Just bought this car and don't have the owner's manual yet, but wondered what modern fuel I should be using in it? Do I need an additive of any kind for this 38 year old? Also, is it good to use syn oil in it, instead of Dino?
Thanks, Ben Carter

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Ben Harrison Carter
1999 Mercedes ML320 87K
1992 Mercedes 300CE 89K
1995 Corvette 29K -- Sold Dec 09
1989 Mercedes 420SEL 99K -- (Sold 4/08)
1968 Mercedes 230S (106K) (Sold 9/06))
1976 Mercedes 450SEL 130K (Just sold - 06)
1961 Mercedes 220Sb (sold years ago)

Glad to hear about the brand new cult classic fintail.

Tried synthetic oil conversion in an old finbody of mine long time ago. It ended up leakin like a stuck pig and immediately needed engine seals, valve seals and guides on this account too. Easily the worst mistake I've ever made with any MB I've ever owned.

The fine timing adjustment on the distributor is designed to accomodate different octane fuels. Its the screw fitting on the small flat surface with hash marks callibrating it on the side of the distributor. You can make this adjustment while the car is running to avoid "pinging" metalic sound caused by incomplete combustion of low octane fuels. Middle grade fuel is as low as I'd go. The car will run best on high test. And additives like octane booster, carb/injector cleaner are NOT just snake oil, alot of em really work with noticable performance improvement. "Heet" in small yellow bottles is one additive i can recommend. And its really cheap too, with $1.89 bottle treating an entire tank of fuel.

Thanks for the good comments; I think I will just run good Dino oil in that car, as you suggest. Also, I will run Plus or Premium fuel in it .... it won't really be driven all that far during a year. Ben Carter

__________________
Ben Harrison Carter
1999 Mercedes ML320 87K
1992 Mercedes 300CE 89K
1995 Corvette 29K -- Sold Dec 09
1989 Mercedes 420SEL 99K -- (Sold 4/08)
1968 Mercedes 230S (106K) (Sold 9/06))
1976 Mercedes 450SEL 130K (Just sold - 06)
1961 Mercedes 220Sb (sold years ago)