I gave into my unique vehicle obsession this year and just bought an '81 300TD with a single tank WVO conversion. (Past obsessions have left me with a Prius, 2 classic motorscooters, and almost a Dodge/MB Sprinter ...)

We did baptism by fire and drove it home 660 miles to Tucson in 100^+ heat for about 400 of those miles. The car is in pretty darn good shape with about 250 miles and a rebuilt transmission (10k miles ago). We developed a punchlist on the way home, and first on the list is to find a good MB mechanic here in Tucson. Is there a list on the forum of recommended techs? Does anyone know a good one in Tucson?

Here's a list of stuff that needs attention. Looking for ideas, hints, common problems, etc. Or please point me to an FAQ.

1a. Idles roughly and dies after running on the freeway for a long time. I saw another thread on this today ... airleaks are common causes? Especially with the WVO? It's got a heat exchanger on a coolant line and a big canister filter.

1b. Also, when I was able to keep it running by pulsing the accelerator, when it started moving again, there was a big puff of smoke.

1c. Also related is a hesitation at low RPM. Once it starts revving up it runs fine.

2. The door locks move up and down with the vacuum central locking, but they move kinda slow ... Vacuum leak?

3a. We ran the A/C hard the whole way ... Very little air came out of the middle vents ... Vacuum problem?

3b. When first turning on the A/C, it blows hot for a minute or 2, then cools down. Sometimes the left outside vent stayed hot, while the right one got cold.

3c. Should the A/C only come on when the wheel is turned all the way to Min?

4a. Horn doesn't work ... Fuse is fine

4b. Cigarette lighter receptacle doesn't work ... Haven't checked to see if there is current getting to the bracket yet ... Fuse is fine

4c. Instrument lights don't light ... Tried turning knob, tapping on the knob, etc. ... Fuse is fine

5. The starter didn't work when we first started it after getting gas after a couple hours on the highway. The engine was just above the 100^ mark. After a bunch of tries, it worked ... Bad solenoid?

6. Last but not least, is it possible to get an OEM key set for this car?

Thanks a bunch. I'm in love with this car.

Mike
Tucson, AZ

1a-c. have you changed your fuel flters?

2-3a. thats a vac leak... those can be a real pain to track down... i dont have the same a/c but as far as i know the vents are controlled by the vac system

4a. prob a contact issue in the switch in the steering wheel... mine has the same problem and i still have not fixed it yet

4c. the dash rehostat is prob the culprit... it is one of the knobs below the gauges

6. yes from the dealer but you will need your registration and they cost between 20-30 dollars

not too sure about the others but im sure other folks will chime in

Thanks for the responses. I took it to a local shop today to have them take a look ... It was an amazing place with about 30-35 older MBs all over the place. I own and ride old motorscooters and it was just like showing up at a rally and seeing a bunch of old scooters for me.

3--- Does the defrost come on when the car is off? If not your PBC is shot.

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1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

What's a PBC?

Thanks.