I am a new member to the board. My son just bought a 1985 280 SE. Any advance advice would be appreciated such as what oil, filter, plugs etc. I should use. Anything!

Thanks

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1985 280SE

Plugs - Stuck with original brand and type as specified in the owner's manual. The engine will run best with those plugs. Stay away from all the fancy, overpriced, "split electrode, plutonium-tipped" plugs.

Oil - If you seach posts about oil on this board, you'll find way too many opinions on this. Again, check the requirements of the owner's manual and follow it, with the exception of stepping up the oil change schedule to every 3000 miles. I see nothing wrong with using a brand name oil, perhaps 10W30 weight, that meets SJ requirements (noted on the bottle). I believe in '85 the best oil available was one that meets SF requirements. Today, nearly all oils meet SJ requirements, which is a higher standard than SF.

Coolant - Change every two years, regardless of mileage. DON'T use the green Prestone-type fluid. Use Mercedes-Benz approved coolant.

Brake Fluid - Flush every two years with fluid that's required in the owner's manual, hopefully the DOT4 type.

For all other filters and repair parts click on the Fastlane link at the top of this page to order quality parts by mail at prices below dealer prices. It's worth it.

Post on this site to get the best advice for any other issues your son may have with his car.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

Thanks for the help. We just boutht the car and it runs very good. It seems to be very tight. I am noticing white smoke. Hope it doesn't turn into a big problem

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1985 280SE

Hello.. where are you located?

I believe you have a w126 chassis car. It also looks like you have a european model. Hope this helps

Kestas, I like your plutonium tipped plugs! Have you got a sample you could send to us? May send us up in shuttle like orbit. LOL. Couldn't they have been platinium tipped?

Hocky, I'm glad you enjoyed my post... but give me a little more credit. I've also seen plugs marketed that are iridium-tipped and one or two ther metals with high melting points. These marketing gimmicks are getting out of hand!

The white smoke may be nothing - or it may be a problem. It could be simply normal water vapor condensing from the exhaust. Or it could be signs of a bad head gasket leaking coolant to the combustion chamber. When the plugs are changed, examine the old ones. If any look suspiciously "clean" as opposed to having tan or black combustion products, it may have a bad head gasket. Also, sniff the exhaust. If it has a sweet "coolant" smell to it, it may have a bad head gasket. Under what conditions does the white smoke appear?

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K