hey all...

as you have picked up, I have inhereted a 1978 240D. it was placed into storage two years ago and has not been started since. It ran fine when it went into storage.

the car was very well maintained, i have service records dating back to the purchase date. it is in gorgeous shape overall with only 115,000 miles.

question is, I need to go pick it up. should i rent a truck and trailer, or will it most likely fire back up again?

I will replace the oil and whatnot before trying to start it, but are there any other precautions I'd need to take before trying to start it? Glow plugs? flushing water from fuel, etc????

By the way, the engine is not seized--the crank does turn over when they put a big ratchet on the flywheel....

so, should i rent the truck, or look forward to driving it home to add it to my collection of miscellaneous Volvos?

thanks,

fred

Sorry for your loss, congrats on your gain.

How much time will you have to wrench on it before driving it? You will likely need at least the following: A new battery, new fuel filters (both), drain fuel tank and put in fresh fuel, run diesel purge throught the engine (ideally, but not necessary). Also don't forget to change the brake fluid. The diesel fuel return lines may also be rotted, so take a length of replacement line http://catalog.eautopartscatalog.com/cherokee/wizard.jsp?partner=cherokee&clientid=importpartsonline&baseurl=http://www.importpartsonline.com/&cookieid=1CB0PHCJU&year=1978&make=MB&model=240-D-002&category=D&part=Diesel+Inj.+Hose

If you are willing to risk it, an alternative to changing the fuel could be to add the prescribed amount of "diesel doctor". Doing that, you might have to change the filters again very soon, but it probably beats having a surplus of old diesel fuel.

Unless you will be able to do all this where the car sits, plan on a tow truck.

thanks for your advice,

I will essentially have one weekend to get it home. I'll most likely drive down friday night in the Volvo 940 Wagon since it has room to haul tools and parts without getting grease. etc., on the leather. (anyone know how to get undercoating off of beige leather? Ask me about it!) I'll arrive in the early morning saturday and I hope to turn it around and get it on the road within 24 hours, having my wife follow me home in the Volvo in case something happens. The other option is to rent a U-Haul truck and just get the thing home then work on it at my leisure. We are going to have to drive it around 600 miles to get it home.

This will be the first diesel I have owned. Though I love diesels and feel I am quite familiar with the basic theory of them, I have never had the opportunity to put those theories to the test and turn some wrenches on one. Indeed, my friends think it is awfully strange for a 29 year old guy to get excited over seeing an early or mid-80s Volvo or Mercedes Turbo Diesel on the road. They think I'm even stranger for chasing them down begging them to sell their car to me. They can have their Maseratis and the like, give me a loud, smokey and indestructible diesel....

In fact the reason I inherited this car over anyone else in the family (even those who were more closely related-- I'm just a nephew) is because, even as a young child, I loved and appreciated the car as much as it's owner. My dad was a corvette guy, but I was fascinated by the Diesel, and loved to ride in it any chance I got. When he was four, my brother named it "Dieter," and the name stuck. So in a couple of weeks I'll go to pick up Dieter, and make him the only M-B and the only diesel my stable.

Thanks again for your advice,
Fred

So in a couple of weeks I'll go to pick up Dieter, and make him the only M-B and the only diesel my stable.
Fred:

BE CAREFUL! It's a slippery slope. I ws perfectly happy tinkering with VW's until the day I bought my 1983 240D w/clutch. My signature tells he rest of the story.

-Scott

Assuming that nothing was broken when the car was parked, the easiest way to start it will be to tow start it with another car and a rope. Mercedes is the only company I know of who designed their automatics so they will engage the engine even when the car is not running. If it is a stick, then second gear will work. If it is an automatic, start in neutral, tow it up to 20 or so and then pull the shifter back to drive. Just keep revving it in neutral as you slow down to disconnect the tow rope so it doesn't stall. This saves you the time consuming process of cracking and bleeding all of the lines from the injection pump, priming the system, wearing out the starter potentially, needing multiple batteries if the engine is recalcitrant, yada yada. It sounds strange but it is a gift from the Benz gods that means you will never be stranded if you have a dead battery as long as you carry a tow rope (diesels will run just fine without an alternator or battery - no lights though).

Good luck and feel free to send an email richmason@mindspring.com or call 919 929-1707 if you have questions or need help. I'm not a certified mechanic but I have rebuilt a few 300D engines and owned a half dozen or so 115s.

SisuKid: its been long enough elapsed time let us know how you made out geting your inheritance home. KHB1

hey all...

as you have picked up, I have inhereted a 1978 240D. it was placed into storage two years ago and has not been started since. It ran fine when it went into storage.

the car was very well maintained, i have service records dating back to the purchase date. it is in gorgeous shape overall with only 115,000 miles.

question is, I need to go pick it up. should i rent a truck and trailer, or will it most likely fire back up again?

I will replace the oil and whatnot before trying to start it, but are there any other precautions I'd need to take before trying to start it? Glow plugs? flushing water from fuel, etc????

By the way, the engine is not seized--the crank does turn over when they put a big ratchet on the flywheel....

so, should i rent the truck part (http://www.car-stuff.com), or look forward to driving it home to add it to my collection of miscellaneous Volvos?

thanks,

fred

Just drive it, no need to rent a truck and a trailer...

I would drive it home. I had one that sat longer and it ran .

You are not alone they are way cool plus you can run vegy oil to extend your dollar