Follow Up - 350SD Vibration - Thanks Howard

After an August 2003 discussion (below) about "Bad Vibrations" on a

450K mile 350SD the cause of the problem was finally determined to be a worn driveshaft U-joint, one not easily detected with either hand-turning or visual inspection. Howard had it right. Two mechanics said they'd never seen a shaft go bad this way - but also agreed they'd not seen many cars with half-million miles, either. Could not a find a junk part but did find a (guaranteed) rebuilder out west. Months of babying the car and trying to pinpoint the problem got me around until rebuild - $400/approx. plus frt back/forth. Wunderbar!

The clearcoat was peeling here and there, the windshield was pitted and dinged and then cracked last February and, finally, the tranny gave out.

505,000 miles: new glass, rebuilt tranny, new paint on body and wheels, repaired driveshaft. Car looks great - runs like a top. I am a happy camper. All work combined cost 1/4 the price of a new Taurus. If it just runs another 100K I'm making out OK. =^)~

: Enso ( snipped-for-privacy@hsarmor.com) Subject: High Mileage Bad Vibration(s) View this article only Newsgroups: alt.auto.mercedes Date: 2003-08-01 10:48:03 PST

My '91 350SD (450,000mi) has developed a come-and-go vibration under acceleration - cruise is smooth, engine runs like a top, no wrecks, no rear-end problems. It feels like it's coming from the below the rear seat area - the effect is like running over slowdown warning grooves in the road. I assume the problem is driveshaft U-joint(s) which, mechanic says, means new/used or reman driveshaft. Anyone with high-mileage driveshaft advice, similar experience (or a driveshaft to sell)? Dankeschoen in advance.

(ps - this is a 350SD that hasn't been a nightmare - gets 25mpg at

75mph cruise, no leaks, no gasket problems, uses 1 qt every 2500 miles. I love the car >My '91 350SD (450,000mi) has developed a come-and-go vibration under
acceleration - cruise is smooth, engine runs like a top, no wrecks, no >rear-end problems. It feels like it's coming from the below the rear seat >area - the effect is like running over slowdown warning grooves in the road. >I assume the problem is driveshaft U-joint(s) which, mechanic says, means >new/used or reman driveshaft. Anyone with high-mileage driveshaft advice, >similar experience (or a driveshaft to sell)? Dankeschoen in

advance.

>(ps - this is a 350SD that hasn't been a nightmare - gets 25mpg at 75mph >cruise, no leaks, no gasket problems, uses 1 qt every 2500 miles. I love >the car in spite of its worrisome reputation and want to keep it.) > >

How are the tires?

Have they been balanced on the car and has it been aligned recetnly?

A good mechanic doesn't suspect bad halfshafts, he tests for them.

Put two adults in the back anfd load up the truck with heavy stuff. Go for a drive. Is it WAY worse now? Can you hear a click click sound?

Take the wheel apart and rotate the halfshalft through 360 degrees. You'll know if you have a bad one by the awful noise it'll make in one position.

Reply to
Xena , Warrior Cat
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Mmm... this is the engine that lots of diesel diehards swear off by... because of that engine problem. Is your engine original or did you update it with stronger connecting rod that MB specified?

Reply to
Tiger

Tiger,

I bought the car cheap w/ 200K on the odometer. It had been ill-cared for and the oil sump was loaded with sludge. It ran another 130k when the turbo blew - my company graciously agreed to replace the turbo or split the cost of a reman'd engine. I went with the engine. The installing dealer told me the engine was current MB specs (whatever that meant) in 2001. I've run 170k since then. I'll see what tomorrow brings. Today it runs like a top. 8^)

Reply to
Xena , Warrior Cat

Wow... you drove that many miles? You are telling me that your car has... mmm....500,000 miles on your odometer???

Reply to
Tiger

TIGE LET ME THROUGH THIS AT YOU oops sorry ^^

i was told that the problem with the 350 my be fluid lock because of miss firing on cold starts. they say it only takes around 50 compression strokes to hydraulic lock the piston so it is a good idea to check the GLOW system & change it every 60K

this is 3ed party news so have no clue

case

Reply to
pool man

I don't know about that... I can't see how... the valves opens and closes and diesel engine push real hard pressure... should be enough to expel it out the exhaust valve. I can't see diesel engine pooling up diesel during non-ignition cranking.

Maybe TG has more advice on this....

Reply to
Tiger

Tiger - yes, my 1991 350SD has about 510,000 actual. The odometer head was replaced before I bought the car - at 70,000 miles - so the reading shows something like 440,000. It mostly runs 75mph, 25.5mpg. The a/c compressor is starting to growl - that'll prob'ly go next. Otherwise - no worries, no rattles, no squeeks.

I've been through three windshields, one paint job, a front-end rebuild (about 350,000), a tranny and driveshaft rebuild (recent), one alternator, a few batteries, new foam under all the seats, a few sets of headlight/foglight lenses, one grill and a few pieces of leather upholstery replaced. All in all, cheaper than buying two or three Camry's. Plus - I still love the look of the '91 S-body. Go figure.

Reply to
Xena , Warrior Cat

That's impressive! The classics is ageless...

Reply to
Tiger

Reply to
marlin

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