jtl60047

Hey All -

Been lurking here for a long time and thought that it was about time for me to become a card-carrying MB Diesel Owner.

I am retiring a '00 Passat GLX with over 140,000 miles that has been a joy to drive - but she's getting long in the tooth and I have a daily 80 mi rt commute, with 90% of it being at highway speeds (70+)- so diesel makes sense for me.

I have located a few decent low mileage MB diesels - locally and via autotrader/ebay. The choices seem to be wide and deep - even with my 20k or less budget (wish I could snap up an '05 CDI...but anyway).

I think that I'd prefer a car with less than 100k on it... I'm not looking for a project car as this will be my daily driver.

I've tried to locate the Service Interval books from MB, but they want you to go to the dealer to discuss/be consulted. I'm not as worried about oil change intervals as I am things like Timing Belts/Chains and similar.

Found:

'78 300CD with less than 90k on it. Looks impeccable, neat classic/vintage MB design/styling - will get to see it this week. An example -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1978-...QQcmdZViewItem

Several 1998 - 1999 E300s - Nice options - Big Cars - Airbags less than 90k on most I'm looking at. Example -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/99-Me...QQcmdZViewItem

Some S Class late 80's to early 90's

And E Class late 80's to early 90's

I'd like to hear non-sugar coated pros/cons from you experts. I've been reading and searching this site (and others) and have a feel for the cars, but I'd like some real world input from an owners view. Not the ever popular "I've heard..." - or "Everyone says..." .

One more can of worms - would any of the above cars work with Bio-Diesel/Homebrew, or is that more of a VW thing to do?

Thanks in advance.

rsatmans

hey i have a 99 e300 and i love it. It is great and has little problems heres my thoughts. I bought a 99 about 2 years ago with 82k for 18k in wonderful condition. This car has pretty good fuel economy and i have a chip done so it likes my e320 in acceleration. However cars around this mileage need transmission flush, possible glow plugs, new battery if not changed prior. Also you need to check the spring perch for rust as there was a recall on this for all w210 e class i believe or at least diesel years. The 98 99 have turbo and that is the way to go. The 99 i believe added side curtain airbags and a improved audio system. I ran b20 for about a year with no problems until the station went out of business. Some have run home brew but you normally need to preheat it. Yous should watch out for snake oil claiming .46 diesel such as diesel secret this is merely used cooking oil filtered with gas, kerosene, and powerservice diesel kleen. just my 2 cents

uberwgn

Look for a 1998MY or 1999MY car. Those are likely your best candidates given the budget.


There's one being advertised today with about 3500 miles (claimed)...I think that was on the Mbzshopforum.

Keep in mind, this old IDI design won't come close to TDI fuel economy.

jtl60047

I know an older MB will not get TDI/CDI mileage - that being said - i'd still expect 32 - 34 MPG on the highway for the '99.

I'm a little on the tall side and the smaller Jetta TDi is not quite comfortable - plus VW thinks that all Diesel buyers only want stripped economy vehicles... without any luxury...

husk323

where did you see this? 3500 miles wow

uberwgn

http://cgi.govliquidation.com/auctio...tid=GLSPPR5587

husk323

Thanks, just ran a carfax on it.

12/30/1999 Alaska
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD Registered as
personal vehicle
12/30/1999 10 Alaska
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Title #3221088 Title or registration issued
First owner reported
11/30/2000 Vehicle Exporter Vehicle exported from
Baltimore, MD
and imported to
Germany
11/07/2003 Alaska
Motor Vehicle Dept.
APO, AE
Title #3221088 Title or registration issued
12/04/2004 US Customs Vehicle exported from
Germany
and imported to
Brunswick, GA
04/11/2007 Mercedes-Benz USA, Inc. No recalls open for repair

Imported to Germany then exported from Germany, must have been a servicemembers car!

uberwgn

I believe that is correct. Someone went so far as to suggest KIA and the car is now being auctioned off.

jtl60047

uberwgn - am I even close on the expected hwy mpg....

I know that there has been a reputation of MB Diesels going for ever -

How much does that history apply to the more modern E300 Turbodiesels? Are the electronics solid?

uberwgn

Nothing lasts "forever" without large infusions of $$$. MBz diesels are no different.

My father has a 1998 and he'd be a much better gage of fuel consumption than I. He's had his car for 1.5 years. He says his lifetime average is 29.1...down a bit since ULSD arrived. He says his best tank ever was just over 31. He does a lot of long distance driving trips at the posted speed limit.

I think the window sticker showing 26/36 is pie-in-the-sky material. Some of the guys are happy to break 25. Keep in mind, there is variance in cars and driving styles. Hitting mid-30's is unrealistic, IME.

I don't see widespread issues with the electronices. Both his car and my 1999 have very good histories without any major repairs of any kind.

jtl60047

How big of a "dog" is the '78 300CD ? It is non-turbo, but only a two door?

I'm sure that it will happily run on the hwy once at speed, but how slow will it be to get up to speed?

MPG? The seller describes the MPG in the low 30s... Is that possible?

uberwgn

we had a '79 non turbo 300D. Performance was certainly better than the 240D. I guess you'd have to decide for yourself if it is adequeate. You surely won't win any races and these cars were subject to serious rust.

I think a lot of these mileage claims originate from folks driving on pool table flat terrain @ 55MPH. YMMV.

husk323

I would stick with teh 82-85 w123's. The turbo makes the car "scream."

harkgar

Agreed 100%. The worst thing is buying an old MB diesel without the budget maintaining it. The car will die in front of your eyes. The older diesel cars were built like Panther tanks but even tanks need tender loving care and lots of lolly to keep them running sweetly.

jtl60047

True - I understand that ALL worthwhile things need TLC and the eventual infusion of cash...

That being said - I'd rather deal with something that is worth supporting and has a soul - vs - something that is bland and appliance like.

I mean hey - my first German car was an XR4Ti ..... and that experience did not sour me... I drove it past 120K .... with few issues beyond the seats leather splitting at the seams .....

uberwgn

Well, if that's your attitude, and you can perform some basic maintenance, I still feel the 1998/99 cars will be well-regarded far into the future and considered one of Benzes best diesels.


jtl, I don't even know what area you are in. I will also issue the concern of rust...even on much newer cars. The W210s have had their issues.

jtl60047

I live in the Chicago area - known for their ultra liberal use of salt.

So I am aware/prepared for a trip to accquire a low-mileage great condition new ride.

Are there any particluar areas of the car that I should look out for?

jtl60047

Was able to test drive a '99 E300 with nearly 100k on it.

Interior was decent - no heated seats - no Bose option - had the MB Phone.

Smoked a bit at idle and really smelled like a diesel (blue-greyish) until warm. On accelleration, a little visible exhaust... Once warm - smoked little (if any) and did not smell so much like my fathers '83 Buick diesel.

Felt like a strong engine, reasonable to 75MPH - handled nice. Good brakes.

Rust - there was rust below the rear license plate frame, the bolt holes showed rust drips on the rims, dent on the hood/grille that will need fixing...

Interior looked decent but looked like at one point it was fairly dirty. All interior components worked (except the power rear headrest)... was not able to test the climate controll very much.

No known maint. books or data available. This was a trade in at a Honda dealer.

uberwgn

Is it cheap?

There seem to be a lot of these cars for sale right now. You can probably afford to be selective and find a car with some history. It will only hurt your own re-sale value in the future.

erh7771

How's the MPG and performance after the chip?

I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about a 300DT now and getting some of the upgrades after market

jtl60047

Uber -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-...QQcmdZViewItem

This is the vehicle. It's on ebay for about 10K or so at the moment...

Green E-300 DT

Are you aware of the common problem with the W-210s in the rust belt areas?

I have not seen it out here, but I hear that there are areas of the body
where rust actually will cause the front strut mounts to fail.

I read somewhere that there was some sort of a silent factory recall on this provided
the car was still under warranty, which is of course no longer the case.

So be careful, and if at all possible, try to find an example that
has been here in California, AZ or TX etc. all of its' life.

It is possible.
Just keep looking until you find the right car. Mileage is not as important as this rust problem.

Good luck.

jtl60047

Can anyone share an example of what this will look like? - the rusted out towers that is.....

Thanks!

Green E-300 DT

Read these topics:

https://mbworld.org/forums/search.php?searchid=2895603

I would say that unless you can tell when you look, you'd better steer away from any W-210s unless
the owner can prove that the vehicle was never in an area where salt was used on the highways.

Stick to cars that were in desert areas such as AZ or NV, or in parts of CA
away from the coast where there is salty air from the ocean.

Good luck.

Ashkan's C43

I think an 87 300 sdl between 150-250 would be a perfect car to get, its the one I am trying to locate. I will be updateing my thread in about 2 days once i finish up with a few school things. I believe it is possible to obtain 35-40 mpg in ideal high driving. Removeing the erg, getting all syn fluids, taking some load off the car, and a few other things outlined to me to help improve mpg. As long as the car is very well maintained I believe it can either be close to or exceed the mpg raiting it was given...more to come soon.