deanyel may give you better advice but personally I wouldn't touch the '96 with a CEL *and* leaking A/C.

You are guaranteed that the evap is bad . . . . *and* the '96 was the start of OBDII. I found a similar problem on a '96 with the identical problem at my tech's shop.

Problem was plugged (carboned) egr lines on the passenger side and not too-bad on the driver's side; it was plugged enough that the OBDII would NOT allow it to get to the "ready" state. The EGR makes an "emission" fault so it must be fixed. Had to remove both heads and clean the ports . . .

You can tell by using a good scanner and reading the OBDII status. Betcha a dime, that's the problem.

So between the evap and EGR, you'd be an unhappy camper unless you could do this yourself. You'd probably still be unhappy but have some $$ in your pocket!

I am at 361,533 miles. Evaporator replaced at 223,561. I also am not driving as many miles as I used to. Doing only about 16-17K a year. Car doing fine except for some oil consumption. I was using about a quart every 625 miles and changed from synthetic oil to dino oil. Consumption went down to a quart every 1200 miles. I guess its just thicker.

Thanks... so basically the 92-95 have their share of problems and the 96-99 have another share of problems? Get shed of one and get another? :)

Well I emailed the seller to see if he knew why the CEL was illuminated. Has a new converter, so I guess thats ruled out.

I was told that the 4.2L was basically a bulletproof engine. Too bad about the "plugged" EGR lines on these cars that makes the heads have to be removed. I had never heard of that before.

Do you know how many miles that one had with the clogged EGR lines? Seems like there are so many things that could set off a CEL, so I am hoping it could be something else.

I warned the seller that I needed a tight car, because I run a tight ship! :P

BTW - I think I can get the car for about $2500. Nice overall and since its a 1996, I am assuming it will not have the bio-degradable wires?

$2,500 is probably about right. Figure its going to need three G notes to fix the AC and whatever is tripping the CE light.

Odviously the seller is either flat broke or doesn't care about the car if he ignored a CE light for a year.

Well, he said his wife wants a smaller, more fuel efficient car. :confused: He said the CEL never bothered the driving. He bought it at 71K miles and I think it has 158K now. He said they had never changed the timing chain, so I am sure its never been changed and due. The A/C does not bother me that much, because I rarely use A/C even in my Lexus, which blows ice cubes. I only use A/C if its over 90° and even then I hesitate, because it messed my head up.... I cannot handle A/C too much in a car. I have another car I could drive if I needed A/C.

My main concern now is the CEL light. I never dreamed it could be something that would require the engine dismantled like Jim said. I always thought CEL lights were simple emission control items... not clogged airways. :P I guess with these cars, its different.

I wonder how these cars rate in the squeak/rattle department? I have drove many W126 models, with crunchy door panels. I have driven my uncles 1993 300SE and it was super solid inside, but not sure if it was an exception or a rule.

Both V8s (5.0L and 4.2L) engines have been shown to be very reliable. The plugged EGR lines is due to lots and lots of city driving.

Hey, I could be wrong ., . it could be a O2 sensor . . . Have him read the codes . . then you'll know!

As Hatterasguy said, he KNOWS what's wrong but since it runs ok (it will), doesn't want to spend the $$$ to fix it.
Ask him to get the codes read . . . BEFORE you will consider buying it.

'96 cars don't have biodegradable wiring harness.

Thanks Jim... I emailed him back and asked if he knows what the problem was showing. If he will not tell, its probably a $$$$ problem and I can safely pass. ;)

I have found some nicer 1995 S500 models, but then its back to the wiring harness issues, because NOT ONE I have been interested in, does the seller know if the wiring harness have been replaced. Thats a problem.

Thanks again!

Your never going to find a perfect W140, more so in the price range and mileage you are looking at.

No, not unless I buy the $22K 99 W140 you posted. :P

I guess I will settle for a $2500, or a nicer W126 (I have been looking at 86-87 300SDLs and 88-91 300SELs), but ever since I drove my uncles W140 I have wanted one and his is only a 93' 300SE, but wow its nice. It was his dads, bought it new and I think it has like 73K miles. Like new new new. A/C evaporator did go out- imagine that - lol. That was a $2200 repair. :rolleyes:

I found a local 86' 300SDL for $4900, but its in excellent original condition and has 139K original miles. Tempting for sure.

Just get a really nice W126...that's what I would do if I could do it over.

Dont like your S420, or was it where your 300SEL was easier to maintain? :confused:

I just found a fairly local 1989 560SEL for $2000 (black on black) looks super, stated to run great, but with t-chain issues and rear air suspension problems I have heard on these, I am scared to death of the 560 now. :confused:

I asked the seller if the t-chain/components have been changed. It has 213K miles.

Well, I really loved my W126...it fit me like a glove in every aspect, something I have never experienced with a car before. I thought with the newer body style, it would be more of the same, and then some, plus better reliability, and even better looks (subjective). While that isn't totally false, I don't quite feel that the W140 really compares to the 126...

Maybe I just didn't get a good example of a W140, but the W126 seemed to ride much smoother, and was just more graceful overall. It would accelerate from a stop like a rolls royce...no sense of urgency, just an amazingly smooth swell of power. The W140 doesn't really have that feeling. The W140 seats are too firm (IMO), I loved the springy W126 seats. The W140 also rattles a bit, and doesn't feel as "solid" to me. Seems like everything is made from super brittle plastic. :\

The only pros for the W140 are: more modern looks, better HWY MPG, awesome stereo (and I mean AWESOME!), AC so cold it hurts (much better backseat cooling), the handling is also much tighter in the W140.

Did that help you at all? lol

Yes and thanks. I guess I was comparing my old W126 (1985 380SE) with 275K to my uncles W140 (1993 300SE) with around 73K. :) His was so solid and rattle free and the suspension was very soft (which I like), but his shocks may have been worn out over the years. My 380 had noisy door panels, as have most W126s I have driven.

I am thinking like you was... a W140 would be nicer overall... better ride, etc, but maybe not in all cases since you mentioned it. I know they are both solid cars. Interesting you mentioned the cheap interiors... they appear high quality to me, but I have not personally inspected one up close. It was dark when I drove my uncles and I rarely see the car since they live in South Carolina.

I will look a little while longer for a W140 in my range and probably end up with a junker, but from what I have learned, I may just try to find a nicer W126, but it must be a LWB model. Probably a 300SDL or 300SEL. I have my eye on a nice, NICE 1988 300SEL with 154K for $2500, but I have to pay another $350 shipping. :rolleyes:

Kick me, but I am also eyeing a local 1996 Acura 3.5L RL (GULP - dont flame me! :D), but I have had tremendous success with my Japanese cars.

Thanks again for the tips! Im going to bed! GOSH, its almost 3am here and I have to get up at 8am! zzzzzzzz

'90 560 sel
 

I was always a BMW guy, until I got into a slk500 a few yeas ago !!!:eek: REally nice car...but I digress, the 560 SEL that we just bought is the nicest, most comfortable ride I have been in. It just makes you feel so good to drive it. Our's has under 130K on the clock, and rides really nice. It has a leak on the supsension pump, but I am waiting for the MB Indie to receive the re-seal kit and I am going to replace them myself, so that will all run me under $10. :P. I have noticed a 'thunk' when I go over some really bad potholes, and its also in the driver's side rear. I am going to order new bushings for the hydro-shock and if I can find new spring bushings them it will be an easy matter of getting a spring compressor and replacing the old worn out rubber pieces.

Yea, there's something about the W126 that makes you feel like a million bucks when you drive it. :) Something the W123 doesn't have...at all. O_O

But 126s are so long in the tooth these days, such an old looking car, and old feeling car. The 140 looks and feels so much newer, and with prices so depressed on everything, not much more expensive.

How strange... I had asked by email if he had ever had the CEL checked and if the car has any other problems now....

The reply was: "Understood, thanks for looking".

What in the heck is that supposed to mean? :rolleyes:

Oh well.

I have also found a 95' S420 for $3950, with 139K miles. Timing chain and wiring harness change is not known, BUT it has a new evaporator which seller paid $3200 to have replaced and its a nice car! Do it? ;)

That email was probably meant for someone else...I would resend it.

Means he's looking for a sucker who won't ask those kind of questions, LOL.

Thanks. I did. I simply stated that I did not think all of the email came through or asked if he did not get my questions. I did not want to seem like a jerk. :P


I have also found a 95' S420 for $3950, with 139K miles. Timing chain and wiring harness change is not known, BUT it has a new evaporator which seller paid $3200 to have replaced and its a nice
car! Do it?

Right on . . . .

Oh my, there are people out there like that? :D

I hope thats not the case... its a shame someone out there would want to snooker someone with a car.

I know this is a total twist, but I found a local 1979 300SD I am checking out this week! Excellent conditions, NOT ONE SPECK of rust for $2900.

I did, but never got a reply. Sooooo... I asked basically the same questions from my fathers email and he said that the light went off when a new convertor was installed, but the converter "sprang a leak" and the light came back on. Converter was fixed, but there was not a machine there to turn the light off and they never went back. Hmmmm. :confused:

I want to know why he did not reply to my email? People get mad when you ask them simple questions about a car you are about to spend a few grand on? :rolleyes:

Well then he's just lazy and doesn't want to deal with you, or he has something to hide, and you're asking too many questions.

I would just disregard that guy, there are other people that are willing to answer your questions out there.

+1

This seller is shady. Write him off and move on. Plenty of other fish in the sea!

Thanks....

Everyone should email him and ask why the check engine light is on. Lol. J/K! :P Has good feedback though. I guess he thought I was too nit-picky. :rolleyes: Well, $3500 may not be much to many people, but its a fortune to me. :mad: I cannot pay $3500 for a car, then another $2000-4000 for repairs. :rolleyes:

If that's the case, you honestly need to stay away from W140s, and go with one of the older ones. They have less bells and whistles, but they are definitely better built.

I have owned several different Mercedes, and in my experience they are expensive cars to own. You can either pay up-front to get one in good condition, or you can pay later at the parts counter. It's pretty much one or the other.

Finding a W140 for $3500 that is perfect and needs no work, well heck, you may as well just play the lottery with those odds. That's my $0.02, take it for what it's worth.

True, but the main objective here is that the seller is obviously hiding something. I have owned several Mercedes too (74 240D, 85 380SE and 84 190D (all where excellent cars that I did not have to pay an arm/leg for) so good ones at good prices are to be found. Just have to look. I was assuming this 96' was a good one, but obviously some problems are being hidden. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the input - perhaps I will stick with a W126. Supposed to look at a nice 300SDL this week.

You have owned some nice MB's, I liked your 380SE. But they all had commen old car problems, and you sold them. Your not going to find an old MB that doesn't have all the problems your previous ones had.


IMHO you should have kept the 380SE and fixed it up. The body and interior were nice so it was worth putting money into.

Yea, you're never going to find a perfect one...just try to find the one that has the east amount of problems.

Well I would have kept the 380, but it had that engine "knock".
The 190 did not have any problems, but it was too small for me.

I am just going to find a nice W126. ;)

I am. I am going to find a W126. I have found about 3 1988 300SEL models I am seriously considering. One is black ($2500) , one is white ($2000) and the other is gray ($2100), but the last one will have to be shipped, which is $445.:rolleyes:

I have also found a local 86' 420SEL, but I am "scared". The lady that owns it said its too big for her. She said the title said "hurricane" on it. I asked her if it had been flooded and she said no and inside smelled fine. She said it was in a hurricane in 1988. She said she has a receipt where the engine and transmission was rebuilt not too long ago. Asking $2000, but she said to make an offer.

Well, I have found a nice 1988 300SEL I think I am going to buy for $2000. Just waiting for the VIN to run a carfax. 149K miles - so I hope the engine is OK. Its not local, so I am buying it sight-unseen! :eek:

Looks very nice in the photos. If it does not pan out, over where my uncle lives there is another 300SEL thats black and very nice looking for $2500. I may get him to check it out and bring it over.

Go to a dealer and ask to see the records they have. Most people want attempt a wiring harness job on one of those cars.
I bought a 95 S320 that has a manufacturing date from 94. It was a dealer trade. It had new evap core, new wiring harness, new springs and mounts, timing chain, etc. Then it was sold again, and it needed a new instrument cluster. and a few other repairs. I have had to put on a new water pump, fix the infamous T hose at the back of the engine, new sway bar bushings, and there is a squeak every time I'm driving slowly, and going over bumps that I still am trying to find. It started after I pegged a rabbit.
I also fixed the door closing pump. Just took the old one apart and readjusted it. It was shifting hard in a few gears, but a trans service and filter fixed that problem, an d my most recent excapade was caused by my tightening the trans oil pan too much and bending the pan out of shape. :( It seems I coudl straighten it. No big deal.
Oh yes, one of the ash trays was broken, as well as one of the vanity mirrors. got an ash tray from ebay. still looking for the vanity mirror.
Bumper would be the only other thing. Previous owner caught it on a stop block, and instead of replacing it for the 3rd time ( I have 3 receipts for front bumpers for this car installed at the dealership) he just cut the bottom off of it with a saber saw.

So, the extent of repairs to this car are: fix the suspension/frame creak, replace the front bumper, and replace the rear vanity mirror, and the trans oil pan (probably will be done tomorrow).

The M103 is very robust. It'll be overdue for a valve seals if not already done. The new head gasket will get rid of oil leaks at the back end of the engine.

It's pretty hard to strand an M103 but once you pick up a miss at idle, it's the beginning of a frustrating though not necessarily expensive diagnostic journey. Keep the number of an M103 specialist handy in case it gets to that. Or maybe you don't mind a gasser that idles like an older Diesel :rolleyes:

Around that mileage a spring sprung W126 can become a tail dragger. The rear suspension is quite easy to work on as long as you don't have to get into trailing arm bushings.

Sixto
87 300D

Ew, that sounds nasty... maybe I will try to find a lower mileage one. Or a different car altogether.

I was thinking these were 200K+ mile engines before any type of major work required. :(

This car may be fine, but since I cannot personally see it, anything is possible.

Buying an older car like that sight unseen is not a good idea. It would be more prudent just to spend the money on lottery tickets. I agree on the loping 103 engines - very hard to diagnose - almost like it's built into the engine as it ages.

Yep, my M103 had a really slight miss at idle that would sometimes worsen...never could seem to get rid of it.

Toyota engines these are not.

Sounds encouraging.:( ;)

Maybe I should stick with a V8 Benz or diesel then. This man really wants to "see me" get it and is even trying to find cheaper shipping. I hate to break it to him if I do pass on it. If I only knew of someone in the area that knows Mercedes that could check it out for me discreetly, but he needs to know by tomorrow, because someone else obviously wants it.

I have had my uncle over in North Carolina looking for one and have been sending him leads. I found a nice black 300SEL that I sent him, but I think he is out of town this week.

Thanks for all of the replies.

Or V8 Mercedes. ;) My 85' 380SE had 270K on the original engine. Never leaked a drop of oil or lost any between changes, but she did have knock at certain RPMs. :o

LOL...you obviously haven't heard of the 7M-GTE Supra engine...

But seriously...any engine can develop a misfire, including V8's...if you want power, get the V8, if you want economy, get the diesel, if you want economical smoothness, get the inline 6. ;) They are not bad engines at all.

Yeah, I like what the 6 had to offer, which is why I wanted a 300SEL, but I did not know of these potential problems even around the 150K mile mark. I was thinking this was something that came around closer to 200K. My uncle had a 89' 300 wagon with 171K and it never had any issues.

Maybe I will take a chance and go ahead and get this one. If it does soon need this work, it should not be too costly should it since these are fairly simple engines?

This car supposedly does not have these problems and stated to run great, but knowing my luck it may have, but for $2000, what can I expect?

Just don't be in too much of a hurry. Don't let a seller pressure you because "someone else in going to buy it soon". Look at the car before you buy, even if you have to go across the country. It would be cheaper than buying a dud. There are good 140's out there.

I don't understand your fear of the M103. The valve guides or seals is probably a one time deal....it does not need a timing chain replacement like the V8's do.

True. M103 valve seals can be replaced without pulling the head.

Sixto
87 300D

Thanks... well I emailed him and asked if it was burning oil, overheating, or shaking at idle and he said "NO" and it was a excellent mechanical condition. Worth $2100 surely (BUT I have to pay an additional $395 to Nationwide to transport), which makes it a $2500 car. The body and interior are also very nice, COLD A/C - Carfax is fine and its always been here in the southeast - not even a speck of rust. Paint still gleams. I am pretty sure I am going with this one.

I think it would be better than the local 90' 560SEL I found locally, because I really do not want another V8 MB, unless its LOW miles with a updated chain/tensioner service. ;)

The M103 is my favorite MBZ engine of all time. Less complex than the M104, easy to work on, with abundant and inexpensive parts overall. Never needs a chain or guides, valve stem seals easily replaced, bottom end NEVER wears out. Decent power, will run forever.

I think you should fly over and see it. A plane ticket for one person is what? $250 or less these days? Cheap insurance, IMO.