My '85 SD is abnormally slow after first start-up and will only crawl off the line when I leave the drive everyday. The outside temps are in the 80's and it has new filters, cleaned banjo bolt, boost line, but will not hardly move until the engine reaches operating temp or 2500 rpms (turbo kicks in). After the car is warm then it functions normally. If you let it sit and cool for 6 0r 8 hours then you have the same problem again. Am I just being paranoid?

Kevin

Mine used to do that too, but I'm sure you want a simpler solution than rebuilding. Check that the throttle linkage moves all the way to full throttle stop by depressing the petal. Pulling on the linkage by hand doesn't always give the same results due to lost motion in older, worn linkages. Also, check glowplugs - engine can sound OK, but not burning well when cold. Bosch offers a kit with new glowplugs and a glowplug relay/controller which runs up to 3 minutes to address such issues. Available through Fastlane

.... Tune the ALDA..... I'd bet 1/2 CCW will do the trick....

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The engine starts smoothly in all temps and doesn't use any oil in between changes and it gets great fuel mileage so I am hopefully not going to need to rebuild it anytime soon. I will try to address the linkage issue. Maybe it's just the linkage.

Kevin

Check the linkage first, just for grins. But I almost guarantee the cure will be about 1.0-1.5 turns (gently!) CCW on the ALDA... this is a VERY common problem and the ALDA tweak is the cure in almost every case. You should never feel the turbo "kick in", the car should pull strongly off idle and smoothly build power as boost pressure increases. What you are feeling is low fuel delivery and the ALDA tweak is *usually* the cure. (The proper cure is to yank the IP and have it calibrated on a Bosch test bench, but I haven't met one person willing to do that on a 617...! )

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Oh yeah - one last thing. When was the last valve adjustment? You're supposed to do that every 15kmi. If it hasn't been done in a LONG time, you could have the valves waaay out of spec, which can create a pretty significant power loss!

Mine starts slightly rough, after a couple minutes it goes pretty well. It actually goes a lot better than it did when I first got it. But- I can hear and feel the turbo wind up and it's not a smooth progressive offline delivery of boost from what I can tell. It spools up kind of late and hits all at once. It's very audible also. I really have no complaint with the way it accelerates now but I'd like to have it running as properly as I can anyways. I don't want to mess with the ALDA, the sealed cap has been broken anyway so obviously it's already been messed with. I adjusted the valves about a thousand miles ago. I think maybe I need a purge or some new injectors, but I'm a cheapskate and just had to have 2 new rear axles put in so I'll just do a purge and hope for the best.
This is definitely the coolest car I've ever had. I just wish the doors didn't bounce back when you try to shut 'em. All four of them do that and it gets on your nerves when you have to open and slam them five times in a row before they shut properly.

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The ALDA is not as mysterious as you might think. If the capsules inside have not cracked, the ALDA can be rebuilt by replacing the shaft seal (which seems to wear out & leak after 15+ years, causing part-throttle power loss.) Photos of the ALDA internals are here:

http://www.meimann.com/images/mercedes/OM603_injection/

Just don't force the setscrew when adjusting... a couple of fingers tension is all that should be required to turn the screw after loosening the locknut. BTW, your door latches either need cleaning & lubricating, and/or adjustment...!

Boy, I hear ya. I spent two and one half hours and $70. to get the driver's door on the SDL to operate just about perfectly. It is at the end of its available hinge travel and it still sits low by about 1/8 of and inch, but, it closes with just the effort of your pinky.

It's a long and tedious process, but, it's worth it in the end. PM me if you want more specific details.

and adjust the ALDA. The factory cap is still there and I am just not comfortable with tampering with it.

Kevin

Kevin,

If you don't want to touch the ALDA, you have two choices:

1) remove the injection pump and have it calibrated at a Bosch shop

2) Get used to having a sluggish car that is not how Mercedes engineers intended it to operate.


FYI, if for some freak reason you damage the ALDA, you can usually find one at a salvage yard cheap. They're all the same on 617, 602, and 603 turbo engines through at least 1987. Also, another option is to remove the ALDA and insert an extra shim underneath... this is a PITA, as you will need to fine-tune the shim thickness by filing it, etc to simulate turning the ALDA shaft screw. I long ago gave up on trying to leave the ALDA tamper seal in place! Just not worth the hassle...

:p :p

how does one adjust a door latch?

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

There should be a section in the factory service manual about the door striker (latch). More likely they just need some cleaning and lubrication. Try that first. I know of very few MB's that require multiple tries to close the doors...!

Hello everyone.
Where the heck did door handles come into a performance problem?? LOL

Too the main event!
STOP:
Do not mess with the ALDA yet.
Try cleaning the ALDA air feed banjo and line first.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/102259-om617-turbo-alda-boost-pressure-signal-banjo-bolt-fitting-post707523.html?posted=1#post707523

If it is partly or fully plugged, the power loss is terrible.

Other thoughts:
Don't waste your time with this section, until you address the first section.
Remove the CCV tube from air filter housing and test drive, did the smoke go away?
Is it possible that you have too tight of valve lash?
Have you checked for broken or disconnected vacuum lines?
Did you replace the O rings on your filter housing oil return tube, upper and lower?
If you removed the fuel injector lines to adjust the valves, they are full of air, take it out for an Italian tune-up, 50 - 60 miles.

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Not to keep hijacking this into a door thread, but one on my '85 300D was doing that, and it was the strap mechanism that holds the door open. It had broken out the ball bearing that locks into the detents and wouldn't close right, and the reaped slammings of the P.O. had misaligned the door. Interestingly, one of the ones out of a parts cart I am gouging, a'80 300d, had the same failure