Hello all,

IM andy. I recently got a 1983 TDT from my neighbor. Anyway, Its got a few issues that im curious about. First off I LOVE the car, it gets great miledge and I drive 70 miles round trip every day so I put the miles on it. Anyway the first thing Im curious about is.....

Sometimes, about 1/2 the time, when I shut the car off with the key it will keep running for about 30 seconds then shut off. If I lock the doors while the keys out and its still running, it will stay on for even longer. I read that there may be a vacuum leak somewhere in the system due to the fact that the cars a vacuum line night mare, but I'm just curious to see what U guys think.

Second of all, it tends to run very hot especially up long hills, I live in southern california and even though its winter here its still a bit toasty mid day. When I go up a certain hill on the way to and from work the car gets very hot, like almost to the 120 mark, and sometimes itll get there on flat surfaces. I changed the oil, filters, fuel filters and flushed and changed the coolant as some routine maintenance a few weeks ago but it didnt seem to remedy the problem, and last night I replaced the fan and fan clutch with an electric fan on a thermostat, and it helped a bit but the car still got hot as can be. Today I was told my a local mercedes shop to bridge the wires from the fan on the front of the condenser and it turned on, and the car ran alot cooler, but I'm still worried. I MAY have messed up the mixture of coolant to water, but I'm curious if that would effect it that much. Its prolly like 70% coolant to 30% water, I'm thinking thats a problem, but I still think somethign else is up.

I fixed the dash light problem by soldering the trace on the back of the dash, as I read it in the forums here.

1 last thing.... I cleaned and re-greased the sunroof tracks as well as I could, but its weird, when its hot the roof opens and closes perfectly, but when its cold it takes forever until it gets to the last 6 inches then closes fast. I think it could be the grease is thinner during the day when its hot and thicker at night, but I still think it should close at all times,

ANyway, it sounds weird, but I'm a ford diesel technician but with this car im like uhhhh, lol. I know how it worls and what not I just don't quite yet know the little things that make these cars problems unique.

THanks for reading, and If you have any info please shoot it my way.
Thank you....

Andy.

Save yourself a ton of time and go get a mitivac. You have to have one if you own a diesel mercedes. Use that to find your vacuum leak.

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1979 240d 216k (W123) Daily Driver
Volvo 245DL 210k

1979 300D FOR SALE
2002 Tahoe 91k FOR SALE

1980 300sd 177k (W116) Sold
1980 300sd Parts (W116) Junked
1979 240D 121k (W123) Sold
1982 300TDT 298K (W123) (Sold)

I have a hand help vacuum pump, I just wasnt sure what lines represented what part of the car. I thought that green was the climate control system and brown was doors etc, that right?

Yes, and NO. Green is climate control stuff, solid yellow is door locks, yellow with gray stripe is vac reservoir for door lock stuff, black is a vent line, and brown is for the ignition/shutoff.
Your best bet is to find where lines go through firewall. Undo and plug everything but the brown, and see if car shuts off, which it should. [plug from vac side, not side going through firewall] Then plug in green and see if it makes a difference (it is very often this one. rubber bladders in vent pods). If green OK, hook up yellow, etc...... Usually a good way to do a quick check and isolate subsystem, then you can chase the actual leak from there.
On the overheat, always give the thermostat a try........
And, there really isn't a 300TDT, even though some folks call it that. That is in reference to a wagon, TD for "Touring Diesel", ie: wagon, and the second T for turbo, though by year we should already know that.
Sounds like you have an '83 300D since you have an electric sunroof. Wagons have a manual sunroof. We know your's is turbo cause it's an '83.
Welcome, and enjoy that car. Sounds like you have used the search function. Use it early, use it often...........

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

my 79 has manual, and I haven't gotten into the 80 much yet to know which it has.
I guess all TD's are not the same...
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Well hmmmm. I've read that here a few times and passed it along. I wonder how rare an electric is on a wagon. I've never seen one.
At least I'm glad mine has a manual.......

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

What?????????? I too was under the impression all wagons have a manual sunroof. Where is the motor and how does the cable get up to the sunroof?

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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