Hi guys,

looking at a nice W123 wagon thats come up.

i have a couple questions -

- how do i check the SLS system? it seems to be working properly, but i have no experience with them

- i know the W123 sedan spots for trouble / rust etc. what should i look for on the wagon thats different?

my ***wife*** is the one pushing this purchase lol

any other PPI related wagon advice much appreciated.

dd

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Quick check, engine off, have a couple adults sit on the rear with open rear tailgate, then start the engine. The rear of the car should rise back up to "normal" height. Typically "normal" is, I think, 12.5 inches measure straight up from the center of the star hubcap to the outer bulge of the fender lip. Check that against what others have posted.

After it has been running and is in a stable condition, unloaded, shut of the engine and then check the SLS hydraulic fluid reservoir. There should not be any dripping after a few minutes from the oil return line. If it keeps drip drip dripping, then the base pressure valve (inside the control valve) is leaking by, and the rear end will sag after left parked for hours / days.

Test drive, it should be a nice smooth ride over bumps, without a too much up/down and not stiff and bouncy.

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Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

thank you!

any other input from the wagoneers much appreciated!

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Another thing I would add on the SLS system, would be to look at the top of the differential and see if it is wet from the valve leaking due to a worn out seal.

Also look at the color of the SLS fluid. If it is black, the pump seal has failed.

W.

what color should it be? and also - what type of fluid should i put into it?

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

If the seal has failed in the pump, you will get motor oil in the system, which will turn the fluid black. The SLS fluid I have used is a light yellow clear oil.

I am out of town, so can't tell you what I used.

Regards,

W.

SLS fluid is near clear when its new. This is a special fluid. Pelican has a couple brands listed for between $9-$12 per liter. I can't remember exactly but I think the whole system takes 3.5L?

Share some pics of your potential wagon!

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Old Blue - 83 240D 6 speed manual trans, OM648
Green Machine - 2001 Europa G500
87 300SDL Bought on Peachparts. Low-ish miles..?

Family Truckster - 2012 VW Touareg TDI

Patchouli Wagon - 2004 E500 - SOLD
333k mile 97 BMW 750il V12. - SOLD
The Californian - 85 300TD - SOLD
Daily Super Sedan - 03 Audi S8 -SOLD

Soft (and old) tires in the back have a big influence on the ride and stability for me. I think I have a bit of rear end steer from looseness in the subframe bushings, but 35 psi in tires with good sidewalls is a big difference.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Hi Dan - good luck with the purchase. If you do decide to pull the trigger, take a look at the link below. It's a very helpful guide to all DIY related repairs and troubleshoots that come with the W123. Best of luck!

Mercedes-Benz W123 300TD (1977 - 1985) Technical Article Directory | DIY Maintenance and Repair Projects for MBZ 230, 240D, 280 CE, 300D, 300TD | Pelican Parts


-Dmitry

if it's dark does that mean run away screaming - or just that i need to replace the seal, flush and move on?

the owner is on top of his repair game and took it to the best shop in the area. he also has an E500 and a 71 SL280. i will be very surprised to see black oil in there.


....

i spent 2 hours with it yesterday. everything so far checks out. of course there's the usual list of stuff - it's been garaged for 10 years - but all stuff i've done before. compression test next and a general twice over with another set of eyes.

my wife wants this to be her car. she always said if i found a nice red wagon, she'd want it. we both loathe our 2012 elantra hatchback and i cant wait to get rid of it.

pics attached. my '82 is in the background.

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

The fluid will also get dark with time, so dark fluid alone means nothing. Note that Mercedes-Benz has specified NO maintenance procedure / mileage / time frame for changing the fluid. There are many wagons out there that have never or very rarely have the fluid changed, and that fluid is black.

If you change the fluid to new, and within a month or three it has turned dark, then you have a problem.

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

Doesn't look rusty, so that's good. Not many ok or good wagons around, so if the seller doesn't want an arm and a leg then go for it.

Compression checked today - all 5 cylinders 380+

Everything else checked out. In total I spent 5+ hours PPI'ing the thing.

Battery box rust needs fixing :-( But other than that, very clean. SLS fluid was perfectly clear.

I now have a wagon :-)

Thanks everyone for the help.

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Congrats!
I had rust under the battery tray and it ended up making a hole into the cabin which leaked. It's repaired now but I tell you this so that you know to check this. Remove all the stuff under the passenger footwell and battery tray and triple check this.

Pull the floor mats out and see whats rusting there, that goes for any car.

I got a 5 gal bucket of Shell Tellus T22 for my wagon, came in real handy as I did several repairs to the SLS system over a couple of years. The system works well now. The fluid is clean and stays clean.

Hard to imagine how people let that hydraulic fluid go FOREVER without changing it. Mine was black when I got it.

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1985 300TD 1981 Scirocco 1.6D conv 1986 Golf 1.6D 2003 Golf TDI