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  #1  
Old 02-24-2008, 01:37 AM
dmorrison's Avatar
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Location: Colleyville, Texas
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Post Losing the love of Mercedes------My daughter, and me a little bit

My daughter is considering leasing a car due to her 240D's unreliability.

Last weekend she called saying the engine is running rough and it quit on her.
2 new filters, a drive to where she was (10 miles away), I installed them and she's back on the road. She then went to Oklahoma to do some gambling with some friends in the 240D.

Today I installed another inline filter for the fungus problem we've been fighting for a while. The fuel goes into the inline filter a golden amber but after a week the filter is getting clogged. We've killed it, I'm sure, but the dead fungus is still around. Fuel tank screen is clean. Hopefully over the next 3 weeks with a fungicide each week and a filter change we will be over this problem.

Her car was making a noise this weekend that sounded like the fan shroud was loose and vibrating. I looked over the car and saw the AC compressor belt really loose. I loosened the 3 rear bolts and tried tightening the belt. Snapped the adjusting bolt with the round washer attached. Never done that before. So I looked carefully and realized the compressor mount was loose from the block. Realized 2 of the 3 bolts were gone.
Went the local hardware store for the bolts and HF for a set of easy-outs, which I have but could not find to save my life. Redoing the shop.
Removing the mount I realized that 2 of the holes the bolt had broken off in.
Really got frustrated getting the studs out. A very difficult position and limited space to work in. FINALLY got the 2 studs out. One very nicely and in the second one, the first 3 threads are buggered up a little, but the hole seems to hold the bolt fine.
The 3rd hole was elongated a bit but seems to hold the bolt.
I used high temp loctite on the bolts and am now waiting the 24 hours for the loctite to harden. Don't want to put any undue stress on the holes. Their conditions are 9 out of 10 for one hole, 6 out of 10 for the second and 3 out of 10 on the third so patients will be a virtue here.

Monday morning I will reinstall the compressor on the mount with a new adjusting bolt. Tighten the compressor and hopefully not mess the mount bolt up.

So my daughter talks about the idea of a new car. She loves the 240D and does not really want to get rid of it but she is a worrier and the cars few breakdowns have her concerned.
I've sort of steered her towards a lease since she will still have the 240D, or maybe not, I'm not sure what she will do.

I also am still going back and forth about the wagon. $6000 for a new engine, I will not waste my time on a used engine, or just get rid of it and rent a truck when I need one ( the wagon is sort of my truck with its trailer ). Maybe I'll have that decided by the summer.

My daughter works hard at her job and on her time off she does not want to think of working on a car or wondering what preventive maintenance is required. She also sees how our new Honda is just a very reliable car and we never have to do anything to it. With the job stress and all I think she just wants a new reliable car. I can't blame her. She lives at home to save money, and boy does she, so a lease or car payment will not be a problem.
I'm finding the W123's are getting so old that a lot of things are starting to come up and I just don't enjoy the work anymore. I love "tinkering" on them but having to maintain the 240D, 300D, 300TD and the 560SL is getting to be a little to much. I really would love to just play with the 560SL as a toy, not a REQUIRED mode of transportation. ( The SL is still a toy, not a required car ).

Sorry for the ranting, maybe tomorrow I'll be back to enjoying it. I just hate removing broken bolts

Dave

PS if you gotten this far, why on earth to they make an easy-out with such a screwed up head. You have to use a tap tool to use it. But the majority of times you have to use an easy-out the bolt is installed in something. Why don't they make them so you can use a ratchet/socket on them???????????????

Or do they make an adapter for this???????

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car
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  #2  
Old 02-24-2008, 01:58 AM
pawoSD's Avatar
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It always seems to come in shifts....I haven't done a significant repair to my SD for probably over 5 months....all I've done was replace my headlights...because I wanted better ones. All last year (07) was relatively low maintenance....and I expect this year to be the same. I have done 0 to the car so far this year and its already the end of February. It gets an oil change in a few weeks....and thats all it should need.

My dad's SD has not had any real repairs in many months....its got to be at least 6-7 at this point. However, the first few years we had these cars, we were fixing all kinds of stuff.

Our 300D has only had a few repairs too.....and it has also gone about 4-5 months with nothing other than a solder-repair to the climate control.

Don't let multiple repairs or issues at once get you down....just remember that once you fix them, you'll be back on the road enjoying the long hood with a star at the end.
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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)
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  #3  
Old 02-24-2008, 05:08 AM
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my 300d's have been so trouble free to me that I actaully have nightmares of them breaking down (no joke, last night I had a dream of the left oil cooler hose on my 300dt bursting, the engine still ran barely)
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  #4  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:01 AM
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Dave, the car is twenty five years old? And you've had a fuel tank with things living in it? At some point, the repair efforts increase exponentially when things go wrong. Something like Murphy's Law, I 'spose. I know if it was my daughter, I'd be focused on her personal safety and not worrying about the car and whether it's going to make the next 1000 miles.

I found that you've got to stay two or three steps ahead on older diesels like this and make pre-emptive repair strikes. I found this to be the case with my '83 SD. I was doing small jobs every single weekend. The car was immaculate, but still needed stuff done as components deteriorated.

My wife finally said, "ENOUGH! Get out of the garage!" And that was the end of the 1983 SD.

Maybe you look at something else for her where she doesn't have to be concerned about making it home on a dark night. Consider a lease if she can live within the prescribed mileage limits. Keep the 240D as a hobby, for her (or your) spare time.

Take care.
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  #5  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:02 AM
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Come on Dave, we know it's just the aftermath of a bad day. You'll be back in there swinging. Most of my stuff lately has been because I wanted it done, not because it needed it.

I have three sockets with 8 points, which was weird when I saw them. But, they work on the taps just fine. The sockets are out there somewhere, I think I just got lucky with this cheap set I bought.
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  #6  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:21 AM
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I started my oldest daughter on an 83 300SD.

She had the hots for my 71 250C, so after 6 months of accident free driving she adopted the 250C.

While she still loves the 250C, when she went college on the other side of the country, maintaining a vintage Benz was not in the picture.

I bought her a late Buick Century, and it's amazing what you can get on the used market for a reasonable price.

She's happy with having a reliable car that requires little or no maintenance, and I'm happy because I don't have deal with a car long distance.

Jim
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  #7  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:29 AM
Craig
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Yup, owning these things is a hobby, if your daughter does not enjoy playing with them she should buy a newer car. I'm thinking about buying a newer e-class for my 17 year old when she finally gets around to getting her license (there are plenty of cheap ones around). BTW, I would never recommend leasing or borrowing money to buy any car, teach her to pay cash for cars.
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  #8  
Old 02-24-2008, 09:31 AM
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Dave, if she can wait just a little while longer why not take a look at the diesel Accord that Honda is bringing out within the next year.
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  #9  
Old 02-24-2008, 11:48 AM
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I was sick of fixing cars in the winter. Thats why this year I bought my Chevy for winter use, and limited summer. My father just bought a 03 Jag to replace the volvo wagon. The fact is old cars break down. Believe it or not, our Cadillac STS lease has been the cheapest car to have out of the current fleet.
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  #10  
Old 02-24-2008, 12:07 PM
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Hold Mr. Morrison down ... clear!!
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"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

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1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
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  #11  
Old 02-24-2008, 12:19 PM
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^^LOL^^- Hang in there Dave- these cars can beat us down from time to time, but we cannot let them win!!

I do agree that maybe the 240 is not the car for your daughter to take that far away from home. but if you think about all the repairs that you have done, which should not need attention again for a long while, and factor in the cost of a lease(+ full insurance coverage) or different used car VS paying a good Indy mechanic in the town she lives in on occasion, and the safety factor of these old tanks, maybe you'll come back around to the star.

Either way I am sure that you will make the right decision for your family. For all of our sakes,I hope you keep all your cars, I think that there are still a few repairs the need your phenomenal write-ups.
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  #12  
Old 02-24-2008, 12:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmorrison View Post
I also am still going back and forth about the wagon. $6000 for a new engine, I will not waste my time on a used engine

I've read your dashboard R&R thread (a standout among the howtos here) and was very impressed. But I can't wrap my mind around the above logic. Engine costs more than the car?


As far as family members driving 20+ year old cars, even the most mechanically challenged person should be able to change the primary filter, (if not the secondary) My personal feeling is that should be the benchmark for driving one of these beasties.
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  #13  
Old 02-24-2008, 01:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turbobenz View Post
my 300d's have been so trouble free to me that I actaully have nightmares of them breaking down (no joke, last night I had a dream of the left oil cooler hose on my 300dt bursting, the engine still ran barely)
I agree, every time I start up Elvira I have these visions of something going wrong - but after 24 years the only time she's left me stranded was when I let her run out of fuel - my wife rescued me in her '82 SD.
On the other hand, over the 34 years that I've had the TR6, it has not been quite that reliable - Lucas electrics by Sir John Lucas, Lord of Darkness. And everything on the Land Rover is plastic and some piece is always breaking off. So, I love the 123's, the last of the chrome and steel, Bosch electrics, machines.
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  #14  
Old 02-24-2008, 01:59 PM
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Ohhhhh Yea!

Quote:
Originally Posted by engatwork View Post
Dave, if she can wait just a little while longer why not take a look at the diesel Accord that Honda is bringing out within the next year.
Our little hybrid is going to get replaced with one of those. I think you have too many 25 year old cars to keep up. If you didn't have a day time job, maybe it would be possible. I'd get her a new car and keep the 240D to drive on Sunday. The Sundays that you aren't working on it.

Flame suit ON! I'd rather be in the 2009 Accord, in an accident, than a 25 year old 240D. Sure they are tanks, but AFAIR, MB didn't start incorporating the off set crash test results until the 201 and then the 124. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.
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Last edited by Bio300TDTdriver; 02-24-2008 at 02:08 PM.
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  #15  
Old 02-24-2008, 02:20 PM
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My car has only left me stranded one time, on the way home from PA where I bought it, fuel gauge didn't work.....and I just thought it had a huge tank, till I was at the side of the road in southern michigan. A nice cop helped me out in getting some fuel, and I was back on my way.

My dad's SD had the alternator seize up solid while he was driving around in town about 3 months after he bought the car. I rescued him in my '82 , then we came back at night, connected his to mine with the convenient tow hooks, and I pulled his car home 11 miles at 15-20mph. We then replaced the alternator, and it has never let him down since. And an alternator locking up can happen to ANY car, so it was nothing MB specific.

The 300D has never let us down so far.

With "average" maintenance there's no reason these cars shouldn't be equal if not more reliable than any new car. Mine has been more reliable than my fiance's Rav4....and its 15 years/130k younger.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)
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