82' 240d Dead - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jr. Benz · #1 11-01-2004, 10:58 AM

This is Jim Smith's son Peter and unfortunately I have some bad news for everyone. I'm afraid that the 1982 240D that my father has allowed me to drive to school and back for the past year is officially DEAD. Sunday night I was getting on the MassPike (I90 West) on my way back up to school in Troy, NY when I noticed the oil pressure drop as I pulled up to the toll booth and let the car idle. I immediately turned the idle all the way up and the pressure came back up to the needle. But you can't shift with the idle way up because the engine will rev as soon as you put the cluth in. So once I was on my way and in 4th gear I turned it back down. About 30 miles later while climbing a rather large hill I suddenly found my right foot at the floor and the speedometer at about 55 mph. Now I towed a jet ski behind this car all summer and I had gone up these same hills over and over and never had a problem staying at or above 60. So I realized something was wrong and I pulled into a rest stop about 30 miles later. I popped the hood and checked the dipstick even though my father and I had added about half a quart before I left. But because this car has had issues leaking oil out the rear main seal I figured that leak had just become a lot worse and I had no oil. To my suprise the level on the dipstick was exactly where it was when I left CT that night. So I checked for blow-by and found nothing out of the ordinary. So after a lengthy conversation with my father we concluded that it was 11:00 pm, I had class in 11 hours and I still had another 60 miles to go. So I fired her up and she started fine and seemed to run fine all the way back up to school, oil pressure pegged at the needle and water temperature at 85 degrees. For the rest of the ride I only noticed that I was still giving it way more throttle than I usually would to get the car to run at 60-65 mph. This morning I went outside to fire her up so I could get to class and she just shut down. It was a very rough sounding almost coughing attempt at a start with blue smoke puffing out from under to car (NOT the hood or the muffler, it appeared to be coming from underneathe the car). Something was burning and I have a feeling it was more than just oil. I have a feeling the car is trying to cremate itself, she's done and she wants off life support. 321,524 R.I.P. (On Holloween too)

Oh and I thought I might add that an hour before I jumped in the beater for its final journey my father parked a basically brand new maroon 240 right next to this one. So maybe its feelings were really hurt this time.

Now I am left with no reliable transportation while I am at school so the search for another reliable beater begins. I am considering possibly a 1995-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee/Chevy Blazer/GMC Jimmy/Ford Explorer. I was hoping maybe some of you guys could throw in your opinions or experiences with any of those vehicles. I have almost no money and I need something I can tow with that will be reliable, cheap to maintain and will last through at least 3 more winters in upstate NY. Thanks for any input.

-Peter

Jr. Benz · #2 11-01-2004, 11:11 AM

Oh yeah, that 1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 that appears in my signiture, that is currently in the body shop for some final touches before it is COMPLETELY restored with the exception of the interior. So putting that car through the winter up here is out of the question. It is finally going to look as good as it runs. When that car comes out of the shop it is going under a cover for the next 5 months. Which brings me to another issue. I need a top of the line cover for that car that can hold up to the winter weather in Connecticut, anyone have any suggestions? If I have to pedal my way home for Christmas I will if the cover breaks the bank. Thats setting your priorities straight haha.

jseries · #3 11-01-2004, 11:22 AM

I don't know much about the models you mentioned but the earlier standard style Jeep Cherokees XJ model(not the Grands) are great rigs if the previous owner maintained it. Stay away from the real early ones(pre-87) with the GM 2.6L V6 they're junk. The later ones with the AMC 4.0L inline six are excellent motors. Or the 2.5 AMC 4 banger is good to. Same motor just two less cylinders but too weak for towing. There are tons of the 4.0's around here with well over 200,000 miles on them. I've been around these a lot and I'd look for an early-mid 90's model. Try to find one with the full-time transfer case(assuming you want 4WD) and the AT. The trans is the Borg-Warner Aisin AW4 and is bullet proof. Stay away from the ABS models too AMC and DC never quite got that ABS thing figured out and repairs can be spendy. I've made a couple x-country trips in my 90 and got 23 mpg hwy(in 2WD) both trips and about 17 in town. Not bad for a 4x4. Look for one that hasn't been lifted/big tires etc. Find a stock one that's been taken care of. For more info on these check out www.naxja.org/forum

Pete Burton · #4 11-01-2004, 12:12 PM

Give it a little time and relax before you make any hasty decisions, but I understand it doesn't look good. I remember spending time under a car in college when I should have been in the library and my grades showed it. Hopefully, you won't suffer the same fate. Do you go to RPI? I know that's a good engineering school up there. Lots of hills too, IIRC. I know your dad stated that there was a fair amount of blowby on that 240. Even if you find the problem is something minor, cold starts could be a hassle in Troy. Good luck

Jr. Benz · #5 11-01-2004, 12:58 PM

Pete - I am currently a sophomore at RPI, Electric Power Engineering major. I don't plan on purchasing another car right away. However, that 240 was not my favorite vehicle. It was a pain to tow with because it lacked torque and I have been looking for something to replace it for some time. I have been looking at those smaller SUVs for a couple months and pricing them out. They seem to be somewhat affordable with 100-150 thousand miles and my only hesitation is whether that is too many for those engines assuming they were maintained to a typical american standard. I decided to post in here in case anyone has owned one or knows someone who has. I figured it would be a good chance to get an un-biased opinion on how well these particular models are built. Thanks for your response too.

P.E.Haiges · #6 11-01-2004, 01:01 PM

Jr. Benz,

First you should find out what is wrong with your Benz. It might be something simple or inexpensive to fix.

If you don't have much money, how will you buy a SUV or put gasoline in it? You will probably be better off if you take what a SUV will cost and invest it in your Benz. Most likely a low price SUV in the price range you can afford will be less reliable than your Benz after it is fixed.

P E H

#7 11-01-2004, 01:12 PM

I agree with this synopsys..
See what is up with your benz...it may just take some man hours to get repaired and not a pocketful of cash
newer jeeps *cringe*
get a pre 1991 (I believe?) cherokee with the 4.0L inline 6 (fuel injection)
Pre that date becuase it was more jeep and less chrysler eletronics (less problems).
Also make sure you get a stickshift 5-speed heh
My mom put 245,000on hers...every mile her own. We don't always have time for religious oil changes. It finally just got tired and slowish...slipping clutch...etc..
the solution? dad built an engine and dropped it in heh.
These are good cars through
1988-1991 I think is the main years there
just bought one froma guy a while back for 300 bucks..."bad fuel pump...no pressure..wouldn't start"
Dropped the tank, moved the fuel pump power contact away from the metal parts of the tank (wrong mounts) and she was good to go. Sold it for 1900.
this was a 1988 pushin 200K miles, 5-speed stick, 4.0L
And it'll get around 20mpg if you drive it nicely....
so if you are in a pinch..
go for the old! heh

Jr. Benz · #8 11-01-2004, 01:28 PM

PEH - I do plan on attempting to at least confirm whether or not this thing is dead or not, but due to the oil leak at the rear main seal, I am not going to put money into fixing this thing if it runs the bill over $300. Between adding Delvac every 300 miles and putting fuel in this 240, my father and I will spend twice as much money than just filling the gas tank in one of those SUVs especially with Diesel fuel prices where they are.

KCM · #9 11-01-2004, 01:33 PM

Had a fintail 200D that acted similar, coincidently while driving it to college. Over a few trips it kept losing power, to the point it would not start any more. Would start with ether (no glow plugs used, of course). (FYI, never use ether with glow plugs, or engine damage could occur.) Turned out the engine was just shot and needed rebuilding. Guess it kept losing compression at an accelerated rate.

Before jumping to conclusions, I would check for blockages in the air cleaner, fuel system, and exhaust system. The smoke from under the car could indicate a plugged muffler. Restricted air and fuel filters will also cause a lose of power. May be something simple. Don't know what to say about the low oil pressure, other than maybe the engine was idling slower than usual due to one of these restrictions.

jseries · #10 11-01-2004, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon314159

get a pre 1991 (I believe?) cherokee with the 4.0L inline 6 (fuel injection)
Pre that date becuase it was more jeep and less chrysler eletronics (less problems).

Acctually the 90 to about 95/96 are the best ones. DC didn't mess them up with the Chrysler trans, rear axle etc till 96 or 97 and then reliability went downhill fast compared to the earlier 90's era. Also the 91+ 4.0's are the HO motors with a bit more HP but the pre-91 4.0's have plenty of zip. The key like buying any used vehicle is start with one in good condition rather than trying to save a few bucks thinking you'll "fix it up" for less $$$$.
As mentioned above though first find out what's wrong with the MB. Prolly cheaper to fix it than start all over again with an unknown car that will prolly need some work/$ too.

Jr. Benz · #11 11-01-2004, 04:16 PM

Ok guys, I pulled the air filter off and played with the throttle linkage and everything is in order there. I also disconnected the exhaust pipe just beyond the headers and no signs of starting. I get the same rough coughing noises, but with a bit of an low thumping due to exhaust pipe being disconnected. This leads me to beileve that it must be related to compression because the fuel delivery was working fine last night when I drove it all the way up here. I actually got decent gas milage. Thats where I am at right now.

Jr. Benz · #12 11-01-2004, 05:27 PM

I just went outside and pop started the car. When I dropped the clutch, the engine jumped out from underneath the hood, looked me in the eyes and said, "F*&^ YOU". Actually that just what it would have done if it were able to. Instead it just ran like crap for about 40 yards and then suddenly without touching the gas pedal or anything the car accelerated and the engine came up to speed and it actually sounded fine (for having no exhaust pipes attached). Now I didn't push my luck and stray too far from my apartment so I can't tell you how it would run at a higher speed, or anything above 2nd gear for that matter. I also thought about all those people in Troy, NY who take their ability to hear for granted and decided to punish them another time. After all that I guess it must be the starter? But that doesn't explain why it would run so ****ty last night, so there has to be something else wrong with this engine. I suppose there could be a problem associated with the fuel delivery...my father mentioned the possibility of getting air in the fuel system if there is a leak somewhere, but I don't have anything here to fix that if it were the problem.

Rick Miley · #13 11-01-2004, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jr. Benz

About 30 miles later while climbing a rather large hill I suddenly found my right foot at the floor and the speedometer at about 55 mph.

This is a classic symptom of a clogged fuel filter. P. E. Haiges doesn't change fuel filters until seeing the exact same thing.

dmorrison · #14 11-01-2004, 07:29 PM

Don't through the baby out whit the bath water.
Lets cover some items.

Oil pressure dropped at the toll booth. I assume the car had been warm and running for a while. ALL my diesels drop to about 1 bar at idle when the car is warmed up. This is normal. Did it drop to .5 bars or less. If not it is acting normal. Once off idle it usually pegs the oil pressure guage.

Now it's running OK? What about a bad batch of diesel? I had some and I thought the engine was going to blow.

Filters?

Possible water in the fuel?

I would spend a little time analyzing the car before putting alot of money in a SUV.

Cost of diesel. It will drop after the election. Oil has already started to come down so will diesel.

Dave