up until recently, my 240d has run beautifully. not a single problem for almost seven months. all good things must come to an end, of course, a bonbardment of problems hits me all at once. for one, a strange rattling noise began emanating from the undercarriage. this turned out to be a crack in the exhaust stemming from the infamous snow bank fiasco. two, my transmission has begun leaking at a rate that i'd say would be about a quart per month. not a big deal. three, a trip to the lakehouse up in the mountains made the car lose power while going at about 65-70 mph. when i pulled over, the car did not shut off, and i was able to continue. is this an instance of high altitude (it's a minimal increase, but more than the car is used to) or is something else going on? keep in mind it only happened up in the mountains, though it hasnt been on the highway in a while. four, i can feel an oddity in the engine noise of the car. it sounds vaguely like the sound of a washing machine, kind of a rotating sound. it is audible only during initial acceleration from idle, though this could be because the noise of the engine drones it out during driving. i can feel this in the accelerator as well. my friend, a mopar expert, believes it is an issue with the drive belt. is there a way to test this? does that diagnosis seem right? and thank you to anyone who managed to read all the way down to here.

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1980 240D, 197580 miles - "The Stuttgart Stomper"

did he say where to find a drive belt on your benz?

never heard of one.

it doesnt sound like any belt problems to me. have you checked all your filters?

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.

In all your years of experience you have never heard of a fan belt being referred to as a drive belt?

The washing machine sound could be from the a/c compressor or a crankshaft pulley that is loose.

Or it could be coming from your vacuum pump which might also explain why the car would not shut down.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

i think that's a misunderstanding. i applied the brakes, but the car did not shut down. i thought maybe it was overheating. i did not take the key out of the starter.

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1980 240D, 197580 miles - "The Stuttgart Stomper"

no. in 51 years never heard a fan belt referred to as a drive belt.

could be a regional thing i suppose.

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.

Interesting descriptions. I would remove the fan/drive belt/belts and rev up the engine a little to find out if it was engine accesories or not first. Needless to say make sure you can duplicate the noise when the car is sitting still before trying anything. Also just in case it were the dreaded engine balancer check that the bolt in the centre is tight. Or at least inspect the balancer. You might also try a stethascope device or long screwdriver to your ear to localise the noise as well. On ther otherhand if the noise cannot be made to appear while car is static you might have quite a chase on your hands. Also try to locate exactly where the transmission is leaking. Might be pretty simple unless it is the front seal.

Take a look at the parts category descriptions used by MercedesShop. Look right below "Diesel Injection."

http://catalog.eautopartscatalog.com/mercedesshop/sophio/part.jsp?partner=mercedesshop&year=1982&make=MB&model=300-DT-001&clientid=catalog.mercedesshop&cookieid=1TH129NWZ1VR0MWT5X&baseurl=http://catalog.peachparts.com/

hoagies, submarine sandwiches, grinders, etc. everyone i've talked to refers to it as 'drivebelt'. sorry if i offended anyone, i know it's such a big deal and all.

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1980 240D, 197580 miles - "The Stuttgart Stomper"