Picked up a good, used 98 E300 with 197k miles
 

for $400. Put it on the interstate and ran good at 70+ mph for an hour. One of the strongest E300 I've ever driven. Reason it went cheap is because the owner missed the sign at the restaurant at Tybee Island warning that area floods during high tide, went in to eat, came back out and he had saltwater in floorboard. Mechanically the car is solid/sound but electrically there are issues. I went in 1/2's with a friend that has a 99 model so we are into it for a couple hundred dollars. The tires are worth that:). I had been servicing this car for about 10 years so I know most of the maintenance. I hated hearing about the flooding when it happened a year or so ago. Body is pretty rough.

Check CAN bus distribution block in front passenger door sill, and PSE pump. If you fix those 2 things and water only got up to floorboard you may be able to save it. Maybe have to look at power seat control modules depending on how deep it got. But at least on W210 there is not a lot of stuff down low in the cabin.

put drive drive in a ML

Nice score, can't lose on the deal with some time involved to part it out due to rough body.

If the body is shot then I would look at it as a donor for a W124 powertrain upgrade.

LOL - it took out the vac pump and the fuse box in that area looks like heck from the salt water intrusion. I'm really not seeing anything alarming underneath the car as far as deterioration/corrosion.

I removed the exhaust system and ran it hard without the check engine light coming on so it looks like the cat is probably plugged. We got about 1/2 the money out of it with the tires. They all look about brand new.

I think it would be cool to put this powertrain in my 97 Ford F150.

So much for parts car
 

Partner wants to fix it up for teen daughter to drive. Fixing up around here means getting a/c going. Anyway I'll keep yall posted.

These are great teen driver cars, taught my youngest son to drive on one.

Do you need a PSE pump? I have one from the JY in my stash of 210 parts

Before you let the young lady drive it:

Be sure to pull front passenger door sill and check out the CAN distribution block for corrosion. All the Body CAN runs through this block.

Also I would get ahold of the wiring diagram, pull the interior seats and carpet, and check the wiring harness carefully. There are several "Z" splices in the body harness down low and these can corrode over time and fail.

Also remember the main 12 V dc goes up from the battery, along the tunnel, to a big distribution block under the driver's feet. This splits from here to hit everything including the starter.

You're welcome to bring it to Columbia some weekend if you need me to scan it for you and help find gremlins.

You're going to probably have to end up doing a full on rebuild to get the AC working but it is so worth it. Don't fool around with leak stop just pull the dash and do it right. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/377507-w210-compressor-seized.html

And either put her a Bluetooth stereo or put in a Parrot unit like I did if it still has the factory radio, that GA no hands law is tough. They are threatening the same over here in SC. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/car-audio-multimedia/336476-analog-cell-phone-update-1998-w210.html

Ill let you know about pump, thanks. Added a little dye and charged ac, blows cold for time being. Without pump ac dampers are in default. May fix center dash vent open all the time and use manual shut off. After change of fuel filter and removal of exhaust system power is where it is supposed to be with no fault code. Will replace exhaust as necessary.

The HVAC uses the PSE pump for vacuum but there is also supposed to be a line from engine vacuum. There are 2 check valves in the lines that meet at the kick plate on passenger side. One from engine and one from PSE pump.

HVAC vacuum control block similar to a W124 but has about 15 circuits. It has a dedicated data bus connection to the HVAC controller (not on the Body CAN). But I think it asks for vacuum from the PSE pump over a CAN message.

Also before giving the car over go ahead and change out the crank position sensor, with a dealer part. I discovered that the engine will just randomly die whenever the sensor goes out. Nice job on MB’s (well really Bosch/Siemens part, they designed the engine management system on this vehicle) to have it just die if a sensor fails with no warning. Not like it absolutely needs the crank position to know when to fire, as it still has a mechanical IP.

Hopefully "teen daughter" knows the difference between diesel and RUG.

Has anyone done this swap?

No way it would fit, the ML vs designed with V8's and V6's in mind, not an inline 6.

I have a 97 E300, got it for $400 as well, just need tires and it's ready to roll.

It feels so much different than my brother's E320. He wants to trade, I saidnope, he even offered a trade plus $1,000 on top, still no.

Why would it not fit? they fit inline 5s in the ml270 cdi. What’s a cylinder?