Sounds like a bag of nails on tickover.

[and11]

Hi all, i've just purchased a merc 300d 1989 in what i was told 'mint' condition with no strange noises or rattles. Well, on start up, and turn off, there is a major vibration from engine. on tickover it is so noisy it sounds like the drivechain is actually rubbing against a steel cover but when you get to above 35mph the sound dissapears and you wouldn't even know it was a diesel. Fuel economy seems very good for the big 3000cc 6 cylinders but there is a clunck on gearchange when pushing her a bit, and also when hard accelerating i hear a noise like you hear when driving over the cats eyes on road, last owner thought rear wheel bearing. Any tips would be super f as im bit worried to take her very far at moment. Oh, and does anyone know wher i could view a user manual for this car for warning light etc, a yellow one has just come on with no picture on it, regards Andy.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

The gearchange clunk could be any number of things on the drivetrain, from gearbox to propshaft to differential and even loose wheel bolts. You need to drive the car up some ramps and have a shufty around underneath, checking any rubber bushings you can see (look for cracks - if there are any at all, replace them). Could also be gearbox mounts.

When was the oil last changed? Might be worth investigating that. The engine vibration could be engine mounts, I've just done mine at 9 years and 178,000 miles so if yours haven't been done they should definitely be looked at.

This is a good site for looking around your car, although yours might just be too old I'm sure you'll find the same engine/transmission in another model:

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb0.asp?TP=1 If viewing in Firefox, just scroll down to see the pages.

 

[and11]

It's bad weather at moment (no garage) but inspection in engine bay shows very clean new looking pipes and mounts, i'll get under somteime though. Tickover sounds so unhealthy, is oilchange fairly straightforward on these? any special type of oil, and is there such a thing as tightening up drive chain? thanks for help.

 

[television]

It's bad weather at moment (no garage) but inspection in engine bay shows very clean new looking pipes and mounts, i'll get under somteime though. Tickover sounds so unhealthy, is oilchange fairly straightforward on these? any special type of oil, and is there such a thing as tightening up drive chain? thanks for help.

The timing chain tensioner can fail,and they do, easy to replace.

Malcolm

 

[anyweb]

also check the engine mountings, parrot of doom did a great tutorial here about them and when they fail (and they do) then the car can sound like craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap until you start to rev (like you describe)

cheers
anyweb

 

[and11]

the clunk on gearchange when pushing a bit is accompanied by a shunt, same when lifting foot sharply of accelerator, shunt feeling in opposite direction

 

[television]

Thats engine mounts.

malcolm

 

[sdc77]

me too

I have the same car, which i aquired recently and changing the engine mounts solved this problem (£45 ish each from german and swedish or euro car parts) You may also need to change the gearbox mount .. but I didnt..
I also did an oil change just after I got it. The filter is easy to change. I'm using mobile1 turbo diesel .. but there are other suitable oils on other threads (oilmans the guy). You might want to get a new sump plug and washer (I didnt change mine). I easily did the oil change with the car standing in our flat car park. You will need to remove the minging engine undershield. Sump plug is on the right as you look from the front of the car.
I also changed the timing chain tensioner .. another easy task and this is explained simply in the haynes manual.

 

[and11]

Might Keep It Now

Thats perked me up a bit! I have very limited experiance with diy mechanics, but would love to give this a go, if it proves too much would it be an expencive garage job? engine mounts and chain tensioner that is?

 

[and11]

I have the same car, which i aquired recently and changing the engine mounts solved this problem (£45 ish each from german and swedish or euro car parts) You may also need to change the gearbox mount .. but I didnt..
I also did an oil change just after I got it. The filter is easy to change. I'm using mobile1 turbo diesel .. but there are other suitable oils on other threads (oilmans the guy). You might want to get a new sump plug and washer (I didnt change mine). I easily did the oil change with the car standing in our flat car park. You will need to remove the minging engine undershield. Sump plug is on the right as you look from the front of the car.
I also changed the timing chain tensioner .. another easy task and this is explained simply in the haynes manual.

Hi, did yours sound really noisy before? and about that warning light that came on, any idea what it is? its right next to the abs warning light, yellow. Andy.

 

[sdc77]

rattly

Mine was horrible before i changed the mounts.. If when you switch it off it makes you hold your breath as it rattles then its undoubtably those mounts.
Mine still rattles below 1500 rpm esp when cold but im resigned to this and i can live with it .. no problem

That light.. looking at my dash there is the ABS light and then two blank spaces (roughly) to its right.. then the glow plug light on the end..
To the left of the ABS light the orange light is for a lamp out.

 

[and11]

Mine was horrible before i changed the mounts.. If when you switch it off it makes you hold your breath as it rattles then its undoubtably those mounts.
Mine still rattles below 1500 rpm esp when cold but im resigned to this and i can live with it .. no problem

That light.. looking at my dash there is the ABS light and then two blank spaces (roughly) to its right.. then the glow plug light on the end..
To the left of the ABS light the orange light is for a lamp out.

Thats the one, thanks for sharing this info and to the others, i want to keep this car now!

 

[and11]

weel bolt missing

hell i just noticed a bolt missing from rear wheel

 

[ba9rn]

hell i just noticed a bolt missing from rear wheel

Worth checking that regularly. A mate of mine had 4 nicked from one wheel recently. The only bolt still holding the wheel on was the locking one! There are some right b@stards out there.

 

[and11]

Worth checking that regularly. A mate of mine had 4 nicked from one wheel recently. The only bolt still holding the wheel on was the locking one! There are some right b@stards out there.

There is 1 missing from each wheel, must have been locking nuts

 

[stevex]

There is 1 missing from each wheel, must have been locking nuts

Hate to say this but it sounds like the seller took everything he could from the car before disposing of it, regardless of safety or life expectancy (of the car or the new owner!)

 

[and11]

Hate to say this but it sounds like the seller took everything he could from the car before disposing of it, regardless of safety or life expectancy (of the car or the new owner!)

Yeah! no spare wheel either.

 

[ba9rn]

Hate to say this but it sounds like the seller took everything he could from the car before disposing of it, regardless of safety or life expectancy (of the car or the new owner!)

Just what I was thinking. OK (ish) to keep the locking bolts, but you'd think he would have stuck some normal ones in their place. :x

 

[Parrot of Doom]

New bolts are about £2 each from the stealers, although you may have trouble getting identical bolts as the ones they sell now are very short.

 

[and11]

New bolts are about £2 each from the stealers, although you may have trouble getting identical bolts as the ones they sell now are very short.

any idea of size?