I am about to recieve an 86 300 SDL as a gift. Is there such a thing as a Free mercedes? From what Ican tell it is not running. Some friends of my In-Laws are selling their house and want the car gone, and I showed an interest in it.
What are some of the Habbits/qwerks I need to look at for the SDL? I think it has about 245k on it and has always had dealer maintenance done to it (the owners are fairly well-off).

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Dean

Depends upon what is wrong.
Could cost $10.00 - $9,000.00 to get it back on the road.
Need much more data to make useful comments.
Do you have repair history???

Where has it been stored = field, barn, outside, etc, etc.

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1983 300D
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I have seen the car once and It looked ok. The owner is not mechanically inclined. The car is in a garage and appears it has seen its off time in that garage stall. There is no visible rust but this is a Rhode Island car and they use salt like there's no tomorrow so.......

In the short discussion I had with the owner during some clean-up efforts at his home, I expressed interest in the car, he expressed that he had it in the shop several times for various issues and this time it simply wouldn't start. I am not making any assumptions. With 2 other 124, 6cyl diesels, I have encountered several maintenance issues and have not come across something I couldn't handle. I guess I am not sweating it, I am just looking for model related "bad habits" or problems specifically seen in the 126 series of this vintage.

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Dean

I have a 1986 300SDL and a 1987 300D. Engines are pretty much the same. If you can work on your '87, you can get this guy to start. The 126 body is bigger, an older design, but a very fine bit of work. Get the SDL running and you will love it. If it has been maintained by the dealer, there shouldn't be too much wrong with it. Check the casting number on the side of the head and let us know what version it is.
Hope you take the car, you will love it. (and if ya don't want it, one of us will be gLad to take it!)

The car is free.......its a great deal......if it cost too much to fix you got a car to part out.....if its feasible to fix you got a deal for a car to drive ...any way around as long as it comes with a clear title you got a deal...jump on it.

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1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Make sure that when the key is turned to the on position that the stop lever is up all the way. It is suppose to be down when the key is off. That was the only thing that kept my SDL from starting. Somehow my shut-off valve was damaged at the rod so it couldn't move freely, no idea how it happened but it's fixed, 2 run-aways later!

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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Glow plugs, glow plug relay, dirty fuel filter, are also things that can be reason for not starting.

What ever became of your lifter noise on your 87 300D?

I stopped and looked a little better at the car after work (the owner still wasn't home) but it looks like it suffers the window regulator blues (front driver). It appears to be in decent shape overall. There is a bit of rust forming where the body panels come together in the front near the bumper. The car sits level and the interior looks to be in good shape. I am still waiting to get with the owner and find out all of the details.

Will the 126 Trans fit in a 124 wagon? My 1987 300TDT is experiencing some shifting woes. It powers through the gears fine but at cruising speed if you mash the pedal it feels like it shifts out of 4th and gets stuck somewhere in never-land, surges and actually slows down. If you let off the gas it shifts back into 4th and will accelerate slowly but still not right.

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Dean