hello all i have a 1984 300sd with a grease car kit bought the car with it a while back car is rusted but reliable runs great need a few things done but i saw a 1992 300sd i love the body the engine was rebuilt 7 years go the owner states, but it sounds loud he says that it has dirty injectors
and also the heater and ac dont work but the blower works
i really like the body style also since the motor was rebuilt makes me really interested im going to ask if he has paperwork of the rebuilt if not then i wont be interested also my concern is the ac/ heat unit what would i be looking at in trying to repair that?

I would suggest researching the engine that is in that car, and the difference in potential problems and parts availability compared to the OM617. I like those cars too, but I couldn't afford the increase in maintenance and repair costs (yes I know its not horrible, but it would be a lot more than a gen 1 w126).

............and you really, really want to believe him............don't you?

If you have about $3K expendable cash per year then consider buying it. If the engine goes south, you'll need another $8K on top of that.

If you can live with those numbers, then buy it.

I always like the W140 and but there are 2 things that concern me.

1) The rod bender - if it has been rebuilt then you may be OK. A big may be.
2) No Air Cond - It is a known problem for this car with leaky evap. It is a 10 hours job at least to replace it. Only buy a W140 with a working A/C.

My $0.02. Good luck.

__________________
Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

to the sounds of it, it doesnt sound reliable and economical due to the fact that i would spend 3k a year that i dont have
i wish i could find one in a 5k range thats perfect but its not going to happen
thanks guys ill keep looking for a better one hopefully ill find one 1 day cause i hold this big body car

How did you manage to rust a 300SD in Oakland?

Unless you're in love with WVO, you can get a good gasser 140 with working AC for $5000. These might not be the good ones but they're a start:

1994 MERCEDES S320 140K RUN VERY GOOD LIKE NEW CAR ALL WORKING

⎷⎛ 1994 MERCEDES BENZ S320

MBZ' 97 S420 106K - GOOD

1997 mercedes benz s420*****S420*****BENZ***S 420***BMZ****

Sixto
87 300D

sixto
i bought the car from some guy in monetary had been sitting but had a kit
but yeah im in love with the wvo
so thats why im looking for a diesel 140
if you can find a good one for 5k or less let me know so i can get it and put the kit from my 126 into the 140 and run it for a while

I'll have to find two. I'm keeping the first one I find

There's on in San Jose that shows up periodically on craigslist for $3700 or so. High miles and IED went off in the cabin but I hear it runs well. I have a friend with one with a bum tranny. He knows ZF trannies and it's definitely an internal problem. Interested?

Sixto
87 300D

theres in in Pittsburgh he wants 4k but im not going to give him 4 since theres a lot of problems with the ac plus i dont want it anymore i want a better looking one with not much to do but yeah keep me posted your from the city?
are you running wvo?

93 300SD in Hollister - http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/2876037-post78.html

Sixto
87 300D

haha i called the 1st hr she had a type its an 83 thanks bro
what do you think if the turbo was rebuilt on a 93 350sd

If the turbo was rebuilt? Doesn't make or brake the sale. You're looking for a 3.5 with a MB or Metric Motors rebuilt engine.

Sixto
87 300D

I've heard that as well, about the yearly cost for maintaining a w140 diesel. But why is this specifically?

I mean, assuming it has had a rebuild & doesn't bend rods on a weekly basis. I'm just curious here.

__________________
2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Turbo Diesel 4x4
1994 GMC S-15 pickup 4.3 5MT
1985 300 SD
1978 300 CD
1962 220-S Fintail - awaiting restoration

The 140 is a complicated chassis - the AC evaporator is a weak point and takes about 20 shop hours to replace, the closing assist system can get flaky, etc. If it's a V8, timing chain replacement requires time and special tools, it's not just rolling in a new chain like in a 617. They're affordable to buy because they can be unaffordable to keep.

Sixto
87 300D

The W140 is a love / hate relationship. It's a great car when it drives well but as others have said the chassis is complicated and in order to get the soft ride the components are high wear and need replacement more frequently. Rear suspension lower transverse bushings are hydraulic and go south making for alignment problems, and they are no joy to press in either.

Also there's that awful vacuum setup to deal with and the transmission issues too.

Most W140's suffer from a lot of foregone maintenance that ends up reducing the price but also lumps all the cost burden onto the next owner....if there is one. And if it's a diesel you have the highly probable engine problems unless it's a respectable rebuild or a dealer installed replacement.

The AC evap issue is a huge expense and the soft close pumps fail often. The rear deck lids don't like to close properly all the time either. Rear doors suffer from broken or damaged stays which interfere with window regulators and end up breaking the regulators.

The list of faults is endless but they're still a joy to tool around in and on long drives a big plus.

__________________
Steve A
92 W140 OM603
97 VW Jetta TDI
90 Passat variant TDI 6 speed MT
94 Chevy K1500 6.5TD
05 E320 CDI
+ others