123 vs 126 pros vs cons diesel

[seanarcher]

i am considereing buying a 123 or 126 diesel.
i have owned several 123 diesel but never a 126 sd.
I want to have a diesel with working a/c.
wich of these a/c systems is the easiest to work on and the most reliable?
I have seen the 240d systems with the knobs and some say they are the most reliable climate control system.I have turbo diesel now but it is a rust bucket and am worried about it being used much longer for the family.
i sat in a 88 560sl(same setup?) that had a very nice cold blowing a/c so i hope they can have a cold air system...if that requires disconnecting the heater core and doing some other things to keep the heat soak down i have no problem with that.I would like to find a nice white car too but will settle on a light colored car(i like dark colors but i live in closest to the equator florida rip your skin off mind melting heat/humidity).i have also read that the SD cars where quick sellers and were hard to keep on the shelves so to speak.this makes me think corners may be cut to get them out the door.i bet someone will say no but when you are a worker under pressure to push out product you are more prone to make mistakes.maybe i should jus stick with the 123 as the parts seem more readily available.i am thinking a 240d since a lot of peope think the climate control is the simplest.if that is so then my ideal ride for the family would be a 240d 123 from 81-83 white with crank windows.i have read that the 240d auto is weaker than the 300d trans but i have another 300d trans in the wings in case things go wrong.thanks for any info

[JEBalles]

As for climate control, the 240d will be the easiest, as it's the only one with manual. All 123s and 126s came with ac standard. I'd advise a 240d with a standard trans. Easiest car to work on. A/C in these cars are, unfortunately, notoriously problem ridden, so with either car, you'll probably have to work on the A/C eventually, if not immediately.

[seanarcher]

well im already in the mindset of finding a car without working a/c.I know the cars price will be much lower since i live in death heat FL.i want to keep it below 2k for the price.are there certain years of the 123 240d that will have a more reliable a/c sytem?i remember reading the term EVIL servo somewhere about MB,cant remember if it was a 123 body though.

[pawoSD]

Any car beyond 1980 will not have the evil servo system. All of the diesels in the 80's except the late 80's 603 powered cars have a very unreliable A/C compressor. The only one of our 5 MB's in my family with working A/C is my 300E....since it has the non R4 (and much more modern) A/C compressor.

[oldsinner111]

Go with a om617.951 w126.Better fuel mileage.W123s are flying bricks,or taxicabs.

[Oracle12345]

Originally Posted by oldsinner111

Go with a om617.951 w126.Better fuel mileage.W123s are flying bricks,or taxicabs.

w126 is a heavier car so the fuel mileage will slightly slower. As for the A/c system go for a w126.

[oldsinner111]

Both brick and w126 are heavy.I average 32 mpg on trips at 30.37 mpg running 35%wmo/watf.

[seanarcher]

when did the 123 and 126 go to a better a/c compressor?after 1980?

[oldsinner111]

Don't know.I do know my 26 year old AC will need new compressor,hose,dryer,switches.Thats next years Tax Refund.

[Scott98]

I live in southern Florida and have an '82 240D with a new OE R-4 compressor and R-12. My A/C blows ICE cold.

Scott

[seanarcher]

i think i read all that stuff can be replaced for less than 500$.anybody know where there is a writeup /article about this ?

[Scott98]

Originally Posted by seanarcher

i think i read all that stuff can be replaced for less than 500$.anybody know where there is a writeup /article about this ?

FYI, I spent $500 on the OE compressor alone. I tried cheaper ones but had no luck. Others on this forum have had better luck. I spent the money because I planned on keeping the car a looong time and wanted to do it right.

Check out dieselgiant.com for articles on A/C work.

Good luck,

Scott

[lietuviai]

I replaced all the O-rings in the system of my 300D, re-used the original compressor, a Delco R4 unit, replaced the dryer and recharged it with R-12 and it works well. The only problem is that the CCU is a bit flakey but it does manage to keep things nice and cold in the heat.
It's always a good idea to replace the dryer especially if a system has been apart or not working for a long time. They're fairly cheap. I paid less than $20 for mine.
Apart for the CCU, the manual system uses basically the same plumbing and hardware as the automatic system.

[Hip001]

Originally Posted by seanarcher

when did the 123 and 126 go to a better a/c compressor?after 1980?

Sean, are you from Titusville? (name sounds familiar)

I own one of each and it depends on what you want. I'm no expert but here's what I've gathered so far. my 123(1985 300D turbo daily driver) is rock solid reliable medium on comfort and appearance. AC is ok but not great(as far as cooling goes. mine was converted to R134, they tell me that R12 is better). I was told the car got 30mpg when I bought it and the truth is I get about 23-26mpg. My 126 is a 300SDL and is the shizznit both in looks and driving(in my opinion). It is also bigger inside which is what the "L" stands for. I am having AC problems again but have yet to determine what it is yet. I prefer the 126 but keep it for weekends. The SDL has a 6cyl 3L motor and is night and day from the 300D. I have not calculated the SDL mpg but would bet it's better than the 300d. What ever car you get or think you might get, take it to Pierre here in Titusville for any service needs or questions!!

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by Oracle12345

w126 is a heavier car so the fuel mileage will slightly slower. As for the A/c system go for a w126.

actually.. incorrect..

the W126 has a lower .cd and actually gets better fuel mileage than the w123.

also.. S Class or no class!