I am a long time fan of the 5 cylinder turbo diesel and have owned three of them.. I have been warned before that the 350 SDL which is a 6 cylinder is a time bomb waiting to go off. I have recently been introduced to the idea of purchasing a 300 E turbo diesel that is in excellent condition. I was extremely excited about the idea untill i saw that it was a 6-cylinder. Is this the same as the 350 motor that is such a maintenece nightmare.
6 cylinder turbo diesel in a 124? reliability?
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Im not sure what you mean a time bomb?
I have a relative who owns a W126 Turbo Diesel with
over 400K miles on it. Second transmission, second turbocharger but rest of engine is all original including headgasket. When I worked for MBZ this was the norm for the 6 cylinder units (OM602)
These are fantastic cars with very long cruising ranges. They are a little slow but no one buys older diesel cars for speed or performance. W124 with OM606
engine are becoming hard to come by because people do not want to part with them.
I have a relative who owns a W126 Turbo Diesel with
over 400K miles on it. Second transmission, second turbocharger but rest of engine is all original including headgasket. When I worked for MBZ this was the norm for the 6 cylinder units (OM602)
These are fantastic cars with very long cruising ranges. They are a little slow but no one buys older diesel cars for speed or performance. W124 with OM606
engine are becoming hard to come by because people do not want to part with them.
You are right about the 350 being a time-bomb.
The 300D turbo was only made for one year: '87.
The 300 is a 3.0 liter and is a GOOD engine that will last every bit as long as the older diesels. If not, longer.
As you will read through your research, these cars can be prone to aluminum heads cracking and warping if overheated.
I have 286K miles on my 300SDL, and the original aluminum head, though. No problems.
The 300D turbo was only made for one year: '87.
The 300 is a 3.0 liter and is a GOOD engine that will last every bit as long as the older diesels. If not, longer.
As you will read through your research, these cars can be prone to aluminum heads cracking and warping if overheated.
I have 286K miles on my 300SDL, and the original aluminum head, though. No problems.
The 87 300D is one of the best. My father has a 300TD with over 425,000 miles on it.
I personally DO NOT like the later year 300D 2.5L 5cyl engine.
Chuck
I personally DO NOT like the later year 300D 2.5L 5cyl engine.
Chuck
Thank you all for your feedback it was much needed. I think i am going to go ahead and purchase the vehicle despite the mileage (200k). With my maintenance ability i figure i can keep it going for at least another 100k. Plus its a good price!
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