FLAME SUIT ON!

Well, Im bored at work and feel like posting my thoughts. I love my car and think it is a beautiful example of great engineering. That said I do have a few complaints / suggustions to the old MB engineers.

1) Brake lights share the same fuse as the IP, window relays, and one other thing. Modern vehicles have them on sperate circuits for each side so there is a fail safe from loosing all your brake lights! (This has happened twice to me) I can't roll the windows down to use arm signals or at least turn the hazzard lights on since they all blow at once!

2) Minor but I find myself looking for a glove box light after the car is shut off more often then not.

3) Sorry, MB automatics are WAY too sensitive to vacuum differences and the shift quality is way too variable.

Anyone else?

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Adam Lumsden
(83) 300D
Vice-President of the MBCA International Stars Section

WHOOOOOOSH!!!!!! (sound of rushing flames)

Yep , I can see you are really bored .

You're complaining about the design flaws in a 20 yr old car , that was designed nearly 30yrs ago????

WOW ............... LOL .

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'72 240D
'76 300D
'88 300sel
'40 Chev pickup , the shop hack.
'73 Monte Carlo Landau, for "Super Chevy Sunday"

That's no accident. I am glad that an open glove box won't discharge my battery.

Tell us more about that IP fuse,

Sure, why not? We brag about the things we like in that same 30-year-old design.

I've always been disappointed that M-B didn't put a light on the engine hood. The trunk has a light, why not the other end? I plan to add a light one of these days.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

personally I think the ALDA is a design flaw. I ripped the guts out of mine and stopped up the pressure tube and I now have loads of power and I think, although I havent tested it very scientifically, but I think Im getting better mileage. EGR is also a design flaw, in my not so humble, arrogant opinion.

The reason they didn't put a light under the hood, is because they (MB) didn't want owners tinkering around under the hood. You're supposed to HAVE to take it in to the dealer....Yeah, I wish there was a light under the hood tooo....

All of them should have been sold with the manual climate controls (240D) instead of the automatic system.

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Jim

just one thing, the vacuum system.

only thing i see wrong with the car is the right side electric mirror, you cant adjust it to see the right rear quarter panel area, and the sun visors suck.. thats about it ( i think im going to make a new work gear for that mirror soon so i can get it where i want)

not a big deal but something to post on this thread.

the not so bright reflective instrument lights instead of the bright backlights just like the japanese and american cars. why? are the germans saving some 12V power on the use of multiple bulbs rather than just 2 bulbs that are almost inadequate for shining efficient lighting especially when the car gets old like ours.

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'85 300D Turbo - CA Version

I agree there are a few nits they could have done better. But to be fair, the EGR wasn't exactly their idea. IMHO, the vacuum system, climate control, and ALDA work just fine if you bother to maintain them correctly.

I would prefer to troubleshoot the vacuum system than an electrical problem any day.

If your car runs better with the ALDA defeated, you probably are just masking other problems. If I turn my ALDA up, I get a ridiculous amount of black smoke indicating it is running much too rich.

I like the manual climate controls in the 240D for short trips because it responds immediately. However, I actually prefer the auto climate control in the 300D because I use it for long highway trips. I just leave it set on about 20C all the time and it works perfectly. If I drive the 240D long distances, I get sick of tweaking the manual controls every time the outside temperature changes. Personally, I think the climate controls are appropriate for each car.

They could have made the antenna mask a little more robust, I'm a little tied of having to replace it every time it gets a little bent. A lumbar support wouldn't have hurt either. They probably could have found a AC compressor that doesn't have to be replaced every 150K miles. A volt meter (and maybe a boost gauge) would have been a nice idea.

1) Fuse Box location, pain to remove lid.

2) Battery, again PITA to remove, almost have to remove the air cleaner.

3) Stupid fuse for the CCU.

4) Parking brake shoe R&R, and cable layout.

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-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
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1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

1) its a german thing

2) ive never had any problems( i guess my skill at removing the fuse cover pays off )

3) yea.. its a german thing

4) i dont know about that one

You're complaining about the design flaws in a 20 yr old car , that was designed nearly 30yrs ago????

My 240D/77 was actually produced in 1976, meaning that the design originated some 4 years prior to that. I would guess that the design of 123 is about 35 years old.

Vahe

When I drive my W126 I always think about how weird it is that the car is 24 years old, but how it easily keeps up with your typical modern car in what it offers....it may not have the latest gadgets, but it has everything else...power windows...locks....I added a modern sirius radio, so I have that covered, it has excellent brakes....gets good mpgs.....ultra reliable....and I am driving a mercedes, what more could I ask for?

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)