Re: 240D question
- From: Frank Kemper <spam-muelleimer@xxxxxx>
- Date: 22 Oct 2005 16:46:37 GMT
"Peter Newman" <psnewman@xxxxxxxxx> haute in die Tasten:
> Anything I should know about these cars? We have a 2001 VW Golf
> TDI so we know what modern diesel is all about. Assuming I
> don't care about the AC, anything else about the cars that are
> problem points/things to check out?
>
The 240D is not a modern Diesel. It is one of the most bulletproof
cars ever made by Mercedes. Taxicab drivers used to take 240D's as a
standard taxicab in Germany for years. Mileages of 500.000 miles and
above are not at all uncommon. This is the good part.
The bad part: In the beginning the 240D featured only 65 HP, after
some years they upgraded it to 72 HP which still is not very much for
such a big car. I drove one myself for some months (before it was
totalled at an accident). Being designed as a Taxicab, the car is
quite noisy and acceleration is only sufficient up to 50 mph.
Compared to modern Diesels the 240D burns quite much fuel, I got
mileages between 23 and 29 mpg. This is not band and less than you
would get with a gas powered Mercedes of that age, but the gas
engines are way smoother and stronger.
The W123 body shows quite a lot of rust, things went better after the
major facelift in 1981. Power steering tends to wear out after
100.000 miles. It can be adjusted once, next time you need to replace
it. The front seats are a PITA and often worn out in that age. If you
have a good Mercedes parts dealer he can get you some spring
suspension packages for a seat overhaul. Vital functions like engine
kill switch, automatic transmission control and power locks are
driven by vacuum lines. If you have a puncture in the vacuum system,
these things won't work (My 240D simply kept its engine running, even
if I pulled out the key from the starter switch). Sunroofs tend to
cause trouble.
If all things are working and the car has a good service history, you
get a car with good passive safety, very good brakes, a superb
handling, close to perfect ergonomics and a very high standard of
manufacture. I would recommend a 230E with gas engine instead;-)
Frank
--
please replace spam-muelleimer with fk-newsgroups for e-mail contact
Citroen - Made in Trance
.
- References:
- 240D question
- From: Peter Newman
- 240D question
- Prev by Date: Re: Cold Start Valve 190E 2.6L 1989
- Next by Date: Question on fuel cleaner for 300 SD
- Previous by thread: Re: 240D question
- Next by thread: Re: 240D question
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
