300TE purchase advice - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Merkey · #1 04-10-2006, 03:07 AM

Hi Everyone,
Great forum you have here... I'm impressed!

Ok, looking for some advice on a '88 300TE Wagon I looked at recently.

The car will be for my son who is 17.

So, its a 1988 W124 300TE Wagon. shows 64,000 miles.
Has sat for the last year due to the owner getting fed up of it stalling out when warm. Sometimes restarts immediately, sometimes after a few mins. Owner says it can sometimes be prevented from stalling by slipping into N and reving.
Battery was dead flat, but after carefully attaching jump leads, started on the first crank, instantly.
Ran smooth until it got warm where it began to miss/hunt a little and looked unstable. Reving cleared it and it was fine after that.
Drove it a short distance only cos its in Non-Op, but it felt OK and didnt stall.
Owner says has replaced or checked all the normals. OVP, cap and leads, had pump and relay cleaned, replace potentiometer.
Still does it.

Other issues:
Dead battery.
Water light on dash on... is that Radiator or washer fluid?
SRS light came on and didnt go off... we just sat and didnt have seat belts on.
No cold air from A/C. Maybe needs a recharge, but can you easily retrofit 134A?
Brakes dragging/ rotors warped.
Rear muffler rusted out.
Should there be a shield under the engine? I saw a clip on each side but nothing attached.
Little or no service history, but looks like it was cared for.

So, what am I looking at here?
I need some ideas of what else I should ask/check and some idea of what the cost of fixing the issues it has.
I am a pretty competent guy and will do most myself. Kinda concerned about it sitting so long though.
Any advice or pointers or knowledge would be gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance.

BENZ-LGB · #2 04-10-2006, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merkey

Hi Everyone,
Great forum you have here... I'm impressed!

Ok, looking for some advice on a '88 300TE Wagon I looked at recently.

The car will be for my son who is 17.

So, its a 1988 W124 300TE Wagon. shows 64,000 miles.
Has sat for the last year due to the owner getting fed up of it stalling out when warm. Sometimes restarts immediately, sometimes after a few mins. Owner says it can sometimes be prevented from stalling by slipping into N and reving.
Battery was dead flat, but after carefully attaching jump leads, started on the first crank, instantly.
Ran smooth until it got warm where it began to miss/hunt a little and looked unstable. Reving cleared it and it was fine after that.
Drove it a short distance only cos its in Non-Op, but it felt OK and didnt stall.
Owner says has replaced or checked all the normals. OVP, cap and leads, had pump and relay cleaned, replace potentiometer.
Still does it.

Other issues:
Dead battery.
Water light on dash on... is that Radiator or washer fluid?
SRS light came on and didnt go off... we just sat and didnt have seat belts on.
No cold air from A/C. Maybe needs a recharge, but can you easily retrofit 134A?
Brakes dragging/ rotors warped.
Rear muffler rusted out.
Should there be a shield under the engine? I saw a clip on each side but nothing attached.
Little or no service history, but looks like it was cared for.

So, what am I looking at here?
I need some ideas of what else I should ask/check and some idea of what the cost of fixing the issues it has.
I am a pretty competent guy and will do most myself. Kinda concerned about it sitting so long though.
Any advice or pointers or knowledge would be gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance.

I own a 1989 300TE that we bought used a few years for my 17 yo daughter. Last year, in anticipation of her 21st bd, we bought her a Starmarked C320 Sports Wagon.

We were going to sell the 300TE, but I like it so much that I couldn't bear to part with it. That's ho wgreat these "little" wagons are.

I will write more later, I REALLY need to get to bed.

But the stalling while coasting issue seems to plague many W124 Benzes with the M103 engine (same as your wagon and same as mine). I have some suggestions/comments regaridng the stalling issue-- will write more later

In the meantime, run a search on "stalling" and you may find some suggestions.

Your boy is lucky to get such a fine car (although most kids, mine excepted, don't liek wagons).

Merkey · #3 04-10-2006, 03:42 AM

LGB:
Get to bed!
I need to too!
Your posts were the first I read!
Good info.
Tell me more later!
Thanks

Ron in SC · #4 04-10-2006, 07:06 AM

With respect to a 300 TE with only 64K on it I'd want to know if the following has already been done: head gasket, water pump, fan clutch, radiator, belt tensioner. And of course whether the evaporator has ever been changed.

On the wagons you have the additional issues of accumulators, and suspension members which wear faster than the sedans, also the rear hatch struts are a bit of a pain to change.

Everything is dependent on what you have to pay to buy the car as to whether it's a good deal or not.

Merkey · #5 04-10-2006, 10:07 AM

Ron,
Water pump was done a while back.
Valve cover gasket is recent, but the oil pan is weeping said their mechanic.
Tailgate struts recently.
Front shocks recently.
The rest I don't know.
What is the deal with the A/C acumulator? Do they go out... I am not really familiar with A/C systems. I will do a search before I ask more.
I completely understand your last comment... thats why I am asking.
The car looks nice but the long time laid up plus the low milage is as much of a worry as high milage I think!
I am trying to get a feel for what people think, so I can figure out if it is worth the money and trouble to buy and fix up I guess.

Ron in SC · #6 04-10-2006, 10:56 AM

The accumulators are for the self leveling suspension in the rear.

The evaporator for the A/C system will not last forever and if it leaks it may need to be replaced. Some DIY'ers replace it themselves and some don't. It cost somewhere around $2300 to 2700 to have done by an independent. Cost kind of depends on what parts are replaced, like blower motor and vacuum actuators.