The OM616 engine family is a diesel automobileInline-four engine from Mercedes-Benz used in the 1970s and 1980s, and produced by Force Motors in India from the 1980s to the present. This engine was used in various cars, vans and Unimogs over its production lifetime, and still finds use in Force Motors SUVs. The abbreviation ¨OM¨ stands for ¨Oel-Motor¨, which refers to the fact that it runs on oil. This method of naming is still used on Mercedes-Benz diesel engines today.
Power update
The OM616 was a engine with power output of. In August 1978 the precombustion chamber was updated for more swirl and more efficient combustion. The new camshaft pushes the valves deeper so the air and exhaust gases have less resistance. The engine capacity was lowered to to satisfy engine displacement tax laws in Europe, but power output rose to. A similar technique power update around these time was also done on the OM615 and OM617.
Later, more powerful versions of the OM616 are interchangeable with early ones. This is done with many older transporter vans and campers like the 207D and 307D models. It is not possible to change only the cylinder head for one with the higher rating, since the higher valve lift of the later versions will interfere with the early pistons. It is possible to change to a more powerful straight-five OM617 but modifications to engine mounts, the hood, and other underhood components are necessary.
The OM616 in India
In 1982, Bajaj Tempo, now Force Motors, signed a deal with Daimler Benz to manufacture the OM616 Mercedes engine under licence in India for fitting on its line of vehicles. This Mercedes engine gave the company a technological edge over other Indian manufacturers leading to the success of several Bajaj Tempo models. The Mercedes OM 616 or its variants still power the light commercial vehicles of Bajaj Tempo, including the Tempo Traveller, the new Excel series of trucks and the Trax range of multi-utility vehicles. At present, Force Motors is also assembling other Mercedes engines and supplying it to Mercedes Benz India Ltd. The Bajaj Tempo OM616 engine is configured for different power outputs depending on the intended usage, from a version, to the Turbocharged version used in the Trax Gurkha. Specs of the OM616 used in the Trax SUV:
