First diesel

[1980sdga]

1980 300SD 

I've been wanting one of these for a few years to fool around with WVO.  Now that I have one it's just too nice a machine to risk screwing it up or making it (possibly) unreliable.

Nothing against WVO guys.

So far I've replaced a sway bar end link and brake pads all around. I probably need to bleed the brakes but I'll wait and make sure I don't have any leaks because the pistons were pretty sticky.  I'm assuming the wires in the brake pads are for the warning light?  My pads were worn down to the wires and the lamp wasn't lit but they were pretty crusty.

I plan on changing all the filters/fluids but I have a leak I need to address. Not sure if it's oil or fuel...

The tach is dead and I did notice a nickel (I thought it was supposed to be a butt) under the amp cap so maybe there's hope that it can be fixed.

[Stork]

If the seats have no rips you can spray die them back to original color. I have done this before in another car I had and it made all the difference... Especially when I sold it!

[1980sdga]

Sadly there is a hole on the left side of the seat back.  I may look into just having that part covered and dye the rest.  I was thinking about having all the seats re-done but it'll depend on the cost.

[Squiggle Dog]

It's nice to see another 300SD owner! You get the best of both the luxury class sedan and the fuel efficiency of an economy car. It looks like you have high-quality (possibly even OEM) fender flare trim. The ones I found didn't fit well so I had to purchase a set of NOS 1980 dealer stock!

If you feel WVO is too risky (I feel the same, at least I'm not confident in my ability to do it), biodiesel at the pumps is a good way to go. I run B99 year round except for when I know the temperature could drop under 20 degrees Fahrenheit, then I mix it 50/50 with diesel.

[scraf]

I run B99 year round except for when I know the temperature could drop under 20 degrees Fahrenheit, then I mix it 50/50 with diesel.

Wonder if you could just add 10% petrol to the bio? We used to add that to the diesel in the old days, before diesel was winter friendly.

[1980sdga]

I cant say that I've seen any biodiesel for sale anywhere.  I'm new to diesels though...

[Squiggle Dog]

Try this link: http://findbiodiesel.org/

If you have old fuel hoses, the biodiesel will melt them over time. It's a good idea to replace the rubber fuel hoses with biodiesel-compatible ones. If you have a lot of sludge and gunk in your tank, the biodiesel will clean the tank and it can clog the fuel tank and fuel filters.

I've never had a problem with filters clogging from biodiesel use. I installed biodiesel-compatible fuel hoses in my last two cars. My 300SD has new fuel hoses that were purchased at the Mercedes dealer by the previous owner. I've had B99 in the tank for about a year and so far have no soft hoses or leaks.

Usually biodiesel is cheaper than diesel, but the place I buy it from always keeps it $1.00 a gallon more than diesel. 

[oscar]

Nice looking sd. 

And squiggle, I was surprised clicking on that link showed an outlet 3.5miles from me, with correct map. Cool!

Just on the WVO/SVO thing 1980sdga, you might find this site helpful http://www.mercedessource.com/
I've bought other non diesel related stuff from them before and they were good to deal with.  But noticed too they're well up on biodiesel in mercs plus sell kits.  A good resource IMO.

[Squiggle Dog]

Mercedessource is local to me, so when I order from them the parts usually arrive the next day!