If you had both complete cars side by side you could swap all the electronic components from the CDI into the wagon. The only real difference is the rear tailgate. You could do it without xentry. A simple icarsoft would be enough to Id compatibility, read live data and clear any codes that might pop up.

I've seen people do C32 and C55 drivetrain into a c240 wagon in their garage without issue. This isn't much different. I'm still not convinced this is a worthwhile endeavor but it's certainly not impossible for the average DIYer.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I would definitely have both the donor and the recipient side by side for the swap. I would probably pull both drivetrains (I will try to sell the gas one while it is still in the car), so the wiring is easier to remove. Then I would remove all the wiring, modules, and specific parts from the gas E that are not needed for the Diesel engine, making it ready to receive the CDI components. I can then remove each component from the CDI, and install it in the wagon. That way I won't forget where everything goes.......Rich

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)
Several parts & project cars
LOTS of parts for sale!

For Sale: Diesel EGR Delete/Block-off Plate Kit

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Going from memory on the w203 (assuming the w211 is very similar) the coded components are:

EIS (ignition)
Instrument cluster
ECU
shifter module
Teleaid

The TCM is not coded but obviously the shift programs are different so you'll have to swap that too. The engine wiring harnesses are designed to be modular so you'll unplug one from the under hood fuse box and move it with the other car with the engine. The other issue you might run into is the front and rear SAM (signal aquisition modules) if the optional equipment is different between the 2 cars (sunroof, power seats etc). You'll probably be better off swapping those too. Have STAR or icarsoft on hand. The wagon will take on the CDIs odometer reading and keys.

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Can the gasser wagon fuel tank be used for CDI? I have no idea how fuel is plumbed in the high pressure CDI system. There might be wagon specific Diesel emissions components around the fuel tank.

FWIW, my ‘98 wagon throws an SLS sensor error when I run it with the ‘98 sedan gauge cluster. The sedan doesn’t mind the wagon cluster. I tried a ‘02 Sport cluster (proper tach) in the C320 and half the functions didn’t work. I read I had to mess with the fuel sender (there’s a Sport fuel sender??) and rear SAM to get it to work... maybe.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

Great info here, thanks. If I can get away without changing the harness under the dash, that would be great. I think the only thing that may be different between the two cars is heated seats. The CDI does NOT have them. If the wagon does, I might have a problem. However, if it does have modular architecture, heated seats may just be plug-and-play.

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)
Several parts & project cars
LOTS of parts for sale!

For Sale: Diesel EGR Delete/Block-off Plate Kit

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Another bit. Be sure to retain the title from the donor car, this is vital in getting parts such as keys.

Doesn't sound like it from your prior post.

Given you didn't answer the Xentry pricing question I'll answer it for you. Last I checked it was $ 20,000 to buy one system and $ 6,000 per year to keep it active. If the subscription is canceled it will brick after a few months.

I'd figure a small dealer will have 2 systems and larger one 4 to 6. Who pays for this?

You do realize that there are people that are saying the same thing about a recent $ 14,000 Chevy spark? I've heard this same line over the past 4 decades across all makes even though the lifespan of a car has steadily gone up.

Something else to consider, a regular car costs X and a MB some multiplier of X so repair costs will be higher. The cost to buy a used car might go down but cost of repair won't regardless of the brand.

At 12 years / 130 K miles the car has fulfilled it's primary mission regarding the first and second owners whom likely owned the car for 4 years each. Your solution would be to buy new / CPO and turn it every 4 years, it all comes down to cost per mile.

The amount of electronics in a modern car regardless of brand is staggering. All it takes is the failure of one small part to take down an entire sub system. All of this resides in a hostile environment of heat / cold / rapid temperature swings / vibration / shock.

Think about the physical stresses to electronics when a the interior of a car sitting in the sun goes from 110 *F to 70*F over a few minutes. Or from below zero to 75. I haven't even touched on the range of under hood temps. . .

Electronic components are rated from low to high as Consumer / Industrial / Automotive / Military, this should tell you something about the automotive environment.

With less to break, reliability might be greater regardless of brand however, age takes it toll.

Our guy below thinks the 90's were bad so take them of your list.

Rapid depreciation should be a tip off that the car might not be a good value to the general public. A complicated car that is $ to repair will have a very low residual value. Think of it this way, you are getting a high end car at a discount but need to spend some $ to keep it going, this is cost of ownership that many overlook.

My 97 SL 320 Sport was about $ 90 K new, bought it in 2011 for $ 6,000 and immediately installed about $ 2,500 in _parts_ to get it to my standards. Currently it has an external coolant leak at the head gasket and I want to rebuild the transmission as a preventive measure.

Even with all of this and adjusted for inflation, I'm about at what the original owner would have paid in _sales tax_. I consider this a pretty good deal.


Try a Toyota / Honda but don't expect the body to resist rust very much.

Good point. However, if I remove so many parts from the car, it will need to go to the scrapper. I don't want to have a shell in my yard taking up space. I would probably get an extra key ahead of time just in case. Other than keys, what reason would I need to retain the title for?

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)
Several parts & project cars
LOTS of parts for sale!

For Sale: Diesel EGR Delete/Block-off Plate Kit

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Photos of the parts car. It has all the parts I need to fix the CDI. The rims and tires are like new. It also has a new grille that was not installed (in the trunk).

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)
Several parts & project cars
LOTS of parts for sale!

For Sale: Diesel EGR Delete/Block-off Plate Kit

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Man, that would be a lot of work swapping that wire loom. You'll definitely would have to pull the dash. Consider this to be a year or so long project with all the wire digging and matching.

But I would love to see a CDI wagon happen!

__________________
1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

There is no way I would let this project go that long. I started this thread to gather information on what needed to be done, and I have some great info already. If I get enough information, and am confident I can do the swap, Lord willing I will do it. I have inside space available to have both cars side by side, and a friend willing to help that is actually more excited than I am about the possibility of doing this.
As far as swapping the wire loom, it may not be as hard as one might think (should it need to be done). tjts1 says the wiring is modular, so I expect not to have to deal with any wiring rearward of the firewall. It makes sense that all the wiring rear of the firewall is the same between all engines. Since the ECM will go with the engine, it should be an easy swap. But again, I need to know all these things before turning the first wrench.

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)
Several parts & project cars
LOTS of parts for sale!

For Sale: Diesel EGR Delete/Block-off Plate Kit

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Nice! What engine is in the parts car?

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Gas V6. It runs good, so I will probably sell the engine and trans if I use it as a parts car to fix the CDI. However, if I do the wagon-CDI swap, I will use the parts from the CDI to fix the gasser (door, fender, hood, grill, interior parts etc). These cars in decent condition only get about $ three grand, so I won't go crazy with laborious parts swapping.
The nice thing is, If I do the wagon-CDI, the CDI donor will be pretty stripped, and will give it's all for not one, but two cars.

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)
Several parts & project cars
LOTS of parts for sale!

For Sale: Diesel EGR Delete/Block-off Plate Kit

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

Right, I forgotten you can pull the engine with wire harness intact.
You can probably look at your gasser parts car and see the if plugs are all the same in the under the hood fuse box.


.

__________________
1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

Anything that is VIN coded like the dash / engine / air Bag computer.

Also, if you ever take it in for major service, you might need to prove ownership of VIN coded parts. Say the engine computer needs reflashed, the dealer needs the donor cars VIN not the body VIN.

Find a dealer you have a solid relationship with if you need major service, in theory the dealer might be prohibited from working on a mixed VIN car. ( liability issues )