Are you ok, Jeepboy?

(Just trying out my ESP).

__________________
... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.

Larry,

Please don't make fun of the roof rack on my 300SD. Its great for hauling the spare tire and I don't have to unload the trunk when I need the spare.

The roof rack came from a Chevy Cadavalier(called that because it was usually dead). That was the only good part on the entire car. No I didn't buy it, it was given to me and I still got ripped off. I should have been paid to receive it.

P E H

Hello everyone,
I just returned from my 2500 mile trip to Cape Cod and NYC and back to Columbus Ohio and my diesel did it with ease. I was a little disappointed in the fuel economy but my speed avg. was 77 or so when i measured it to be around 26.5 mpg.
My little astral silver benz sure looked cute driving up and down the streets of NYC. Quite a work out on a car, stop and go, idling for 2 hrs in the lincoin tunnel, 75 mph in hard NJ traffic. But a few annoying things did occur on the trip and you 123 owners might very well recognize:
1. The power antenna stopped in up position, which i fixed by cleaning out the little motor assembly (i guess).
2. Glove box door wouldn't stay shut. Sister had to keep up with knees for a few hours until i fixed that.
3. Climate control makes abrupt temperture and speed changes on its own. Don't know what this is all about. So i just kept the econ button with low speed selected most of the time.
All in all a pleasant trip which i will repeat any day.

I really didn't have any doubts. These cars are pretty bulletproof, as long as the basics are checked, and it sounds like you had everything covered, along with a ton of ideas of what to take with you. As luck usually has it, if you are fully prepared, nothing happens.

I had a belt fly off my 77 300D but the thing was loose when I bought the car and it didn't come off until after I drove it from Bethlehem PA to Binghamton NY and twice from Watkins Glen racetrack back to Binghampton. When it broke it (on the way back home) it left a dent in the perfect paint on the hood. Oh well, the car got me where I was going and all it meant was no AC in August... taught me to check the basics. The weird thing was, I had a replacement belt with me, but I couldn't get the thing tightened properly at the rest area, so I just took it off and let my independent shop fix it.

As to your mileage, 26.5 mpg at 77 mph isn't really that bad at all. I average around 19.5 in town and on trips maybe 25.5. I have an 84 300SD, heavier but the same engine. My tranny slips, which I suspect accounts for the poor mileage during short trip driving. Once my tranny warms up I get much better acceleration and smoother shifts.

Compare it to a gasoline Mercedes from 1983 (any of them) and you probably have them beat by almost 10 mpg. Plus, I'm pretty sure all the gas MB's from that era required premium fuel.

How were diesel prices up in New England? They've been dropping in this area, with $1.45 being about an average. Diesel fuel costs a few cents less than premium, but a penny or two more than unleaded plus.

__________________
Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

I believe i paid $1.51, $1.45, $1.41, and $1.49 at my fill ups. The cheapest i saw on the trip was of course NE Ohio at $1.29. The diesel price seemed to be in line with the regular gas prices, sometimes higher at BP stations where it is "premium" at $0.15 higher. Diesel DOES seem to be getting cheaper around here in Ohio.

It does seem that diesel gets more expensive in the winter because of demand for home heating oil. Now that the heating season is coming to an end, diesel is getting cheaper again. In this area it's only been less than unleaded regular for about a week, at one local station.

__________________
Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Hail Jeepboy!

The things that happened on your course of trip could have happened at anytime and not necessarily on your long haul.

All in all, the W123 proved yet again to be a reliable automobile - provided of course if serviced regularly at mercedesshop.com

__________________
... Kerry

126 tailed by a 203, 129 leading the pack.