Hello all,

I am nearly completely new with cars, or anything mechanical in general. Pretty much the only experience I have turning wrenches (aside the 9 months of owning my 300sd) is on bikes in my childhood. I have probably more motivation and drive than is healthy, which means I always want to know all there is to know about whatever it is I'm currently on.

What I am asking here, is if there are any good books that would help me to grasp how diesel engines and everything else involved in vehicles work. I would love to attend college classes involving diesel mechanics, but unfortunately whoever it is who grants loans for school here in Oregon think my parents make a sufficient amount of money to put me through school ... which is a total joke. So no school loans are allowed to me until I hit 25.

I understand well enough that the best experience is hands-on experience, but I also go by the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And seeing as how I drive a Mercedes, it'll be another 20 years before I have hands-on experience with most it's components.

-Geoff

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1981 300SD, odometer stopped at 188,000

Greetings Earthling!

The kindly Ladies and Gentlemen of this forum have stockpiled "The Wisdom of
the Ages as it relates to Compression Ignition Engines"

You will not run out of reading materiel in the few years it takes you to matriculate!

Type in diesel in the "Search" bar and try to limit your usage to 5 hours per day.

If this educational tool presents questions that are not readily answered...
A host of superior technical advisers (Professional Mechanics) are available at
the click of the mouse.

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

Definitely a good start.....

http://www.howstuffworks.com/diesel.htm

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Current Stable:
01 ML55 AMG
92 500E (a few mods)
87 300E (lots of mods)
00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck
68 18' Donzi Marine
06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!)

PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320

Try DeiselGiant, there are step by step repair proceedures. It may be a good idea to start with the basics,such as all filters,leaking gaskets,valve adgustment,upgrade fuses,brakes,thourough inspection of moving parts,looking for wear,ie-flex plate-belts-shocks-hoses-turbo seals. While doing this you can expand your tool bases-get a torque wrench-. Look for rust, get por 15 make sure there are no leaks in your cockpit-trunk-windsheild seals. Find a supply shop near you to order parts,or contact "Phil" . Go to the library,do research..Get as many repair manuals as you can,you may have to go to dearlership to find these.The more you wrench,the more confidence you will gain.