I've Just About Had It! (LONG, RANT) - Page 6 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

crashone · #76 01-07-2008, 10:49 PM

I do have to say how impressed I am at the straight forwardness of the w126. Yes there are things I will need help with but for someone who always ended up with spare parts after working on something(

) these cars are great. I have done a lot of work on mine with mostly off the shelves tools except for the correct spring compresser for the front springs. I do not mind working on this car, in fact it gets fun the longer I go. I have spent a few all nighters in the driveway wrenching on the old beast (no garage here!) and it pays me back when the job is done and the handling/ performance is noyicably better the next drive down the road. Great cars to own and wrench on. And yes I have spent more than the purchase price on parts, but I have saved at least $90 to $120+ an hour by doing the work myself so idon't mind putting in the extra time to get something right. Good luck.

delgadoduvidoso · #77 01-07-2008, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTUpower

I find this funny because I see it in the marine trade. A mechanic works on one steering system, or another steering system, and when they come to a different system with preconceptions about the job, it takes much longer than those that come with no preconceptions and just read the directions. I am a yacht systems mechanic, and a captain. About as similar as you can get to a automotive mechanic without being in the same field. Now here's Hatteras Guy's take on it:

You are new to MB's- take Hattie's word for it; and listen to BC and others. Sorry you are having PITA's.

I hope you're correct, but I really wish you could see how simple these McPherson set-ups are on the Bimmers. You don't need a spring compressor for anything other than the struts or strut hats. And you can get them anywhere, as opposed to the one the Benz seems to require to make it a reasonable job.
I'm hoping once I put my hands to one of these compressors, it'll be smooth sailing.

panZZer · #78 02-10-2009, 07:07 PM

Well--anybody still there? check out "project gm benz has begun".by shopforum member Cell. Go out and find yourself a 1970 chevy suburban and yank the engine and tranny out and swap into the chevy, many problems solved--add rear air bags and you could greatly the benz's carrying capability. as for the vacuum system issues--------High maintenance is very much part of every MB, even the very basic 240D is pretty darn complicated car with many stupid design flaws that only German engineers can produce, the case in point is the totally hopeless design philosophy of the vacuum system on 123 cars, a system with no redundancy built into it.--someone elses post.

I have *****ed about it too but with a little boning up on some allpro diagrams and studying---it aint THAT complicated and anyone can easily tackle this instead of having to take the damn car to a TV repairman to battle a demonically possessed wiring harness--- your gonna PAY. I bought an 85 sedan in Cali-crunched quarter- specifically for parts $1100 then two months later I got the 85 cd to keep. The cheap route for parts, the front end feels tight on the sedan and will be taken out in one piece if possible. and stuck in the cd.

Brian Carlton · #79 02-10-2009, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

even the very basic 240D is pretty darn complicated car with many stupid design flaws that only German engineers can produce,

I got a serious bit o' good ol' advice for 'ya..........don't buy a W-140.

Hatterasguy · #80 02-10-2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

I got a serious bit o' good ol' advice for 'ya..........don't buy a W-140.

Thats nothing, a 2009 S600 would make his head explode if he thinks a 240D is complicated.

JonL · #81 02-10-2009, 08:09 PM

I feel your pain... I've got a pretty decent list on my '87 190D as well. (Heater core, anyone?) I'd take exception to a few of your PITAs, though. If you need a special tool, you need a special tool. Know that before hand, have it ready, and the job will go smoothly.

And your tie rod ends... I understand the elegance of a nice puller. However let's be practical. We all know that you can use a bit of force here without harming a thing. Just this afternoon my friend was struggling with tie rod ends on HIS 300TD. I went to help him. 3 strokes of the 5 pound sledge and the tie rod was out. Probably 10 seconds. No trips to the tool rental center.

MBNRA · #82 02-10-2009, 10:13 PM

I find these cars fascinating and yeah, many things are hard to do, but how many other cars have you had that STILL deliver with more than 300,000 miles on them? I just drove to Boise and back in my 300D and no problems, but I had to replace everything you did and I knew I got a neglected car when I bought it.

And yes, I still love these cars, but if your determined to sell it, I'm sure there are buyers here who will take it off your hands!

zu! · #83 02-11-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zu!

Yikes!! 99 percent of what you're writing, I have no idea how to do! And maybe that's a good thing too, cos ignorance is bliss. The fact is, Shawn, maybe its because you know so much, that its causing you so much grief!

Me, I'm the guy who accidentally pulled out a vacuum tube on the thingamajig on top of the valve cover and didn't even know where to put it back. One frantic phone call to Benslover fixed that problem!

All I know is she starts up in the morning and I hope she shuts off when I turn the key

. Sometimes, keeping it simple helps

When I first wrote this post, Shawn, I was a rank newbie who didn't know a front caliper from the rear. Things haven't changed much since, for me at least.

Since then though, my 123 has gone from 381,400 km to 410,042 km. Most of the work done was with BensLover, who obviously knew what he was doing. A simple brake pad change turned into a caliper-rotor-pad change. At that time, I marvelled that MB designed it such that you'd HAVE to regrease your wheel bearings everytime you did a brake job. What a way to ensure people kept up with maintenance.

We (BL and I) tried to do the front suspension too, but gave up at the UCA part, when we just couldn't get the UCA out. That was after some majorly swinging with a sledge...even glancing off the drift once onto his hand. To his credit, he never swore (man, that guy never swears!) but I was quailed. Er, lets move on to the tie-rods. Suprisingly, that came out so easily I almost thought it was broken! Seriously good taps on the pickle fork was all it took. So, unlike you Shawn, maybe cos we had no knowledge of how else to do it, we just did it and it worked.

In the end though, because of the UCA saga, I paid a shop $700 and he did one UCA, both lower ball joints, front sway bar bushings (I actually shuddered when I read the FSM description of how to do this) and wheel alignment. Best $700 I ever spent on a car, cos it resulted in a car that I really really like driving, due to the total confidence it inspires...even at ridiculous speeds.

I had to change the alternator once, and did this at a friend's shop. This went surprisingly easily, with the friend's good advice and the loan of his air tools (sooo easy to turn those bolts with an air ratchet!!). That was unplanned for and took me by surprise. Needed a tow too.

Worse, only later, I checked this forum and found out that maybe all it needed was some new brushes? Oh well, we're constantly learning right?

This coming spriing, I'll tackle the valves with BL (gotta learn everything before he goes!) hopefully find time to change the turbo line grommets etc, maybe change the oil pan gasket...who knows. I know for a fact that just about nothing needs doing but the valves.

She took me through some of the worst snow we had in Metro Vancouver. Got a 2nd-hand Group 93 for only $50. Invested in a $17 new block heater cord.

And you know what? She still starts right up every morning and my little 4-year old always prefers to sit in the cramped Merc (compared to the volumnious Chevy Astro) when going to church on Sundays.

brownrice78 · #84 02-11-2009, 02:10 PM

My 240D is by far the easiest car for the DIYer'....compared to the other late 80s' and 90s' cars I have owned. I learned a lot about cars just through my 240D. Any car this old that is neglected is a PITA before your eyes meet...IMHO.

deadhead300d · #85 02-11-2009, 02:41 PM

like what everyone else said you should have a very reliable car now

pawoSD · #86 02-11-2009, 03:23 PM

Its amazing to see people who are angry at their 25+ year old 300,000+ mile car that they bought with no records from a fat man that collapsed the seat and trashed the car with his food habits and did a number on the car with neglect. Seriously.....what is expected of a car like that? Why not look for one that has received decent maintenance its whole life and not do 20 years of repair work in one shot.

I even consider my SD to have been ok, and it needed several major repairs in the first 6 months of ownership: timing chain replacement, transmission seals replacement, idler arm, alignment, then it needed oil cooler lines, a new oil cooler, a new radiator, a new expansion tank, the list goes on. However, after getting all that stuff repaired, I have driven an S-class for over 6 years/71,000+ miles for under 12k all said and done. And the fuel economy is good, the reliability is industrial, and the insurance is next to nothing. I haven't done any actual repairs on my car in the past 14,000+ miles or 1.5+ years....and its running great. When something falls ill....I fix it. When you think of what people spend on a car payment for a plastic unsafe piece of junk that will be dead in 7-8 years.....its astonishing. I will probably have my car for many years and miles to come, and I won't mind repairing it.

Shawn D. · #87 02-11-2009, 04:58 PM

Hmm... I don't visit the site for nearly four months and come back to this...

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBNRA

I find these cars fascinating and yeah, many things are hard to do, but how many other cars have you had that STILL deliver with more than 300,000 miles on them?

Two. I mentioned both of those cars and their mileage in the second sentence of my first post, so I've already answered the question.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonL

If you need a special tool, you need a special tool. Know that before hand, have it ready, and the job will go smoothly.

Therein lies the rub -- too many things on this car require a special tool. Do you ever watch "Good Eats" with Alton Brown? If so, think about what he says about specialized kitchen tools that only do one thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Its amazing to see people who are angry at their 25+ year old 300,000+ mile car that they bought with no records from a fat man that collapsed the seat and trashed the car with his food habits and did a number on the car with neglect. Seriously.....what is expected of a car like that? Why not look for one that has received decent maintenance its whole life and not do 20 years of repair work in one shot.

... and it's amazing to see that people still come into this thread and completely fail to comprehend the point of my post. I will say it AGAIN: I never expected to not have to do a good bit of refurbishment and maintenance catch up. That was never the point of my post, which was that too much of what has to be done is a PITA in too many ways.

Well, at least Y'all are still getting pleasure out of haranguing a non-believer.

Oh, BTW, at least I did have one

moment recently when I installed an Elring valve cover gasket -- no more leaks (from the valve cover)! Unfortunately, the three FastLane-sourced gaskets I installed over the last two years weren't doing the trick.