Hey everyone. I hope you all had a good week and are going to get a chance to do some fun weekend wrenching. I know I am. I'm working on my new car 1997 E300D . I sold my 1998 turbo e300 to a friend a few months back and I've missed it ever since. So prowling craigslist late at night I saw this super nice 2nd owner W210 E300D with the 606 Non Turbo (NA) engine and bought it for a fair price $ 4750.00 + tax.

It is the nicest driving car with 220,000 miles on it that I've ever driven and I felt it was worthy of its own thread. It shifts perfect and revs up high if you want it to. AC is nice and cold. No rust anywhere(* except one spot) . It came with 3 flip remote keys and 2 tool sets. The car is plenty fast without a turbo. One less thing to worry about. I think this is a keeper and I will sell my 1987 300TD to pay for it -- I don't need the workhorse wagon since I have a truck.

The seller was a real stickler on his price and was asking 5000.00. He had it garage kept since 50,000 miles and he knew what he had. He knew it needed a some maintenance but also knew it drove so nice he didn't have to and wouldn't give it away. It's not my favorite color but it might grow on me when I tint the windows.

Here my fun list of problems

• Oil leak at the oil level sender unit . I just cleaned it and put some silicone rtv on the outside of the plug. that shoud do it..
• Small coolant leak at the thermostat gasket
• The power steering wheel tilt doesn't work,
• The glow plug 5 or 6 code is being thrown.
• Brake rotors and pads about gone
• Needs tires
• Spring perch under coat on driver side got compromised by a power steering fluid leak adn its starting to rust. (see pic)

So if the glow plugs come out good and easy i'll have a good deal. What do you think?


Cheers

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

So you always have to check for the spring perch rust on these W210. The undercoat can get compromised and they can rust out. How dangerous of a problem is this? Can it cause the car to lose control at 80 mph on the highway?
I don't think too bad. Your wheel won't fall off or anything. But you might veer off the road .


SO my new car, garage kept in Nashville since like 1999 , it shouldn't have any rust at all underneath right?
Pretty much right and it doesn't except on the drivers side spring perch. You can see it all oily. When inspecting it I noticed a little crack in the undercoat and a little rust there . The power steering hose is leaking a while I guess. So i took a screw driver and peeled back the undercoat to how bad. What do you all think? I think I caught it in time. A little cleaning, some paint or por15 and new undercoat spray and i'll be good.

You can see the passenger side is perfect looking

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

Will the brake rotors off a 1996 E320 fit the 1997 E300D ? Pelicanparts has them as different part numbers.

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

I think the seller was very lucky getting what he did for it - given the list of issues/defects you've enumerated, plus rust - especially with those miles on it. Good luck with it.

I have NO rust anywhere whatsoever on my bought new '99, garaged since day 1 in Dallas, Texas. So, no, they do not all form rust. Rust forms from being driven routinely during the winter months Up north - as perhaps your's was. Or, a beachfront kept car. Definitely possible there if kept extended periods at the ocean front. Going from personal, past experience - once rust starts - it already has a foothold, and is likely going to spread.

Transmission fluid that is brown? That's not good. Mine was still redish when I changed it out at 100K.

The tranny fluid is a little brown. Is the original MB fluid more brown than red? He said he had had it serviced sometime. And I just changed my neighbors fluid in her SLK with 42,000 miles on it. It looked brown. See the pics. The fluid draining is an SLK with the original fluid at 42,000 miles .The fluid on my finger is what is in my car now. They look the same.

So i'm wondering if maybe my tranny fluid is fairly new and just the MB brand. Or it is about 40,000 or 50,000 miles old just like my friends was.

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

Hey Joe. Hows it going . Yeah, I agree the seller did good. I pointed out all the stuff, and said 4000 was more like it but he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't even do 4700.00 .

I did good too. The car needed an owner like me. Its a good omen when you go for a test drive with your iphone on the hood and you come back and its still there. I didn't want to let it get away. Given I can fix everything for less than 1000.00 in parts and I will have brand new glow plugs and tires then and I'm still 1000.00 under blue book value. And we both know these cars true value is more than blue book value.

The rust is not deep corrosion or anything. It is just a little surface rust where the power steering fluid kept it wet. It is still is smooth and wipes off . TN gets a bit more winter and rain than Dallas. This car has no rust anywhere except that one area. The original exhaust is still silver mostly.
This body will be fine for 10, 15 more years. 20 probably. But i'm not asking for anymore than 10.

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

Let me give you a heads up regarding that spring perch. Had my 96E300d in for a tire rotation, and while up on the lift, I was able to inspect both spring perches. Both sides showed no sign of rust what so ever, and everything looked peachy keen. One week later, I parked the car for the evening, and the next morning, I went out to use it, and found that the passenger side spring perch had let go during the night. The front spring was broken in half, and the front fender was resting on the tire. Only saving grace was the fact I was not doing 80mph when it let go. If you think its not "too bad" to have that happen at 80mph, you had better think twice!!! If I were you, I would take it in and have it examined by an expert to insure that both perches are sound. It might cost you a few buck extra, but you would save yourself some real grief. Good luck with your new car.



http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/322667-96-e300d-right-front-spring-perch-failure-up-grabs.html

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96 E300d

Going great! Thanks!

All things considered, I think you've got a really nice/manageable project car going forward at a good price, since you understand going in as a past W210 owner what you may be in for. How come you didn't hold out for another turbo, '98/'99? I really think it's worth it waiting for the extra vroooom, and stated 1 mpg better the turbos yield. I can't stand the look of the antiquated air intake top-over engine that goes over the top of the '96/'97 diesels. The clean look of the flatop '98/'99 really is attractive, IMO. However, the price is the lower intercooler/hoses/ductwork of the '98/'99 E300 turbo.

I love the pics! Excellent color, btw! Keep 'em coming as your car progresses!

Make sure you use the correct transmission fluid in that thing I believe it's a 722.6 so you will also need the dipstick tool.

722.6 fluid isn't as red as you're used to so as long as it isn't burnt smelling or milky it should be fine.

You sir got a really good deal. I'm jealous. Right now the 210's are slowly showing up on the market and hopefully i have saved enough for a clean example

Congratulations! By Houston standards anyway you did fine on price. I've never seen a decent W210 here for less than $5K and those issues sound very solvable. I don't mind not having a turbo either, the NA engine is fine for me. I see you do have MB Tex, which is great stuff and no maintenance exc for some Armor-all once in a while - I consider it an upgrade over leather and I take my family to the pool in it, with no worries about getting the upholstery wet.

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Charlie

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'66 VW 1300 96K miles
'97 E300D 239K miles
'85 300D 203K miles (sold Sep 2012)

the leak at the oil level sender is a ***** in some ways. It is a simple o ring behind that plate, but the plate is prone to stripping the threads on those small headed 10mm headed bolts. The problem is that the threads are an M6 and will not take any overtightening and the O ring barely has enough protrusion. My advise is a new o ring

Exactly the same with the thermostat housing, NEW o ring

enjoy

Thanks. Noted. I know a euro body shop I'll have take a look.

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

Thanks. Yep. 722.6. I have that 60.00 dipstick. Lol. The valvoline dexmerc is approved and the Lucas semi synthetic. I may go with lucas. You can't go wrong with Lucas can you? Or that Titan stuff they sell here for 40.00 a gallon.

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

I donnow man, that "silver" was almost too popular, but the interior is mint as looks the rest of the car. Never had a turbo car but have owned 95-97, 96 now. I like em all!

Thanks. I hope this gets almost as good of mileage as my turbo did. It was around 30 - 35. Never under 30 i don't think. Thats really what i care about most more than vroom. And this has plenty of power and less things to break. Its always up to 60 by the time i get up the interstate ramp up hill.

I agree about the air intake thing. That is a stupid annoying thing right in the way. Can it be moved i wonder? Why do you even need a big metal pipe when its not even under pressure? I could route a big flexible hose somewhere else maybe. it would look even stupider.

The color is not really my favorite. Its so common for every car maker has many cars that same color and it seems to be the most common W210 color . But the interior color scheme is nice. I'll try a W211 sometime but they are too pricey now.

Here are those pics of underside muffler area. I don't think this car was driven up north much.

Cheers,

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__________________
What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius