OK.. I know this will seem like a stupid question...

_Kaiser_

.. but my own Passat is getting her 10k service until tomorrow so the dealer I bought her from has generously lent me a 00 Mercerdes 320D

Not a bad car I have to say. VERY comfy, VERY quiet (80km/h feels more like 60 etc) but it feels like you're "disconnected" from the driving experience (very light steering and it seems to drift rather than turn) and the pickup isn't nearly as good as my own TDI

Anyway.. here's the question.. is this thing petrol or diesel as I'll have to probably put a bit into it before I bring it back to him tomorrow evening?

(told ya it was stupid.. )

Rowley Birkin QC

the D would indicate its a diesel.

And are you sure its not a BMW 320D??

colm_mcm

Is it an Mercedes E320 CDI? or a BMW 320D? either way it's a diesel !

_Kaiser_

No it's a Merc - the "gunsight" on the bonnet is a dead giveaway

Elegance model.. I even have most of the buttons figured out. Have to say I don't like the handbrake pedal thing though!

EDIT.. nevermind. Just went out and had a look at the back E200 it says! Yer man's writing on the key tag is awful!!

peasant

The very light steering would also have to do with the fact that there are no drive forces transmitted through the front wheels ...as it is RWD. Plus it's probably over-assisted.

colm_mcm

E class is horrid to drive. steering wheel leather too soft, and steering way over-assisted. also very sloppy suspension.

_Kaiser_

colm_mcm wrote:

E class is horrid to drive. steering wheel leather too soft, and steering way over-assisted. also very sloppy suspension.

Good thing its only a loaner so! It feels very slow/heavy too.

colm_mcm

that'll be the "200" bit

peasant

the "200" bit would also make it a petrol engine

_Kaiser_

Well in my defence I DID say it was stupid!

Having driven this though for the day I can verify that my 1.9 130hp TDI Passat is a much more responsive, faster off the line, machine.. and I thought Diesel Automatics were supposed to be slow?? :rolleyes:

colm_mcm

I think the problem is you thought Mercs were supposed to be fast :rolleyes:

_Kaiser_

colm_mcm wrote:

I think the problem is you thought Mercs were supposed to be fast :rolleyes:

Well I've learned why they're known as "barges" Handles like one anyway. And like I say, that pedal handbrake thing is driving me nuts!

Henry Ford III

E320d (I assume) is hardly slower than a 130bhp Passat?

Anan1

Henry Ford III wrote:

E320d (I assume) is hardly slower than a 130bhp Passat?

It's an E200 petrol. An E320CDI would, of course, blow a Passat TDI away.

MercMad

Even the E200K has 163BHP but probably less torque than the VW tdi. Still overall the Benz would be faster, it just wont feel like it, especially around town.

The steering is servotronic, light at town speeds then it gets progressivley heavier as the going gets tougher.

Still its hard to beat a decent rack and pinion set up, which only the French seem to be capable of making. Even the BMW 3 series has lost its sharp edge totally !

colm_mcm

The E320 CDI is quite fast, and sounds good - for a diesel.

Biro

130bhp TDi passat going in for it's 10k service??? Do you mean another 10k service or is this its first 10k on the clock? Which leads to the question of why have you only got 10k on a diesel that must be at least 2 years old now? (old model)

_Kaiser_

Biro wrote:

130bhp TDi passat going in for it's 10k service??? Do you mean another 10k service or is this its first 10k on the clock? Which leads to the question of why have you only got 10k on a diesel that must be at least 2 years old now? (old model)

She's a 02 that I have about 6 months (I do a lot of mileage) and was due her 10k service (90ish on the clock!).. also needed the oil sensor replaced as well as a few other bits n pieces - minor stuff for the most part.

Dunno what he did (ah I do really.. full itemised list), but she's even more responsive and quick than she was! (and that's saying something as she was already very good!)

(EDIT: Or maybe that Merc made me temporarily forget? )

wexford12

Normal simple rule is a diesel pump will not fit into a petrol car as nozzel is a lot bigger but beware a petrol one will fit into a diesel lol should be written on the cap anyway

galwaytt

look at it this way.....

if you put diesel in the E200, you'll only end up with bill to clean it out, on the other hand, put petrol in a CDI and you'd better have.......3 grand to spare.......? New common rail pump, anyone.........????

Biro

Kaiser2000 wrote:

She's a 02 that I have about 6 months (I do a lot of mileage) and was due her 10k service (90ish on the clock!).. also needed the oil sensor replaced as well as a few other bits n pieces - minor stuff for the most part.

Dunno what he did (ah I do really.. full itemised list), but she's even more responsive and quick than she was! (and that's saying something as she was already very good!)

(EDIT: Or maybe that Merc made me temporarily forget? )

I see now... I thought it was only the first 10k on the car.

PaulKK

Maybe a silly thing to ask but could one not tell if the car was petrol or diesel by looking at the rev meter and seeing if it shows about 6.5K - 7K rpm at the redline for petrol or 4.5k to 5k for diesel? Or perhaps by the clatter coming from the engine?

tuxy

I know nothing about automatic merc's but I would guess that they do not show revs or at least this model does not.

$Leon$

tuxy wrote:

I know nothing about automatic merc's but I would guess that they do not show revs or at least this model does not.

They all show the revs but it's usually off to the side and quite small relative to the speedo

dil999

Its obviously not that stupid a question. You could phone the garage and ask them.

Also, putting diesel in a petrol engine will cause a lot more damage than the otherway round. Hence Deisel nozzels wont fit into petrol cars.

I know this from experience having put 20L of unleadead into my first diesel car.

$Leon$

The easyist way to tell if a car is petrol or diesel is to look inside the flap that covers the filler cap and read it.
If it says Unleaded fuel only its petrol and if it says diesel fuel only its diesel. Simple.
Can't believe this thread has gone on so long and people are still debating the best way to tell the difference.

_Kaiser_

(especially considering the car has since gone back to the garage and I've gotten my own Passat back )

But actually as it turns out, I did check with the garage to verify it was petrol (it was so you were all right), and as it happened, there was a sticker inside the flap as well.