Hello all. I am a brand new owner of a 1985 Mercedes. I have looked all over this site for the answer to this question and have not located it. The car is supposedly a 1985 500SE. Well, it is Branded/Labeled as a 500SE. Upon researching the VIN as well as speaking with a Mercedes Old timer, they indicate this car is in fact a 280 SE. Do the German Spec cars get relabeled as other models in other countries? I am really confused about this. It is making it real hard to diagnose this fuel issue without diagrams and schematics. My VIN number is WDB1260221A180173. Hell, even having problems deciphering the VIN number. I am almost ready to scrap this whole damn thing if I can't get a straight answer about all this.

Someone likely changed the trunk badge to make the car seem like a higher model. It's easy to tell, the 280 is an inline 6, the 500 is a V8...

-J

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Well, The badging does say 500SE. The car does have a straight 6 in it. The Car was mis-badged then? That would explain a few things. I appreciate the answer.

Here is the Mercedes Benz data card from the VIN#.


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1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

whunter nailed it, but the easiest way to tell the model would've been to just look at the 3 digits following the 126 in the VIN. The 3 digits following the chassis code are the model code. Ex: 126120, 120 = 300SD, 126022, 022 = 280SE.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

M110 Straight six goodness- even better than the M116/7 IMO

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Years ago I picked up a 1980 grey market W126 badged as a 380SEL. Upon opening the hood and looking at the rear doors, I realized it was a 280S.

Once a car leaves the factory, some goober can stick any badge they want on the back of the car......

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

Thanks guys for all the info. This makes it MUCH easier to deal with/repair this bad boy. You guys rock!

So, If I understand everything correctly, i have a 280SE with a M110 engine?

Yes. And a 722.3 transmission. Nice car, even though I'm more partial to the OM617 engine myself.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.