[QcMechanic]

Hey, I just traded my 83 rabbit for a 85 240Td.

I'm studying mechanics and wanted to build a nice rwd diesel project.

my NA 1.6D rabbit was slow, but this one is just... insane.

how do you turn on cluster illumination on these cars?

what is the little turn knob for right under the speedometer?

Anyone here from Qc Canada?

When i went to get it, it hadn't run for 12 months, i put a good battery in, and it fired right up on that old fuel

loving it so far except for the power issues...
Do people often swap out that 2.4 for something more peppy, maybe a straight 6 from a 1999 E300?

What does RAC stand for?

 

[codepony]

Oh she is a beauty! A simple tune-up should get you a little more power. The knob is for idle adjust during cold months.

I would keep the engine in it, the wagons are rare.

 

[Stretch]

Hey, I just traded my 83 rabbit for a 85 240Td.

I'm studying mechanics and wanted to build a nice rwd diesel project.

my NA 1.6D rabbit was slow, but this one is just... insane.

240Ds are not know for speed - that's all I have to say!

...
how do you turn on cluster illumination on these cars?

...

Check your fuses!

...
what is the little turn knob for right under the speedometer?

...

That's the fast idle knob - use it when starting and back it off as soon as the engine gets a bit warmer

...
loving it so far except for the power issues...
Do people often swap out that 2.4 for something more peppy, maybe a straight 6 from a 1999 E300?

...

Most people don't use something as modern as that.

The easiest swap is to put in a 5 cylinder OM617a (a = with turbo) but you need a different final drive ratio amongst many other things...

...

What does RAC stand for?

RAC = Royal automobile club

Breakdown Cover, Car Insurance and route planner available from RAC. | RAC

English breakdown service like the AA

 

[Josh]

You've certainly got your work cutout for you! Looks like an interesting project; I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this!

 

[cooljjay]

Very nice rare wagon, I wouldn't modify it at all....I would start by doing normal maintenance...

Start with fuel system

Clean out tank and strainer
New fuel filters
New primer pump
Rebuilt injectors

Move to engine

Valve adjustment
New air filter
Oil change
Motor trans mount
Check linkages and throttle pivot bushing

Then keep moving on from there...

 

[Nutz 4 Benz]

The 240TD was the most produced out of all the estates aside the 230TE from my understanding so in what respect is it rare?

 

[QcMechanic]

240Ds are not know for speed - that's all I have to say!



Check your fuses!



That's the fast idle knob - use it when starting and back it off as soon as the engine gets a bit warmer



Most people don't use something as modern as that.

The easiest swap is to put in a 5 cylinder OM617a (a = with turbo) but you need a different final drive ratio amongst many other things...



RAC = Royal automobile club

Breakdown Cover, Car Insurance and route planner available from RAC. | RAC

English breakdown service like the AA

The fuses all look fine, is there another fuse box appart from the odly placed one behind the brake booster?

How can I tell if this one is US specs? that british RAC is making me think it was imported.

Very nice rare wagon, I wouldn't modify it at all....I would start by doing normal maintenance...

Start with fuel system

Clean out tank and strainer
New fuel filters
New primer pump
Rebuilt injectors

Move to engine

Valve adjustment
New air filter
Oil change
Motor trans mount
Check linkages and throttle pivot bushing

Then keep moving on from there...

Thanks for the tips!

Anyone else here running these in canadian winter?
I wonder if rotella 15w40 will be a good choice or should i find a good 5w40 syntetic...

 

[Mark DiSilvestro]

The 240TD was the most produced out of all the estates aside the 230TE from my understanding so in what respect is it rare?

It's very rare in North America as they weren't officially imported here.

The dash-light dimmer is one of the two tiny round knobs in the instrument-cluster. The dimmer resistance-windings get cruddy after so many years, making poor contact.
Try twirling the knob round quickly back & forth about 50 times or so. This may clean the windings enough to get a good contact. Then turn it very slowly back & forth, until (if you're lucky) you see the dash-lights flicker on.
Otherwise, you'll need to pull the cluster and clean the windings better, or replace the dimmer, or bypass it with a jumper-wire across the pins to keep the dash-lights on at full brightness.

Like someone else suggested - change oil & filter, fuel-filters, adjust valves, check throttle-travel & linkages for loose bushings.
Is your 240TD stick or automatic. Unfortunately the automatic versions are especially slow.
Also, Canadian winters without a block-heater could be a problem - particularly if that engine has alot of miles and compression is marginal.
5W40 synthetic might help if it's diesel-rated. I never ran anything but 15W40 in mine. But it normally doesn't get real cold here. (and if it does, I drive one of my gassers)

Happy Motoring, Mark

 

[Stretch]

The fuses all look fine, is there another fuse box appart from the odly placed one behind the brake booster?

How can I tell if this one is US specs? that british RAC is making me think it was imported.



...

I think the best way is to get an output from the VIN from the dealer / one of the many free VIN decoder sites on the internet.

I think it is unlikely to have been an original "English" car with the steering wheel on the wrong side!

 

[xlimodriver]

I think it is unlikely to have been an original "English" car with the steering wheel on the wrong side!

It's hard to see in the picture of your rear end but my 200T with left hand drive which spent a few years in England has the rear fog light and reverse lights switched to opposite sides.
Never got around to changing them, but it makes it easy to back out of my driveway in the fog.

 

[Mark DiSilvestro]

It's hard to see in the picture of your rear end but my 200T with left hand drive which spent a few years in England has the rear fog light and reverse lights switched to opposite sides.
Never got around to changing them, but it makes it easy to back out of my driveway in the fog.

I noticed your 200T has the German trailer-hitch. Does it have the heavy braces inside the rear body & frame-rails, like the one that came on my '84 Euro 300TD?
My German hitch setup had openings in the rear panel for the trailer-hitch bracing that made it relatively easy to replace my damaged rear Euro bumper with a US one. (I've seen a number of Euro W123s that didn't have them)
Unfortunately the US bumper shocks displaced the braces for the hitch
But I found a set of Euro wagon bumpers so thinking of putting mine back to original.

Happy Motoring, Mark

 

[xlimodriver]

Does it have the heavy braces inside the rear body & frame-rails,

Yes.

 

[Stretch]

It's hard to see in the picture of your rear end but my 200T with left hand drive which spent a few years in England has the rear fog light and reverse lights switched to opposite sides.
Never got around to changing them, but it makes it easy to back out of my driveway in the fog....

Interesting - I guess someone just needed to have one before the RHD version was available (?)

 

[Rmac58]

Looks like a rust bucket to me.

Remove the fuses and inspect the ends.

Adjust valves.

Good luck.

 

[Abu Ali]

It's very rare in North America as they weren't officially imported here.

The dash-light dimmer is one of the two tiny round knobs in the instrument-cluster. The dimmer resistance-windings get cruddy after so many years, making poor contact.
Try twirling the knob round quickly back & forth about 50 times or so. This may clean the windings enough to get a good contact. Then turn it very slowly back & forth, until (if you're lucky) you see the dash-lights flicker on.
Otherwise, you'll need to pull the cluster and clean the windings better, or replace the dimmer, or bypass it with a jumper-wire across the pins to keep the dash-lights on at full brightness.

Like someone else suggested - change oil & filter, fuel-filters, adjust valves, check throttle-travel & linkages for loose bushings.
Is your 240TD stick or automatic. Unfortunately the automatic versions are especially slow.
Also, Canadian winters without a block-heater could be a problem - particularly if that engine has alot of miles and compression is marginal.
5W40 synthetic might help if it's diesel-rated. I never ran anything but 15W40 in mine. But it normally doesn't get real cold here. (and if it does, I drive one of my gassers)

Happy Motoring, Mark

+1

valve adjustment, filters, diesel purge and cleaning fuel tank alone will make a WORLD of a difference

dont expect to be keeping up with Corvettes or Audi A6s though; especially if its auto


nice euro wagon by the way....