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The durability of Mercedes diesel engines

Mercedes developed the first passenger vehicle with a diesel engine in 1936,the 260D. It was built very durable because the same vehicles that were built for private use, were built for commercial use. You will find many 80s era diesel Mercedes in Europe today being used as taxis.

The diesel engine is built heavier than gas because of the higher compression ratio. It is typical to see it with 300,000, 400,000, even 500,000 miles on them. Their great fuel economy is partly due to the fuel. Because of its density, Diesel fuel burns slower than gasoline giving it a 20 to 30% better fuel economy than its gas counterpart. Diesel engines are easier to maintain because they have fewer parts. They don't have and electrical ignition systems like their gas counterparts. As far as emissions are concerned, Mercedes diesel engines produce less carbon monoxide than gas.

How to determine the condition of Mercedes diesel engines

The best way to determine the mechanical condition of your Mercedes diesel engine is a compression test. A compression gauge will measure compression pressures of all the cylinders. The following conditions can determine low engine compression:

• Worn cylinders or rings
• Physical engine damage (Broken valve, hole in piston)
• Blown head gasket
• Jumped timing chain or belt When doing a compression test on a Mercedes Diesel Engine you must use a diesel compression gauge that reads up to 600 ps. To perform a diesel compression test:
• Remove all glow plugs and injectors
• Put the compression gauge in the recommended opening. A heat shield must be used to seal the gauge when it is installed in place of the injector.
• Disconnect the fuel shut-off solenoid to disable the fuel injection pump.
• Crank the engine and note the highest reading on the gauge.
  

Diesel engine compression readings average approximately 275 to 400 psi., depending on the design and compression ratio. Compression levels must not vary more than about 10 to 15 percent (30 to 50 psi). Look for cylinder variation during an engine compression check. If some cylinders have normal pressure readings and one or two have low readings, engine performance is reduced. If two adjacent cylinders read low, it might point to a blown head gasket between the two cylinders. If the compression pressure of a cylinder is low for the first few piston strokes and then increases to near normal, a sticking valve is indicated. Indications of valve troubles by compression test may be confirmed by taking vacuum gauge readings. If you need parts that are hard to find, you can Save as much as 75% on all MERCEDES Parts and Accessories at Auto Parts Warehouse. They carry new parts for the bulletproof Mercedes Diesels of the 70's, and 80's. A lot of the parts there, are cheaper than some of the used ones at the Mercedes junkyards.

Diesel Engine Performance

Bottom line is most diesels don't have as much power as their gas counterparts. You can add more horse power to your diesel engine buy increasing the air intake. Quadzilla makes an air intake that you can add to your diesel engine adding an extra 35 horsepower. It also adds better fuel economy. You get an extra one, to two miles per gallon. It sounds really cool too! Discount Performance Auto Parts has these air intakes, and other diesel engine performance products.

SAVE on Diesel Quadzilla Products at Discount Performance Auto Parts.com Free Shipping on Your Order!

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