From: owner-diesel-benz-digest-at-digest.net (diesel-benz-digest) To: diesel-benz-digest-at-krusty-motorsports.com Subject: diesel-benz-digest V1 #301 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 Friday, April 7 2000 Volume 01 : Number 301 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles John Meister Digest Coordinator Contents: Latin help... water level sensor Re: water level sensor Re: BEST DIESEL Re: BEST DIESEL Lists status - April 4, 2000 Brake Wear Warning Light-Model126 Re: Brake Wear Warning Light-Model126 shifting Re: shifting 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, 05 Apr 2000 11:48:06 -0700 From: john Subject: Latin help... Ok... it's been way too many years for me to remember my Latin from High School... anyway, y'all know the phrase: veni, vidi, vici (not sure if I spelled the last one correctly) which means: I came, I saw, I conquered. Well, I'd like to create a couple of sayings in Latin like this: I came, I saw, I ate and I came, I saw, I wheeled. :) thanx, john - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 14:23:48 -0500 (EST) From: John Fieber Subject: water level sensor Inspired by my cousin's very close brush with toasting the engine in his 84 300D, we are both keenly interested in installing water level sensors...see, the water temperature guage doesn't work too well when it isn't in water. Supposedly the 300SD has such a feature and I'm wondering if anybody has experience adding a water level sensor/alarm/guage or whatever in general, and if parts for a 300SD could be made to work in a 300D (1984), and if so, part numbers and ballpark cost? Thanks, - -john ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 13:15:03 -0700 From: john Subject: Re: water level sensor I had similar problems with a gas engine BMW... you may have a marketable item here... ;) john At 02:23 PM 4/5/00 -0500, John Fieber wrote: >Inspired by my cousin's very close brush with toasting the engine >in his 84 300D, we are both keenly interested in installing water >level sensors...see, the water temperature guage doesn't work too >well when it isn't in water. > >Supposedly the 300SD has such a feature and I'm wondering if >anybody has experience adding a water level sensor/alarm/guage or >whatever in general, and if parts for a 300SD could be made to >work in a 300D (1984), and if so, part numbers and ballpark cost? > >Thanks, > >-john > > - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 13:20:33 -0700 From: john Subject: Re: BEST DIESEL At 03:12 PM 4/5/00 -0500, Giovanni Mayorga wrote: Giovanni Mayorga >>>> JOHN, IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH IS THE BEST 300 SERIES DIESEL? - IN TERMS OF QUALITY ENGINEERING. THANKS, GIOVANNI <<<< Giovanni, I'm only familiar with the Series 123 and 115 Diesels, first hand. I've read the literature on the newer models, not sure of their numbers, and am quite impressed. However, spending $40k on a used (early 90's) Benz isn't something I personally want to do. :) I've heard bad things about the 190D series, especially the first few years, and the 350 SDLs. Personally, from what I know and understand, I'd recommend a mid 80's and up 123 Chassis with a Turbo Diesel... but I'm sure that there are newer models that would be better. I'll cc this to the Diesel Benz list and see what my colleagues there have to say. There are some really sharp Benz owners on the list with lots of technical knowledge. ttyl, john ------------------------------------------------- http://www.wagoneers.com/DieselBenz/ Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps and Diesel Benz' don't rust, they mold... ------------------------------------------------- http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ (81 300D) ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 13:46:21 -0700 From: john Subject: Re: BEST DIESEL Alec emailed a great response, but I didn't see that he'd cc'd the list or Giovanni... so, here's his response: At 08:34 PM 4/5/00 GMT, Alec Cordova wrote: >I agree with John about recent diesels costing too much. So that rules out recent models from my nominations. > >The W126 300SD from the early and mid eighties is debatably a little too heavy for that motor. The turbo five cylinder is MUCH happier in the W123 mid-sized chassis of the 300D. 1985 was the last year for that version in the US, and they did a couple of tweaks that really add to the car. Auto tranny stall speed was higher, to better match the power output, and I think they used a different rear axle ratio. 1981-1984 300D also very nice, since they use the turbodiesel, but 1985 is a little nicer to live with. > >A pristine 1985 300D should not command more than 5 or 6 thousand dollars in the US, and that's for one in VERY good shape. At 15 years old, they will need, or should recently have had, new suspension rubber. > >After 1985, diesels were not always available in the US. The 1987 300D gets you the newer W124 body of the "original" 300E plus the glorious music of a diesel motor. Ben Schotz of Ben's Workshop in Austin (probably the best remaining MB mechanic in Austin since Tony Temple retired) owns and drives an 87 300D as his personal car. I'm guessing these would go for somewhere in the general neighborhood of ten thousand-ish, if you can find one. > >Beyond that, you get into much newer models, and the price goes up. Engineering doesn't get any better, since they had to start competing with Lexus, etc. Remember that the 1985 300DT sold for over thirty thousand dollars when new, which is around the same price as a C-class today. They HAD to shave some cost out of there somewhere. > >And as John mentioned, avoid the six cylinder 350 turbodiesel motor. It does not seem to live up to the otherwise well-earned reputation of just about any other MB diesel motor. > >Regards, >Alec Cordova >Taylor, Texas >89 300CE, 98K >85 300DT, <200K >97 Z3 1.9, 96K > >On Wed, 05 Apr 2000 13:20:33 -0700 john-at-wagoneers.com wrote: >> At 03:12 PM 4/5/00 -0500, Giovanni Mayorga wrote: >> Giovanni Mayorga >> >>>> >> >> JOHN, >> IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH IS THE BEST 300 SERIES DIESEL? - IN TERMS OF QUALITY >> ENGINEERING. >> THANKS, >> GIOVANNI >> > > > >This message sent using EMUmail. http://EmuMail.com > - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 13:37:04 -0700 From: john Subject: Lists status - April 4, 2000 Members of list 'xj': 53 subscribers Members of list 'xj-digest': 64 subscribers Members of list 'fsj': 81 subscribers Members of list 'fsj-digest': 69 subscribers Members of list 'diesel-benz': 89 subscribers Members of list 'diesel-benz-digest': 46 subscribers XJ: 117 FSJ: 150 DBL: 135 Wow, I didn't realize there were so many folks on the Diesel Benz list... it's pretty quiet since I sold Fritz. ;) Must be so quiet because the Mercedes are so reliable. :) And the FSJ list is the largest for inverse reasons... ;) However, I love my 83 J10 Stepside so much I parted with a very, very nice 81 300D... (I'm keeping in touch with the new owner, if he ever puts Fritz up for adoption I'll be first in line. :) john - ---------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com http://www.freegift.net/ - ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 10:34:58 -0400 (EDT) From: jonathan-at-writemail.com Subject: Brake Wear Warning Light-Model126 How do I reset the brake wear warning light? (the pads wern't worn out-but the rotors hadn't been skimmed last time- there was a nib on the rotor edge that was rubbing the wear pin ! I have a 1986 420SEL... i know, it's not diesel.. but the brake stuff should be the same! thans, Jonathan 86 -420SEL 74 -240D(with a bad BIG-END !) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Get free personalized email at http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 15:15:09 GMT From: Alec Cordova Subject: Re: Brake Wear Warning Light-Model126 They are not simply "wear pins," those are the sensors that activate the warning light. Replacements are dirt cheap (a buck or two, if that), and they are pretty easy to replace. They consist of the wear pin that gets inserted into the brake pads, plus several inches of insulated wire, plus a connector with a boot, that plugs into a receptacle right there on the caliper. These are cheap enough that you might as well get them at the dealership parts counter. Alec On Thu, 6 Apr 2000 10:34:58 -0400 (EDT) jonathan-at-writemail.com wrote: > How do I reset the brake wear warning light? > (the pads wern't worn out-but the rotors hadn't been skimmed last time- > there was a nib on the rotor edge that was rubbing the wear pin ! I have a > 1986 420SEL... i know, it's not diesel.. but the brake stuff should be the > same! thans, Jonathan 86 -420SEL > 74 -240D(with a bad BIG-END !) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > Get free personalized email at > http://www.pathfindermail.com/member/login.page This message sent using EMUmail. http://EmuMail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 10:37:47 -0700 From: john Subject: shifting sounds like it could be related to the vacuum and those little switches and vacuum lines up on the top of the valve cover... john At 01:14 AM 4/6/00 -0700, richard wrote: >john, i have ask several times about my 82 300d > >it takes off in the drive position in high gear. like a slug... >i manually shift it and its great... > > > >i have thought about the governor, being cruded up...and not allowing it >to return to low as you come to a stop/// > >any suggestions...on a diy fix???? > >tia, > >richard > - ----------------------------------------------------- john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... - ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 19:08:00 +0000 From: frank-leonard-at-att.net Subject: Re: shifting I had a similar problem, There's a vacuum modulator on the transmission that needed to be replaced. I've seen these in the Impco catalog for about $25, I paid my mechanic about $100 for parts and replacement. Fixed it right up, however the whole transmission went 8 days later. I believe due to abuse by a 16 year old/not because the part was replaced. Frank 80 300CD(waiting for a used transmission) 85 300SD > > sounds like it could be related to the vacuum and those little > switches and vacuum lines up on the top of the valve cover... > > john > > > At 01:14 AM 4/6/00 -0700, richard wrote: > >john, i have ask several times about my 82 300d > > > >it takes off in the drive position in high gear. like a slug... > >i manually shift it and its great... > > > > > > > >i have thought about the governor, being cruded up...and not allowing it > >to return to low as you come to a stop/// > > > >any suggestions...on a diy fix???? > > > >tia, > > > >richard > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > john-at-wagoneers.com http://www.wagoneers.com > ...don't leave life without Jesus, please! > Snohomish, WA - where Jeeps don't rust, they mold... > ----------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #301 *********************************