Wandering, stiff brakes, and strange intake on on 300D - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 12-23-2002, 02:38 AM

I'm looking at purchasing a 1985 300D sedan. The car has 206K miles, and is in fantastic overall condition. However, I have some concerns. Certainly I'd have the car checked out before purchase, but want some ideas of what I'm getting in to before I spend the money on a lemon check.

1. The car wanders on the road. Even on smooth flat roads the car needs constant correction to keep it going straight. Is this a sign of a bad steering rack, tie rods, or something else that could easily corrected?

2. The brakes seem awfully tough and don't seem to have the stopping power I'd think this Mercedes should have. I'm concerned that the master cylinder isn't getting any vacuum assist. What is my reason for this suspicion? The vacuum locks don't work, and I'm thinking the vacuum pump may need a rebuild. Am I totally off base? What do you think is going on here?

3. The dealer maintains that it is an 85 and a local car, but the intake looks very different from the set-ups I see in online pictures. I'm normally used to seeing a pan-like airfilter on top of the engine with a ram scoop over the passenger side headlamp assembly. However, this car isn't set up that way. It has a round canister-type air filter just behind the passenger headlamp assembly with the cold air intake coming from the fender well. It all looks like Mercedes equipment, I'm just wondering what the heck is going on here.

4. Also some of the minor electrical equipment doesn't work (radio, interior lights, and seat belt light and buzzer) and the car has the common left rear passenger footwell water leak. Could the leak have shorted out some electrical systems or popped a fuse?

Thanks for your help.

#2 12-23-2002, 04:47 AM

1. Maybe a loose steering box that can be adjusted to a point, or a few front-end parts. Nothing terribly serious, it sounds.

2. There is a major vaccum leak somewhere. It may be because of the non-working door locks.

3. This is a California model, it has a different emissions system than the Federal cars, therefore a different intake system and will look different than regular 300D's.

4. It is possible, the fuses are under the hood, just above the brake booster. Chances are the radio is just bad if it's original, and it's possible the previous owner had the buzzer and light disabled because he didn't wear his seat belt. It also could be a bad seatbelt sensor.

240 Ed · #3 12-23-2002, 07:03 AM

The engine could have been from an older model? Like a '75?
Just a thought...

Your front end needs a complete rebuild by now, but the major wearing points are the idler arm bushings, and tie rod ends. No biggie. You are just inheriting the deferred maintenance from the other owners. There are many lower mileage 300's in the bay area for sale (including mine) that have already been tended to. Need a coupe?

md21722 · #4 12-23-2002, 10:54 AM

Worn out subframe bushings, differential mount, incorrect toe setting, shocks or springs can cause road wander.

-brain