Looking for a solid MB Diesel. Any other models I should be looking at besides these?

[ThaddeusMaximus]

Hello, New to the forum, new to MB's, unless the transmission in my old Porsche 928* counts as a species of MB ownership. I am looking for a diesel car. Based on my research, I am looking for one of the following: 1982-84 300D 1986-89 190D 1990-93 300D turbo 1995-97 E300 1998 or newer E300 I am hoping to spend less than 10-14K and get something really solid and low miles. Are there any other models I should be looking at? Thanks in advance. *Sadly, I don't own it anymore.

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[240D 3.0T]

The 87 300D is what you should look for.

[ThaddeusMaximus]

I thought those had a trap oxidizer? And trap oxidizers are bad?

[EdzBenz]

I love my 99 E300. Here's a couple of mods I did:
-3" turbo back exhaust which eliminated the trap oxidizer
-Brabus muffler
-Speedtuning ECU flash, including EGR delete coding

You can also take off the trap oxidizer, hollow it out, and reinstall it to look stock.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by EdzBenz

You can also take off the trap oxidizer, hollow it out, and reinstall it to look stock.

If you want to get really bad performance.

[EdzBenz]

Originally Posted by 240D 3.0T

If you want to get really bad performance.

I hollowed my trap out about two years ago (just installed the 3" exhaust so the trap is gone now). I had to do this procedure because the element inside of the trap had come loose and was making an annoying rattling sound. I noticed no drop in MPG or power as a result of doing this procedure.

[ThaddeusMaximus]

I don't disable emission controls for whatever reason. A few years ago, I bought a Porsche 993 that had crossover pipes in place of a catalytic converter. I sourced one and re-installed it. Probably lost about 5 HP: big whoop.

I still have the crossover pipes, if anybody wants to buy them... I don't own that car anymore.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by ThaddeusMaximus

I don't disable emission controls for whatever reason.

Ah, so you like increasing pollution by consuming more non-renewable resources?

[ThaddeusMaximus]

Walk around any Chinese City, or one in Ireland, for that matter, and see what the impact of having no emission controls on cars is.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by ThaddeusMaximus

Walk around any Chinese City, or one in Ireland, for that matter, and see what the impact of having no emission controls on cars is.

That is due to high sulfur diesel, not emissions equipment.

The EGR and TrapOx actually INCREASE emissions.

[ThaddeusMaximus]

I don't know what the net effect of diesel emission controls are. I know that on gasoline powered cars, they are non-optional if you have any sense at all.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by ThaddeusMaximus

I know that on gasoline powered cars, they are non-optional if you have any sense at all.

That is also incorrect, especially to those with any sense of how engines operate.
An EGR has a slight benefit in fuel economy due to reducing throttle parasitic losses. This is offset by the sludge formed in the intake, valves and injectors when the CCV oil vapor combines with soot in the exhaust and reduced combustion efficiency (flame front has to search for oxygen, further increasing soot, HC and CO emissions). This is all on gasser engines, an EGR has zero benefits on a diesel.

A cat has no benefit at all. It increases fuel consumption, adds considerable cost and masks poor tuning and/or bad engine design. Cats allow manufacturers to keep selling old junk instead of developing naturally clean engines. The Mustang, for example, has 5 cats to cover up how dirty it really is.

Same thing with Diesel particulate filters, it allows manufacturers to tune the engine dirtier so it will make more torque off the line. At the expense of a few $grand per vehicle, a major increase in fuel consumption to clean the filter and drastically reduced engine lifespan/reliability from the extreme heat.

A truely clean engine thats reliable and long-lived doesn't need anything but fresh air and mufflers (mufflers optional).

[ThaddeusMaximus]

Whatever you say. Until a "truely clean" (sic) engine is developed I guess we're stuck using catalytic converters so we don't smog our cities up again.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by ThaddeusMaximus

Until a "truely clean" (sic) engine is developed

They already exist. Every engine is clean, its the fuel and driving habits thats dirty.

[ThaddeusMaximus]

Whatever you say.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by GreaseIsGood

They run great.

Incorrect. Just because it runs doesn't mean its running well or continue to do so in the long-term. Think of it this way; smoking is fine for most people in the short term, maybe some coughing and headaches, its the long-term smokers that develop life-threatening diseases.

WVO is the same to engines. It burns very dirty, contaminates the engine oil and corrodes the fuel system. Short term it runs fine, but over time it will lose compression due to the non-burnable glycerin that makes up 10% of raw vegetable oil sticking the piston rings, coating the combustion chamber and polluting the oil. That means for every 21 gallon tank of WVO you run through the system, 2.1 gallons of that is trash.

Would you be willing to drink toilet water? Usually only 10% of it is actually contaminated! Come on, you'll save $0.89/gallon and you'll be recycling a waste product!

Instead of blowing money on an illegal "conversion" system, the only option is to buy a processor and convert the oil into biodiesel.

I live in Los Angleles and there are HUNDREDS of them here.

There used to be thousands, guess what happened to all of them? Yep, the engines kicked the bucket a decade earlier than the normally would have and the cars were sent to the junkyards.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by GreaseIsGood

Alas, I find another biodiesel purist who believes ALL engine conversions are bad!

Incorrect, its a proven fact ALL use of raw WVO and SVO is harmful to both the car and environment.

I regularly test my motor oil for impurities.

That does nothing to alter its acidity, fat content, glycerin content, viscosity or address the tax and legality problems.

I will examine the combustion chamber for WVO coating and send you the pic.

You'll need to do far better than that.

You have me confused with that commercial product that is advertised all over diesel forums. My WVO is pre-heated and pumped through a centrifuge.

Your "product" is no different in any way. Ref. the second quote of this post.

I was a "home-brewer" of biodiesel in the past. It was a labor-intensive process that required several days (and hours) to make ANY amount of BD.

Boo-hoo, no pain no gain. There is doing it the easy way, then there is doing it right.
The only thing easier is finding one of the thousands of stations that sell Biodiesel at the pump.

[EdzBenz]

Originally Posted by ThaddeusMaximus

Hello,

New to the forum, new to MB's, unless the transmission in my old Porsche 928* counts as a species of MB ownership.

I am looking for a diesel car. Based on my research, I am looking for one of the following:

1982-84 300D
1986-89 190D
1990-93 300D turbo
1995-97 E300
1998 or newer E300

I am hoping to spend less than 10-14K and get something really solid and low miles. Are there any other models I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance.


*Sadly, I don't own it anymore.

Thaddeus,
What did you end up buying?