im thinking of buying a 1990 420 SEL for $2600. Its in great shape with 175,000 miles. Anything to be aware of? Is this a reliable car? I have a 1990 300E 4 matic that I love. Want to purchase this for my wife. Im a little concerned about driving this in snow ( Wisconsin ) No traction control, or 4 matic on this big boat. Thanks for the imput

Take the rear light covers off from within the trunk and pull out the trunk liners. Check for rust in the side wells. This often comes from water leaking through the rear window seals of from the rear tail light seals. The link is to the saga of my having to repair mine. It was a pita, but I learned a lot.

Rust Never Sleeps

Make sure all the windows work all the way. The window motors are kind of expensive, but you can get used ones for about $40 for scrap yards.

Another area of rust on the W26 is on the fender just behind the rear wheel at the bumper. This is how I fixed mine. Some people just slop some bondo on top of it and paint it over, but it will come back. If there was prior repair there see if it was done with metal work.

Task not as hard as I thought! - Pics

Of course, as is important to any MB, check for service history.

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http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...aman/Fleet.jpg

Peach Parts W124.128 User Group.

80 280SL
85 300SD
87 300TD
92 300D 2.5 Turbo
92 300TE 4Matic

Look for P/S leaks. Listen for ticking while idling - if it ticks, it's going to ask you for $ down the road. Check the vents to make sure the air is coming out of the right places. Check the radiator neck for signs of fatigue. Check the suspension (ball joints/tie rod ends/etc). Check the alignment - make sure the back tires do not stick out of far on the road as in /--\ (looking at the rear of the car). And, lastly, check to make sure the antenna works.
btw... they don't exactly sip fuel, so maybe you should check your gas credit card too.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Most important item to check for IMO (or have done if not verifiable) is the $4 plastic chain slide rails lining the upper front of the engine just under the valve covers and supporting the timing chain. These buggers when old are very brittle, and will shatter, causing catastrophic damage in all but the luckiest of cases, and the best case scenario is just one bank of valves bent, but normally both heads are worked over (repairs start at $2400 and go up to $8500 assuming block is still salvageable, if the piston skirts are busted and/or rods bent -- rare). Should cost around $550 to carry out the labor, + or - $100.

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Don't ask me, I'm a shop-owner by default

I would look over the all car carefully.I have a 91 420 sel,bought it with 150000 miles.I now have 200000 miles and the timing chain guides have broke.They are suppose to be replace at 100000 miles.Yes they can cause extensif damage if the chain skips a tooth or two.Fortunely mine didn't.The parts are to expensive,but the labor will kill you.I would try to get any history on the car and maintenance record.Mine as traction control,and it's a blast in the snow.Common problems for that car with that mileage are timing chain guide,sunroof problem due to lack of lubrication,heat and ac problem,Wich most of is cheap to fix if you now what to fix and how.

Have a thorough inspection performed by someone who knows these cars!!!At least you'll be able to weigh the overall cost ( purchase price + repairs ) against the use and enjoyment you'll get out of it. Good luck.

Well these folks pretty much covered it all. From what I've read, all MBs from back in the day were reliable beasts. They helped earn MB the reputation it has today - I know, I know, that reputation is fading amidst current quality issues, but they'll all get fixed. Anyway, the main problem these cars face today can be described using one word: age. Most vehicles from other brands of around the same age as most of the MBs were drive from the 70s and 80s (and in your case, early 90s) are in junk yards or if they aren't in junk yards, they are mostly in horrible shape and serve merely as "point A to point B transportation." All things to look out for on these MBs are related to age. So keep an open mind... and a stuffed, open wallet!

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

A 1990 420SEL should have ASR, so yes it has traction control. I think in 1989 pretty much all W126's got traction control.

With snow tires it will be decent in the snow.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I just wrote a small essay at the Featured Cars forum on a 1988 420SE that test drove this weekend. Being the Number One fan for W140s in the World, you may be surprised about my findings.

Here is the link:

W126 - Long Live the King!

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A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

Mine, in anthracite with light grey leather, was one of the best cars I've ever owned. There were times at the repair shop when I grumbled at it, but in return for careful maintenance I got a solid ride that made me feel like the King of the Road, a car that people were always stopping me to ask about ("How old is it? Eighteen? Wow!"), a car that I felt I could have kept longer than the 5.5 years I did, until it was totaled by a drunken teenager.

In case you're worried about safety, the W126 is a champion at that. It wasn't totaled in a crash, but by a long sideswipe scrape along the driver's side while the car was parked. The big grey car still drove superbly, but it would have cost me much more than it was worth to get it back to the same sparkling condition.

I still miss it.

Yes, the timing chain is an issue, but $500-600 should do it for 100,000 miles more. Yes, it swallows premium gas -- I got about 17 mpg in most city driving, and I don't think I ever bettered 22 on the highway -- but that's damn good for an '80s car that used a V-8 to propel its 3850-lb. body.

Cheap as I am, I know gas is a very small portion of the costs in running a car. If you don't have a car note and do even a little of your own maintenance (it's very easy to change the oil, for example), the extortion at the pump will go easier.

If everything checks out, you'll enjoy it.

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-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

Benzadmiral you survived Katrina.
There was a thread in OD wondering if anyone had heard from you a few days after it hit...
anyway, good to see your back.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

All good advise in the above posts, as has been said, service history is very important, have had 6 Merc’s so far and would not consider purchasing one with out the history unless it was a give away price, regardless of what the service history says about the timing chain and guides I would change the chain and upper guides anyway, not expensive for DIY job, the self levelling rear suspension can give problems and can be costly to fix, so if there is any hard thumps / knocks over sharp bumps it will need some money spent, start up and idle ( Idle Control ) also gives problems on these cars, does it start first turn of the key and does it idle smoothly immediately, does the cruse control work, if it works does it surge, the control unit can suffers from the same dry solder joint problems as the idle control unit, the top end ( valve train ) can get a bit rattly on high mileage cars and can burn oil from the valve guides, the guide seals can be replaced without removing the head, another inexpensive DIY job. The transmission can also give problems, does it change smoothly up and down with light or heavy throttle inputs, snatching gears or flaring ( momentary high revs ) between gears at light throttle input are generally signs of ware. Hope I’m not putting you off here, I love my 420SEL and would only part with it for a 560 in equivalent condition, good luck.

I didn't see the thread in OD because I didn't have Internet for a week or so, except for the hotel computer in College Station, TX. And I was using that to find out if NO was still intact and whether my employer was still a going concern. (Turned out, yes to both.)

My lady friend and I evacuated on the Sunday, the day before it hit, and stayed at a hotel and then at a small 2-BR house a local church member let us stay in. We came back to find my apt. and her condo were fine, only some garbage smells and refrigerators to be scrubbed out. Things are crawling along: Cafe du Monde, the famous beignet-and-chicory coffee place, is reopening today. Traditions live on.

Thanks for the note!
Paul W.

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* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino