Going this morning at 9 CDT. Car has 40k miles. Asking $9k. Anything special I should look for in addition to maintenance & repair records? If I buy it, what filters & etc should I change as a matter of preventive maintenance?

Please sell it to me! at 40K I cannot imagine any of the three biggies, 1.) GP wiring harness, 2.) GPs, and 3.) evaporator (A/C) needing attention.

Great car botnst! My joy is only mitigated by an engine malady mine is suffering, which is somewhat enigmatic. BUT, excellent car, still on Consumer Reports " Top 10", decent acceleration w/o a hair dryer, and superb mpg as far as these cars go.

Filters: fuel ( main and pre) , oil is all.

Thanks, will do the filters. I'm thinking the transmission screen, too. The wiring harness issue bothers me because that's what killed my 124 gasser. I'll use the search and bore down into the problem.

From what I recall, the plastic used degrades spontaneously. My polymer chemistry is about on par with my horological skills, so I don't know exactly what the insulation cracking means.

Is it related to heating/cooling over time? If that's the case, 40K sounds like few heat/cooling cycles and maybe a non-issue. (Unless granny drove the car 2 blocks for morning mass since 1995. That wouldn't be good for any car).

On the other hand, if the insulation issue is due to some inherent incompatibility within the plastic it may degrade over time, regardless of operating temps. And I'm screwed.

Anyway, thanks for the comments.

B

How much does it cost to replace the wiring harness? The transmission sounds like the most expensive potential issue.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

If the car's in the condition you'd expect for having just 40k miles (i.e. excellent), it's probably worth $5000 more than they're asking in the current diesel marketplace, so you can't really go wrong even if you have to replace the wiring harness.

Plus, I understand that the wiring harness on a diesel W124 is much less complicated than on a gasser and therefore less expensive to replace. I seem to recall people saying it's around $1100 at an indy and quite possible to do yourself.

No mechanical issues. Oil was change regularly and maintained at dealership (dino, not synth). Electrical issues are limited to the non-functional driver's headrest and non-functional antenna. Only broken items I could find were the plastic racks into which the sun visor arms snap (dunno what they're called). A/C blows cold and odor-free. I'm guessing it's R-134?

The car actually has 38.7K. I'm used to the w124 E320 in town, so the less nimble E300 is new, but not intolerable by any stretch. Just different. On the highway it has the same smooth acceleration all the way up to 100 mph (that's my personal max, the car still had plenty of go that I didn't touch). A release of the steering wheel at high speed revealed no pull nor strange vibes when I hit the brakes (not at 100, at 70). I usually drive 75-85 so this car feels great at my favorite internet speeds.

I like the car.

Now about biodiesel .... Are there as many opinions about WVO vs biodiesel vs petroleum diesel as opinions about lubricating oil?

Short answer, yes. My personal view is: Modify the fuel, not the car. Therefore, I use biodiesel. If you're going with veggie oil, the consensus seems to be that any reputable, two-tank system is worth the extra money over a cheaper, single-tank set up. I'm sure others will weigh in.

Thanks, Prof H. I'll do the search and learn about the issue in depth if I prove to Mrs B that I truly have lost my mind.

Go with commercially prepared b99 over svo/wvo/homebrews and the car will be happy.

You'll have to change out some orings on the plastic fuel lines and maybe the DV's and shutoff valve too but nothing else. At 40k miles you'll do that anyway as soon as it gets a steady diet of ULSD and increased use.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

The biodegrdeable plastic in the harness will degrade over time. Likely has something to do with heating/cooling cycles as well which means it may not be an issue with this car yet, but as you use it it may become one. So if I were you Bot, I'd buy a replacement harness now and have it ready for the changeout when it's time.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Over New Year, I replaced the wiring harness on my 95 W124 E300D. The harness cost just less than £300, and it took about an hour and a half to install - a really easy job.

Aw golly, that is so different from the gasser! The harness cost US $1,200 and is a 5-6 hour job. I sold the car because I didn't want to pay the labor and didn't want to DIM ... being dim.

I told the present own I'd buy it as-is. It really is a sweet ride.

B