300TE purchase advice - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

iwrock · #31 04-21-2006, 12:17 AM

I am waiting for 7 consecutive days of summer sun to maount the chromes again. I do not want to get them all muckied up, as they are my summer tires.

The front is lowered, but the back still sits at just about its stock level. I love the look. Maybe this weekend I will snap a few pics for all of yous.

Also, I really want to get a set of Euro lights, but time and financial restraints prevent me from doing this. DAMN!

I should set up a "donate to the monster wagon fund."

BENZ-LGB · #32 04-21-2006, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justinwrock

I am waiting for 7 consecutive days of summer sun to maount the chromes again. I do not want to get them all muckied up, as they are my summer tires.

The front is lowered, but the back still sits at just about its stock level. I love the look. Maybe this weekend I will snap a few pics for all of yous.

Also, I really want to get a set of Euro lights, but time and financial restraints prevent me from doing this. DAMN!

I should set up a "donate to the monster wagon fund."

Well, if you try to set up such a fund you'll encounter some resistance here...

We all want our wagons to look hot...

iwrock · #33 04-21-2006, 12:53 AM

My wagon is *almost* hot...

Neil with his 360TE wagon has the hottest one.

After that, it is the speedsmith Hammer-Wagon. That is uber cool.

Merkey · #34 04-21-2006, 11:53 AM

No, still not bought it yet... waiting on the smog test.

Anyone know what the wiring harness for the engine bay costs and where to get one?
Just working thru all of the possibilities at thsi time in preparation.

BENZ-LGB · #35 04-21-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merkey

No, still not bought it yet... waiting on the smog test.

Anyone know what the wiring harness for the engine bay costs and where to get one?
Just working thru all of the possibilities at thsi time in preparation.

Check with Phil here. It may be about the same price as the wiring harness for the M104 engines. It may not be all that difficult to replace....

Merkey · #36 04-21-2006, 06:36 PM

Sorry LGB... who is Phil?
Suffering Newbieness I suppose!

BENZ-LGB · #37 04-21-2006, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merkey

Sorry LGB... who is Phil?
Suffering Newbieness I suppose!

Phil the parts man here on Mercedesshop.com. Just click on the "buy parts" tab above.

Well, gotta return to the illegal immigration thread on the Open Discussion area, I am waging war on the nattering naboobs of negativity.

iwrock · #38 04-21-2006, 10:28 PM

Yes, phil is a great guy. Answers all of your questions quite fast.

I do not think that the M103 that you have in your wagon is prone to the wireharness problems. In the lifetime of my wagon I have never had to replace the wire harness. I think that this motor predates these problems. Anyways off to the lala land known as OD.

Also Merkey, did you get my PM??

BENZ-LGB · #39 04-22-2006, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justinwrock

Yes, phil is a great guy. Answers all of your questions quite fast.

I do not think that the M103 that you have in your wagon is prone to the wireharness problems. In the lifetime of my wagon I have never had to replace the wire harness. I think that this motor predates these problems. Anyways off to the lala land known as OD.

Also Merkey, did you get my PM??

I agree with your assessment of the M103 engine and the wiring harness. Especially in such a low mileage engine. Not enough heat from use to damage the wiring harness.

I have a caveat, however. When I recently replaced my 300TE's headlights with Euro lights, I re-routed some of the lighting wiring harnesses (because I disabled the headlight wiper motors and removed the second pump from the wsher fluid bottle--the one that used to go to the headlight washers).

Anyhow, when I tgried to bend the wiring harness to re-route it, the outside casing broke off into pieces. It was brittle, dry and hard. Some of the wires inside the casing were equally damaged. I spent some time fixing and taping wires. Now, mind you, this is not the engine wiring harness, just the light wiring harness. But the light wiring harnesses arenot exposed to the same heat as the engine wiring harness and they get a chance to "cool off" because they are in fornt of the engine bay, where they get plenty of breeze from the moving car.

I have worked on old American cars (my brother and I once restored a '57 Chevy and I partially restored a 1966 Chevy II Nova wagon) and I have never seen so many brittle and cracking wires as I've seen in some Benzes. I love these cars, but the wiring seems to be their Achilles heel!

But Merkey's "new" wagon (if he ever gets around to buying it) should be fine.

BTW, I told him in an e-mail that if he does not buy the wagon, I WILL buy it.

Robert W. Roe · #40 04-22-2006, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

... I love these cars, but the wiring seems to be their Achilles heel!
...

I think that statement could be extrapolated to cover the entire electrical system. Stuff like O2 sensors, voltage regulators, OVP relays, etc etc. Also parts for the 124 body style are more $$$ than for the 126, I have found.
My 300TE I have often likened to a hot girlfriend; costly to maintain and tempermental. I am married, and I liken my 300SD to a faithful wife. I have noticed some surface rust on the SD and the passenger side door is starting to drop rust onto the door sills. But I digress. Back to the 300TE...
My 3-1/2 year old Mercedes battery died at a Wawa this week, and I had to get AAA to jump it.
And I'm even paranoid enough to keep a DC voltmeter plugged into the lighter socket; I think either my voltage regulator or the battery might be history, although I was seeing 14 VDC a lot of the time.
They are sweet cars to drive fast when they are running right; I've only been getting around 16 mpg in mine, but I tend to go on short trips of less than 4 miles which is a killer for fuel economy. And I do like to use all of my available 177 hp....
You are doing better than me when it comes to will power/falling in love with the car.
I bought mine even though it was leaking oil onto the exhaust (turned out to be a leaky head gasket) because I loved the color, teal blue.
$4K later the car was roadworthy, and I've probably sunken another $4k easily into this car over not quite 4 years. This isn't counting the $7700 I paid for the car.
I never had mine stall, although I do have the rough idle and mine is reluctant to start unless I crank it for several seconds unless it's warm.
The fuel pressure (actually the entire fuel injection system) in these isn't the best, leading to the rough idle. The M104 supposedly idles better and has more power and gets better mileage.
I was so mad at the car a few days ago that I wanted to sell it on Ebay, but my hella 500E euro's should come off before I give this car away, which is what I'm afraid would happen in this era of $3 per gallon gas. I doubt that a certified gas guzzler would be very popular these days.

BENZ-LGB · #41 04-22-2006, 03:38 AM

Robert, I cannot disagree. My W210 E320 gets fantastic gas mileage, which makes it hard to justify using the 300TE as a daily driver--except for the fact that by using the 300TE I am keeping the miles from piling on the E320.

My 300TE does not leak or burn oil, in fact I can go 3K miles between oil changes and not have to add oil. But it does have the occassional stalling issue that seems to plague so many of these engines.

The 300TE is a very practical hauler and I love driving it. But I agree with you on some of its failings. Mine still occassionaly stalls, but it starts right back up. It does idle very smoothly...I mean it, sometimes I almost forget that the engine is on, so I have to check the tach to make sure that it is actually running.

But the seats in the 300TE are not as comfy as the seats in my E320. The bottom cushions are a bit too short for comfort.

But the 300TE looks good, even now it gets looks. I am holding on to it for my son's first car...unless gasoline goes past the $5.00/gallon mark. In which case I have a wonderful mountain bike that I will pass along to him.

Merkey · #42 04-22-2006, 10:48 AM

LGB:
I looked at Phil's site and could not find a loom for the 300TE...
Any other ideas except the MB stealership?

Robert W. Roe · #43 04-22-2006, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merkey

LGB:
I looked at Phil's site and could not find a loom for the 300TE...
Any other ideas except the MB stealership?

I would try calling Phil on the toll free number.
He is very helpful over the phone when it comes to looking up a part.

BENZ-LGB · #44 04-22-2006, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert W. Roe

I would try calling Phil on the toll free number.
He is very helpful over the phone when it comes to looking up a part.

What he said!

iwrock · #45 04-22-2006, 12:57 PM

I am still very much impresses by the looks of my almost 20 year old wagon. She still looks very much modern. If I still have her by the time that I decide to start my own family, my kids will drive her. I know the engine will make it another coupla-hundred miles, but will the interior be able to withstand that much wear?? - - I don't know, but I am going to find out.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! (miles that is)