Mercedes-Benz OM601 engine

The Mercedes-Benz OM601 engine is a 4 cylinder diesel automobile engine that was manufactured by Mercedes-Benz.

Three variants of the engine were built: a 1977 cc model, a 2197 cc version built for the US market, and a 2299 cc for commercial vehicles. The first two were rated by the manufacturer for 72 bhp at 4200 RPM and 96 lbft of torque at 2800 RPM; the increase in displacement reduced emissions in order to meet US automobile emissions requirements. The commercial vehicle version had 78 bhp in standard variants, the turbocharged version (OM601.970) in the V230 TD and Vito 110D had 96 bhp.

It is closely related to the 5 cylinder OM602 and the 6 cylinder OM603 engine families of the same era.

The OM601 was built with an aluminum head on an iron block. The camshafts and fuel injection pump are driven by a duplex chain from the crankshaft. A separate single row chain drives the oil pump from the crankshaft.

Fuel supply is indirect injection via a prechamber arrangement. The OM-601's injection pump is a mechanical fuel injection unit with a 5,150 RPM (+ or - 50 RPM) mechanical governor, automatic altitude compensation, and a 'load sensing' automatic idle speed control. The pump is lubricated by a connection to the engine oil circulation.

Use of the block heater was recommended in climates where it drops below 10 °F for long periods.

The engine was used in the 208D 308D and 408D Mercedes-Benz T1 and later the Phase 1 308D Mercedes-Benz Sprinter