I've been washing my cars for 35 years at car washes with the high pressure hoses. The only problems I have ever encountered was water in the distributor in a gasoline engine. Wiped it out and was good to go.

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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

Wow, some crazy suggestions there.

So how about this: remove the motor and run it through an engine washing machine.



Ok my 2 cents:

Either just use a steam cleaner (high pressure HOT water).
or use a bio degrable degreaser and a pressure washer. (Preferably at the car wash as they often times are required to have a grease trap, thus not allowing petrol waste into the water table.).

Lastly, use a biogradable degreaser and your garden hose with an attachment that will create a small high(er) pressure stream.

Just be mindful of the areas that can be effected by water. ie: water can get in. (oil fill cap for one).

It's good to have a clean engine bay.


same here, only not nearly 35 years.

From my back woods off roading days, we'd apply silicone to the base of the distributor cap when installing a new one. No more water issues.

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85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

While the length of time seems impressive your sample size and skewed vehicle type included in your observation pales in contrast to the factory shop manual warnings , specialized fittings and recall notices available for the cars for which I am personally aware of this being problematic.
So your post makes you APPEAR to be argumentative simpleton.. but I am sure there is some other explanation.

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=10414

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=156207&highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html