Should I Just Sell/Exchange or convert it to Diesel

MKEOGHAN

Hi,

I have a lovely 1995 E200 Petrol Mercedes. Black with Grey Leather. It has NEVER given any trouble and I really dont want to have to sell/exchange it.

I have moved job and the distance from home has increased so the cost of running is becoming a bit of an issue. It currently does 30 MPG as I have no real stops just get in and drive. I'm looking at most Diesels and they run at about 50/60 MPG on average. So you can see the logic...

Has anybody out there converted a petrol E200 to a diesel E220 or E250??? if so what was the total cost of the conversion?

Thanks

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Petrol and Desiel engine work in very different ways a convertion would be very complex and expensive. I have never hear of anyone having it done.....maybe I am wrong.

crosstownk

I know that a good few years back a lot of taxi drivers had Nissan diesel engines fitted to Mercs. There used to be one or two guys who specialised in this, but I haven't heard of any conversions recently.

Anan1

Jayda Clean Wallpaper wrote:

Petrol and Desiel engine work in very different ways a convertion would be very complex and expensive. I have never hear of anyone having it done.....maybe I am wrong.

I think the OP is thinking more along the lines of an engine swap as opposed to converting the existing engine.;)

oilsheik

There's a guy in Co. Kilkenny called Ned Kelly he specialises in Mercs and has done several conversions. As the previous post said you swap out the engine & gearbox and make some adjustments to the front suspension.

nialler

Howya MK

I haven't heard of replacing the engine but on the MB forums in the UK I've deffo seen a lot of LPG conversions to existing petrol engines, and I'd imagine much cheaper.

Be thankful of your 30mpg, I get 12-15 around town and 28-32 on the motorway.

crosstownk

LPG conversion is going to be a lot cheaper than replacing engine and gearbox. The problem is availability of LPG. Not too many forecourts sell LPG anymore.

Anan1

crosstownk wrote:

LPG conversion is going to be a lot cheaper than replacing engine and gearbox. The problem is availability of LPG. Not too many forecourts sell LPG anymore.

This is something of an understatement. I recently bought a Mercedes 280SL that had been converted to run on LPG only. The only place I could find selling LPG in Dublin now is in Firhouse. The car is currently being converted back to petrol..

maidhc

MKEOGHAN wrote:

I'm looking at most Diesels and they run at about 50/60 MPG on average. So you can see the logic...

Very unlikely on a big car like an E-Class, definately not without fitting a prohibitively expensive common rail diesel.

If you are looking to finding a diesel engine from a donor car of the same age you probably wont get more than 40mpg, since that was sort of the average mpg of large diesels back then.

Have you a second car in the family you could trade in for a small diesel hatchback and use that for going to work?

MercMad

Yeah you will only get realistically 40mpg in an E-Class diesel and you'll spend about €2000 getting it converted ! You will loose all the originality of the car and devalue it considerably !

I wouldn't bother !

MKEOGHAN

Hi Lads,

Thanks for the info - I spoke with a MB Mechanic last night and his response sums it up I think

"Are you mad" Trade it for a Common Rail Diesel to get the best MPG Possible

A Sad day is looming

Thanks Again!!!!!

maidhc

MKEOGHAN wrote:

"Are you mad" Trade it for a Common Rail Diesel to get the best MPG Possible

In your calculations don't budget for getting a whole lot more than the high 40s from any largeish diesel.

We have three diesels:

1995 Mondeo: ~42mpg
2002 Avensis (Common rail): ~45mpg
2003 Focus (Common rail): ~54mpg

3ps

you have to look at the bigger picture...

change to a modern common rail diesel and you will certainly save on fuel but you are likely to be spending 10k+

Or, stick a diesel in the car you love for spend a bit more on fuel (40 vs 50mpg = 20% = €200-400 per year..... and it'll take a long time to eat up that 10k.

You might prefer to sell your car and just buy a different W124 E class diesel.

netwhizkid

Interesting thread reminds me of being a kid!

This has to be one of the most bizarre conversions ever,

Sometime in the mid-nineties my father had a 4th Generation Toyota Corolla scroll this page to see it, anyways the rust had it ate asunder and it was only about 11 years old but had a 1.8litre Diesel engine in it.

He then over a month project got the Engine and gearbox removed and fitted into a BMW 316 E30 1983 (with an aluminium body as it was a 2 door ex rally) He bought it for about £400 and it had a 1.8litre petrol engine fitted (a substitute by its previous owner for the Rally Engine) anyway the Toyota Diesel went in a treat as did the Toyota Gearbox and it was converted to Diesel perfectly.

Considering this was the mid-nineties and our family finances was starkly different to todays and my father was regularly clocking up 1,000 to 1,250 miles a week fuel was a big issue and the Toyota Diesel worked out nicely. It fell victim to the NCT eventually although wasn't used as much as a company vehicle and free fuel eventually arrived. I guess that old car put the love of BMW's into me it was so reliable and the engine had over 400,000 miles on the clock and was reconditioned one and all. It performed much better in the E30 Beemer than in the Toyota. Nissan Bluebird Diesel Engines were also commonly used for putting E30 BMW’s on Diesel at the time.

Piri

If you converting your car from petrol to diesel:What is the story with NCT?

996tt

Piri wrote: »

If you converting your car from petrol to diesel:What is the story with NCT?

Not sure but why dont you to find a 4year old thread and ask there

Anan1

Piri wrote: »

If you converting your car from petrol to diesel:What is the story with NCT?

Please read the charter and don't resurrect old threads.