lucas wiring

[farmmedicoh]

i start by saying that i own no MB yet
while asking around about owning one i hear a array of arguments against
250k miles
lucas wiring
expensive parts
the miles and the parts arent such a biggy to me
here in NE Ohio we have few MB's on the road so my local mech doesn't seem them much
he and another mech in his shop both poo pooed the lucas wiring like it was some sort of plague
how untrustworthy is this system?
no one on this list seems to have overt concerns about it
why would they bad mouth it?

[TheDon]

what about wiring? I've never heard of an issue with the wiring in these cars. Well, maybe the w210 chasis but thats it.

[farmmedicoh]

dunno what the problem they have with them
they just seem pretty sure of themselves about it

[Hatterasguy]

Mercedes used all Bosch, Lucas is British. Ignore this mechanic.
Bosch is German
Lucas is British.

Lucas does suck buy an old Jag or MG and you can have fun with it.


The W210 brake booster is Lucas! I never hear of them failing though.

Mercedes wiring is fantastic and they probably spent 10 times what GM did to wire a Caddy. The runs are perfect and all sheilded. Lots of nice plug and play connectors so you can remove stuff easy.

[Jeremy5848]

Parts are expensive only if you buy them from the dealer or a mechanic who charges you full list price. If you buy parts from a place like FastLane (click "Buy Parts" at the top of this page) you will get a significant discount. Doing the work yourself is another way to save a lot of money. Junkyard parts have saved me a ton of money.

Mercedes builds its cars (at least the older ones) so they can be taken apart and fixed. Later models tend to be more electronic and harder for DIY repair. Older cars are also simpler (fewer gadgets to break) and easier to repair. The W123 models (1977-1985) are probably the best overall. Lots of them around, lots of knowledge on this forum.

As the Hat Guy said, the W210 chassis ('96-'99 E300D w/OM606 engine) was built during a time when Mercedes had a fit of "environmentalism" and chose a type of wire for the harnesses in which the insulation dries and cracks and disintegrates. (The plastic insulation was said to contain fewer volatiles to evaporate and pollute the air. It was never built by Lucas.) If the wiring is not disturbed (moved for service), it will hang together pretty well. My '96 E300D has had only one problem, involving the reverse light and turn signals, in over 250,000 miles. I wouldn't deliberately avoid these years for an otherwise nice example.

The other years and models of Mercedes, before and after, rarely have wiring problems. The only other one I can think of is the W124 ('87 300D and later models to 1995), which sometimes have failures of the rear power windows due to years of flexing where the wires go through the tube between the B pillar and the door.

The idea of 250,000 miles as a break point is also wrong. The only expensive repair that sometimes happens around 250,000 miles is the automatic transmission. When you shop for a car with a lot of miles on it, you have to look for one with the best set of service records, especially in the last few years. If the seller has ignored routine maintenance and has not fixed things as they break, you may be buying a headache. I would not have bought my '96 with 248,000 miles without the complete set of service records that came with it.

A properly cared-for Mercedes diesel engine will go much longer without failing. As an example, my '96 E300D's engine shows little wear at 250,000 miles, according to the oil analysis, and still averages 26 MPG in mostly around-town driving on B100 biodiesel. The key, IMHO, is regular oil changes. Keep the oil clean and don't abuse the engine and it will last.

Conclusion: Hang out here and get a new mechanic. Keep in touch, let us know what you find to buy.

Jeremy

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Mercedes used all Bosch, Lucas is British. Ignore this mechanic.
Bosch is German
Lucas is British.

You mean all those "foreign cars" aren't the same?

Seriously, don't let those clowns touch your car. If/when you buy one find a good independent benz shop, there must be a few around cleveland. In your part of the country, be very careful of rust.

[123Guy]

I have two Mercedes and two British cars - a '99 Land Rover Discover Series I and a '74 Triumph TR6 - they both have Sir John Lucas, Lord of Darkness wiring. I bought all these cars new - so I have 48 years and almost 500K miles owning the two MB's and 43 years and only 180K miles of owning the British cars. Never an electrical problem with the Bosche wired MB's, lots of problems with the Lucas electrics on the LR and TR - right now I'm working on the TR6, it won't start and I'm tracking down an electrical problem. No comparison between Bosche and Lucas - and don't confuse the two.

[farmmedicoh]

did this Prince of Darkness wire the Bonniville MC as well
the only bike i've ever heard of that you can't get wet!

BTW thank you all for you answers to my questions
without folks like y'all out there....well, things would just be alot grimmer

[Jeremy5848]

English bikes indeed have Lucas electrics. This is also why the English drink warm beer (they have Lucas refrigerators).

[alan911]

If Lucas Only Made Vacume Cleaners, They Would Be The Only Product That Didn't Suck !

[Burnzy]

I had a 67 MGB a while back. Probably the most fun car to drive I have ever had, too bad I could only drive it 2 days a week..........Lucas.

[compress ignite]

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