Two questions and any help on either one would be greatly appreciated...

1983 240D

Daily driver, but babied its whole life. My dad was driving at freeway speeds when he said he felt the car surge/sputter, lost oil pressure, when he got to the side of the road, the engine was off. I've been teasing him that he's more like my mom than my dad because he paniced a little and doesn't really have a clue whether he felt something, heard something, if he turned the motor off, etc. He just knows the car at some point lost oil pressure, he pulled over. The oil line replaced, the engine won't start. I have fuel at the injectors, and can sometimes manage a sputter or two at best, but then it sounds hopeless. Is there a poor mans injection pump test? Nothing accurate, but enough to see if it should be firing. It seems like a fuel problem, but I'm stumped.

1982 300TD

My other car... I just recently drove a friends 300TD and I was reminded what this one used to drive like. Are there any common problems that can cause a real performance drop like this? It has had injectors replaced recently with not much of a change. Any ideas?

Have you changed both fuel filters lately.......Jim

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James A. Harris

yep..., and fuel flows freely from the line pre-filter.

Oil line replaced? Tell us more about that please.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

my car dies last week. same scenario. vaccuum problem. i or should i say the mech found that the vaccuum line was clamped off.

check your vaccuum.

I'm trying to get more information on the oil line as well. I was not the one who swapped... I know. It seems pretty relevant at this point. I'll see what I can dig up and post again when I find out.

Ok... Some new information...

The oil line that failed was one of the high-pressure oil cooler lines. Both were replaced.

Also... Compression is as follows:

1-280
2-280
3-320
4-400

Can I still expect it to start if the Pump is ok? Or does this not necessarily rule out pump failure?

anyone? The mechanic has kindly offered to take my CHERRY 240D off my hands for scrap prices and the extent of his diagnosis is low compression.

The failure was all of a sudden. Could it be something else? If it is low compression, what kind of rebuild kits/prices am I looking at?


Any help would be appreciated. Rock> ME

Where are you located. If the engine turns over freely and you want to start it then push or pull the car. That model with a automatic transmission is designed to be pulled or pushed. Ok if it starts I would run it hard with some injector cleaner and see if that helps OK...I would look for a engine with good compression and that will run before I got rid of your car.. Something for about 5-8 hundred dollars...Location will determine how much it will cost to have the engines swapped out. In some areas it will cost 500 and in others it can cost a 1000...In my area it would be at max 500 dollars. Is it a 240 turbo or a plain 240. goodluck Jim

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James A. Harris

There are a slew of issues that affect the performance of a turbodiesel (I'm making an assumption that it is a turbodiesel. If n/a then all apply with the exception of #1).

Check each and every one of the following, although they are not in a specific order:

1) Do you have turbo boost pressure to the ALDA? Obtain a boost gauge and T it into the line to the ALDA so that you can watch it while you drive the vehicle. Under full load at rpm's above 3000, the gauge should read about 12. My SD reads about 9 and it has acceptable performance.
If you do not get at least 9, you need to clean out the lines between the banjo fitting and the overboost protection valve, and then clean the line between the valve and the ALDA. This can be done with carb cleaner and/or compressed air.

2) Check the valves for proper adjustment. When the valves have gone more than 20K miles, the performance usually suffers.

3) Check the Injection timing to ensure that the fuel is being injected to the cylinders at the proper point in the cycle (typically 24 degrees BTDC).

4) Replace both primary and secondary fuel filters if they have not been done in a couple of years.

5) Check the timing chain for stretch. If the chain is stretched by more than four degrees or so, performance begins to suffer.

6) Remove the vacuum line to the EGR valve and plug it with a suitable screw.


All of the aforementioned items have detailed posts regarding the procedures to utilize in the diesel forum. One, or more than one, of the aforementioned issues is likely to be the problem.

I have not listed low compression in the above list. This would be the last thing to check, if all of the above issues were checked properly and none of them could effect a performance improvement.

You need to find out why it has low compression -- bad valves or bad cylinders.

Likely it ran out of oil due to a busted cooler line (bad news!) and the cylinder walls are shot from lack of lubrication. check for puffs of diesel fuel mist coming out of the oil filler hole with the cap off when cranking.

If it puffs, it needs a rebuild (cylinder sleeves and pistons plus a bore and hone), head is probably OK. Not cheap, though....

Busted cooler line is bad news, and you almost never get to save the engine.

However, I'd also check for chain stretch -- if it jumped a tooth on the cam, compression will be down from improper valve timing, and you need to do the leakdown -- a valve job is MUCH cheaper than new sleeves and pistons...

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Check your fuel filters, Whens the last time it was serviced? Call Phil at partsshop 888 333-4642 he will hook you up also look at the diesel forum they have some great specials on tune up parts also look at the fuel additive high test also on sale

You guys have given me loads of good stuff to look into. Thanks for the time... When I get another opportunity to dig in I'll report back.

D

If you interested in selling the 240 let me know if your in California or Oregon. I need a fresh body for my daughter in-laws poor driving.

PS she does not drive MBZs any more

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1984 280SEL, 62,000 miles
Euro model in the USA
1983 300D (Totaled out 10/2004)
New Factory Mint Green paint
Palomino int
1982 240D (Steak dinner for two)