Quote:
Originally Posted by Ground Loop
211s are a bit rich for what I want to do right now, but I agree they are very nice.
The specific car that has my attention right now is a '97 with 120,xxx.
Can you share anything about the wiring harness? I have gleaned that they are problematic, but I cannot seem to find how to identify if an individual car has the defect.
The glow plug issue I understand.
Does this model have a cylinder head issue that needs to be watched for? Is this the model that needs a new MB head?
My goal is to continue with a cost effective commuter, but I want to ride in a more modern platform. The w123 is a peach, but it is a lot of work herding her back and forth in Atlanta traffic.
Thanks
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I had a 96 E300D, non turbo. Engine ran a smooth as silk, no wiring harness, or cylinder head problems. Main concern when purchasing this model are the front spring perches. They can look perfectly intact with the naked eye, but can fail without notice. From my own experience, I had the tires rotated, and while the car was up on the lift, I examined both spring perch areas extensively. Both looked perfectly normal, with no outward signs of any problems. One week later, I parked the car for the evening, and the following morning the right front passenger side of the car was lower than the left side. The right front spring perch had failed, breaking the spring, and ripping away a good portion of the engine compartment sheet metal that it was welded to. Upon examination, you could see extensive rust that was underneath the protective coating that Mercedes applied during manufacture. Priced out having the repair for both sides, and the price came in at around $2000. Only other issue that I was dealing with was the fact that the SRS light stayed on. Had it diagnosed, and it seems that the culprit was the "child seat sensor" in the right passenger side seat. Seems to be a know problem also. To have that repaired by the dealer was approximately $500-900. With all things considered, I decided to sell the vehicle. Loved working on the car, and doing my own repairs, but my age is catching up with me, and my wrenching skills are not what they used to be. Crawl around under the car one day, and walk like a pretzel the next. Good luck with whatever you decide.