Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16  
Old 08-19-2006, 10:23 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Northern California
Posts: 18
I Say, "Buy the 300D!"

Welcome to the forum, IHDexter - you've come to the right place to get input to help you make your decision. You stated that the car "drove nicely" when you took it for a drive. I'd like to share my Mercedes Benz acquisition experience with you ....... even though I obtained a 190D as opposed to a 300D Turbo, what I am about to convey to you is probably best interpreted as a testimonial to older Mercedes Benz automobiles in general as opposed to being model specific. I acquired a 1984 190D 2.2 from my landlord - it had belonged to his father who died. After the gentleman's death, the Mercedes remained parked in the driveway for a little over five years without being started. My landlord asked me if I would help him do a clean-up of the entire house - as we did a walk-through the first day, when we walked by the Mercedes in the driveway, he said, "I guess I'll have to have that thing hauled off." The car appeared to be in quite good shape, which gave rise to me asking him if it ran. He said, "I doubt it - it hasn't been started in over five years." I said, "Let's check out the fluids and put a good battery in it and see if it will start." He said, "Michaela, I'll tell you what - if you can get the thing started and get it out of my hair, you can have it!"
The very next day, I took a good strong battery up to the house and put it in. I checked all the fluids in the engine, and they all looked good. Then, I attemped to fire it off. Do you know that car started right up! I mean, it didn't even hesitate, it just started right up - vrrooomm!! I have been driving the car every day for the past two years, and it runs great. To me, the decision was easy whether or not to keep it - the only financial risk I took was the $250 or so to invest to bring the registration current; which I did. But I'll tell you what - they don't make 'em like they used to; and I'll take an older Mercedes with less electronic stuff in it any day of the week over a new American car. The mileage on mine currently sits at 244,000; the mileage of over 300.000 is high, but I would base my decision more on how the car runs rather than how it looks. Does it start right up; does it drive down the road soundly (is the steering solid, does it not vibrate or shimmy, etc.); you've already said it brakes well; does the tranny shift strongly and does it feel sound when it shifts; check all the fluids (motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, water ... are they up to level, and how do they look?). The state of the fluid level and appearance can be an indication of not only what's going on with the general state of the car but how it's been maintained as well. (Although, this is not always the case.) I go alot by the sounds a car makes - does it just plain sound like it's running good? Look under the hood - if you see evidence of a bunch of wiring problems, pass on it. Nothing is worse than an older vehicle with a plethora of electrical problems, in my opinion. If you can say yes to everything except the wiring problems - if you can say "no evidence of wiring problems" and yes to everything else, you'd probably be well-advised to purchase it. If the fifteen hundred stretches your financial means to the limit, then go back and offer the gentleman a little less. Personally, I do believe that Mercedes Benz is engineered like no other car in the world, and I can tell from driving mine that; even though mine is the bottom line of what Mercedes has to offer, every aspect of it's design is built to last and is far superior to any other car I've ever owned. I have reason to believe my 190D will give me many years of service, and the pleasure I get from driving it is comparable to no other vehicle I've ever driven.

Good luck, and be secure in the knowledge that if you do buy it, this forum is filled with kind and helpful gentlemen who will help you if you do encounter problems with it. A great forum member as well as a superlative source of maintenance pictorials is a gentleman by the name of DieselGiant; located at http://www.dieselgiant.com - the information you'll find there is invaluable.

Regards, Michaela
1984 190D 2.2

Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 08-21-2006, 09:51 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The Tiny Kingdom, Alabama
Posts: 6
More information from the (soon-to-be previous?) owner

The owner wrote me a letter with most all of the details on the car. He says that it shifts hard, but it still is shifting well (no slippage).

Ever since he has owned it (1988), he has had the oil and filter changed every 5k miles (around 60 times, as he says he individually has put around 300k on it).

The air conditioner went kaput two months ago and he thinks that a hose has gone bad but has not explicitly checked so.

There apparently is a water leak in the right side of the car that allows a small amount of rainwater into the right rear floor pan (there is no rust there that I could find- he smartly took up the carpet back there and has sponges to catch the water... ) from where he does not know. Water also leaks into the trunk on each side. Holes were drilled to let the water out .

The odometer does not work during the summer but does when cold weather comes. The instrument panel lights do not work and the headlight dimmer switch "seems to switch to bright all by itself sometimes." All of the maintenance and shop manuals come with the car.

On recommendation from yall, I asked about the vacuum system. He said that it doesn't quite work all the time and he is quite sure there is a leak somewhere. Joy. (I am already beginning to chant "I love working on vacuum systems," thanks lostyankee)

He recently purchased a wvo kit from www.dieselsecret.com and was about to build the filtration system and such when I asked to purchase the car and thus he is including that with the car.

I know I may not sound it in the least, but I am quite excited. Any other caveat's?
Thank you for reading through this mess.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 08-21-2006, 11:59 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: W. WI
Posts: 307
Do a search on vacuum diagrams and take it with you to verify everything is in there. I learned the hard way with posts asking 'What the ... is this part?"
Water in the rear: My 300SD had a small hole in the rear portion of the lower door sill which flooded the floor.
Diesel Secret: Snake oil. The previous owner (PO) sounds iffy. (AC issues vs. knowledge, snake oil scams). LOOK AT EVERYTHING!
If your interested in bio fuel, be prepared to read till your eyeballs are red. Lots of crap out there. Look for sites with a proper $ trail to know exactly the costs. Best advice I can give you on bio or alternative fuel: get the best oil to start with, settle to remove water and only heat oil when needed (processing), size your filtration system around your collection.
Back to the MB: Sounds like you could easily put $2500 in this beast to make her proud again NOT counting paint. Sounds very much like my owner (300SD). I should have waited for a better MB and one that better fits my needs. PO lied like a pollitician just before sentencing.
One way to get the MB lust out of your eyes is to take the car to a used car dealer and ask what they'd give you for the beast.
So goes life. You never truly know till afterwards!
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 08-22-2006, 08:52 AM
Bama1's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Tennessee River Valley
Posts: 322
H2O infiltration via rear windshield seal

IH Dexter,

Good luck with your new tractor

The water issue is due to infiltration via the rear windshield seal.
It is dried and shrinking and allowing water to enter...I had the glass shop remove and replace mine with a new seal that I had purchased from Performance Parts. Totally fixed the problem. ($75 labor plus the seal)

You could also use a silicone sealant but it is difficult to end up with a good working fix that looks acceptable/decent. Plus, silicone is only temporary for a couple of years and will be hard to clean up when you must do the seal replacement afterall.

Oh! Plug up those drainage holes in the trunk to stop exhaust fumes from suffocating you and your passengers or at least ruining the interior

Welcome and Good, Good luck!!
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 08-22-2006, 09:58 AM
Willing Participant
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 1,394
Wasn't Birmingham part of Aqualand?

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=21821
__________________
1982 300CD Petrol/Black Leather
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 08-22-2006, 10:20 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Northern California
Posts: 18
I Changed My Mind, IHDexter!

I just read the posting you submitted yesterday, and I don't know, Dexter; I think I would pass on that car .... here in California, where I reside, I have seen older MBs for sale (early to mid 80's) for a little less than $1500, and this is an expensive area in which to live. I mention this because .. well, maybe now that you're so fired up about buying a Mercedes, maybe you should consider looking through your local classifieds and seeing what they have to offer in the way of an older used Mercedes. Although the WVO kit that'll be included in the purchase is a really great thing, it sounds like there's a lot you're gonna have to fix; and there's no telling what else'll go while you're working on the existing repairs. The water leaks going on seem really odd; I don't think I've heard of a Mercedes with such odd leaks before. Problems with the vacuum system; a dimmer switch that operates itself - yikes! Man, you don't want to spend $1500 to get it and then not even be able to drive it until you fix a bunch of stuff. My 190D is a bottom of the line Mercedes - like I said before, it sat for five years without being started 'till I got it, but everything on it works, and it's a year older; maybe I just got lucky. But what do I know .... I'm just a girl! Hey - what's going on with the registration on this vehicle? Is it current?

Anyway, I thought that statement that d.delano's was very profound:
"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes Benz"
Dig it!
Good Luck!

Regards, Michaela
1984 1909D 2.2
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 08-22-2006, 10:42 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sachse, Texas
Posts: 9
300TD from Birmingham to Dallas

I really have nothing to add but wanted to share my experience in Birmingham:

About three months ago, I bought a 300TD from a very nice gentleman in Birmingham. I flew from Dallas and he picked me up at the airport we then completed the deal at his brother-in-laws jewelry shop and I was off for my 700+ mile trip. It was one of my most memorable road trips ever (in a good way). This is my first Mercedes and my first Diesel.

Since then, My wife begged me to buy her a Jetta Diesel wagon so we found a 2002 a few miles from my property in the country and picked it up for a reasonable price. She really loves it and we will probably always be a diesel family from now on.

I was looking forward to getting a Jeep Gladiator diesel (2005 concept car) but it was reported a few days ago that it will not be built.
__________________
_____________________________________________
84' 300TD 228,000 miles
02' Jetta wagon TDI 198,000 miles
02' New Beetle TDI 172,000 miles
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 08-23-2006, 12:54 PM
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Varies
Posts: 4,802
Since you are fortunate enough to live outside of the rust belt you can buy a car that you might keep for years to come. Spend a few extra bucks and buy one with fewer issues. Save your money while you look for the right car. It will be cheaper to buy one in great shape than to restore one. Restored and original are not the same thing at any price.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 08-23-2006, 01:13 PM
Geotiger's Avatar
DieselTiger
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hoover, AL
Posts: 13
IHDexter:

I live in Hoover and have used a mechanic in Homewood with "ok" results. My car's previous owner used Birmingham Benz on the Southside. There's also another mechanic in Homewood that appears to get a large amount of MB business, but can't remember the name. It's on Central Avenue across from Homewood Auto & Body.

Good luck!
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 08-23-2006, 01:30 PM
jrgslg's Avatar
1985 300sd
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Eads TN
Posts: 217
Quote:
Originally Posted by TwitchKitty View Post
Since you are fortunate enough to live outside of the rust belt you can buy a car that you might keep for years to come. Spend a few extra bucks and buy one with fewer issues. Save your money while you look for the right car. It will be cheaper to buy one in great shape than to restore one. Restored and original are not the same thing at any price.
I agree with this,I know its not want you want to hear,let me try and quote Brian "theres nothing more expensive than a cheap mercedes". I think I got it correct,I think for a little more you will get a lot more.Good Luck,Johnny
__________________
85 300sd SOLD ,85 745i,95 740i,1972 Suburban,1938 International
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 08-25-2006, 02:35 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The Tiny Kingdom, Alabama
Posts: 6
Spoke to the mechanic today...

I called the mechanic that the owner referred me to in order to find out the condition of the car. He said that in the eight years he had worked on it, nothing major was done (I didn't know what specifically to ask if such and such was done, forgot to ask about timing chain, etc.). He said it was a very reliable car and definately worth $1500 and that the owner, who apparently is quite mechanically inclined (he was either the commander of or mechanic on a vessel in one of our late conflicts), had kept the drive train of the car very well maintained but not the things that 'do not effect how the car drives.' (Fyi- the car has current registration through January and is driven on a regular basis) He said that I could bring the car down and take advantage of some buyer's program they have down there to evaluate a vehicle for someone before they buy it; I am going to see if I can do such a thing tomorrow or early next week. I know that I should probably take heed of yall's sage advice to move on and find a car in better condition and with fewer miles, but at times I can be more stubborn than an old mule about things and this is one of those unfortunate times. It does not help that the only diesels I can find in this area for sale are either held by sketchy little dealerships that want a bit much [1983 300D $3860, 190k{?}], need 'minor' engine work, or are a bit out of my range in what I will allow myself to spend [1987 300SDL $4900, 188k]. I apologise for being so grouchy and fussy and for making this thread go on for so long... Thank you for putting up with me!

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page