brite lite

HAVE HAD THIS CAR 2 MONTHS, AM GETTING 17 MPG, IS THAT GOOD, BAD?

DOES ANYONE HAVE AN OWNERS MANUAL TO SELL?

Untertürkheim

This depends on a number of factors, driving style, service history, etc. You should be able to get better than 17 on the highway though.

240D 3.0T

17mpg is good if you drive in the city, it should get around 20mpg on the highway.

doktor4carz

The manufacturer specifications teach us that this car with the M110 engine sucks 9 liters/100 km at 90 km/h and 11 liters/100km at 120... Convert this into MPG and that in your answer. This was the fuel consumption I obtained with my former 1979 280E automatic, after fixing the K-Jetronic system damages.

tanktube67

thats a good MPG

Lurking thanks

I have a 1980 280e, it usually got ~24mpg on the freeway, it doesn't have factory air thou it's really stripped down + it needed a valve adjustment and tune up in a major way. The numbers in Doctor4carz's post work out to 26mpg @ 90km/h, that makes sense. Link

edit: also mine was the european model (probably purchased new in Sweden), it has the dual exhaust and higher compression supposed to make 180hp.

Untertürkheim

One of the factors that made these use so much fuel was friction. Synthetic oils for that high RPM engine and even a regearing of the diff ratio should improve numbers drastically.

I believe these cars were fitted with a 3.46 final drive ratio. If you can get the 2.88 from a 1985 123 300 turbodiesel you should be in business.

240D 3.0T

Up to Oct77: 3.54
Nov77 on: 3.58

Untertürkheim

I stand corrected.

BTW, just curious if you have thought about changing the gearing for better top-end / lower freeway rpm? Looks like you are running the 240 ratio there?

240D 3.0T

I already swapped the stock 3.69 for a 3.46.

Untertürkheim

I thought the W/C123 617A ran a 3.07 until 85, when it became 2.88?

240D 3.0T

They did. The 3.46 is used in the non-turbo 300D models.

A 3.07 would make acceleration with a manual too slow and wear out the clutch quicker. A 3.3x or 3.2x ratio would be perfect for a 617a with a manual but they don't exist.

doktor4carz

All W123.030 (a.k.a 280 carburettor engine) or W123.033 (280 E KE-Jetronic) are fitted with double exhaust from engine till the end. Post '82 got some sort of EGR valve (that I never knew that what exactly does...) placed onto the exhaust manifold. The fuel-injection engine delivers nonetheless 185 HP.

doktor4carz

Never use synthetic oil in a M110 engine ! At the time they were manufactured, the specified oil was the mineral one (synthetic oils weren't even invented...). For example, the past year I bought my girlfriend a 1982 W123 280E, low mileage, garage kept... blablabla... (in Romania, 280E models are quite underrated... reasons are to be poverty and high fuel consumption...). As I was away from home, she changed the oil, using Mobil1 5W-40. After 2 weeks and approx. 1500 Km, the car was low on oil... I replaced it with the accurate one, 15W-50 that I use on a regular basis for old cars, an it runs smoothly 'till this very day and no consumption at all.

High quality mineral oil is no less than synthetic one, especially when the manufacturer says that this is the winner... Everybody knows that German people were non stupid... that doesn't make us smarter.

doktor4carz

I have to argue on that... All European models were fitted with 3.46, same as 123.130 "300D". 3.58 is found on 123.026 "250" and also on 123.223 "230E"

In the past, I fitted a 2.88 on 280E, but I had to change the automatic gearbox, because it was '79-er, that means that the second gear was used for moving the car from stand-still position, and I replaced it with '82-modell gearbox, the type that uses all 4 gears in "D" position. I was very satisfied of the results...

I beg your pardon for the consecutive posting, but the "multi-quote" does not work. If a moderator could merge this, it would be great.

240D 3.0T

That is bad information. Just because YOU didn't like it does not mean its not good for everyone else.

I suppose you use fuel made in the 1980's as well as the low-quality junk they called "oil" back then? Face it, even modern dino oil is very different than what was around in the 80's. Kainotophobia is no excuse to not take advantage of better technology.

I suggest you recheck the accuracy of your information sources.

Untertürkheim

First, synthetic oils were invented and sold while the M110 motor was.

Second, I know someone who did use synthetics in his M110 for many years and hundreds of thousands of miles.

Third, MB reccomends using 229.3 or 229.5 oils in every car (except 229.51 in bluetec / DPF models), so that they are entirely reverse compatible. So, MB does in fact reccomend Synthetic oils, because every 229.5 or even .3 is synthetic.

doktor4carz

Well... we are already off-topic and I am not going to continue argueing... I have said what I had to say.

Since the guy who started the topic does not refresh us with some new info, there is no point in filling up the pages... The rest is off-topic, and can be discussed in private, if anyone feels that it is necessary.

Jakew903

That's not as good as my 240D.

240D 3.0T

Gee, really? No kidding?

Jakew903

Really what did I ever do to you to start a big flame war?

240D 3.0T

There is no flame war.

I thought you were going away? Was that just another lie?

doktor4carz

A flame-war that ended up in a smoke-fart...thread dead, la commedia e finita.

240D 3.0T

So what was the point of dragging up the thread?