Greetings all, Thanks for the site and thanks for letting me into "the club"

I boughta 1983 240d. It has 164k on it. Power everything. Automatic.

I took it to a mechanic and he seemedto think things were ok but he said some alarming stuff (seemed to me) like "I have opened trannys and found parts at the bottom and the tranny still was just fine". I dunno if that is a good or a bad sign?

Anyhow I have a few questions. please bear with me as I know a bit about cars but not much. I just replaced the alternator and that was pretty hard compared to my old Toyota 22r. I also have a bran new battery. I have AAA with the 100 mile towing

1. The guy who owned it before me said the tranny popped out of drive into nuetral before it warmed up every time. Than when I drove it, it never has done that in 300 plus miles of driving.
The car was sitting for five months not driven when I bought it. At first it shifted with a small clunk. Now it seems to shift fine. I think he may have put new auto tranny fluid in.
I took it to the Mercedes mechanic and he switched a few tiny hoses (I think vacuum) that were on top of the motor and dealt with the tranny somehow. He said it felt liked it shifted fine after thatbut I still wonder. If I am revving a bit and it seems late in shifting I than back off a tiny bit and it shifts . Sometimes it has a very slight jolt/clunk when it shifts (this is my first automatic tranny so I don't know what to expect.)
If it were you would you drive this car across the country?
It seems to run fine except for the above issue. I have checked all fluids. It runs at the proper temp. starts up instantly.Mostelectricthings work including sunroof windows/etc. It has all the normal things that I know to look for like good tires clean fluids. No radical sounds. lights all work breaks work well and so on. Good hoses and belts...etc

If you wouldn't drive this across the country or there are things you would do first, please let me know. I appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

My first Mercedes was a 180 and I owned a 1984 model once. Like you, I know only a little about cars but I have some experience with M-B.

The 240D is as close to bulletproof as a car can be. When they die, they die of neglect.

Your car is nicely broken in, and I would not hesitate to drive it to Tierra del Fuego if I needed to.

Before your trip, have fluids and filters replaced, engine, tranny, rear end, and fuel. Check and lube the joints in the driveshaft, and check the wheel bearings (not replace them, just listen to them) and look at the brakes, checking for wear. Make sure there is air in your spare tire. Have a nice trip.

 

Hello - I'm curious if you've made your cross country journey yet? If so, how did it go? I've just picked up a nice 83 300D - not my first one...but it's been many years since I owned an MB diesel. I'm planning to drive from North Carolina to Vegas in mid November

 

To the best of my knowledge most modern (60's and up) automatic tranmissions don't just "pop out of drive". They can slip or they can be knocked out of drive by a couple of methods but they don't just "pop out".

Have your transmission linkages and transmission and motor mounts checked. These can cause uncommanded shifting into neutral. A worn or broken mount will cause jolts and clunks, especially when putting it into gear.

Check your driveshaft linkage/flex coupling (I am assuming the 240 has a similar arrangement as the 300) in the main drive shaft and also check the differential -> wheel shafts. These are the items that can cause catastrophic failure. Repairs are fairly cheap for these items.

Last of all check your steering and suspension components. The mechanic should have checked these but it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion on it all. Paying US$100 or so for a checkup before driving cross country in an unknown vehicle is darn cheap insurance.

When you say shifting is delayed does the motor race when this happens? If so the transmission is slipping. A filter/fluid change can often fix the problem but since you had this done this would be a red flag. Have a reputable transmission shop check it before your trip. If it is merely delayed but the engine never races (beyond the normal acceleration rate) then it is likely a vacuum leak. Tracking it down can be time consuming but it is more of an annoyance than a danger IMO.

 

I have owned three MB's and still, all are down. One 240D I have questions on this forum, however I preferr diesels over gas any day because they are pretty much trouble free, and when they do have problems they are generally easy to diagnose and repair. My diesels are down for some unusual circumstances, which I won't get into.
Would I drive your car cross country? You bet I would. Don't know what time of year you are thinking, therefore if you plan to encounter some very low temps you would be wise to equjip your car with an engine heater, or oil pan heater of some sort. These are great cars. I don't know any make in the world that is more reliable than the older MB's. They are a "road" machine for sure.

 

Hi all, for some reason my junk e-mail filter picked your replies up. I just saw most of the replies just now.

Thanks very much to all whothe responsed below!

1.dougrose . Did all you suggested.
2.71inka02. Have not gone yet. I will let you know how it goes.
3. Gene Horr.One motor mount is bad. I am looking into different ways of replacing it myself. Any suggestions? I don't have a cherry picker. The driveshaft had a loose bolt. I tightened that and got rid of a squeely noise.I will take a peak at the steering and suspension components. As far as the shifting, yes the motor did "race" just a tad but happened only twice and in the exact same location about 10 blocks from my house. It has NEVER happened elsewhere at any time. I was told it is probably vacuum. I am looking into that today. AAmco has a free check but I don't know if they know these Mercedes. I will look around.
4. hbarnhardt ..hope you get your cars up soon.

Thanks again.