Hey All,

I recently picked up a fab 83 300SD for small money, abandoned in a salvage yard.

Runs good but the driving compartment smells of diesel.

The engine did have a leak which is now fixed.

The smell seems worst when i have the blower on and I am wondering if any residual diesel odor could remain in the air ducts. Or elsewhere?

Have you folks had any issues with diesel odor and solving the problem?

I did move this car from diesel to bio-diesel as soon as i bought it and that has dampened the smell some.

Thanks,

Kevin

I assume you’re talking about diesel exhaust fumes rather then raw diesel fumes.

You may have fixed the leak at the exhaust manifold but you need to inspect the entire exhaust system for leaks.

If it is raw diesel smell, try replacing the fuel cap gasket and the seal that goes around the filler neck. Also check the gasket under the fuel sending unit.

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hey all,

thanks for reply.

i'm 99.9% sure it's raw diesel from the engine somewhere. i only seem to smell it when the fan's on.

1983 SD 253k -- on Biodiesel since 9/06 (purchase date also)

Diesel takes ages to dry, so if you've had a leak you may find it will be several weeks before the smell goes.

Try looking around the engine bay and using paper towels to soak any spills up.

Check the injector return drip lines. When I first picked up my 300SD with 116K the lines were cracked and leaked a great deal. If you don't want to wait for the diesel to dry or mop it up try an engine degreaser cleaning, then blow the engine dry with compressed air - or a leaf blower if that is all you have. I also ended up tapping the injector retaining ring a little tighter. Finally, I replaced / upgraded the primer injector pump. When that starts to leak not only does it smell, but your performance stinks (pun intended).

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80 280SL
85 300SD
87 300TD
92 300D 2.5 Turbo
92 300TE 4Matic

I agree.

These are the usual suspects.

You will be much happier when it is fixed.

Have a great day.

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1985 300SD
1983 300D
1984 190D
2003 Volvo V70
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I understand many of the '83 models had a molded plastic tank. They can leak any and every where over time. Mine did. We tried all the above listed options but I just bit the bullet and pulled the tank.

I just had my 1983 240D plastic tank replaced with a metal one ( used from a MB slavage yard- for $300). The old plastic one also had sizable baffles- I guess for strength to prevent collapse when low on fuel as the whole system is under a vacuum. The current tank now is solid metal, and holds another 3-5 gallons since the baffles are gone. The smell of fuel in the interior and trunk is gone as well.

A good used tank is a good way to go if the simpler options don't fix the smell. The sending unit that comes with it is $200 alone (new) and a new tank is $900+.

Find a used metal tank and replace it.

T-bone

Wow, they stole your money. I can get one from a u-pill-it yard for under $50 after tax.

Yup. Replacing mine tomorrow for the same reason.

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1978 Ford F-150 351M
2002 Kia Spectra 1.8l 5-sp
1985 Volkswagen Scirocco 8V 1.8l 5sp
1985 MB 300D Turbo California

"Die Natur verabscheut Vakuum"