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Classic Cars Mercedes 300D Suggestions
2231 messages, Last post on Nov 11, 2009 at 9:21 AM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Hello, Mr. Shiftright, thanks for the response. I bought the car. I have the service records that include a major tune up incl. valve adj. 3 months ago. Last year all the shocks and struts were replaced and it got new brakes. I have all the receipts. I have the records that go back to 1994. So the car is indeed in "great" shape. I will replace tires. I am really impressed with the car. Also after all the bad things I hear of the A/C systems I just presumed that it would not work. To my surprise the climate control works just fine and the interior is still a B+. So, now I just have to learn about this car a little more since I intend to do the maintenace, most of it at least. What do you recommend? Are there service manuals for these things. I think I read somewhere that they exist and are pretty complete. Any tips for maintenace are appreciated. Where is best place to get parts??? Thanks so much. Glad to join the club! Oh. There is a lever in the left side of driver's seat. What is it for? I think it would adjust the height of the seat but nothing happens when I pull it. Ideas? |
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Yes, that lever adjusts the "rake" of the bottom seat cushion. I never use it. Diesels needs more frequent maintenance than gas cars. Some things I do religiously area: Oil and filter every 3,000 miles Flush coolant once a year Flush brake fluid once a year Always use additives in the fuel, both cleaner and cetane booster Change fuel filters (there are two) often (see manual). Adjust valves as per factory recommendations (I think it's every 15K) It would be a good idea to get the factory manuals. There are 3 I believe. One for engine, one for maintenance and one for chassis. I have the whole set. |
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| Just for interest sake does the tac work? I was on the third tac sender before I found a good rebuilder. Tac sender is the black screw on device in the front left corner of engine bay. | |
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Paul, That is an interesting question. I just realized that it only works sometimes. That will annoy me. So what is the secret to making it work? Also the speedometer vibrates when starting to about 20mph I guess. Is that the tires or is it just normal? Thanks |
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Mr. Shiftright, I was always under the impression that Diesels required less maintenance. I guess I was wrong. How often should I change the ATF and Differential oil? On my old Honda I used to do a major tune-up once a year and was pretty religious about the 3K oil changes. Only one thing. Please help. How easy is it to adjust the valves? I can do everything on the list. I have seen the valves adjusted once on a BMW. And it seemed so darn easy as long as you could tell difference between intakes and exhaust. Do the Manuals show how to do this?? I would love a picture or any info on this. I think that I should be able to do it. I had a 90 Accord and even though it said you should adjust the valves, I never did. At 170K it was still running perfectly. |
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| I have found a replacement L5 for my MBZ what do I need to check for. I believe it came out of a 300CD, he put a Chevy 350 in it, (A common swap I do not understand) but I will take it off of his hands for 400 dollars. And does anybody have an idea how much it will cost to have this engine installed. And does anybody know of any good online or paper catologues for MBZ and Volvo. i.e. IPDUSA, JCWhitney, etc... | |
Went to a Starfest a few years ago and attended a seminar hosted by Bob Beckman, of Beckman Technologies, Inc. Very knowlegable on MB control modules. They rebuild the tac senders on an exchange basis , the one I got from them was still working 7 yrs later when I sold my 300DT. The last # I had was !-800-742-1021, they were located in Durham,NC 27704, Knob Hill Road. The speedo problem could be the cable, Call Palo-Alto Speedometer 415-323-0234, if you think it is the speedo head, they have been in business a long time.
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anibalb---I think the speedo cable needs greasing is all. The valves are easy to adjust but you need a special "crow foot" wrench to loosen the adjuster nut on the valve. A normal wrench can't get it. Mercedes will sell you this tool or maybe you can borrow it. The manual should give the tool #. Most people are confused about diesel maintenance. The general rule is: Diesel maintenance is less costly per service, but you need to service them more often. So it's really a wash in terms of expense. Also a diesel engine will generally cost more to rebuild than an equivalent gas engine, as it is built to a higher standard. |
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Paul, What is the Spedo head? Also, can you tell me precisely where I would find this Tac sending unit? Everyone mentions these rebuilt parts. If I went to the dealer is there any chance that they have a new part? Sometimes the new part is not much more than rebuilt. Also, where is the Speedo cable located? And how do you grease the cable? Isn't it self contained? How do I get the grease inside the cable? I presume when you say grease you mean general lithium grease. I imagine that will do. I bought a Hayes manual just so I can look at some of the basic stuff. I hope that I will get a chance to learn this stuff before it breaks down.. Thanks for all the help and tips.
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| The speedo head is your speedometer guage.The tac sending unit is the round black unit about 2 inches in dia in front left corner of the engine bay, made by VDO I believe, lift hood about a foot back of the drivers side headlight. Looks like the end of a flashlight, just unscrew then lift to disconnect the plug. there is a tether strap which can be removed by removing a base screw or two. The base socket that is now revealed is where the dealer can plug their diagnostic or tac meter for under hood service, it uses the same pickup source from the front damper. The rebuilds are about half price compared to oem , and in my case are fixed permanantly.I'm sure MB has sold thousands of these, and if the original design has not changed ,they are destined to fail. The speedo cable is attached to the back of the speedo guage and the casing unscrews from back of the guage revealing the drive cable inside, just your typical speedo cable. You want to use a lube which will not stiffen in the cold. Most shops use a graphite type speedo lube , available at most auto stores. You may find the guage cluster a bit difficult to get out , not familiar with the particular haynes manual you have, but if you need help post and I can tell you how, good luck. | |
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