Thoughts/Comments on a 95 e350 wagon

[clint77002]

My wife has found a 95 E320 wagon that she is pretty hot for. Needless to say if my hot wife is hot for something then I'm DEFINITELY listening. All that being said I wanted to consult y'all to get your impressions and comments on this model. I'm much more familiar with the 123 and 124. The man claims that the mileage is 124K. I don't know if its a diesel or not and my wife would like to be able to put a diesel in it if that's possible. So, to recap, here are my questions:
What do you think of the 95 e320 (gas or diesel)
Can a 603 or 606 be put in it later (I'm sure its a matter of time and Kilo bucks)

Thanks to all of you. This is the FINEST forum in all of diesel land.

clint

[andersbenz]

Hey Clint,

That vehicle is going to have a gasoline engine. Great vehicles. I have driven a few. Almost bought a black one in Sarasota four years ago. Besides the normal 124 issues check for wind noise on the highway.

The only year (in the U.S.) for 124 diesel wagons is 1987.

As for an engine swap? "....danger Will Robinson, danger...."

It would be FAR cheaper to find a good 95 E300 sedan.

[clint77002]

Lars...Its good to hear from you. Ginny found a beautiful one with all maint records, 104Kmiles, in West Palm. She'll be flying there Thursday (on Southwest....its good to be an employee) to inspect and pick it up. Max and I will fly to New Orleans to travel with her on the last leg.
True about the gasser. That's the ONLY thing that didn't meet our expectations. We looked for 124 diesel wagons but they were twice the price when you could find them and this one was just too good to pass up. I think the e320 wagon will provide us with exactly what we were looking for.

[Hatterasguy]

Great car, the M104 is a great engine. Considering the crazy prices diesel's fetch its hard to justify a 606 over a 104.

[POS]

Possible downsides to 1995 w124:

1) Evaporator leak - $1500-$2000 to fix. Maybe it hits you, maybe it doesn't. Let's hope for the latter.

2) Wiring harness degrading - it WILL happen to you and probably is ready to be done now. $800-$1000. Find out if it's been changed to the MB latest-and-greatest.

3) Transmission failure between 150k and 200k is common as well. Get a good look at the tranny prior to purchase.

Otherwise, the 1995 is the best year; drives very well; very reliable (except for the above); excellent safety. I love mine.

[Bob Weir]

I've had my 94 e320 Wagon from August 2002 and I've spent excessively amounts of money on it. But, I committed the major mistake of buying with my emotions (loved the light blue body with parchment interior), and not my brain as in "maintenance records".

Other than the traditional w124 / m104 "problems", here's a few thoughts...

1] Just because the car is in Florida, doesn't mean that's where it spent most of its life. It may be a "Noreaster" that a "Snowbird" brought to FL. So check for rust at the bottom edge of the rear windows by opening the storage compartments and slightly lifting the rubber seal along the bottom window edge. Checking the jack holes is another Noreaster check. Noreasters usually have ASR and Heated Seats [switches below ashtray].

2] All wagons have Self Leveling for the rear wheels. With motor off, sit in the rear, the rear end will drop a little because of your added weight. Turn on the motor, it should rise automatically. If not, Parts: 2 accumulators = $200, and / or Regulator = $300 and then there's the struts $1000. Plus labor. It uses the power steering pump to a reservoir that contain special hydraulic fluid.

3] There's no other currently produced wagon with this much cargo space. Last was the Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable. The 6-1/2 feet of cargo space is fabulous, when the seat backs go down. But if they haven't been used they are a test of ingenuity to release. The side of the seat bottom cushion has a black plastic trim with hand grip, pull up and towards front of car. [It pivots at leading edge]. There is a red handle at bottom. Pulling it up releases the catch and enables removing this cushion entirely. It must come straight up because of tight fit. If it doesn't function properly, someone may have bent it forcing it down when reinstalling. When you leave the seat cushion in place, the head rest shafts are placed in the top holes thereby securing them.A button at base of seat back releases headrest. With door open, the test => Pull top of seat back forward. [It pivots at bottom.] Test BOTH sides! If it doesn't release, check the pin with black plastic cap located in door jam, it should move in and out. It's a safety catch engaged when door is closed. Mine was used so little, I had to lay in cargo area, position heels of feet against top edge, pull back feet and do a kung fu kick to the seat edge to release it. {Women might consider wearing shorts when performing this release method.} Assuming the seat backs release, when they are folded flat, the holed brackets [now at the leading edge] will rest on two pins that are part of the seat cushion hinge. Make sure the pins aren't broken.

4] The tailgate has auto pull down and secure function. Sometimes the bolts loosen and it has to be readjusted. Just make sure it isn't bent.

5] It's prewired for a 6 CD changer. The MB method was to position the changer for all to see [and steal] in the cargo area alongside the right rear fender compartment. I replaced the First Aid kit with an Alpine CHM-S630 [tight fit] and bought an adapter from Crutchfield. The Becker Stereo head operates all the CD functions. The First Aid kit is in the spare tire.

6] Rear speakers are in the doors. Small and behind a cover that has plastic securing pins that break very easily. If you're into sound, there's those rear compartments that can house some monster speakers and space under the back seats for amps. Antenna can be replaced by all steel Hirschmann AUTA 2040, but the fender adapter has to be modified.

7] Roof rack might have the cross bars. Mine doesn't, but the design of the rack is sufficient to secure cargo.

8] Cargo cover sometimes gets stored in owners garage. Ask about it if it's not in the car.

9] Leather vs Tex. Ignorant FL dealers advertise Tex as leather because they assume all MBs had it. Many wagons didn't.

Get a well maintained one and you'll love it.

Bob
PS See my profile for piks of mine.

[POS]

Originally Posted by Bob Weir

9] Leather vs Tex. Ignorant FL dealers advertise Tex as leather because they assume all MBs had it. Many wagons didn't.

I prefer the MB Tex - it still looks new even after 200k miles.

[Pete Geither]

LOVE my TE. You'll get it when you pry my cold, dead fingers from the steering wheel.

[clint77002]

We are now the proud new owners of a 1995 e320 Wagon. I'll post pics as soon as my wife returns from FL with the car. So far, after talking on the phone with her, she loves the ride. She says it is fabulous. It has all service records up to 75K. Current odo is 104. I appreciate all of your comments and I will look over the items listed. I hope to have this land yacht for a very, very long time.

Thanks again,
Clint

[Pete Geither]

Congradulations on the new ride and I hope you get as much enjoyment from it as I have from mine. Bought the car about 3 years ago with 84K on it and have put a substancial amount of money in it, which, at times made me wonder if I ought to unload it. So glad I didn't. This year alone it took me on a 4200 mile trip in February and a 3500 mile trip in September,,,, both in the highest comfort. I put in many 700 to 800 mile days with no ill effects on this 61 year old bod. In the town I live in I have only ever seen one other TE, so the chance of being seen as a everyday vehicle will never happen. I change oil every 3000 miles and constantly try to keep ahead of problem areas before they become one. My wiring harness still looks like new and the A/c still blows cold. I have replaced an evaporator in a 124, so the prospect of doing another one does not scare me. Oil pressure sensors go bad as do lots of other routine maintence items. Keep abreast of this site and it will help you beyond belief,,,, I can't begin to count the dollars folks on this site have saved me. Fastlane is the first place to look for any parts you may need,,, and Arthur Dalton will tell you how to put them on. Enjoy.

[suginami]

I am actually currently sort of looking for a 300TE / E320 wagon. I'm jealous...

[andersbenz]

What a nice ride! Looking forward to the photos.