Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Tech Help

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-06-2000, 05:10 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Vernon, CT
Posts: 1,848
I bought my '80 300SD in Oct. Ever since then I have been looking at other W116s just to compare. There are a few things that my car has that I haven't found on other 116s. The big one is that my car does not have the infamous MB Tex. It is regular vinyl. The back corners of the front seats have pieces of aluminum covered in vinyl that cover up the seem. It is rather hard to describe. There are no pocket nets either. The other odd things about this car are the cruise control stalk is written in German. The eng. temp is in celsius. The oil press. is displyed in bar, not psi. Also it was once mentioned here I believe, that it was rare for the 1980 W116s to have a sunroof, mine has one. The last thing I can think of right now is the lights for the rear license plate. There are 2 that are above the plate, but there is also 1 plastic chrome light on each side of the plate. Currently only the side ones work. The manufacture date is April 1980. Obviously the car is not a gray market car since it was only in the USA that the 300SD was sold. However I can't figure out why the differences between my car and all the other W116s I see on some car lots and on E-Bay. Any insight would be appreciated. If it helps my vin is 11612012025263.

__________________
1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-06-2000, 05:32 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: PA
Posts: 5,440
My '80 300SD also has a sun roof, celius temp gage and bar oil pressure.
P E H
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-06-2000, 05:46 PM
patsy
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
On my '79 300SD, my gauges are in "American" lingo. My speedometer goes up to 125 MPH. My seats are leather. I thought the MB-TEX is the vinyl.(Performance Products carries new seat covers in MB-TEX or Leather). Do you have seat heaters, or a passenger rear view mirror? I don't have either, so perhaps the original buyer did not want to splurge for those options.
Maybe someone replaced your gauges with a set from a euro car.
What month and year was your car made?
I know even though they were ending the W116 in 1980, they still had to change the car alot from the previous year. Maybe they were trying out things like those license plate lights....maybe they were getting rid of all the old parts at the plant, and they stuck whatever they had on the 1980 models! HeHeHe...
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-06-2000, 06:04 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Vernon, CT
Posts: 1,848
Patsy, my speedometer only goes to 85, like that's going to stop me. When I said I had regular vinyl, I meant it isn't pleated with perferation holes in it like MB-Tex. The car was made in April. I don't have seat heaters. Now when you say passenger side rear view mirror, you're talking about outside the car? I thought all MB at this point, 1980, had 2 outside rearview mirrors. I do have 2 outside rearview mirrors. I saw another W116 on a car lot that was a 1980 model. By the vin number I figured it was made before mine. I am assuming this since the last 5 numbers were lower than mine. Anyways, this car did not have the extra license plate lights, all it's instrumentation was in English.
To PEH, what month was your car built and do you have the extra plate lights?
__________________
1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-06-2000, 06:40 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 1,193
How long have you owned the car? It is quite possible that a previous owner ripped or cut the seat and re finished with a non Mercedes part. Also, it is possible they replaced the cruise handle with one they picked up in Germany. Maybe they had a relative or took a trip over there and found one cheaper than they could get here. Anything is possible.

JP Toronto
__________________
Jason Priest
1999 E430
1995 E420 - retired
1986 420SEL - retired
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-06-2000, 07:50 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Vernon, CT
Posts: 1,848
JP I have only owned the car since Oct. 5. I bought the car from a MB ind. shop that sells some cars on consignment. I never met the previous owner. I know, I know, dangerous waters but I took the dive. You are right anything is possible. I am trying to piece together as much info. about this car as I can. The car runs great, I am getting 28 mpg in combination of highway/city driving. Mechanicaly she's great, I am just trying to figure the differences between my car and other W116s, and whether the differences are factory or some aftermarket job.
__________________
1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-06-2000, 10:25 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Vernon, CT
Posts: 1,848
TXBill, I too was impressed with the mileage. My wife drives the car to her work 5 days a week. On those days my wife travels about 8 miles of highway a day. So it is really a combo. of stop and go, and highway driving. Before she started using it, I was getting 25 mpg with just around town driving. Anyways I was thinking more about my interior and thought maybe the car originally had leather and at some point I am sure it wore down and someone redid the interior with vinyl. Both of my rear view mirrors are manually operated. I have been finding that the previous owners kind of cut corners on cosmetics, but luckily stuck to OEM for everything under the hood. The starter is a "new" Bosch unit, the altenator is Bosch, and the air and fuel filters are Mann. The radiator hoses are MB, including the clamps, and you know those hoses can't be circa. 1980, so someone definetly stuck to OEM when replacing those.
__________________
1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-07-2000, 06:29 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 1,193
$26 bucks for a fill up isn't bad. At least you don't live in Canada. To fill the tank from near empty on my 420SEL takes about $70 Canadian ($43 US). Oh well, it still hasn't taken the fun of driving out of me yet.

__________________
Jason Priest
1999 E430
1995 E420 - retired
1986 420SEL - retired
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-07-2000, 11:07 AM
Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Oceanside, NY
Posts: 506
On my fathers 79 300SD the car has a speedo that goes to 125. The non-turbo versions of the 300SD have a speedo that goes to 85. My seats are cloth, and very comfortable.
__________________
"Damn the torpedos, four bells full speed ahead"
-Admiral Farragut




-1987 300E Smoke Silver
-1997 S320 Black on Black
-Soon To be E55 AMG
-27 foot Grady White Offshore Sportfish.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-07-2000, 01:12 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Vernon, CT
Posts: 1,848
TXBill, My seats have stiching that is the same width as the pleats would be. However, there are no pleats or perferation holes, just flat vinyl. Diesel in my area is running about $1.65 a gal. However, I am in US Air Force and I can buy my diesel on base for $1.60.
Capt Alex300, I didn't realize there were any SDs without a turbo. My car has a turbo with a 85 mph speedometer. I guess after 20 years there are going to be things that have no rhyme or reason. Like I posted earlier the only thing I can think of about my seats is that they may have been leather originally but were redone at some point in reg. vinyl.
420 SEL, I feel sorry for you having to pay such high taxes on your gas. We in the USA are definetly pampered in this regard. In Europe they pay about $4 a gal, most of which is taxes. If I am doing my math right I gues you are paying about $2 (US) a gal. That sounds like California gas prices. I know you drive a gas car, but what is diesel running these days up your way?
__________________
1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-07-2000, 01:17 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 1,193
I think diesel is running about 90-95% of the price of gas up her in Canada
__________________
Jason Priest
1999 E430
1995 E420 - retired
1986 420SEL - retired
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-07-2000, 04:44 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: PA
Posts: 5,440
I have a '78,'79,'80 300SD. The '78 I just bought on Ebay and haven't picked up yet so I can't tell about that one yet.
The '79 was manufactured OCT '79. It has English gages 120 MPH speedo, idle adjustment knob, sun roof, leather pleated seats that look perforated but perforations do not go thru, no right side mirror, and no extra lights on license plate.
The '80 was manufactured JAN '80. It has metric gages, 85 MPH speedo, sun roof, right side non power mirror, no idle adjustment knob, MB TEX pleated seats that look perforated but perforations do not go thru, and no extra lights on license plate.
P E H
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-07-2000, 05:12 PM
patsy
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I just saw an '80 300SD for sale on cars.com. It said it had power seats and power mirrors.


I believe that all of the following were optional accessories for extra dinero.

*passenger outside mirror(manual)
*heated seats
*seat material
*radio choice(Becker Mexico with tape player or Becker
Europa with just an AM/FM radio)
*cruise control

I have never seen a 300SD without a sunroof

I know they discontinued the dash idle knob in '80, and added emissions equipment. I think regulations were imposed at that time. That may have something to do with the instrument cluster going to the 85 MPH style.

It would be interesting to know if some other Mercedes body has those license plate side lights. I wonder if an '80 450 SEL has them. I think all the luxury items available for the 450 SEL could also be installed on the 300 SD.

Rick, do you have the level control system?

Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-07-2000, 05:46 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Vernon, CT
Posts: 1,848
Boy did I open up a can of worms with this.
Patsy, I am not 100% sure. With it being really cold lately, I haven't spent too much time under the car. I have never had a car with a leveling sys., so I don't know what to look for. My car does sit a little low in the back, maybe I do have that sys and it's faulty. What components should I look for?
__________________
1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-07-2000, 06:26 PM
patsy
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Rick, I am really enjoying this topic, thank you!! We are a small group of W116 300SD owners. As one parts salesman told me when I called to inquire about repair panels for my car. He said,"your car is dying and you should just park it somewhere." I don't agree, and judging by all the posts in the vintage section a Mercedes never dies it just becomes more beautiful, I think it is exciting that we have these beautiful machines to care about and learn from. I love the W116 body style. It is going to take a W123 to get me to move on. I would like a 300CD turbo or a 300TD turbo as my new addition someday. I love your excitement about your car and I hope you open up lots of cans of worms in the future.

If you did have the level suspension, you would have a pressure oil pump mounted to the front of the cylinder head. With two metal oil lines coming out of it. You would also have an oil supply tank mounted with a strap on the right rear of the engine compartment.


Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Found two more local older Mercedes- early 80s 240/300 and 83 300CD coupe 86560SEL Tech Help 4 07-21-2003 02:56 PM
How I found 560's and learn to love them. Le Chat Mercedes-Benz SL Discussion Forum 11 06-23-2003 04:36 PM
Loud Thud - Oil Found ?? CBoswell Tech Help 1 05-12-1999 09:51 PM



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page