How reliable are these cars? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DieselLover4EVR · #1 05-02-2006, 12:31 AM

I have 2 Mercedes 300Ds at my house and i'm not done working on them yet. And I was wondering about a couple of things about these cars. First of all, my car, an 85' 300D turbo diesel has a towing hitch on it. And I was wondering if anyone has tried pulling anything with one of these cars? Can you hook up a little trailer and pull a car with it? Or is it not strong enogh? I think it probably should because it is after all a diesel.Next, I think these cars have like 125HP and like 180TQ from stock? I hard you can total upto like 200-250HP to the back wheels just by using a propane bottle (like NOS, but you can't use NOS on these cars). Is there any other safer ways to boost the performance on these cars? Finally,how reliable are these cars? Are they good for rallying? Racing? Do they survive hard accidents? How stong are they? THANK YOU!!! Please answer any of these questions if you like.

rhodes2010 · #2 05-02-2006, 01:39 AM

With my non-turbo 5 cylinder 300D I have towed a ford minivan
for about 75 miles (slow uphill) and a moving trailer (small-ish)
on daily 80 mile runs. I deem it reliable.

I don't know about racing, but longevity and dependability are what it is all about.

During my 22 years of owning my first MB diesel many gas cars have I owned,
worn out, and passed on. The MB continues on, and on, and on.

If you want performance, keep a big cubic inch gasser around.
It all balances out, short term high performance use and long term good MPG.

Strength, many here will point out the reasonably light weight, yet incredibly strong structure.
Look inside your door panel sometime, steel bars to reinforce.

Why not add your location in your settings so we know where you are.
Add your vehicles to your signature.

And..., welcome.

83-240D · #3 05-02-2006, 11:13 AM

somewhere here someone hauled their undrivable new-to-him car on a trailer behind a 300td. there is video. 'course it was in the plains of texas if i 'member correctly.

tangofox007 · #4 05-02-2006, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselLover4EVR

I have 2 Mercedes 300Ds at my house and i'm not done working on them yet.

Don't expect that to change!!!

SD Blue · #5 05-02-2006, 11:30 AM

Towing is a matter of cooling also. I would not recommend extensive towing, especially large weight for extended periods of time. With a tranny fluid capacity of only about 6 qts., you are looking at a quick way to destroy a transmission. Engine cooling was not designed for heavy weight towing either.

If you are looking to tow a vehicle trailer, buy a truck which has been set up with the expanded cooling capacity for both the engine and tranny. An MB sedan is just not designed for it and if used that way, is an accident waiting to happen.

TX76513 · #6 05-02-2006, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangofox007

Don't expect that to change!!!

LMAO

Jim B. · #7 05-04-2006, 06:47 PM

In Europe car camping is popular and I have a friend there had a Nissan Primera and he towed a small caravan Trailer as we say here) with it

These cars can survive terrible accidents, by that I mean the passenger cages are reinforced - look at the wrecks in junkyards, hard to find one
with a compromised passenger cage

These sort of qualities are why people buy cars like this in the first place

One story related to me was about a couple of folks cruising on the autobahn and a Mercedes SEC flew by at about 110mph (looked like)

and they caught up about 10 minutes later, it hit a concrete abutment and the front end was pancaked to the firewall, and the driver and passenger were walking around scratching their heads

Let us not forget the diesels ALL last into the hundreds of thousands of miles with care

PatricdeBoer · #8 05-04-2006, 07:30 PM

A friend of mine with a 300d towed an 18 foot motor boat down big bear mountain and about 100 mile home on a trailer w/ no brakes. No problem.

Hatterasguy · #9 05-04-2006, 11:16 PM

I have never been stranded. But they are old cars so having 2-3 runners is a good idea.

Having three MB's or a MB and a Toyota seems like a good combo.

As far as towing, the SD has a hitch. I have never used it don't intend to, maybe if I ever need to hual an aluminum boat or a 13ft Whaler I would, but nothing more. I'll leave the towing to the F150 thats what trucks are for.

biopete · #10 05-05-2006, 02:26 AM

I put a tranny temp gauge on and with my stock cooler i towed 1500 lbs on a 300D NA for hours and tranny never got past 160F unless i sped. On the other hand, driving 80mph without towing sent tranny temp to 180F. I tow my pop up camper , 275 gallons of biodiesel and anything with my car. I dont do it every day but as often as i need to.

pawoSD · #11 05-05-2006, 02:33 AM

Once you've replaced almost every breakable part (still finding new ones

) on the car...they become just as reliable as when they were brand new.

MBeige · #12 05-05-2006, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Having three MB's or a MB and a Toyota seems like a good combo.

Good combo, that's what we also have!

83 300D
81 300TD
92 Corolla

MeinGreaseCar · #13 05-05-2006, 06:58 AM

Ive got a MB, Toyota, and a Honda.

I better not get shut out.

JP

vahe · #14 05-05-2006, 11:08 AM

I have a 240D 77 and a small flatbed trailer, over about ten years I hauled all the building materials needed to extensively remodel and extend our house, this included loads of sheetrock etc in the 2000 pound range. The car is manual and never experinced any problems.

Vahe
240D 77 350K