I plan to be taking my 89 300ce on some extensive road trips in the near future. The car being near 20 years old with 120k miles on it I am expecting to have some breakdowns on the way. Being a confirmed DIY'er I would like to be prepared as best as can be with a selection of spare parts in the trunk. What comes to mind are

1. OVP relay
2. Fuel pump relay
3. Fuses
4. Serpentine belt
5. EZL ???
6. Coil
7. Fuel pump ???
8. Computer ???

Please feel free to add to this list. I'm looking for items that would leave me stranded if they fail and are relatively small and easy to replace with hand tools.

The alternative is to buy a mustang or camaro and leave the benz at home, but I think the old Benz would be more comfortable, fun, and just plain cooler.

Thanks

Jorg

If you go this route, hook up a trailer to the Mustang you're driving and put the Benz in the trailer. When the Fix-Or-Repair-Daily breaks down, pull the Benz off the trailer, hook the trailer to the Benz and drive off.

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'91 300-SEL

i keep the first four, plus the small plastic radiator elbow.... i think i would travel with two jugs of water as well.

I usually keep some spare bulbs as well... it all fits in a nice pouch in the wheel well.

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1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]

I agree. These cars are actually quite reliable and 120K is not really high mileage.

A thorough inspection before your trip is better than buying spares that you may never need.

Check the belt. If it is tight and not cracked it's okay to use until you start seeing cracks on the back ribbed side.

Check all the coolant hoses for soft spots or signs of deterioration that could result in a failed hose.

Check for any kind of fluid leaks. Coolant and brake fluid leaks should be attended to immediately. Engine oil, transmission oil, and P/S fluid if minor should be noted and bring spare fluids as dictated. Check and top off frequently.

Do a general safety inspection including brake pad thickness and replace them if they won't make it to the end of the trip.

Use the 15/30/60K mile maintenance checks as a guideline.

My bet is if you attend to any items that obviously need attention now, you will not suffer any breakdowns.

Duke

Let's say that a couple where to go touring North America from the Cabot Trail to the Pacific Hiway and every notable road in between and didn't want to be held up in some backwoods holler waiting for parts that they could easily have brought along.

Jorg

We were traveling in Eastern Washington a few years ago on a Sunday PM. Talk about the middle of nowhere. We were driving our '87 300E with 128K. A noise started abd got worse. I stopped next to a wheat field and thought it was the fan clutch. Wenatchee was still 65 miles away. I figured that if it let loose I would lose the clutch and maybe the radiator. To make a long story short, we limped into Wenatchee late after noon, got a motel and found a good repair shop (called the local Big Three service managers and asked them for a Mercedes recommendation)
It turned out to be the idler pulley for the belt system. I would do a preemptive strike and change it before you leave, since it also happened to a 190E that i had with about the same mileage.
Anziani
'95 E420 90K
'87 300E 175K

Better than a preemptive strike would be to take the belt off and spin all of the pulleys by hand, feeling for roughness or play. The belt is pretty robust, it will hold together even if the ribs are in bad shape (although you may loose traction on the pulleys).

I don't think there is any reason to expect breakdowns. Heck, your car is hardly broken in yet. I have no hesitation to take any of my cars on a trip. Keep them in good repair and you should be fine. I don't think there is any way you're going to guess which part you're going to need. If you know something is going to give you trouble, then fix it before you go. Take your tools, your manuals, your cell phone, the Roadside assistance number and the number of some parts houses than can overnight something to you if needed. I have never had a breakdown of any significance.

Len
'99 E300TD 87,000 miles
'83 240D 345,000 miles original owner
'59 220S Cabriolet

In Dec we took my wife's 89 300CE to Vegas. Kept the car between 80 and 100 on stretches across Death Valley and the Majave Desert. All I took was a radiator, my cell phone, and the AAA 100 mile towing card. Seriously if I were doing the traveling you are going to do, I would check or replace the belt pulleys, and if the radiator is tired, I'd replace it too. As for spare parts I'd take an OVP, EZL, and one fuel pump. You can bypass the fuel pump relay with a jumper, and the car will run fine without the computer. Mileage and performance may suffer a little, and warm up will be rough, but the car will run fine with the ECU disconnected.
Good luck,
Peter

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Auto Zentral Ltd.

Thanks for the replies. Does a used EZL make sense or should I get new?

Jorg

Once you find out how much it costs you'll probably decide you don't need to carry a spare.

Duke

89-300ce
Me too I would rather recommend a thorough check than carrying all sort of parts. In particular pay attention to all the belt-driven devices such as: air pump, water pump, A/C compressor, belt tensioner, idler pulley, fan clutch.
Then I'd carefully check the coolant system and replace hoses and thermostat if they are of unknown age or look suspicious.
Very important as well is to check the ignition system, ie distributor and rotor, wires and coil.
Then I'd check the hoses from/to radiator transmission.
I got stranded thee times (300TE 1992): 1) rotor/distributor 2) lost transmission oil due to hose failure 3) air pump seized.
That was shortly after I bought the car used - I had no ideas about cars.
Bruno

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1992 300TE 160 kmiles

Ah yes, I see.

I think I'll narrow it down to OVP (have), serpentine belt (have), fuel pump, and as sokoloff suggested, manual, tools, multimeter, and a cell phone. Maybe a laptop for roadside assistance

Jorg

I dont know why you would need a laptop for MB assistance. I would call them on your cell phone.The best deal going is Mercedes Roadside Assistance. They will change a tire, bring gas, have batteries aboard, and will stop at the dealer if you need a fanbelt or some other item. You will pay for the part but the service is free. They have access to the parts department (IOU) and can arrange a tow. If you properly maintain your car you should not question the reliability!

Jorg,
I know where you are coming from. You just don't want to get stuck in Podunk, USA. waiting for parts. I know your car and based on my 30 years experience as an MB mechanic I would follow my advice in post #9. You might also throw a window switch in the glove compartment. Your biggest concerns on that car are: radiator, belt pulleys, EZL, OVP, and fuel pumps.

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Auto Zentral Ltd.