1979 300d, oops, died at stop sign, towed home, no oil on stick

[radworker2]

Greetings, this is terribly embarrassing, but my wife was driving our 1979 300D this morning and it died at a 4 way stop, she started it again and it ran rough, made a klunky sound and died again. She called me and we got the car off the street. It would not turn over when I tried to start it, so I thought it might be the battery, of course this does not explain the initial problem. Anyway, it will not turn over, had the car towed home and thought to check the oil, worrying about the worst case. After wiping off the stick it comes back clean. No oil. I looked in the crank case and there is oil, though very thick seeming. I'm thinking it could be that the timing chain gave or the motor is siezed. Anything I can do to diagnos the problem before having it towed to a shop? Jim

To remove this ad, register today or login if you already are registered!

[Outre]

If there was metal at the bottom of the Oil pan you have lost bearings and the Engine is shot.
You can pull off the Valve cover and look at the Valve Train. When the Timing Chain goes Valves hit Pistons and something up there in the Valve Train often breaks.
You can also remove the Injectors or Glow Plugs so that rotating the engine is easier and rotate the Engine to if it can be rotated or where it might be hanging up.

When the parts that drive the Vacuum Pump fail the part most often fall into the Timing Chain/Gears and damage the Engine. Easy to pull the Vacuum Pump off.

Some things that I have read can happen to the Oil Pump are the Oil Pressure Relief Valve Spring Breaking or the Valve itself Breaking.

[240D 3.0T]

Originally Posted by radworker2

I looked in the crank case and there is oil, though very thick seeming.

How did you do that without pulling the oil pan?