300D Moving to Florida - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 08-08-2003, 12:58 PM

Well, I may be moving to Florida and plan to take my tusty 85 300D. Was just wondering how these cars behave in the hot Florida weather? Do they last well in the heat. I mean, I know the diesels love heat, but does the rest of the car (read air conditioning) fare just as well. Any tropical input will go appreciated. Hope all is well.

Rick Miley · #2 08-08-2003, 01:22 PM

The heat tends to crack dashboards. It also ruins the vinyl trim surrounding the windows. From what I've seen, most of the W123s already have those trim pieces removed anyway. The air conditioner is acceptable if still running on R12. A conversion to R134a will be miserable. You'll probably also want to tint the windows. There are darn few cars here that don't have the windows tinted, as it makes quite a difference in the summer.

What part of Florida are you considering?

84300DT · #3 08-08-2003, 02:01 PM

randall, i have had mine in florida many times including in the summer. it runs fine and as rick was saying if the a/c is not r134 you should be good to go. a/c is a neccesity if not only for the temperature level but to keep the humidity away.

Rick Miley · #4 08-08-2003, 03:53 PM

Humidity? I got yer humidity, right here! 94% today. Remember this is the "Sunshine State."

84300DT · #5 08-08-2003, 04:11 PM

hey rick i used to spend some time in sarasota when the folks lived there, and i have been in some major tropical downpours which were interesting to say the least !! it nevered failed to amaze me people flying past doing 80 or 90 mph on I-75 in that kind of weather!

bob

Richard Eldridge · #6 08-08-2003, 06:43 PM

First off, it is damp down here. You will want to keep your car under some shade if at all possible. Rust is a constant problem.

A black car may look elegant, but in FL is not a good idea. A white car will be 60 degrees cooler after an hour in the sun.

Tinted windows are very useful.

Use a windshield shade when parked in the sun.

Before parking in a mall under a tree, observe the number of bird droppings on the pavement. Some trees attract birds with severe diarrhea and they can cover your car in a half an hour.

A hot car might be a pain, but you will get a lot hotter removing all the grackle grunt, starling stuff and pigeon poop.

Florida was not what the guys in Sindlefingen had in mind when they designed the exceedingly complicated and trouble prone MB Air conditioners.

Larry Delor · #7 08-08-2003, 06:44 PM

That would have been me, in my '83, with my then new rain tires.

Well..ok..maybe not that fast, but faster than most. I would like to add that Rain-X helped out with being able to see better.
Oddly enough, I do not go as fast in the E420 when its raining out. The 300D seems to stick to the road better than the E420. Also, the shape of the windshield on the 300D seems better suited for our deluges than the one on the E420.
Heat never bothers the 300D. I do use 20W50 year 'round.

Do tint your windows. Spend the few extra dollars on the good stuff. If you are not going to use a sun-shield (windshield-shield) then at least cover up your steering wheel.

See ya!

-Larry

84300DT · #8 08-08-2003, 06:48 PM

hehe larry it's too bad they closed the Stockyard restaurant - i liked that place (just off 75 at bee ridge as i recall?) 2 fers at happy hour!

engatwork · #9 08-08-2003, 07:02 PM

The area I live gets pretty hot too. All I have to add is keep it r12 and purchase a good windshield screen and use it. I drive a black 300D and with the above items it is not too bad. I never park it under a cover either. I may consider tinting though

.

#10 08-08-2003, 11:01 PM

I might as well chime in since I live in Fla. not to mention, my car is a black W123.

Well, let me see the first thing I did when I got my car was bought a Sunshade for the windshield (and man that is a very handy item.) My whole family uses them (4 MB's and a truck, and each vehicle has one.) With the use of a sunshade a vehicle's interior can stay up to 50 degrees (maybe more?) cooler, versus leaving your car without one in the sun. They only cost about $6.00 at Wal-Mart (beats replacing a hideous cracked dashboard, which btw mine is in perfect shape.)

The next matter of business (like everyone else has stated), PLEASE tint your windows. In doing so, this also helps keep the interior cool by blocking UV rays. My whole family has all 5 of our vehicles with tinted windows. We got them tinted here in town at the same place my dad got his 85 Wagon tinted in 1987. They do the best work. The window tint I chose to put on mine cost $149.00 + tax. I could have opted for a darker tint, but from what the person I spoke to said, the one I chose kept in best shape (i.e. the darker shade they had was made with the chemicals that will in later years turn the tint purple)

And lastly, park under shade trees as often as possible (even if the shade trees are the furthest spots from the store). I do this all the time (well, whenever I can) and it can still help your car stay cooler.

As far as the A/C (r12 -vs- r134a) my car has been switched to r134a and I find myself pretty cool. I don't even have it blowing high all the time. Whenever I feel a little hot I just press the "automatic" button and leave it running for a few minutes so it can cool the cockpit down.

Any ?'s, just ask.

Here's a pic of my car with the tint (sorry about the poor quality)

#11 08-08-2003, 11:42 PM

Thanks for the input guys... I may be moving to Palm Beach County... Insurance broker. So, if you need insurance, let me know. Thanks again for the input.

Ockman · #12 08-09-2003, 06:15 AM

One other thing comes to mind....algae. The warm temps down here provide a great environment for it to ruin your fuel system. Be sure you purchase your fuel from a reputable source that is frequented by diesels users and if you are going to let your car sit for a long period of time, add some biocide to your fuel to prevent the algae from growing. BTW, warm up takes a lot less time here and your engine will not clatter quite as much as it does on those cold winter mornings. Good luck.