So i took a stroll to town to day (45 away) and on the way back i noticed 3 things.
First was that it seemed a bit sluggish. i was driving 75-80 mph with cruise on, and when i got back into town, it just seemed like i was pulling a trailer. Very slow response and seemed like no horsepower at all.

Second i am hearing a quiet Ding Ding Ding when at idle, and it speeds up to a Ding Ding Ding when i accelerate. what could that be?

and 3rd i was taking my target merchandise out of the trunk when i saw that the bag was melted to another bag. I had them sitting on the left side, right above where the muffler is located.

Could all 3 of these be related in any way? Any help is much appreciated.

Dan

guess but first thing is plugged cat?

second is ignition retarded. this is a gasser right?

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

thing is too lean mixture. a look at your plugs might reveal something. do you have a reference book with pictures of plugs?

tom w

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

This is a 300D turbo 1985. When you say plugs, i hope you mean glowplugs? and i filled it up yesterday, and this 100 mile trip took me down to 3/4 tank?! might be ok, but my tank being a 21.2 gallon tank it seems like it chugged it on this trip.

the bag!

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Thats somewhere south of 15 mpg. Any idea what the outside air temp was? How about the engine coolant temp?


If it was running hot, wouldnt it get better fuel milage?

Only thing I can think of is an exhaust leak, or very hot running temp. Shouldnt get that hot though.

Is it possible that one cylinder has lost compression (engine noise and lose of power) and unburned fuel is combusting in the muffler causing the heat in the trunk? Is that possible in a diesel? Just a wild guess.

Well it was around 95-100F outside, and engine temp was at 90C. Hmm how hard is it to check for the compression loss? any special tools needed that are hard to get? and how much would it be to fix? someone on another forum suggested a new muffler... below is his post

Yes, a loose baffle inside a muffler, flapping around could make the noise you describe. it could also partially block the exhaust flow, causing sluggish performance, AND an overheating muffler. I bet it's an easy fix with a new muffler. JMO. Good luck.
Bert

what do you guys think about that.

Dan

I assumed the sound you described was coming from the engine. Can you tell if it's coming from the area of the engine or the muffler? I would think it would be easy to tell if you can hear it at idle. Hopefully he's right about the muffler baffle as that would be easy to fix.

If you are hearing strange sounds from the engine, I would recommend finding a good independent MB shop in your area and have them check it out. I can't guess what would need fixing until the problem is identified.

comment was applicable if it is gas. na on the diesel.

tom w

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Just a thought but.... Does this car have the dreaded trap oxidizer? Could that be your problem?

i have a letter from 1996 stating that the "trap oxidizer" would be exchanged at her next visit to the dealer. The device that would be put in its place would be a "oxidation catalyst."

No clue what that is, but this is the california model that has something different than the normal 300D's.

trap oxidizer is a good bet, they often take out the turbo when they go. may be causing a ding ding noise if the turbo vanes are cracked, missing, or hitting the side of the housing.

This seems obvious, but check your muffler... mine once started rattling against the heat shield when a hanger broke, and melted the carpet inside the trunk (!!!). There's a LOT of heat under there! Might also explain some of the noise you hear, but not the power loss. Sorry, can't help you there.

Good luck!

Chris

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)