Found this bolt laying in the underside engine cover of my E300D when I took it off during a B service. No one but me has worked on my car and I don't remember dropping one, but I must have. Anyone recognize what this bolt might be for?

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

It's a self-tappng screw that could have been used to secure something to an inner fender or firewall. Check all around the engine bay for something missing a screw, especially on the lower part where it would be easier to miss.

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I don't think MB used that type of bolt.

anything aftermarket put on the car?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I've a few like that on my W201 - they are indeed as Jeremy suggests the type that fit into bodywork.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Hmm

all the body bolts on my 87 190D have the narrow point, or a starter point... none are notched like that. (and I've had the entire front end pulled apart... but my cars are all 87 or older. who knows what the bean counters at MB approved later in production.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

My W201 is of a 1992 vintage if that helps us narrow down the bean counter effect!

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Self tapping bolts are used on low stress applications and that type needs a through hole to expel chips.

As others have said, firewall but also have a look at injector line clamps or other thickish sheet metal items. Have a look at the head stamping and compare to other bolts, there is a chance this bolt was dropped and another put in it's place.

What is the bolt head MM?

I would not worry too much about it.

__________________
Jim

As per Jeremy's comments, self tapper - is that a captive washer?

__________________
David


1996 Mercedes S124 E300TD - 129k - rolling restoration project -

1998 Mercedes W210 300TD - 118k (assimilated into above vehicle)

I'm not quite sure what you mean - Captive washer or captive nut?

Probably not!

Self tapping bolts / screws go into a hole that has not been tapped - the screwing in of the bolt or the screw makes the threads (not that you'd really be able to call then threads - more like deformations).

(I hope this helps)

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Yup, captive washer although I may have just have invented that terminology

Basically the washer is held in place by a small recess under the bolt head.

I can have a look at mine to see if there's anything that looks obvious.

__________________
David


1996 Mercedes S124 E300TD - 129k - rolling restoration project -

1998 Mercedes W210 300TD - 118k (assimilated into above vehicle)

too bad we don't have access to any database that could show us the various uses of hardware with a certain diameter, pitch, head, etc. on the chassis.

at least you can avoid searching in places where the screw would not have fallen into that cover.

the fact that it's self-tapping is surprising to me since i don't remember seeing any such screws on my car. did MB really use ST screws in factory models? if you showed the markings on its head we might know more.

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'77 240D, 504H, OM617.952, etc.

How about the bolt that keeps the inner sway bar brackets at the frame in place?

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Peach Parts W124.128 User Group.

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

Type 23 Screw. Body Fastening

Which have a slot milled along the shank point. This will cut a thread in soft metals and hard plastics. Also used to remove paint from threads of captive nuts on painted panels, eg: automotive

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