In an attempt to make myself feel not so alone, what troubles have you encountered while bringing home an old diesel Merc? Share your horror stories!

Today I tried to pick up a parts car. It runs, it drives, but it had a few bugs to iron out before piloting it about 100 miles back home. Small stuff, really. I was prepared for the leaking bypass hose, and even for the vacuum leaks. I brought along spare fuel filters, a spare battery, and a large selection of tools, rubber gloves, etc. Thanks to a little forum searching ahead of time, I had the leaking EGR system bypassed in a matter of minutes, and was fully prepared to replace the coolant bypass hose. From there, it went down hill fast. The snow and sleet started first, and then the ignition switch crapped out completely. WTF? I checked the weather forecast yesterday, and it didn't call for any of this!

Getting it to turn over and start was easy enough, but getting the power to stay on so that I had turn signals, wipers, and other essentials was just not possible. The slightest bump or tap made the switch flake out, and even wiggling it would occasionally cause the starter to engage while the engine was already running. I had to give up and abandon the car at the seller's house, and after ordering a new switch which won't arrive until Monday morning, I drove the 100 miles back home empty-handed.

Now it seems that freezing conditions are expected through the weekend. I don't think Monday is going to be much fun for me. The ignition switch will be a piece of cake, but getting the thermostat housing apart and back together again in the cold is going to be a really nasty job. To top it off, I then get to drive the thing for almost two hours without heat or defrost functions.

Sigh.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

a new one can be challenging sometimes to say the least. Hang in there




my personal one word solution= Trailer.

__________________
H.D.B.
OBK #45
-----------------------
'75 W115 240D, wife's dd, 197K
........'75 W115 300D, my dd, 245K
.. .. ..........'82 W126 300SD, the 'someday' project

Wise solution.

I'm trying to save the cash, since I'd also have to rent a truck. If it comes down to it, I'll just rent a U-Haul combo and be done with it, but would rather keep a few hundred dollars in my pocket by driving the thing home.

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

Getting one mercedes home the hoof wasnt aligned and hooked up properly and wasnt locking fully and worked free on the highway and broke the windsheild and the getting the car started was an effort since the guy bought the wrong glow plugs and to start the car i needed starting fluid to get it turn off over which took about 5 minutes

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

I understand trying to save some cash for sure. I just have a tendency to buy ones that have to be winched on the trailer (which luckily I have already). Actually driving them home rarely seems to be on option .

good luck!

__________________
H.D.B.
OBK #45
-----------------------
'75 W115 240D, wife's dd, 197K
........'75 W115 300D, my dd, 245K
.. .. ..........'82 W126 300SD, the 'someday' project

I actually purchased brand new Exact Fit wipers for the thing since rain is an issue in these parts, and I want to be able to see where I am going. Without thinking about it, I picked them at the parts store near the car, instead of the store near my home where I happen to have worked out a discount cash account. Paid just shy of $20 for two wipers that I could have purchased for $10. Ugh.

I'll pull them, clean them, and stash them back in the original packages until I need them. I think that should keep them as good as new until I need them again. (Hmm. Now I'm wondering if wipers have a shelf life.)

__________________
- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

i have aquired a 75 300d that needs some love to say the least. its a beast!!

few dents, skull and cross bones spray painted on the drivers side door in black over the newer yellow paint job(previous owner). transmission started clunking after the test drive and drive home. the exhaust hanger dropped on the way home and the muffler found a home on the freeway. horse hair is falling out of the seats. surface rust is visible on a couple of the floor pans, back drain has rusted out and needs some metal work. it had no mats. needs an alignment (interestingly i found a service record from les schwabb of the vehicle being aligned to 123 specs and not 115 specs...) gas gauge chooses to work currently and the speedo cable needs to be greased. back doors wouldn't open.

but hey! no engine or tranny leaks, and all the windows work!
800 bucks


just try to take one thing at a time!

Our first mercedes it a pita, it was a china blue bought it from a car lot, for $675 it was a 1977 300D, and it was an @$$ to bring it back home. So this is how the nightmare begins, after leaving the lot the tire started to vibrate IDK what speed it was cuz speedo broken, so we ignore it and proceed to the highway, about 10 min later the tire go BANG! Went to the trunk and the tire is flat, so we use our trusty toyota camry sport rim 1 inch bigger but it worked, proceeded on, about 2 miles tom home radiator hose self destruct sending smoke everywhere so we abandonour car and went to lows and pick up some pvc pipe b/c lows don't sell big heat resistance hose, went back and police were there, explain what went wrong and they left, installed our pvc hose and reach home smoke again b/c the pvc pipe melted in 2 miles...

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Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

I'm going shopping for another Benz today! Why are you bringing this $hit up? I'll let you know how it went.

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1984 280SEL, 62,000 miles
Euro model in the USA
1983 300D (Totaled out 10/2004)
New Factory Mint Green paint
Palomino int
1982 240D (Steak dinner for two)

The ride home would not be bad, not matter how horrible.

The walk up to the house to break the news to the Mrs. might over shadow the ride home.....

__________________
Gary
Experience is something you get, Just after you needed it....
'99 E300 295K, '83 300D 220K, '75 240D 185K sold
'80 MCI Bus Conv DD 6V92TA, w/4 cyl. Kubota diesel GenSet 12.5KW

When I purchased mine a few years back I had the Seller drive it to me but it was only 75 miles or so. Of course I looked at it and drove it. It was in good shape and I paid more for it with 150K on a 1982. I still get information from him when I have a question on what he did over the years he had it. He's a diesel nut and got a new VW diesel that he loves and also a Jeep Liberty Jeep diesel that he likes also.

Good luck with your endeavors. I just changed the Water pump vent tubing to head Banjo Tube, funnie you mentioned it. The one Phil sent me fit perfectly.

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1982 300SD

I was looking for a W123 parts car...............

I buy a rusty brown metallic/palomino leather 1980 300D from a friend of my cousin. Drive the Dodge-Cummins up to Delaware to meet my cousin, then we decide to drive to DC in his 91 300D. The 1980 is roadworthy, so we figure it's cheaper to drive it back.

Get to Kenny's place, do the transaction, look the car over. Three eights tank of fuel, check, we can fuel up later, after we get out of DC (remember the sniper?). Keys and title, check. Fluids up? check. Looks like a tire is low, better air up.

So we go looking for a gas station with an air hose. This turns out to be much harder than I thought..... Also, the sniper has been picking off victims at gas stations. Makes us anxious to get going.

Finally find air, and head for the beltway. Accelerate down the on ramp, and the car loses power, dies and coasts up against a Jersey barrier. Not even room to open the door safely.

We decide that it's not smart to check the car out there, so we call for a wrecker and have the car towed to my Uncle's place. Bang. Add another $100 to the price of the car....

By now, it's getting close to rush hour and it's crunch time. We decide to not investigate the problem, and buy two 5 gallon cans and about 25 feet of fuel line, and fill the cans with diesel fuel.

We string two lines from the engine through the passenger front window, into the cans.

Bleed the system and the cars running.

Take off, and head towards Annapolis.

Car runs well the rest of the way until the fuel pickup line becomes uncovered, and the I coast to the side of the freeway (again)....

Bleed and crank once more, and we have her running.

Make it the rest of the way back to my cousins and my rig, then drive her onto the trailer.

Since then, I just use the Cummins and the trailer.....

Turns out the fuel gauge was hanging, car was on fumes when we picked it up. And I'm still using the fuel cans.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

I picked up myrtle (83 240D) about 3 hours from home, up in Kansas city. My wife followed me in the Caddy back home. I was a nervous wreck, listening at every pop. creak, or squeal. My front wheel bearings roared all the way home, I thought "Great, all I need is for the front wheels to lock up hard", We stopped at a McDonalds to eat, and once to use the restroom, each time I prayed as the glow plug light went out, that it would start. Pins and needles guys, Pins and needles!! But, luckily, Myrtle saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and knew that making it home, would be the beginning of his new life, and a full physical exam, with treatment options awaited him....lol No problems, made it home fine. boy was I glad to turn off onto my dirt road and see my house. WheeeeW!!!

I used AAA to get China home. A locked up engine kind of reduces your options.





I drove Smash all the way home! [of course, it was only from across the street....]
{from where red corvette is visible}


The Squash came home on the trailer, but I got him in Austin and the engine was supposed to have spun a bearing.



Scar came and left on the trailer....



I drove home the white wagon and the Bat {E300}

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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

Trailer or flatbed would be my options -
AAAplus will get you 100 miles, and you'll still have a couple roadside assistance calls for later.
Real easy to end up costing yourself more money by trying to cheap it out.
You could either break down and need a tow (in CT it's $88 for the hook and $4.75/mile - adds up fast)
You could wreck/damage the very parts you bought the car for
You could get stopped by the boys in blue and get a ticket that doubles the cost of the car (I assume you have temporary registration and insurance, but even an unsafe vehicle / defective equipment ticket can be costly, not to mention might cause a non-consensual tow)

Good luck!!!