Had my timing chain and tensioner changed out at 166k on my 80 240D. Now the engine takes a realllly long time to spool up or spool down. I would like to have an engine that picks up RPMs reasonably quickly and falls to an idle when I take my foot off the accelerator. They didn't do any work on the injector system (but may have tweaked the accelerator linkage after the timing belt change). Manual transmission. Any ideas on what caused the change?

"timing belt change" There is the problem..they should have used a CHAIN....

Did it ' spool up ' fast before the new timing chain or were you just hoping to have that result from the new chain ?


"They didn't do any work on the injector system "... well , they needed to reset it after putting the new chain in.... so this may be the problem...

You do need to check springs, lube the linkage joints and see if you have full travel....

Acceleration was reasonably brisk (for a D) and decelleration to a low idle was almost instantaneous. (Not the first D I have owned.) The worksheet shows a timing chain change, any laxity in terms is my own- however, I will ask them if they adjusted IP after timing chain change. Please, keep the info flowing....

I'd suggest to try the obvious - move the throttle linkage from idle to WOT, and release. Look/feel for any obvious dragging or binding.

Good luck.

If this started upon timing chain change then they may have retarded the timing by one notch.

Good luck,

I really appreciate the replies so far, knowing from experience that some of our posters have a bunch of miles under their belt. I needed some clues because of a cultural gap between me and the mechanics.

You might get a kick out of Helmut's, the Mercedes shop in Bremerton. Turns out 'Helmut' retired years ago and the shop is run by what looks like a Cambodian family. As always a European can only stare in amazement at some of the techniques used, but the results, so far, are spiffy and spang on the money. Cars of all classes (German cars, that is) are found in the shop and not an inch of space is wasted.

Most amazing to the western eye is Grannie's position as shop manager. She keeps the rest of the crew busy, directing them between jobs as she coordinates 'just in time' deliveries of auto parts and runs the front desk. I spent an afternoon waiting for my car, instead of going home and coming back, and there didn't seem to be too much she didn't know about the cars. Almost as though she had done the work herself at one time.

I can remember when 'Hans' or 'Sieg' catered to lawyers and doctors with MB sedans. Today Asian immigrants are doing great work of cars owned by the Sheriff and 30-year naval officers. Is this a great country, or what?

If everything was good before the timing chain replacement then the obvious solution is timing. They have the pump or camshaft or both retarded in relation to the crank. The pump, at the least, will have to be timed(or set).

Thanks to all who responded. Turned out that as they worked on the car they restored the functionality of the idle speed adjusting knob. Now when you turn the idle up, it goes up, and whne you turn it down, it goes down. So I turned it down and have a near-perfect running diesel. Purrs like a very large kitten.

Sneaky mechanics, doing a PROPER service without telling you, what is this world coming to?

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!