I have owned an '87 300E for about 5 years. It has about 170K on the car. I have been plagued by transmission leaks over the years. Recently with all leaks dried up, I took the car across country and back. It ran beautifully but I noticed a sizabale amout of trans fluid on the garage floor. We put it on the rack yesterday and all of the old leaks have returned: pump seal, front seal, etc. The mechanic suggested that he rebuild the tranny. I feel that a factory rebuilt would be a beter solution since the old tranny has had a leak history. Any suggestions?

I not an expert in anything MB but things I would consider would be warranty on the mechanics' work vs. the rebuilt one by MB and the condition of the engine. It sounds like both options will result in major $$$. I would, personally, defer to the condition of the engine and whether it was worth the investment of a rebuilt transmission. Is the car a really, really good car or a marginal car that has lots of sentimental value?

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

Thanks for your input. The car is in mint condition. Not a mark on it and the engine is so quiet you can hardly tell it is running. We just finished a 4000 mile trip at speeds of 80-100 mph. Complete bliss. Never used a drop of oil. My concern with resealing the original is that it never seems to last. Is this a trait of the 124 transmissions or do I have a bad one, or a bad mechanic?. The transmission itself shifts as smooth as glass. No, I want to keep the car but the puddles in the garage are bugging me.

Something you may want to take into consideration... If you get a factory rebuilt (and as long as it is installed correctly - and not just by a dealer), the warranty will be honored by any dealer, and it would include parts and labor on the warranty work.

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Steve

1992 300CE Sportline Sophie
1990 300E Emma - in the family
1979 240D Josephine - sold, but not forgotten
2004 Pacifica AWD

http://web.mac.com/dakota/Mercedes/Home.html

Since it is shifting god--there are no mechanical problems. The rear seal can be easily replaced without pulling the tranny, as can the side o-rings on the accumulators. Front seal requires pulling it.

Why not try using some 'stop leak' that swells the seals and see what happens. Often that will cure the leaks for a good while. Only the front seal is a pain to replace the others easy and cheap. This tranny is not normally a leaker.

Good idea. Will seal the obvious and see what happens.

Anziani
'87 300E
'91 190 2.6

I have not owned a W124 but I have owned 8 Mercedes. With that said. I would suspect the mechanic. I had the 82 300TD tranny rebuilt in 1990 and have had no problems with it since. I installed a new rear seal in the 240D and again no problems.
If the car is pristene then replacing the tranny with a rebuilt is a good idea. Keep the car going.
BUT
I would first have another mechanic replace the seals. Obviously the current mechanic is not doing something right.
How long ago were the seals replaced? within the year? I would demand new seals from the mechanic. More than a year, find a new mechanic.
I had the dealer do the rebuild and again, done in 1990 and going strong.

Dave

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

My dealer essentially rebuilt my transmission over the course of a couple of repairs for leaks and shifting problems. We both concluded it would have been better to install a rebuilt transmission from MB. I think the dollars were similar - about $1600 - but the MB rebuilt unit would have had more parts replaced and/or checked out. This was on a 1991 4matic 300E that like yours ran very well.

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Chip Johnson