[Guest (MBNZ)]

Hello all,<br>
<br>
I recently became the new owner of a 1982 300TD. The tach doesn't work and the radio antenna doesn't go all the way down, but otherwise, it is in very good shape, even with 206K miles on it, and I got what I thought was a good price. I'm very impressed by it so far -- the car is only a few years younger than I am and still has NO rust or paint chips!<br>
<br>
I do have a couple of simple questions though: this is my first MB or german car ever and the car unfortunately didn't have an owners manual. So, I'm trying to figure out the following:<br>
<br>
* How do I pop the fuel door open so I can pump more diesel? I know, you can start laughing now, but I honestly cannot figure out how to do it. I've been searching all over the drivers side dash and floor next to the seat and cannot find the lever. I hope I can find out before I run out of fuel!<br>
* Is it just me, or is the 1-2 shift on the automatic transmission rather abrupt? Especially for a luxury car, I'd think. Is this a sign of something that needs tuneup? I do almost all my own work on my other cars, so I don't mind getting my hands dirty for this one.<br>
<br>
Thanks in advance!<br>
<br>
-Edwin<br>

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

ok the fuel lid dosent have a pop up, it is linked to the (vaccume) central locking and is locked when the car is, press on the side of the fuel panel and it will open manually.<br> <br> i have owned 2 300d's the first was heavy like and loud but changed gears smoothly, my new one is light and zippy (faster acceleration )but the gear changes are rough and come with a large jolt. im taking it in to be sorted on tuesday i suggest that u get yours done too.<br> <br> one other thing, the car has 4 gears, the only time i use first is for about 2 seconds when starting from the stoped position.<br> gear one has a top speed of about 27km/hr<br> gear two ' ' ' 41km/hr<br> gear three ' ' ' 76km/hr<br> gear four ' ' ' 155km/hr<br> <br> i have had my 300d up to 180km/hr, the cars max on the spedo, great fro cleaning out any dirty fuel.<br> <br> happy driving<br> louis<br>

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Edwin,<br> Good luck on yourd 300TD. I had one (sold about a year ago with 315K miles on it. Present owner still happy and it still runs well. Louis is right on with vacuum lines. Must be a 1000 miles of them which control virtually every function from door locks to shifting. In my opinion if there is a problem, it is vacuum related. As I recall, my car only used 1st gear only when you mashed down on the pedal at the standing start. Otherwise it usually started in 2nd. Shifts were not silky smooth, I think because of vacuum. I'm not an expert, but it was one of the better cars I've owned - even with it's faults.<br> Arnold

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

one thing i have forgotten, if there is a leak in the system certain things wont work, usually the fuel cap is the first to go.<br> if yours has failed in the locked position dont worry......if you open the boot and remove the plastic side interior (dont have to take it out completly, just enough to get your hand in behind)<br> , feel around (if you cant see), there is a rod about 20cm long (8 inches i think) u can pull it towards you to phisically unlock the fuel cap.<br> <br> Before you do this you have to note...<br> to get the whole central locking serviced and fixed costs $$$$$, dont bother.<br> once you have pulled it open perminantly, take the car in (merc aprooved repairer) and have the valve to the fuel cap sealed off from the system, IF THE ROD IS PULLED OUT, AND THE RUBBER SEAL BREAKS DUE TO OLD AGE, YOU MAY ENCOUNTER A WEAKNESS IN THE VACCUME THUS AFFECTING OTHER FUNCTIONS ASCOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM (BOOT, DOORS, ETC). after all that u need fuel to run the car so i say go for it, if u dont have a locked lid u can buy a fuel cap for the inside that uses a key, i bought one for $150AUD (made by merc), i have seen them in k mart for $50.<br> <br> good luck <br> if there is anything u are unsure of do tell me before atempting anything<br> <br> louis

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

On the TD, the fuel lock is very easy to get to. Just open the bin behind the right wheel well. The vacumn system is not so hard to work on if you buy a $25 hand vacumn pump. But it is labor intensive as most vacumn devices are hidden behind door panels etc. Without appropriate vacumn your Turbo will not work correctly, shifts will be very abrupt and eventually you are going to have to shut the engine off manually (push a small lever marked STOP located near the top of the engine block on the driver's side). Transmission shift on these mercedes diesels is normally a lot more abrupt than most other cars.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Thanks for all the replies - I really appreciate it. I did manage to get the fuel door open - locking and unlocking the doors did the trick, and I got the car fueled up on Sunday. So I guess the vacuum system is working more or less, thankfully.<br> <br> I have noticed that if I go over larger bumps/potholes, the rear suspension kind of thumps pretty hard. Over smaller bumps it is very quiet though. I'm trying to decide whether this is a sign of a bad rear end or just loud because of the large wagon interior echoing around.<br> <br> Also, the car seems to take quite a while to warm up. Is it normal for it to be at around the 40-50C mark after 3-5 minutes? I can't seem to get it to get up to 70-80C unless I either drive the car around gently for a few minutes or just let it sit for nearly half an hour or so. If this is normal behavior then I won't worry about it.<br> <br> Thanks again, and I look forward to learning more about this car from you guys.<br> <br> -Edwin<br>

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Hi,<br> I've been reading everyones replies & they are all correct on the vacume issue. I also have an '82 300TDT. Mine was a California car & is now in Texas. It has 194k miles on it & drives great. It does however shift a little hard from first to second. I've done some research & Spoke w/ the servise guys at my locale Benz dealer & have found out that the shifting is normal. As far as warm up time, mine also takes a few minutes. If yours is still had to warm up try looking at your glow plugs to make sure they are heating up properly. Also, I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but you might want to invest in a block warmer so you can plug in an engine heater on the really cold nights. For manuals &/or parts check out www.performaceproducts.com. I hope some of this info helps.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Pricing for a 300 TD 1985

We're considering the purchase of a 300 TD 1985 wagon with 150 k miles. The asking price is $7,000 and the car seems to be in great condition. Is this a fair price? It's a FL car with virtually no rust.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Re: New 300TD owner - trans shifting

Hi Edwin,<br>
<br>
Your transmission should not shift abruptly, or firmly, at light throttle. It should shift firmly only when you have your foot into the accelerator pretty far. It's a vacuum system - so you need to check for vacuum leaks, and if that checks OK, the vacuum modulator on the trans could be bad, or the modulator on the injection pump might be a problem.<br>
<br>
Find the vac line from the main vacuum tube (between pump & brake booster) to the injection pump. Make sure you are getting at least 15+ inches of vacuum, checked with a 'T' in this line. If so, put the 'T' in the 'output' side to the transmission (there's only one line to the tranny.) Start the car. Vac reading should be high at idle, when you blip the throttle it should drop to zero and back. If not, the i/p modulator is suspect. If so, the tranny modulator is suspect (assuming it still shifts harshly.)<br>
<br>
Simple test: Disconnect the line to the transmission and go for a drive. If you can't tell the difference, you DEFINITELY have a problem with your vacuum system and/or tranny. If it shifts much harder all the time, re-connect the line - everything there is OK. <br>
<br>
One last tip: The trans fluid & filter must be changed every 30kmi. If not, this can cause abnormally firm shifts (especially when cold.) Drain the converter too - most of the fluid is in there. Synthetic ATF, like Mobil-1, worked even better.<br>
<br>
My 1984 300D always shifted firm, until I found that the main vac line restriction/valve was plugged and the trans never rec'd vacuum. A new line cured it - now it shifts like butter! Don't listen to the folks that say all MB trannies shift firm - that only happens when something is wrong! (Sorry, guys...)<br>
<br>
<br>
Have fun,<br>
<br>
Dave M.<br>
Sacramento, CA<br>
1987 300D - 229kmi<br>
1987 300D - 234kmi<br>
1984 300D - 206kmi<br>
<br>
<br>

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Re: New 300TD owner - trans shifting

Hi Edwin,<br>
<br>
Your transmission should not shift abruptly, or firmly, at light throttle. It should shift firmly only when you have your foot into the accelerator pretty far. It's a vacuum system - so you need to check for vacuum leaks, and if that checks OK, the vacuum modulator on the trans could be bad, or the modulator on the injection pump might be a problem.<br>
<br>
Find the vac line from the main vacuum tube (between pump & brake booster) to the injection pump. Make sure you are getting at least 15+ inches of vacuum, checked with a 'T' in this line. If so, put the 'T' in the 'output' side to the transmission (there's only one line to the tranny.) Start the car. Vac reading should be high at idle, when you blip the throttle it should drop to zero and back. If not, the i/p modulator is suspect. If so, the tranny modulator is suspect (assuming it still shifts harshly.)<br>
<br>
Simple test: Disconnect the line to the transmission and go for a drive. If you can't tell the difference, you DEFINITELY have a problem with your vacuum system and/or tranny. If it shifts much harder all the time, re-connect the line - everything there is OK. <br>
<br>
One last tip: The trans fluid & filter must be changed every 30kmi. If not, this can cause abnormally firm shifts (especially when cold.) Drain the converter too - most of the fluid is in there. Synthetic ATF, like Mobil-1, worked even better.<br>
<br>
My 1984 300D always shifted firm, until I found that the main vac line restriction/valve was plugged and the trans never rec'd vacuum. A new line cured it - now it shifts like butter! Don't listen to the folks that say all MB trannies shift firm - that only happens when something is wrong! (Sorry, guys...)<br>
<br>
<br>
Have fun,<br>
<br>
Dave M.<br>
Sacramento, CA<br>
1987 300D - 229kmi<br>
1987 300D - 234kmi<br>
1984 300D - 206kmi<br>
<br>
<br>

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

thinking of buying 83 300td wagon

I was wondering if there were common problems with these models. It has 73 k only! i hope to add an auxilary fuel tank and run the engine off biodiesel....any advice and price range would be helpfull

 

[VeggieBob]

The accumulators are probably bad , they are not that expensive and you will like the new ride!

 

[1985 300CD]

The last post was in 2002. Guy probably figured it out by now.