I just bought a 1996 E300 on Friday. This weekend, I was cleaning it up and getting to know everything and I noticed that the fuel gauge says "Premium Unleaded Fuel Only." Does this mean the dash has been swapped, or could this have been a mistake at the factory? It has the "squiggly" light on the right to show that diesel is priming (or at least that's what I was told it's doing) so I can't figure out why that would be on a gas dash. The mileage is 185K and there were no red flags on the CarFax.

Maybe not the dash, but the instrument cluster (which may mean the milage is false). I cant imagine that being a factory mistake.

__________________
1991 560 SEL / 185k miles
1992 750il / 17k miles - project car

LOL

I doubt it.

Sounds like it is not the original instrument cluster to me.

__________________
Jim

and the squiggly line means the glow plugs are heating up not priming it.

Does the engine have spark plugs?

That's the glowplug light, not a priming light

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Welcome to PP !!
You may be better posting in diesel discussion for information on your car.

As others have suggested, it sounds like the instrument cluster has been changed. It is unlikely that only the fuel gauge would have been changed.
What does the owners books/service records say about the car?
It may be interesting to get a full service report from a dealer.

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

It was a car built after the last day of Oktoberfest.

__________________
1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I have never taken an instrument cluster apart on this model car, but if the fuel gauge failed it is possible it was switched out with a junk yard unit. It is also possible that gauge was the only one the dealer had in stock.

If it is working then I would not worry about it. Check your fuel filler door or cap. It will should say DIESEL ONLY if you have a diesel car. It will also have a much bigger fuel inlet since the smaller inlet of an unleaded car is to prevent you from sticking a diesel or old 'leaded' nozzle in there.

From your description I believe that it is W210 model? The cluster is very easy to be replaced, so perhaps one of the previous owners have done so. Regarding the mileage I wouldn't worry. The mileage is stored in the car ECU not in the cluster so if this was replaced the new one should read what ECU have stored in the memory.

__________________
http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v...7/scotflag.gif http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v.../scot2flag.gif

"If women are so bloody perfect at multitasking how come they can't have a headache and sex at the same time?"
Billy Connolly

It is the mileage I was worried about, thank you for that info. It never occurred to me that it might have been the only one they had in stock. It is not working properly, it goes from 0 to 1/1 when I start the car, but it always stays at 1/1. Can the gauge be changed on its own?

I don't follow you here, are you talking about the fuel gauge? When the car is off and the key is out all the gauges should read "0". 1/1 is that full tank indication or half, or quarter? Inside the fuel tank there is a float (like the one in your toilet more or less) so it could be stuck or something and not moving around. If you are good with wrenches you could sort it out yourself.
This could be one of the reasons for showing 1/1 or it could be that the dealer sold you the car with full tank of diesel
You just bought the car so if the car was with full tank of diesel it will take few miles before the needle start moving.

__________________
http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v...7/scotflag.gif http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v.../scot2flag.gif

"If women are so bloody perfect at multitasking how come they can't have a headache and sex at the same time?"
Billy Connolly

It did not have a full tank, I put 13 gals. of diesel in it yesterday and the needle was on the 1/1 (full tank) the whole time. I am not sure if it has the 17 or 21 gal. tank, but I called the previous owner and he told me to just put fuel in around every 300 miles. As the gauge is not working, I am not able to accurately calculate my mpg.

Yes, it is very important that the diesel fuel you use is unleaded.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

I hate to sound stupid, but I thought that the E meant that the car had a gas engine.

__________________
For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

too easy, so I'll pass

Until Mercedes started using "E-Class" designations in their model names in the 90's for the W124 line, the "E" used to designate a fuel injected gas engine model. The abbreviation was for einsprtizer.