Seeking input on a E 300 diesel
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
SL 500 Sport
Seeking input on a E 300 diesel
I have a chance to buy a 1999 E 300 diesel. It has 225000 miles, a NEW engine, but needs the turbo replaced.
My main concern is the transmission. It does not have any issues as far as I can tell, but with a quarter million miles should I be prepared to replace it imminently? Cost?
How much will a new turbo cost?
I've always wanted one of these damn diesels since I was a kid. Having a near new engine ( replaced in 2013) makes it appealing.
Any input from you guys would be fantastic
Thanks!
Dan
My main concern is the transmission. It does not have any issues as far as I can tell, but with a quarter million miles should I be prepared to replace it imminently? Cost?
How much will a new turbo cost?
I've always wanted one of these damn diesels since I was a kid. Having a near new engine ( replaced in 2013) makes it appealing.
Any input from you guys would be fantastic
Thanks!
Dan
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 301
Likes: 23
1997 E300D
I have more miles than that (235,000) on my E 300 D, with no problems on the engine or transmission. Your turbo may stress the tranny more than my non-turbo, but these transmissions are often fixable without replacement. If the price is right I would go for it. Strange that it has a new engine.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 281
Likes: 4
From: IL / WI
Depends on the day
I have a chance to buy a 1999 E 300 diesel. It has 225000 miles, a NEW engine, but needs the turbo replaced.
My main concern is the transmission. It does not have any issues as far as I can tell, but with a quarter million miles should I be prepared to replace it imminently? Cost?
How much will a new turbo cost?
I've always wanted one of these damn diesels since I was a kid. Having a near new engine ( replaced in 2013) makes it appealing.
Any input from you guys would be fantastic
Thanks!
Dan
My main concern is the transmission. It does not have any issues as far as I can tell, but with a quarter million miles should I be prepared to replace it imminently? Cost?
How much will a new turbo cost?
I've always wanted one of these damn diesels since I was a kid. Having a near new engine ( replaced in 2013) makes it appealing.
Any input from you guys would be fantastic
Thanks!
Dan
Dan
Those late OM606 are the "best of breed" so to speak. If there are records for all the work done, then you're in good shape. If not, then take the sellers word with a grain of salt - people will say anything to sell a car.
Now, I wouldn't necessarily worry about the transmission. They're stout and because they're electronically controlled very rarely do they have mechanical malfunction. The trans would shut itself down before anything drastic would happen anyway. More often then not, they have electrical fault (conductor plate, trans fluid wicking up into the TCM, shifter etc). You're looking at less than $2-300 to do the trans conductor plate job yourself.
Why does the turbo "need" to be replaced? Unless the fins are chewed up then the turbo can be rebuilt. You can buy a rebuild kit for a KKK K14 turbo and rebuild it yourself. There are plenty of DIY pictorials and such all over the net. I rebuild my 600hp Datsun's turbo at the end of every drift season - it's gotten down to about 45 minutes. Easy stuff.
Overall, they're easy cars to work on. The benefit of having the OBD2 system on board to give you hints as to what may be wrong helps quite a bit.
Last edited by bsmuwk; Nov 18, 2014 at 09:08 PM.
