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  #31  
Old 08-24-2011, 06:10 PM
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Zacharias, when I referred to the car as an investment, you misunderstood my meaning. Since I got the car for free, if I could spend $1000 to get in roadworthy condition, and sell it for $5000, that is a good investment. However, if I have to spend $4000 to sell it for $5000, then it isn't worth my time and aggravation.

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  #32  
Old 08-24-2011, 06:15 PM
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May I suggest that you put a tarp over the car and put it out of your mind until next spring. Then decide what you wish to do. It may be that you have too much on your mind at the moment to make a decision that you will be ok with later.

Been there.
This is excellent advice. Unless you Need Cash Now (and the car is not worth that much), a lot of issues on this car will keep for a long time without harming it that much. It can sit if you need it to and if you have the space. As said earlier, lots of the issues are pretty minor, little things here and there, especially with something so old, but as also said, the minute you try and drive this thing daily, tons of stuff is going to start to break, just because of age. Better go into that eyes wide open vs getting overwhelmed down the road.

Bet a couple grand easy over a year or so. lots of dried out rubber bits. My own 115 needs axles, a complete front end, and most of an interior after the mice moved in

I have been through the inherited car situation several times as well, and its potentially a very painful decision on what to do with something that represents far more than just a machine to you.

In my own case, I sat on a small mazda owned by my father I could not even fit in for a total of 8 years at the wishes of my sister
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  #33  
Old 08-24-2011, 06:58 PM
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Not sure what the advantage is to putting this car off until next spring. If I can get the car started, find out what the problem is right now, then maybe I won't be so disillusioned with the thing and will spend the money on the new fuel sender.
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  #34  
Old 08-24-2011, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by 1975300D View Post
Zacharias, when I referred to the car as an investment, you misunderstood my meaning. Since I got the car for free, if I could spend $1000 to get in roadworthy condition, and sell it for $5000, that is a good investment. However, if I have to spend $4000 to sell it for $5000, then it isn't worth my time and aggravation.
Ok point taken but I think in your current situation you aren't sure what you wish to accomplish.

Also the $5k number you are throwing around is highly problematic and I'm afraid it is complicating your thinking on this issue. May I ask where it originated?
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2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

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  #35  
Old 08-24-2011, 07:18 PM
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I have seen cars like this, and not in as good condition, go for that much and more.

For example, right now there is a 78 300D asking $9500 just a few miles away from me.
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  #36  
Old 08-24-2011, 07:27 PM
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There is also a 300 sedan, 12 years older than mine, in mint shape, asking $34,000. That is just a 300 sedan. So I don't think my figure of $5000 is out of line.
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  #37  
Old 08-24-2011, 07:31 PM
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Well, I pulled the instrument cluster.

1. I fixed the instrument light problem.

2. The clock does not work. I ran 12 Volts through it and nothing. Bad clock

3. I pulled the fuel gauge and ran 12 volts through that. It seems to respond. So I am left with the fuel sender being the culprit. Too bad, because that is hundreds of dollars and I'm still not sure it couldn't be some bad wire somewhere.

4. The brake light does not work. The bulb is good. The contacts are good. Power is getting to the brake reservoir. But for some reason, no power is getting to the brake light on the instrument cluster.

5. Unfortunately, in the process of this, I managed to blow the resister on the temp gauge. (where do I find a resister? Who sells resisters?)

So one step forward, one back. Now I have to repair something that was working until I screwed with it.

My key problem wasn't a problem after all. It was just the steering wheel lock all along. And still, the car does not start. No power getting to the starter.
1. Good. That's progress.
2. Is this a deal breaker? If so, then yeah, you need to sell the car. If not, and you're willing to try a soldering iron, then Google is your friend. http://www.google.com/#hl=en&xhr=t&q=repairing+clocks+mercedes&cp=25&pf=p&sclient=psy&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=repairing+clocks+mercedes&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=18006656ae9954f0&biw=1285&bih=904
3. Okay, so the gauge will move if given input. Depending on how you figured that out may affect your path forward. Somewhere on the connector to the cluster there'll be a ground wire, not a separate wire but in the bundle. German cars usually use brown as the color for ground. If you go back to the sender and find the pins that connect to the wires on the float you could jumper them (I'd put a tiny light bulb in there to simulate the load due to the wire) and see if the current path to the sender it good. I'm betting it is and the sender itself is bad. If the ground on the cluster is bad, then the gauge+sender won't work because the gauge can't send the current anywhere. It 'might' still be a fuse. Plenty of DIYs about the sender here, but I think you've seen them since you say it's rebuilt.
4. No power? Or no path to ground on the cluster? Have you tried the parking brake to see if that turns the light on?
5. Resistor? Maybe a diode or a capacitor. Blowing up a resistor is more difficult. ID the component, they're cheap. Get a hi-res pic and somebody here will tell you exactly what it is and where to find a replacement.

Steering lock? Dude, you're worrying me. The battery is good, right? Is there a click noise for the relay? You've got it P or N? Have you looked for hints on bypassing the Neutral Starter Switch (NSS?) Does this model even have one?

If you can, find a copy of the FSM with a wiring diagram. You'd be amazed at the level of detail for assistance.
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  #38  
Old 08-24-2011, 07:46 PM
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Hi Yak,

3. If they ground on the cluster was bad, wouldn't that mean nothing on the panel would work? I didn't rebuild the sender, I just cleaned it up.

4. Yes, I tried the parking brake.

5. It's the grey cylinder about 1 cm long. It could be a diode. Not a capacitor. I will take a photo of it and post it.

I have the car in park. But have tried in in neutral, too. There seems to be some kind of click when I try to start it.

What is a neutral starter switch?
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  #39  
Old 08-24-2011, 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted by 1975300D View Post
I have seen cars like this, and not in as good condition, go for that much and more.

For example, right now there is a 78 300D asking $9500 just a few miles away from me.
You see the ads asking for this or that amount. That does not equate to the car selling at anywhere near that asking price.

I am sorry but the Canadian market, even on the west coast, doesn't support those prices you mention.

The west coast might support $5k for your car but you are probably in for a long haul here....
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2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

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  #40  
Old 08-24-2011, 08:36 PM
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THere is also a 75 300D in florida asking $9500. And in general, Toronto prices are more expensive for any car than in Florida. Canadians go down to the States to buy cars for that reason. I can't think of anything really that is cheaper in Toronto than in the states.
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  #41  
Old 08-24-2011, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by 1975300D View Post
Hi Yak,

3. If they ground on the cluster was bad, wouldn't that mean nothing on the panel would work? I didn't rebuild the sender, I just cleaned it up.

4. Yes, I tried the parking brake.

5. It's the grey cylinder about 1 cm long. It could be a diode. Not a capacitor. I will take a photo of it and post it.

I have the car in park. But have tried in in neutral, too. There seems to be some kind of click when I try to start it.

What is a neutral starter switch?
The cluster can be tricky. The wire on the connector may good, but you may have a cracked or burned trace on the wiring board. The fact that the low fuel light comes on when it shouldn't indicates something is wrong. That something may be a bad trace on the cluster that lets electricity flow where it shouldn't (e.g. the low light) and stops it from flowing where it should (e.g the brake light or the fuel gauge). To check this you really need to take your time and follow the wiring traces around. If you have a multi-meter you can try to check for continuity along the path.

The NSS is the thing that stops you from starting unless in P or N. If you hear a slight click when trying to engage the starter then a relay is closing. Do you also get GP lights when trying to start? If so, then the NSS is probably okay (if your car even has one) because it's letting the car TRY to start. If it's bad, it can inhibit the signal from the switch to the starter even in P or N. That may not be gospel since I don't know exactly the features on your car. You might try it in N and see what happens.

It may be easier to troubleshoot if you start a specific thread for not starting, since that's a real show-stopper. Start that thread posting info about the car, battery health, gauge indications, noises or lights, including clicks or buzzes. Eg, do you get a battery light in position I or II? GP lights? Do they stay on?
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  #42  
Old 08-24-2011, 09:01 PM
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Originally Posted by 1975300D View Post
THere is also a 75 300D in florida asking $9500. And in general, Toronto prices are more expensive for any car than in Florida. Canadians go down to the States to buy cars for that reason. I can't think of anything really that is cheaper in Toronto than in the states.
No offense intended, but at the moment your car won't start. That'll seriously affect resale value.

Take the buy/sell/price advice with a huge grain of salt. I'd put that off and concentrate maybe on troubleshooting. You're looking at a 30+ yo car being troubleshot with advice over the internet. It ain't gonna happen instantly.
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  #43  
Old 08-24-2011, 09:10 PM
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he fact that the low fuel light comes on when it shouldn't indicates something is wrong.

Yak, isn't the fuel light supposed to come on when you turn the key to accessories. It also brings the alternator light on as well. IN fact, shouldn't the brake light come at that time, as well? Right now, the fuel and alternator lights come on. But not the brake light.

BTW, I intend to sell the car if it works perfectly, or almost perfectly, in order to get top dollar.
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  #44  
Old 08-24-2011, 09:16 PM
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he fact that the low fuel light comes on when it shouldn't indicates something is wrong.

Yak, isn't the fuel light supposed to come on when you turn the key to accessories. It also brings the alternator light on as well. IN fact, shouldn't the brake light come at that time, as well? Right now, the fuel and alternator lights come on. But not the brake light.

BTW, I intend to sell the car if it works perfectly, or almost perfectly, in order to get top dollar.
I think the low fuel light "test" feature wasn't implemented until mid-way through the W123. It's possible it was on your car, but I'd bet otherwise since they didn't put it in the W123 until the early 80's.

You'd have to check the manual, or ask other owners to verify. I can't say about the brake light either. I'd think that would come on, but I may be wrong.
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  #45  
Old 08-25-2011, 05:15 AM
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like some others have said, the 'litany of woes' isn't really. all the items are minor and easily fixed. easy maybe being a relative term, but they are all small things.

as far as the resale value, maybe if you think of the car as yours, as something you want to keep, repairing it will become easier and your motivation will shift to fixing it for your own purpose. i don't think the car will pull $5K in the toronto area market either. it's too old to be a daily for most people and too young to be a collectible car. it's in a netherworld and that makes it a hard sell at any price. also the local market for mercedes of this vintage is very soft. in order to get top dollar the car must be immaculate, and even then cars of that vintage languish on kijiji for months and months and many probably never sell unless the seller is 'motivated', meaning they drop the price. for me the idea of fixing up the car to sell it is not a great one. why not keep it and enjoy it?

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