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).

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

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

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.

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.

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.

I had an '88 TE and it was an absolutely great car! If you are getting it at a good price, by all means buy it and do whatever repairs are needed as your son will be driving something very safe and reliable. I only sold mine as I found a '94 with much lower mileage.

__________________
'76 240D-Sold
'78 240D-Sold
'85 300 SD, 165K-Sold
'88 300 TE, 165K-Sold
'64 Porsche 356C Cabriolet- under restoration
'86 560SL 124K Miles-Sold
'94 320E Wagon, 74K Miles-128K Miles JUNKED
'06 E350 Wagon, 84K Miles
07 SL550, 14K Miles

Ron:
Yep, thats exactly why I am considering it.... if it was anything else I would not be wasting my time.
Handsome car!
I love the look of them....
He thought it was cool... so we are thinking about it.
Any more have an input?

They're great vehicles. If you like the S124, I would personally, because it will more than likely be more cost efficient, look for the best condition possible. Sorting out issues in a neglected Mercedes is not easy and often is time consuming and expensive. On the one hand, maybe a little TLC on this particular one would pay off handsomely. On the other hand, until you really get into the project, you never really know the full extent of its needs.

__________________
Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

One thing; you would do well to have a long talk with your son about overloading the station wagon with kids. One problem with a big car is that he will always get to drive. I found out, a long time after it happened with my son, that our Chevy Suburban would hold 23 teenagers.

__________________
'76 240D-Sold
'78 240D-Sold
'85 300 SD, 165K-Sold
'88 300 TE, 165K-Sold
'64 Porsche 356C Cabriolet- under restoration
'86 560SL 124K Miles-Sold
'94 320E Wagon, 74K Miles-128K Miles JUNKED
'06 E350 Wagon, 84K Miles
07 SL550, 14K Miles

LOL, Ron!
Well, here in Cal kids are banned from carrying passengers under 21 until they have had their license for 12 months!

I live in California and it is a very good law. I'd still recommend the long talk as even a year of experience doesn't equate to having a great deal of common sense. That comes later. My son now has a doctorate in law and is a very safe driver, but I can't pinpoint exactly when the transition occurred. Probably when he had to pay for everything himself.

__________________
'76 240D-Sold
'78 240D-Sold
'85 300 SD, 165K-Sold
'88 300 TE, 165K-Sold
'64 Porsche 356C Cabriolet- under restoration
'86 560SL 124K Miles-Sold
'94 320E Wagon, 74K Miles-128K Miles JUNKED
'06 E350 Wagon, 84K Miles
07 SL550, 14K Miles

Merkey,

You do need to get a pre-purchase inspection from a reputable MB mechanic.

MBs can be expensive to bring back to good condition if they have not received ongoing tlc.

Merkey:

As others have suggested, a PPI is the key here. If the car passes inspection, then by all means buy it.

BUT READ THE CAVEAT BELOW....

The PPI will not reveal anything about the stalling issue. If you search here, on BenzWorld and on the Mercedes Benz Club of America website, you will see that the stalling issue plagues many w124 with the M103 engine.

It really isn't a "stall" issue. Stu Ritter's W124 Bible refers to it as an "engine cut-out" issue. It happens (at least it did in my car) only when coasting to a stop and it happens (in my car) when you have been driving slowly and then coast to a stop. It never happens if you slam your brakes, or if you stop (but not coast) to a stop. Some people reported that it only happened to them while going downhill or while turning right into a driveway.

It feels as if someone has taken the ignition key and turned off the car. And the car always restarts right away (making the key analogy even more significant).

Stu Ritter's "bible" has a number of suggested fixes. Some of them work, some don't--it all depends on what's wrong with your own car.

My very good indie explained that in an efort to save fuel, Benzes from the 1980s have some some sort of circuit in their computers that is supposed to regulate fuel flow when the car is slowing down. I don;t think it is supposed to completely cut it off. As some of these cars get older the wiring goes bad and it may short-circuit sending a spurious signal to the circuit in question. If you poke around the engine bay of any older car you would notice that many of the electrical wires tend to in fact get hard or brittle with age (age + heat = no good).

In my case the mechanic was able to solve most of the cut-out issue. At one point the car was so bad that it would cut out almost all the tme that it was coasting to a stop. That is one of the reasons why we bought my daughter the new C320 wagon.

After the mechanic got through with it (he hunted down wires, replacing bad ones) the cut-out problem almost disappeared.

The 300TE is my daily driver. I can drive it for weeks and it won't cut out once. Cold weather, hot weather, rain, snow (oh wait a minute, we don't get snow in So. cal.) no problem. then one day, out of the blue, it may cut out once or twice while coasting. Then, no more cutting out for days or weeks.

If I drive it "right" I can prevent most of the cutting out (like, for example, keping rpm up as I am coasting by slightly tapping on the gas pedal).

My indie has asked me to bring it back and he will hunt more. Or, we can repalce the wiring harness (I know, this is not a known issue on M103, but his explnation and fixes have made sense so far). My indie, Enrique from Mr. M.B. has been very reasonable and he is very knowledgeable, so I will bring it to him--eventually, right now I have too much fun driving it.

And that is my final point. These cars are fun and safe to drive. My daughter nearly totalled the car less than two months after she got it. (See my "Sad Benz" thread). the car incurred over $7,000.00 in repairs and I persuaded the insurance company to pay to repair it and NOT salvage it.

The cut-out issue, however, can be a problem to a young, an inexperienced driver who may get spoooked when the car stalls. I've been driving since I was 16, so I know how to react to most traffic situations, but a young driver may have problems dealing with a stalling or cutting out car.

That is the only reason why I'd think twice (or thrice) about getting this wagon for your son. (Assuming you have not bought it yet--sorry about getitng to this post so late). The cutting out issue can be hard to diagnose. It can be a simple fix (like a bad fuel pump or a defective hall effect sensor) or it can turn into the great hunt for the bad wire.

Most other problems can be fixed cheaply (relatively) or easily. These cars are asy to work on, for instance fixing brakes is a snap. Changing the oil, and other routine maintenance is also a snap.

So, if you have not already bought the car, think twice about the stalling issue. If you still want the car, bring the price down. If the owner has not driven it much because of the stalling issue, I am sure he will be more than happy to give you a good price--after all the car is just taking up room in his garage or driveway.

BTW, I'd not worry about the extra room for additional passengers. My first car was a beat up 1963 Olds Delta Super Rocket 88 (or something like that). You can;t believe how many people I could "easily" fit in that car. So, it does not matter what kind of car it is, teens will do stupid things. It comes with being a teen. Hopefully it won't be too stupid though.

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

Thanks for the response LGB.
No, not bought it yet.
Still looking for more info!
Oh, the owner said that sometimes it throws a Code 4?
What does that mean?
What type of code reader do people here use?

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2009 Mercedes ML320 Bluetec