From: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net (diesel-benz-digest) To: diesel-benz-digest-at-krusty-motorsports.com Subject: diesel-benz-digest V1 #195 Reply-To: diesel-benz-at-digest.net Sender: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Errors-To: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Precedence: bulk diesel-benz-digest Thursday, August 26 1999 Volume 01 : Number 195 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles John Meister Digest Coordinator Contents: Re: 300 SD(L) stuff Re: 300 SD(L) stuff Strange light behaviour? Re: Strange light behaviour? RE: Strange light behaviour? need some German help... Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request-at-digest.net To unsubscribe, include the word unsubscribe by itself in the body of the message, unless you are sending the request from a different address than the one that appears on the list. Include the word help in a message to stag-digest-request to get a list of other majordomo commands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 10:49:47 -0700 From: "John W. Pinkham" Subject: Re: 300 SD(L) stuff > Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 10:30:23 -0400 > From: "S.D.Byers" > Subject: 300SD stuff > > I have found 1986 300SD for sale. I think it can only be one of these > two models (I have yet to see it in person). > > chassis engine Badge years hp wt > > W126.120 M617.951 I5 300SD Turbodiesel 1981-85 120 3625 > > W126.125 M603.961 I6 300SDL Turbodiesel 1986-87 148 3835 > > Could anybody tell me something about the M603.961 engine? I only know > the 617 series. I like simplicity, longevity, parts > availiability. Speed is not desirable to me. > > Any comments on this car versus a 116 chassis or 123 chassis 300 turbo? > > Thanks, > > Simon Byers. > > ------------------------------ I have an '86 300SDL. Engine is very durable- much better than the later 350. Problems are more likely with the external parts than the internal ones. I've replaced the vacuum pump and fixed vacuum controls. The starter has a $10 plastic planetary part that self-destructs. A/C system is troublesome. Conversion to R-134a will cost about $1200 if you do the work yourself and have to buy the A/C tools. Had to install a rebuilt A/C pushbutton unit. Window motor went out. Rebuilt tranny is around $1900 for a factory rebuild. Haven't needed one yet (186,000 miles). Rebuilding the front suspension will cost about $600 in parts. There's a factory replacement program for the particulate trap. Mine went out and also took out the turbo. MB paid for the new turbo, but I wound up with $600 of related costs. Parts are available at rather good prices: rotors for $40 (how can they ship them from Deutschland at that price?), Bilstein shocks are around $50 each. Bendix calipers will set you back almost $200 each, if I remember. The anti-theft alarm system is a PITA, It periodically decides to go off, based on the stage of the moon or sun spot activity. Up to 30 MPG on the road. Cruises all day at 85MPH. Not too slow off the starting line if you tweak the turbo boost. Excellent crash protection - but no airbag for the passenger. All in all, the car is a keeper. John Pinkham ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 15:07:24 -0700 From: Justin Dobbs Subject: Re: 300 SD(L) stuff I recently acquired a 1987 300D Turbo, W124 chassis. No manual or records, but I got a really good deal on the car. The car runs very well and the boost from the turbo (which had been replaced before I bought it) is very solid. I am getting some intermittent transmission slippage, primarily when the tranny is cold. Sometimes it doesn't slip at all... this is usually after it has been driven for a half hour. When it's cold it slips like a bitch. I suspect dirty fluid, clogged filter, and/or a vacuum problem, and will have it checked out Monday. I like the car a lot. It has a solid feel, precise steering, and corners very well. I believe this car shares the same engine as the 300SDL, the 603. I've heard about problems with cracked cylinder heads on these engines, but not one local mechanic I have talked to has ever replaced one. (west coast) How large is the fuel tank in this car anyway? Not 21.1 like the w123, right? Justin On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, you wrote: > > Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 10:30:23 -0400 > > From: "S.D.Byers" > > Subject: 300SD stuff > > > > I have found 1986 300SD for sale. I think it can only be one of these > > two models (I have yet to see it in person). > > > > chassis engine Badge years hp wt > > > > W126.120 M617.951 I5 300SD Turbodiesel 1981-85 120 3625 > > > > W126.125 M603.961 I6 300SDL Turbodiesel 1986-87 148 3835 > > > > Could anybody tell me something about the M603.961 engine? I only know > > the 617 series. I like simplicity, longevity, parts > > availiability. Speed is not desirable to me. > > > > Any comments on this car versus a 116 chassis or 123 chassis 300 turbo? > > > > Thanks, > > > > Simon Byers. > > > > ------------------------------ > > I have an '86 300SDL. Engine is very durable- much better than the later 350. > Problems are more likely with the > external parts than the internal ones. I've replaced the vacuum pump and fixed > vacuum controls. The starter has a > $10 plastic planetary part that self-destructs. A/C system is troublesome. > Conversion to R-134a will cost about $1200 > if you do the work yourself and have to buy the A/C tools. Had to install a rebuilt > A/C pushbutton unit. Window motor went out. Rebuilt tranny is around $1900 for a > factory rebuild. Haven't needed one yet (186,000 miles). Rebuilding the front > suspension will cost about $600 in parts. There's a factory replacement program for > the particulate trap. Mine went out and also took out the turbo. MB paid for the new > turbo, but I wound up with $600 of related costs. Parts are available at rather > good prices: rotors for $40 (how can they ship them from Deutschland at that price?), > Bilstein shocks are around $50 each. > Bendix calipers will set you back almost $200 each, if I remember. The anti-theft > alarm system is a PITA, It periodically decides to go off, based on the stage of the > moon or sun spot activity. Up to 30 MPG on the road. Cruises all day at 85MPH. Not > too slow off the starting line if you tweak the turbo boost. Excellent crash > protection - but no airbag for the passenger. All in all, the car is a keeper. > > John Pinkham - -- Justin Dobbs (jrd-at-jrd.com) I did this 'cause Linux gives me a woody. It doesn't generate revenue. (Dave '-ddt->` Taylor, announcing DOOM for Linux) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 22:44:36 -0700 From: "John Paul Broad" Subject: Strange light behaviour? Man, I've got a weird one. All the lights on my 1982 300TD work fine except those fancy special Euro parking lights. You know, the ones that light up on one side or the other but not both. I just got through replacing all of the lights with genuine MB-on-the-label-and/or-box light bulbs and testing all of them. They all work just great (and bright too) and even straightened out some strange off-voltage situation that was giving me a faint warning light on the brake pad indicator (weird, I know) and the parking brake light; Note: this "faint" glow on the two lights would go away as soon as I brought the tach above 1k and would stay away the rest of the trip until the car was turned off again . . . like I said it was weird, but gone now . . . hmmm. Any ideas what could be wrong with the parking lights? I check all the fuses. No obvious wires hanging loose in the engine bay or under the dash. It's not really that important, I'm not even certain that they ever worked since I bought the car. It is just kinda bugging me that I can't figure it out. ;) Thanks to all. John Paul John Paul Broad johnpaul-at-mbca-portland.org 1999 SLK230 Manual 8kmi "Junior" 1982 300TD 166kmi "Giesela" Member: MBCA Portland, OR "If you count on the worst and hope for the best you'll rarely be disappointed." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 22:52:23 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: Re: Strange light behaviour? this sounds like the problems we typically have with Full Size Jeeps... :) it's usually a bad ground... john On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, John Paul Broad wrote: >-->Man, I've got a weird one. >--> >-->All the lights on my 1982 300TD work fine except those fancy special Euro >-->parking lights. You know, the ones that light up on one side or the other but >-->not both. >--> >-->I just got through replacing all of the lights with genuine >-->MB-on-the-label-and/or-box light bulbs and testing all of them. They all work >-->just great (and bright too) and even straightened out some strange off-voltage >-->situation that was giving me a faint warning light on the brake pad indicator >-->(weird, I know) and the parking brake light; Note: this "faint" glow on the two >-->lights would go away as soon as I brought the tach above 1k and would stay away >-->the rest of the trip until the car was turned off again . . . like I said it was >-->weird, but gone now . . . hmmm. >--> >-->Any ideas what could be wrong with the parking lights? >--> >-->I check all the fuses. No obvious wires hanging loose in the engine bay or >-->under the dash. It's not really that important, I'm not even certain that they >-->ever worked since I bought the car. It is just kinda bugging me that I can't >-->figure it out. ;) >--> >-->Thanks to all. >--> >-->John Paul >--> >-->John Paul Broad johnpaul-at-mbca-portland.org >-->1999 SLK230 Manual 8kmi "Junior" >-->1982 300TD 166kmi "Giesela" >-->Member: MBCA Portland, OR >-->"If you count on the worst and hope for the best you'll rarely be disappointed." >--> >--> ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com **** Snohomish, Washington USA don't leave life without jesus, please... http://wagoneers.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 08:26:19 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: RE: Strange light behaviour? typically when there is a bad ground in a circuit you'll see lights lighting that shouldn't. It's because the current will find a path through other components attached to ground. Since it occurred after replacing lights, check those areas first to make sure the bulbs are seated properly and of the right type, also make sure all the connectors are seated. Weird problems like this require a systematic approach, clean, tighten and look for the simple stuff... :) I spent an entire night troubleshooting gremlins on a communications system and the only problem was loose connections... :) First step is to clean contacts and tighten ground connections. I use amsoil MP or electrical contact cleaner, or both. If your benz is a newer one with computers the grounds are even more important. john On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, John Paul Broad wrote: >-->John, >--> >-->Do you mean a bad ground could have caused the dim warning lights, or that it >-->could be causing the parking light failure? (My ambiguity, not yours) >--> >-->The bad grounds that I've tracked down in the past have been more intermittent, >-->but I certainly wouldn't rule it out. I thought, however, that the ground line >-->was common to the light switch assembly? >--> >-->Thanks for the help. >--> >-->John Paul >--> >-->-----Original Message----- >-->From: john [mailto:john-at-virtual-cafe.com] >-->Sent: August 25, 1999 10:52 PM >-->To: John Paul Broad >-->Cc: diesel-at-mbz.org; Mercedes Diesel Email List >-->Subject: Re: Strange light behaviour? >--> >--> >--> >-->this sounds like the problems we typically have with >-->Full Size Jeeps... :) it's usually a bad ground... >--> >-->john >--> >-->On Wed, 25 Aug 1999, John Paul Broad wrote: >--> >-->>-->Man, I've got a weird one. >-->>--> >-->>-->All the lights on my 1982 300TD work fine except those fancy special Euro >-->>-->parking lights. You know, the ones that light up on one side or the other >-->but >-->>-->not both. >-->>--> >-->>-->I just got through replacing all of the lights with genuine >-->>-->MB-on-the-label-and/or-box light bulbs and testing all of them. They all >-->work >-->>-->just great (and bright too) and even straightened out some strange >-->off-voltage >-->>-->situation that was giving me a faint warning light on the brake pad >-->indicator >-->>-->(weird, I know) and the parking brake light; Note: this "faint" glow on the >-->two >-->>-->lights would go away as soon as I brought the tach above 1k and would stay >-->away >-->>-->the rest of the trip until the car was turned off again . . . like I said it >-->was >-->>-->weird, but gone now . . . hmmm. >-->>--> >-->>-->Any ideas what could be wrong with the parking lights? >-->>--> >-->>-->I check all the fuses. No obvious wires hanging loose in the engine bay or >-->>-->under the dash. It's not really that important, I'm not even certain that >-->they >-->>-->ever worked since I bought the car. It is just kinda bugging me that I >-->can't >-->>-->figure it out. ;) >-->>--> >-->>-->Thanks to all. >-->>--> >-->>-->John Paul >-->>--> >-->>-->John Paul Broad johnpaul-at-mbca-portland.org >-->>-->1999 SLK230 Manual 8kmi "Junior" >-->>-->1982 300TD 166kmi "Giesela" >-->>-->Member: MBCA Portland, OR >-->>-->"If you count on the worst and hope for the best you'll rarely be >-->disappointed." >-->>--> >-->>--> >--> >--> ---- >--> >-->------------------------------------------------------------------------- >--> john-at-wagoneers.com **** Snohomish, Washington USA >--> don't leave life without jesus, please... >--> http://wagoneers.com >-->------------------------------------------------------------------------- >--> >--> >--> >--> ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com **** Snohomish, Washington USA don't leave life without jesus, please... http://wagoneers.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 14:34:12 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: need some German help... My boss is asking me for the German word for woodworker... and wood shop... (he's got a woodworking hobby and is looking at making a sign in German... :) All I've got at work with me is my german-english dictionary... Vas heissen das auf Deutsche??? Bitte. :) Vielen Dank. johannes von snohomish (und Fritz...) auf weiterschnitzel... :) ---- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com **** Snohomish, Washington USA don't leave life without jesus, please... http://wagoneers.com - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #195 *********************************