ON my 1983 300SD, sometimes it seems like a rocket, and other times a turtle. Whether the a/c is on or not has a HUGE effect(is that normal BTW??????) but it sometimes gets quite a bit of power even with the a/c on. It is a real problem sometimes when i expect it to be there and it's not. And other times the car actually surprises me and makes me feel like i'm in a sports car(well almost....) my clear fuel filter is brown again but i changed both filters before and it didn't do that much at all(barely barely noticible)
thanks
R

thanks txbill, youve releaved alot of my worry now that you explain it to me that is exactly my experiance, i'll kind of test it out tomarrow just to be sure. my foot seems to be on the floor alot more in this car then any other i've driven. I do try not to push it hard though, i always feel as if im doing somethign wrong when my tach goes over 3000rpm. Cant wait till it cools down here in fl so i can just use my windows and sunroof(if i ever fix that darned thing). thanks again
R

RG:

Check for dragging brakes on the rear. Usually dragging brakes on the front make the car drive strange (pull one way or the other, reversing when you step on the brakes), but rear brakes dragging just absorb horsepower. Makes a big difference when starting off from a stop. Can be intermittent, as in only if you had to stop hard, no effect if you very gently brake to a stop. I have the problem with my 220D, will be rebuilding the calipers soon if I have any money left over from the 87 300D.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!