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write_on80 -> What happened? Suddenly my 85 300D is starting strangely (12/11/2007 4:10:56 PM)
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Hi there -
First time poster here. I bought a 1985 California 300D about five years ago—I'm not too much of a mechanic; had a very reliable mechanic in LA help me bring it back to good working order.
Now I'm in Texas and I've noticed funny things starting to happen with the car (which I drove out here), especially when it starts in the morning. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.
When I start the car for the first time after it's been sitting overnight, it kinda coughs and stutters for about 45 seconds, intermittently shaking violently, sometimes letting out a lot of exhaust. I've noticed this is usually worse if I've driven at high speed on the freeway the previous day. Usually it clears up, whatever it is, but I've noticed it happening sometimes when I'm just idling at a stop light—like a kind of hiccup.
A couple of other things I've noticed, that may or may not be related:
- the car seems to be really sensitive to different diesel from different stations, drastically affecting its pickup and mileage
- the car seems to be really sensitive to having less than half a tank of fuel; it runs a lot better with a full tank
- some days the car is *very* sluggish accelerating from a full stop; sometimes it is fine
I'll probably bring it in to a mechanic, but I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on what it might be before I do?
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