sdebbad

Got questions on my 97 300 D

80k miles on it.

Been sitting in the driveway for 8 years never used.

Wondering if it can be fixed up and used. Any estimate on what it will cost to fix it to make it drivable and what all needs to be changed?

Plutoe

HTFDWK---buy a battery, drain\flush the fuel system--buy a filter--put some fuel in the tank and try to start-----what happens---let us know in 2019!!

sdebbad

1. What is Htfdwk?

2. Is it worth fixing this car, or just junk it at the junk yard and get $500 for it?

nelbur

I have the same car and love it. Why was yours setting unused? Since it is a diesel the fuel is more stable than gas, so you should be able to charge the battery, check all the fluids, and start it up. How many miles are on it?

kajtek1

I drove diesel on 8 years old fuel just fine. Age lowers the performance a bit, but it should run.
On those engines weak point are plastic fuel tubings, so start with inspecting them.
Get a can of DIESEL starting fluid, new battery and crank it babe, crank it.

sdebbad

82,000 miles on it.

It was setting unused because the wife said, dont use it. Thats the truth !!!

Plutoe

I am dislexcit and don't know what that means!

Your other question is very personal and you need to ask your self questions like -----do I need the car?? Am I willing to put tax\tags\insurance\emissions into the car regardless of how many miles I put on the car. Am I willing to spend the time forget about discretionary money to play mechanic to make the car safe for my family to ride in knowing that a twenty year old car will be expensive to get ready----Then on the in side is your 500 USD value estimate. That money can be used to pay off high interest loans or take the wife to a weekend getaway------tell us what you do!!

nelbur

Diesels can set for years and start up like they were just run yesterday. If you are not experienced with a diesel, remember that you need a well charged and rather large battery because you need first to turn the key to position two and hold until the glow plug indicator goes out, and then crank the engine. The high compression makes the engine hard to crank. Crank for not more than 10 to 15 seconds. This car is designed to bleed air out of the fuel line by cranking, so it could take a few repeats of this sequence to get it going. If it does not start after about three tries, I would let the starter cool for a half hour, and try again. Starters are not designed for continuous cranking so let it cool to avoid shortening it's life.