TDIClub Secret Society of Benz Owners (SSBO)

[cevans]

I almost got a GL before I picked up the R-Class. Beautiful truck.

Latest shot of the CDI

 

[dieseldorf]

We were at the car show tonight and spotted this "unique" 300SDL:

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

At least they were thorough. Other than the wheels and glass, looks like they sprayed everything.

 

[yatzee]

It's been a very long time since I've posted on this thread. I got rid of my 350sdl a couple years ago - something i very much regret as the next owner flipped it to someone else who blew the engine. A sad end for that fine car.

Right now, my daily is a 2005 6 speed c230. Quite a good car actually - it's not the quickest on the road, the trans and the engine are well mated, and it's got much more legroom than an mk4 (more like a Passat). I'm averaging 28mpg with it, but i've noticed that my economy has been slowly getting better over time.

I'm also kicking around 1994 E280 5 speed. Very rare car - too bad the paint is shot, but I couldn't resist it for the price i paid.

Only diesel in the extended fleet (including family members) is now my Duramax

 

[Owain@malonetuning]

Wow, didn't even know the E280s were sold in NA as manual, any idea how many made it over? I've always wanted to pick up one of the older IDIs, couple solid manuals up for cheap locally.

82 300td
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/6162432766.html

74 240d
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/6194197914.html

There was a solid manual 300TD wagon for a grand awhile ago with faded paint, west coast cars and I'm not scared of a little rust. Insurance (no benefits for multi car ownership, so 180* X vehicles/mo) and high square footage fees are keeping the fleet to a minimum

 

[yatzee]

Wow, didn't even know the E280s were sold in NA as manual, any idea how many made it over? I've always wanted to pick up one of the older IDIs, couple solid manuals up for cheap locally.

Not surprisingly, there is an interesting story behind the car. It was originally sold in Poland but shipped the Lebanon and used by multiple canadian diplomats over the years. The PO imported it to Montreal in 1998 and went through the process to get it certified for our market (3rd brake light, an extra reflector on the right rear tail light). The car is fugly but goes pretty well

 

[shogun]

Updated my 06 E320CDI with the 07-09 E63 Body Kit/Exhaust Tips & GDE Tune. Doesn't get the mileage the JSW or the B4 got but it works.

 

[tditom]

Updated my 06 E320CDI with the 07-09 E63 Body Kit/Exhaust Tips & GDE Tune. Doesn't get the mileage the JSW or the B4 got but it works.

That looks really good

 

[cevans]

Hows the GDE tune treating you? I had RocketChip do mine and A) this thing is FAST and B) my around town mileage is up 3-4MPG and highway is up 5MPGs. Absolutely incredible!

 

[shogun]

Thanks Tom. Here is another picture including the rear + the staggered 19" AMG wheels.

I originally got the GDE tune for the Sprinter which made a huge difference in response and a decent improvement in mileage. The tune in the CDI is good although I thought the car was a mid-range rocket ship to begin with. I haven't measured the highway mileage yet but I'm getting 29-30 around DC with a relatively heavy foot.

 

[andreigbs]

Hello folks, I just found this super-secret thread and am kindly requesting to join. I have created a thread for my Bluetec here: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=480944 (mods, please remove if inappropriate) and just wanted to subscribe to this one specifically for Merc oil burners.

Diesel on!

 

[StayPuff]

I never knew there were other MB owners here with this thread. Although mine isn't as flashy as the ones I see posted here, I have a white 1971 W115 220D manual with the 615. It's not a hot rod by any stretch, but I just love driving it, hopelessly addicted to hearing it run, and love working on it even more. Always have a list of things to do on it, and that's intentional

 

[jnecr]

I never knew there were other MB owners here with this thread. Although mine isn't as flashy as the ones I see posted here, I have a white 1971 W115 220D manual with the 615. It's not a hot rod by any stretch, but I just love driving it, hopelessly addicted to hearing it run, and love working on it even more. Always have a list of things to do on it, and that's intentional

How long have you had it? Those old Merc diesels are increasing in value aren't they?

My grandparents had two W123 wagons and loved them. After my grandmother died my parents sold her W123 to a guy in California who brought his trailer and hauled it back to CA. He got a steal though, my dad didn't know what those old Mercs were worth.

 

[PeteZ06]

202,000 on my E320 CDI and running great.

I bought it with around 185K last January. So far just a trans fluid/filter change, oil change and #3 glow plug went bad ($30 brand new OEM Beru at MB dealer)

 

[Armourbl]

Seriously considering a 2014 BMW 535d that is mostly loaded. Only thing it doesn't have that I'd like is the M Sport Package.

Any wisdom to share before it pull the trigger?

Has about 46,000 miles on it now.

****, thought this was the BMW thread. My bad.

Thanks,

ben

 

[elc32955]

Hey all...

Just thought I'd post a quick update, my 05 E320CDI just cranked over 100,000 miles last week and it's still going strong. I did find out a few interesting things about the car which I'll detail here. My fuel economy dropped by about 2-3 MPG about 5,000 miles after I purchased the car. Finally, after much checking over of systems and what not I isolated it to the tire purchase I had recently made. Mercedes always uses the low rolling resistance tires on these cars. I went and put Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires on my car, I've got a law enforcement background and always liked having pursuit-rated tires at my command, especially here in Florida with some of the crazy drivers we see here - a few abrupt lane changes have happened without almost any warning to get out of the way of another driver operating with head up & locked (old airline term).

Also, something else to consider on these cars... if you go to change glow plugs on the US spec E320CDI, the only glow plug that will work correctly is the Beru, NOT the Bosch. I see anecdotally in some of the other forums that people complain about glow plug efficiency from time to time - many of them are using the Bosch plugs, those are Euro use only. Mercedes made a small change on the 05 & 06 cars for the US market. Many parts houses will spec the Bosch plugs but... they will apparently not work correctly due to the voltage difference, won't get the needed heat out of them. Just keep that one in mind.

Maintenance-wise, I've had to change the glow plug controller (yeah, I borrowed a friend's lift for that one!), motor and tranny mounts, had some problems with water leakage into the trunk (lot of W211's have issues with that) - water was coming in around the plastic rivets by the rear SAM and through the third brake light seal. All the electronics started going crazy in a heavy rain one day - time to find the water leak! I didn't have to but I swapped the steering wheel for the wood grain E350 wheel - looks a lot more classy, I changed out the climate control unit for the one out of the 07 E350 with the center display (it was strictly plug-n-play, no reprogramming required), and changed most front end components after my wife was minding her own business last year driving down US1 and this Ford Escape decided to make an illegal left turn in front of her and immolate itself on her front end. Luckily all the damage was bolt-on repairs, no frame damage - fixed with all Mercedes parts, no knock-off's. Grill, right xenon headlight assembly, hood, RF fender, bumper/bumper cover, the right side bumper support/crash isolator. The crash didn't blow the interior bags, could have been a lot worse. Roughly $8,500 worth of damage to our car though. Oh, and the sunroof had to be changed out twice before the rain leak was stopped. Mercedes sunroof seal problems, bleh. I did brakes (pads and rotors) at 44,000, with 100K miles on it now they're still stopping strong. Reset the SBC counter at about 95K miles, so it should be good to go for a while yet before I have any SBC issues.

Next time I do tires I'll put low rolling resistance ones back on to regain the last few MPG now that I know what I did wrong. The values on these cars are still up, and this one's a keeper. Only mod I might make down the road is to swap in E55 buckets instead of the MB-Tex leatherette seats, this way I keep my dynamic seating intact. The E55 buckets are essentially the same as what I've got in my '08 E63, nice supportive seats. DEF for me stands for "Don't Ever Fill"

Thanks
Eric

 

[Tin Man]

My 2005 E320 CDI was great. Sold it at 203,000 miles after an occasional $$$ repair. My mechanic's wife won't let go of it at 350,000 miles so far.

Engine needed a new front injector with valve cover, a new electric radiator fan, had the license plate screws cause a trunk leak, was told by mechanic the car had "biodegradable" wiring - water makes it go away faster I guess. Would need a computer hook up to disable the sensotronic brakes so they don't cut off your fingers trying to change the pads, though. Only used low rolling resistance tires and it had phenomenal fuel economy. Panoramic roof was a waste of money - they all break and can't be fixed economically in those cars.

Great car! Mercedes changed to a squared off design with a V6 diesel after - not to my liking. Now have the closest thing - a 535d.

TM

 

[oilhammer]

I am a fan of I6 over V6, but the MB V6 diesel has proven to be pretty darn good.



That Sprinter is still on the road, it has over 600k miles on it now. The only thing the engine has ever needed aside from oil and filter changes is a few glow plugs and the HPFP finally died. That's it. Injectors, timing chain, even the often talked about oil cooler seals, are all still original and untouched. And that is moving a loaded Sprinter around.

 

[PeteZ06]

205K on my 2005 E320 CDI. All original. Just oil changes and the occasional glow plug swap. My local MB dealer always has the Beru plugs on hand for $30 a piece.

I've been glancing at the 535D, A8 TDI and E250 Bluetec .. test drove all 3. I'll eventually pull the plug on one of those this year but will keep the CDI until it dies. No sense in selling a perfectly good car, I just want something newer with more toys

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Pulled my 300D out of the warehouse last week, washed it yesterday, passed MA state inspection today.

I don't drive this car often. The inspection expired last October, and my most recent fill up was last August. I looked it up: I've had the car 8 years, driven it about 20K miles in that time. But when I do get around to driving it I appreciate how nice it is, even though it's now 25 years old.

 

[CincyJSW]

Although it pains me to say it, my beautiful 1981 4 speed manual 240D simply won't be driven that much now that I am the proud owner of a brown, manual, diesel, 2013 jetta sportwagen. Probably wouldn't have bought it without the dieselgate warranty, but MAN is it a lot of fun driving something with that kinda torque and the longer wheelbase! I'm a convert (for now)! Also doesn't hurt that VAG cars appear to do a bit better in the rust belt (Ohio) where I live.

EDIT - don't know what happened that caused this to be posted twice, sorry and here's Benny to make up for it.

 

[elc32955]

Hey Tin Man, just FYI the famed disintegrating wiring harnesses were installed in Mercedes cars between MY 91 and 97, your mechanic had bad info on your CDI if he told you that your car was subject to that.

I changed my fuel filter last weekend, started having longer start intervals and eventually the car tossed a code of P0087 (low fuel rail pressure) after trying to go full throttle to blow it out a bit. Checked the fuel filter first and it turned out I had a Hengst in place instead of a Mann filter, it was slightly leaking at the water in fuel sensor junction (the top seal of the black sensor in the center of the filter). I installed a new Mann filter kit from Mercedes ($44.00 shipped), changed the bleed knob and O-rings for the WIF sensor, and it seems to have fixed the problem. No more sluggishness or codes being thrown.

I was dreading the code coming back as next stop would have been the in-tank pump, around $450 or so to purchase plus busting the tank open to swap it. Yum. Nothing like a diesel tank open in your back seat to make your day.... But, anecdotally the roller in-tank fuel pumps on the CDI's seem to start to lose output pressure enough to toss codes between 150 and 200K miles from what other users have reported. You don't generally lose the entire pump (except for 1 or 2 people's misfortune), but it's enough to throw a code and make the car a bit sluggish, especially at commended WOT.

Eric

 

[Tin Man]

Hey Tin Man, just FYI the famed disintegrating wiring harnesses were installed in Mercedes cars between MY 91 and 97, your mechanic had bad info on your CDI if he told you that your car was subject to that.

Thanks! Good to know.

TM

 

[compu_85]

Long time no post....

After wanting to get the rust where the caster brackets attach on my SDL fixed up for years... I finally got it done, along with a whole suspension and steering refresh. I also installed the H&R lowering springs I picked up back at the last TDIFest. They are spec'd as a 1.6" drop. I paired them with the tallest spring pads.



-J

 

[TDIMeister]

I'm surprised that this thread has received little love as of late. My household added a 2011 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic, bought with 160k km / 100k miles. It's by far the most luxurious car either my wife or I ever owned. Unfortunately, within weeks of buying it, I discovered an engine oil leak that wasn't caught at the dealer's lot and I can't prove whether it existed then or coincidentally developed just within the 800 miles of owning it. Apparently, the leak seems to be a common thing with the OM642, and we have a used-car warranty that will cover most but not all of the bill.

Fuel economy is not great for being a full-size, 7-seat, 5500-pound curb weight SUV with 275/50R20 tires, but it's the vehicle my wife adamantly wanted. You know the saying - "Happy wife, happy life..." I swore I'd never own an SUV, but here we are... I was actually set on getting an R350 BlueTec, but several we were scheduled to view all didn't pan out and this GL basically fell on our laps.

I try to justify the purchase with the fact that it consumes less fuel than our aging former Dodge Grand Caravan with 473k km with which we sputtered into the dealer lot and managed to deal a trade-in that reduced the cost of the Benz by about $2500, essentially paying the taxes and dealer fees.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

We talk to a lot of customers with GLs and MLs. Eventually all of them will need the oil cooler seals replaced, which, as you have learned, is not a small job. Otherwise these seem to be pretty durable, as long as you keep up with maintenance.

Now the only SUV with a diesel available new is the Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Escalade, unless the diesel Ford Everest actually makes it here.

 

[oilhammer]

I've only ever had to do those on one Sprinter.... and it had 430k miles on it at the time. You'd think those would tax the system the most, but they don't seem to. Maybe the whopping 12.5L oil capacity helps.

FWIW, I really wonder if slopping fuel filter changes cause issues with those seals, as they are literally right below the filter, and if you do not take steps to stop and trap any fuel when the lines are removed, you are going to get fuel down into the valley and ruin any oil or coolant seals down there. I'm VERY careful not to spill a drop.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

People seem to think that heat is the culprit. Hot V turbo setups seem to have their downsides. Maybe Sprinters aren't as susceptible (although I'm not convinced they aren't) because the oil doesn't get as hot. Larger capacity may be the reason. Makes sense.

The replacement seals are Viton, but I don't have data on whether or not they're more durable.

As an aside, I talked to a customer the other day who was just about to pass 1M miles on his '08 Sprinter. Original turbo. That's impressive.

 

[TDIMeister]

Thanks, guys, for giving me some encouragement that this purchase was not a total mistake. The wife bought it on impulse, and I didn't even get a thorough look through it because it was getting dark in the middle of February. The repair estimate came to about $3500 plus tax; the warranty company is signing off on paying $2650 of that. There's another leak at the rear that is reflected in that quote to be fixed. It hasn't been traced precisely but the mechanic guesses it's starting somewhere above and working its way down to look like a rear main seal leak.

The cruise control is also not working, and reading online points to a low battery voltage as a culprit - the mechanic's scan also had codes for low battery voltage. I already replaced the auxiliary battery and thought putting the main battery on a maintainer/charger might be a temporary measure to see if it resolves the issue (it didn't), so I'll be replacing it in early May when it goes to the shop to fix the leak.

 

[taleAwaggin]

The only thing the engine has ever needed aside from oil and filter changes is a few glow plugs..

A few plugs, similar story here. For me the voltage regulators on the alt seem to go out early. Same with some of the sensors, crank and cam come to mind. Oh and the intake hoses split very early along with the intake muffler.