/BitMapPage.aspx?bitmapid=127&bitmapname=Body%20Parts&year=1982&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&model=300TD&submodel=TURBODIESEL

Dave

So….Nearly 10 years after I started this thread here I am with an update….He never wanted a right side mirror preferring to keep the car stock…..

In other news….My dad never agreed to sell me his 240D….But he recently passed away and I inherited it. He was true to his word…he bought the car in 1980 and said at that time it was the last car he would buy.

Over the years We enjoyed talking and sharing emails about MB's - I am much more hands on and DIY whereas he drove infrequently but apreciated the importance of maintenance…I'll probabaly bring it to Vermont in a few weeks and see how its held up after over 30 years of light use….

Best,

Rob "stayalert" M

Sorry to hear of the loss of your Dad. It's nice you'll have his car as part of your memories of him though.

Rob, I to feel the pain of your loss, sounds like you had a good relation ship with him. I lost my Dad a couple years ago, at 92.


The 80 240D is a good year, Pencil GP, an increase of HP, and the R-4 AC Compressor. Not so sure the R-4 was an improvement though, less HP to run than the York.

If the 240 is in good shape, might out last you too. :)
Now you can install the Mirror.

Charlie

Sorry to hear about your Dad

Sorry about your dad. Mine is still sucking wind, but isn't the man I grew up with anymore. Senile dementia sucks.

Congrats on the new to you 240D. I had one. They are great cars.

Thanks for the kind words. We had an excellent relationship….

I brought the car home to Vermont. About a 300 mile mostly highway trip. I had brought an assortment of tools, a jump box, lectric comptressor, an assortment of vacuum fittings, fuel hose, electrical bits, hose clamps, a fuel prefilter,and some powerservice…….I used some powerservice on filling the tank but didn't anything else….Uneventful trip I got a roughly calculated 28MPG Is that normal?

temps never varied much and the car ran very well as far as I can tell…Its a 1980 european delivery manual tranny, manual windows, silver exterior dark blue interior and has 159K miles…..Sorrting through the records it seems to have been maintained well and driven very little in the last several years…..I need to study/assess the idle adjustment and the cruise control to see if I can get them to work…..I also ordered a mirror aand will be repairing the underside of the drivers seat…...

28 is awesome for the 85D. Better than the 83D because of the stall converter and rear-end.

28 is pretty good for a 240 at highway speeds. People say they get 30+ in 240s regularly, but that has not been an experience ive had with my stock 83. I get about the same as what you got, actually somewhat worse and its also a 4-speed

We have almost the same 240 apart from tranny choices in the beginning. Mine was also a silver with blue interior euro delivery a couple years after yours. Im a fan of the combo, does not show dirt

Sorry to hear about your father. Oddly enough, my father (still with us, thankfully) also has a 1980 240D he bought new through the European delivery program. His is midnight blue over palomino.

His came from the factory without a passenger side mirror, but he installed a brand new one himself early in the car's life. I remember him installing it, so I'd say he added it to the car sometime around 1982-1983.

It wasn't the last car he ever bought, but he still has it, and it is clearly his favorite.

I get a big kick out of how many of these cars rolled out the door in frankfurt or whatnot, and puttered around europe for a bit before hitting the big boat over. Amazing journey that so many are still on the road.

I was actually along on that trip and was with my parents when we picked the car up in Germany. I was too young to remember the trip, though. I would have been about a year and half old. My older brother just barely remembers the trip (he's a little more than a year older than me). Technically, my younger brother was along for the trip, though he wasn't born yet.

Technically, it's one of two cars my father picked up in Germany. In 1985, he picked up his new 1985 VW Vanagon in Germany and drove it there for a week or two visiting family before having it shipped back to the US. I wasn't along for the trip, but I do remember when we picked it up stateside in Albany, NY.

My 81 stayed between 28 and 33 over the time I had it. Average I'd say was right on 30. 50/50 city freeway no hills.

- Peter.

Never got a clear picture of why some 240ds seem to get better fuel milage than others. There almost seems about a five mile per gallon spread between the lowest and highest examples. .

My experience is limited to 1 tank and some approximations…..It was a good opportunity though as I will not always be driving highway miles over relatively flat terrain….

Do we get photos now? :D

My euro 300D has gotten 28mpg before...less weight, better built etc

HAHA! soon! I am digging into it to baseline it….So far its in pretty good shape…Hood hinge drains were clogged but I cleared them, Battery tray is in good shape….I just remved about 5 pounds of wire/fittings for a poratbale phone of some sort….No phone found just a bunch of wiring…….My quick list:

- remove and replace (or rejuvenate) idle adjustment cable

- remove cruise amp and send for rehab (10 pin box) pushing up on stalk will create increase in speed but speed no holdie….

- rebuild drivers seat

- address small areas of rust (jack points, rear quarters, bubbles on top of front fenders.

- install right front mirror (the thing that started this thread!)

- figure out and eliminate water pooling on rear passenger floor (Dad kept car in garage, don't even know if he drove in the rain) no rust but clearly water collecting on passenger rear seat footwell after a rain yesterday..

That's the short list sure to be more as I vacuum 34 years of dust, grime, and dissolving horsehair….

My "cringe" is reducing as I contemplate this cars new location. I live on a dirt road and around here in the Winter salt is king….Not sure yet if I can bring myself to drive it in the Winter…but I think of the numbers of these cars around the world being tortured in other ways and it helps me sleep at night….I am trying to pursue a stock but useful & sustainable apprioach to the care of this car. Its no trailer queen, but I won't be using it for my tree work either…..

Ditch the Power Service. Ask Professor Google for the "Lubricity Study". You only need 2-stroke oil @ 1oz/gallon if anything. I run 2 stroke because I have a Dodge truck with Cummins and the IP needs extra lube now that the diesel is so dry.

The SD's IP is different but I'd prefer not to have to install another. I've seen pics of injectors where 2-stroke had been used for a long time. The injectors were just fine with no crap on them.

About rust? These cars deteriorate rapidly in the salt belt. Every one (W123s) we owned from new did very quickly, unfortunately.

Yeah rust is king around here as far as torturing cars.

I'm not disagreeing with you but that strikes me as quite a bit of oil (1 oz/gallon) to add to straight diesel….I have alot to learn…..

My first two 240Ds came without right-hand mirrors. Installed a $50 one from Potomac German Auto on 240d #1, and a $35 mirror from a Forum member on 240D #2 with no hassles.
Fast forward to my current 240D #3 which actually came with the right-hand mirror. But the glass fell out last summer, smashing to bits in the street. So I tried one of those $10 plastic cut-to-fit repair kits from Pep-Boys, but didn't like the fun-house mirror effect, which made it nearly worthless. Oh well, at least it got through the safety inspection.
I tried just getting a new glass, but it's like $90 for a flat one and much more or NA for the wide-angle. And no luck at the pick-N-Pull either
So I found a replacement from another forum member for $54. It arrived in 'sprung' condition. Apparently it had been smacked at the 'breakaway' pivot and the hinge had popped loose. It was a struggle to figure out and reset it in place, but the real dissappointment was it's a flat glass, not the wide angle. Oh well, it's still much better than the fun-house mirror, or no mirror.

PS: I went back to the Pick-N-pull last month and found a pair of W123s - a 240D and a 300D, both with right-hand mirrors.
Got an excellent spare right-hand power mirror for my 300TD, but when I went to grab the manual 240D mirror, the glass was gone! Oh well!
I did get the 300D switch and most of the wiring harness in case I should get the urge to convert my 240D to a power mirror someday.

Happy Motoring, Mark

I hate the power mirrors...my euro has one, only accessories to speak of...it takes so long to get it to set in the right position...i evened R&R the mirror and switch. I put a manual one in the 78...sooooo easy to just adjust it via the knob..

Yeah, I probably won't install it in my 240D. But my 5-speed Euro TD has manual everything, but oddly, a power right-hand mirror. It IS easier to adjust from the driver's seat.
I though about scavenging the glass from the power mirror into my 240D, but the glass never just pops off the plastic when you want it to, only when you're driving 30 mph over hard pavement.
And the plastic IS different between the power and manual.

Happy Motoring, Mark

I use 4 oz. per 10 gallons.

Found in the glovebox….

The yellow thing is a pen, the badge is the Euro delivery badge, what is the little 2 pronged thing on each key ring? looks like I might use it for the glovebox door fittings….Could it be something for golf?

Those look like the keys for a Bosch or Hirschmann manual radio antenna.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Hard to tell from the photo but the one on the star key chain is captive, ie it can't be taken off…..

Search "lubricity study" then go to some of the 24V Cummins forums. My 1SD had plastic gloves that appear to have been given to the original owner for the purpose of keeping oily diesel off the hands. Current ULSD is much dryer.


The VP44 on the Cummins needs lube but is a different animal than our pumps. 2-stroke helps the VP which costs1,000 and takes 4 he's to install. It also doesn't hurt injectors.

Power Service is too dry and hurts.

Thanks for the heads up…Been reading reading reading…

update:

- installed passenger side mirror.

- repaired drivers seat,

- freed up idle adjustment cable (still needs some TLC)

- removed and send cruise amp for repair,

- have begun to assemble maintenance history

- trying to drive and familiarize myself with this car….