93 300D maintenance question
 

Last weekend I bought this 93 300D. It's my first W124 and I really like driving it. Pictures were taken at MBS Motors in Duluth GA where the PO had it serviced.

It had two owners, a father and son. 176,000 miles, garaged, zero blowby, the AC blows snowballs and everything works right now.

I have a stack of records. (Interesting side note, the battery was replaced last week with a new MB Battery and if the records are correct the old one, a Diehard, lasted a full 9 years.)

In looking through the records I saw no mention of the vacuum pump nor the water pump being replaced. The last time the antifreeze was replaced was 10/08 at 150,000 miles with Zerex G-05.

I plan to keep the car. Would you replace the vacuum pump? How about the water pump? Other considerations?

Many thanks,

David

Hi David

Glad to see you finally present your car to the community:). Can you tell by the records whether they were doing 3k oil changes? Any indication if synthetic was used? If yes to both then in my opinion, based on what I have seen, you should be able to easily get past 200k miles before you change out the vacuum pump as a preventive measure. I ran mine out to 250k miles before I swapped it out and that car had been on synthetic or was on a 3k mile oil change interval. Whenever I go to synthetic I run them out to 7500 miles. I did not see any indications of wear when I changed out the vacuum pump but I figured it was cheap insurnace. Anyway, when you go in there to do it you may find that it is time to change the serpentine belt tensioner too. While you are in there changing the vacuum pump would be a good time to do the water pump. Typically, I don't change them out until they start leaking.

That is a nice car, I have a 1992 with 260,000 miles and still has the original vacuum pump. Its starting to make me nervous, I should replace it soon. Make sure it has not been replaced, the new style has screws on the front cover of the vacuum pump, the old style does not.

I've got a good used one cheap if ya'll are interested:).

oil changes
 

Thanks 04Diesel. Hey Jim, I would still be driving the W123 goat cart (just kidding I like the car) if you had not bragged so much on the W124.

The first oil change was at 1,130 miles...3,500...5,381. Looking through the records the average oil change over the life of the car will average around 4,000 miles. Most of the records just say 15/40. The exceptions were in early 2000 and state "Mobil One 7.5 qts $44.92" for the oil NIC labor.

I've also wondered about the preventive replacement of the vacuum pump....my 92 has close to 230,000 miles on original.

Vac pump, timing chain and headgasket are all known and expensive issues to fix after the fact.

And an expensive waste of time if they are done pointlessly.

The timing chain needs to be measured and inspected to determine if it needs replaced. The headgasket is not a wear item and never needs replacement unless it leaks. The vacuum pump should be removed and the bearings inspected to determine if it needs replacement.

The Japanese chains found on 92 and newer are prone to premature failure irregardless of wear.
They are prone to failure however should be excluded from the replace just in case list above because when they fail, nothing disasterous happens.
Its not a questions of the bearings, its a question of the retaining of them. But yes it would be a good idea to see if has already been replaced with the newer version that does not spill steel balls into the crankcase.

Incorrect. As with everything else on the internet, posts of complaints are greatly exaggerated due to the availability of public forums.
A good example of this is the "runaway Toyota". Without sources available to publicize and sensationalize the isolated incidents, the 0.1% of people it actually happened to would be the only people to know about it (and every one of the incidents could have been stopped by shifting to neutral and turning off the ignition).

That is absolutely correct. Disastrous happens when the driver ignores signs of failure (white smoke, oil consumption, coolant consumption, milky coolant/oil, external leaks), and continues to push it.

Which is the reason for inspection. The car is 20 years old and it could have already been changed any time in its past.

Diagnosis is what separates good mechanics from part swapping monkeys.

And you have proof the contrary? Usually when refuting something you should offer something along the lines of proof contrary to the point you are refuting instead of hot air.

Do the records indicate if and when the radiator was replaced? Watch for cracks in the plastic end tanks starting at age 5 and consider replacing it for good measure at age 10 if not sooner.

Sixto
87 300D

I have yet to see you post anything proving they have frequent failures, just your opinion as an internet user.

I am under the impression that MB issued a recall on the 92+ timing gears due to premature failure...

would that be the proof you are asking about?:rolleyes:

I point you to MBNA 05/95 and 58/92.

I think we all know who the overly opinionated internet user is around here.