I've been on this site for a few weeks, finally decided to join up today. anyways, i've owned a 1980 240d that i bought for $1900 since October 05. since then, it has broken down two times, resulting in $1700+ in repairs (all done by a benz diesel expert the next town over - excellent work). recently, after fueling up i noticed a smell of diesel in the cabin. this has never happened before. later on, as i was heading home, i lost power and tried restarting 6 or 7 times before the engine turned over and i was able to make it home (approx. 5 miles from my house). as i turned onto my street, the car began stalling horribly and seemed as if it were losing power. as i parked in front of my house, as soon as i let off the accelerator, the car died. i come out the next morning, and there's a pool of diesel under/next to the car. since then i've driven it into my back yard without problem (i am afraid to take it on the road at this point) does anyone know what's going on?

first you need to determine where the fuel is coming from. also you might tell us what your mechanic did to the car as well.

we'll try to help you figure out the problem.

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.

he basically got the car acclimated(sp) to a nothern climate (it had been in FL for 25 years) and got the car up to snuff in the ways of compression adjustment, drag link replacement, glow plug replacement, fuel injector replacement, and the installation of a glowplug heater, among other (minor) things. hope this helps. i may add, however, that the car had a run-in with a snowbank in early march, in which the chassis was resting on the snow, and no wheels were touching the ground. it hasn't been a problem and there has been no noticable repercussions other than a noisy tick when the accelerator is pressed to the floor.

now for where the fuel is coming from.

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.

Same symptoms happened to me just last week so i pulled over with the engine idling to investigate. Turned out to be the fuel priming pump knob had rotated loose, was leaking fuel onto the ground. The priming knob just needed to be rotated clockwise to set it tight.

the leak is coming from the notch in the gas tank towards the rear/right of the tank. it feels like something has broken inside the hole.

So is the trunk filling with diesel? Sounds like tou need to drain and pull the tank.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Off the subject, but a wickedly delightful and ironic name you have chosen for yourself, AYRTON SENNA, but driving the SLOOOOWest Mercedes of its time, the 240D.

Ayrton Senna, the legendary Brazilian race driver, campaigned one of the early 190E 2.3 16 v sedans, and drove an SEC coupe at one time.

It was a tragedy this great driver died so young.

As to your car, the 240D is a "forever" Mercedes if you can keep it up and keep any rust off the car. Its lack of speed will require different driving techniques to cope, but once at 70-75 mph it can and will cruise very well.

They embody each and every virtue of the most expensive Mercedes, and are very safe, durable and truly long lasting. If I had a backup Mercedes it would be a 240 Diesel manual shift, or a 300D automatic, that's for sure.
I especially like the ones from 1977-85 (The W123)

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

In my opinion if the tank itself where leaking it would not cause your problem. But if the fuel line were leaking close to the tank you would have it. Take a reallly close look.

Could the vent-tube have come loose from around the fuel filler area causing the trunk (and interior) to fill with fumes?

I know that if I spill PowerService in my trunk, that waxy smell takes forever to go away.

Is the fuel strainer loose? One of its lines not clamped tightly? If the mechanic futzed with the tank prior, it could be a good place to look-- and can be repaired with just a screw/nut driver and a giant socket.

I'll be repeating others here, but peek around the primer pump(where all the brass fuel lines meet) and then peek around the rear differential-- if fuel is leaking it *should* be from around these, no? If it is elsewhere, youll have to pull out the tank(few screws/bolts, you can take the strainer out later)

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http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i1...Untitled-1.jpg

I wonder if high centering on the snow bank did damage to the fuel lines.

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82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods

here are some pics of where the leak is coming from. it is the knob that is leaking fuel. i've never even noticed this thing before, what is it and is it fixable? btw it feels like something has popped inside of the knob.

That looks like the trunk drain. Open the trunk, pull back the carpet on the right side, and see if you can see (or smell) diesel.

there is a small bit, only a very small puddle. i think this may be from the yellow tank i kept in the car in case of an emergency. there is a very pungent odor of diesel in the trunk, however. the diesel smell in the cabin has subsided.

here's the car up on the snowbank, march 8, 2006. sorry for the poor quality, taken with a camera phone.