Should I sell or attempt to fix up my '90 w124? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Number11 · #1 04-14-2007, 06:58 PM

Alright, I'm thinking the general concensus will be to sell my beloved 300e, as the list of problems is rather lengthy...The car has 222k miles...

Where to begin? Lets start with mechanical problems-
The trasmission is rough, shifting from second to third can be a little clunky if you dont do some pedal work.
There is a never ending coolant leak. It is just infront of the engine block, to the left. I've had a shop im on very good terms with replace hoses twice. Don't know what it is, but i cant drive for more than about 15 minutes before it starts smoking. This eliminates most all highway driving, I just use it to get to campus and back mostly.
Heater dosnt work, but this dosn't much phase me. It also makes a gurgling noise. I thought the drain might be plugged with something, but i cant find it.
Engine leaks oil, but not at a very fast rate. I need to top it off every month or two. Still...
The power stearing makes a good loud moan/whine when making turns in excess of 45 degrees. This is just annoying...

The interior isnt in great shape either. Two of the door handles have been ripped off, one with the panel ripped off with the handle. One of the doors dosn't unlock, and you can only lock the car from the passengers side or the trunk.

Now all of these things considered, the exterior of the car is in great shape... I'm wondering if its worth the few thousand dollars to fix it.. what 3-4k? Hrmmph. Any ideas? The car is only worth mebe 1k or 1.5k... soo i duno. I'm looking to get a 99' e320 hand me down within a few years, but i am still kinda attached to my 300e...

Thanks guys!

brewtoo · #2 04-14-2007, 07:36 PM

Seems like a bit of care and preventive mintenance would have avoided a lot of this, but...

What is a "clunky" shift. Does it flare?

Is the coolant leak from the water pump?

That oil usage is not so bad for a 103 engine. Valve stem seals would probably help. It may be leaking from the top timing cover if you're lucky, the head gasket if you're not.

Try changing the PS fluid and be sure the belt is properly tensioned.

The interior? You have to be the judge.

The fact is, although these are great cars, they are not worth so much any more and a significant repair can cost more than the car is worth.

OTOH, it is an awful lot of car for the money. I intend to keep mine going until they fall over dead because I don't know what I'd replace them with that I would like as much, or respect as much.

BENZ-LGB · #3 04-15-2007, 12:27 AM

Number 11:

First, the gurgling noise is "normal." I have a 1989 300TE and it does make a gurgling sound. I think there was a Benz service bulletin on this issue. It is not a big deal.

Second, only you can decide whether it is cheaper to keep her. A lot has to do with your financial situation. I would get an estimate for fxing the things that are most urgent/necessary. Then compare that to the cost of a new car--interest on a loan, higher insurance, higher registration fees, etc. I thinkt hat you will find that the cost of repairs is usually always cheaper than getting a new, or even a used, car.

Third: A lot of the cosmetic issues, like broken door handles and bad upholstery can be taken care with a trip to the locay "junk" yard. You may find just the parts that you need. If you are handy with a wrench, then you will be OK repairing or fixing things.

During part of my college career I drove a POS Ford Maverick. I hate it that car, but I kept it going until I could afford something better.

Take heart, the W124 are very durable and sturdy cars. If you do not believe how tough these cars are, take a look at this:

W124 Torture Test

My 1989 300TE (like the one in the video) has over 210k miles )it has gone around the world more than 8 times) and, except for a tranny overhaul, I've not had to spend a lot of money on it. My son will "inherit" the 300TE as soon as he turns 16 and gets his driver's license.

Good luck!

Number11 · #4 04-15-2007, 02:35 AM

Ahh thanks much for the tips guys...

The "normal" gurgling sound made me laugh when reading.. heh...

Many of the thigns i brought up were superficial, i know... I left out an important detail- When starting, it will not turn over all the time without a little bit of precision gas pedal tapping.. This happens on almost all cold starts, but not on most warm starts.. just another factor, as i know little about cars, the diagnosis is important...

what does "flare" mean? i dont know how else to describe it... it is jerky, while it dosnt make a noise, it is easily felt...

I think im going to try and get everything fixed... but still would like a bit more feedback.

Edit:
Is the coolant leak from the water pump?
No i dont think so, but it may be... i thought it was more from one of the hoses...

Ferdman · #5 04-15-2007, 04:08 AM

Number11, does the "left" location of the coolant leak mean when you're looking from the front of the engine or from the driver's seat? If it's on the driver's side it may very well be from the water pump weep hole ... which means the pump is shot and needs replaced. Have a tech confirm that the water pump is shot before going that route as the replacement labor will be quite costly, not to mention the cost of a new water pump. If a hose connection is leaking try tightening the associated hose clamp and see if that stops the leak.

G-Benz · #6 04-15-2007, 08:21 AM

I feel your pain!

I started a thread about the same subject not too long ago regarding my 93 W124.

The head gasket is gone, the heater hose ruptured, relegating the car disabled, the tranny slips, and a whole host of other minor issues.

Spent over 2K to get the top end rebuilt (much to the chagrin of my wife, who thought it was best to cut my losses and find something else). The engine is sweet now, and all of the engine related issues were solved this go-around! I also procured a used tranny from a forum member to be installed later after my indie goes through it to ensure seals are intact and such.

I wish I could say I'm on the home stretch, but after I picked up the car, a highway-speed vibration ensued when driving. Balancing the wheels didn't cure the problem, and my indie will check that.

My OEM head unit wouldn't fire up after entering the code, indicating the internal battery died. There is now a void where the radio used to reside, so I am patiently shopping for a replacement head unit.

My interior is undamaged, but the seats show years of wear and the headliner sags. Exterior paint still shines although oxidation is beginning to show up in places.

I guess it comes down to what it's worth to you. I plan to keep my car, but I don't expect it to be 100%. When I do find a problem, I do my best to get it fixed, but I certainly don't plan on spending an "Overhauling" amount of $$$ to make it new.

It would be a shame to get it perfect only to get t-boned the next day!

brewtoo · #7 04-15-2007, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

Take heart, the W124 are very durable and sturdy cars. If you do not believe how tough these cars are, take a look at this:

W124 Torture Test

I wonder where part two of that torture test might be?

Here's one going 135MPH with the oil pressure guage reading ZERO. We'll assume that reading is erroneous.

135MPH

BENZ-LGB · #8 04-15-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewtoo

I wonder where part two of that torture test might be?

Here's one going 135MPH with the oil pressure guage reading ZERO. We'll assume that reading is erroneous.

135MPH

The whole test used to be in YouTube.

Is not there anymore???

BENZ-LGB · #9 04-15-2007, 09:25 AM

The jerky shifts may be due tobad flex disks. Check the "bad flex disk" thread.

The hard cold start may be due to leaky injectors flooding the cylinders.

G-Benz is right. Even if you spend lots of money to fix the car, if it gets totaled the insurance carrier won't pay you more than the car's market value.

So that's an important consideration.

You could always part the car. I am sure that there are lots of people here eager to buy W124 parts.

ds190 · #10 04-15-2007, 11:32 AM

Coolant leak- may mean air is getting into the system, hens gurgling noise. When/if leak is fixed, fill cooling system with heat ON to minimize noises, but yes mine makes a slight noise when the heat first comes on. Not a constant noise though. Water pump or it’s gasket may be bad as has been said.

Trans shifting flare- has the trans fluid and filter been changed lately? Every 30K miles? Did they drain the fluid out of the torque converter? If not, do it again first before deciding to bail on the car. Use quality synthetic fluid.

Power steering- not just change the fluid, but flush it out well, and get a new filter. Has it been changed every 30K miles? Use quality synthetic fluid.

My 300TE always stalls on the first attempt to start it cold. Don’t know why. I wait 3 seconds, start again, and it fires up. I just think of it as an old car quirk, but I only have one, and you have a bunch. I can see how that gets old. Good luck, Dave

BENZ-LGB · #11 04-15-2007, 11:39 AM

The gurgling sound, if it is coming from behind, under or around the dashboard, is not because of a leak.

The coolant system in my 300TE is tighter than a witch's (fill in the blank). It still gurgles. It stops gurgling after it warms up.

Benz had a bulletin for this. I think it had to do with the aux. heater pump, the one by the coolant reservoir in the engine compartment.

softconsult · #12 04-15-2007, 12:03 PM

It can be sort of a dilemna.

I have a '92 W124 Factory Sportline. I bought it at 113K. It had been well maintained. I drove this car on business trips all over the Eastern US. It now has 242K miles on it.

I installed Bosch Euros with the vacuum adjustment kit. It has new radiator, a/c compressor (there have been 2 ), new Bilstein Sports, fully rebuilt front suspension , differential bushings, pinion seal, new alternator, air pump, ... and on it goes. 4 new Tire rack 8 holes with new Michelin Pilot Exaltos. New front rotors, new rear calipers, and hell a spare set of drilled rotors sitting in the garage somewhere. It is Anthracite Grey, and it has the grey Sportline interior, all seats etc from a '93 Sportline I bought on e-bay a couple of years ago. The car runs and handles just like it did when I bought it. So what's the dilemna?

It's this. I bought a '97 S320 and have switched my attentions, and driving to this one. The '92 doesn't interest me anymore, but with all that money spent and the market value being what it would be, why sell it? It's just not worth that much money.

Steve

Number11 · #13 04-15-2007, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferdman

Number11, does the "left" location of the coolant leak mean when you're looking from the front of the engine or from the driver's seat?

It means from the left side of the car, when looking at the front from outside... as if one was trying to find a leak.. hehe

Wow guys thanks so much for all the feedback.. I think im going to try and fix it up. Ive had the car for 5 years, adnd have put about 80k miles on it myself. It's a great car still, even with all these problems, it gets me to school on time. I think its worth more to me than the 1200 bucks i can get on a trade. I've just heard too many stories of people dumping a few thousand into their cars and then having them run cherry as can be... I think im going to do some massive amounts of research on here, and take it in eventually. I'll keep everyone updated! Thanks much guys! you all rock!

Edit:
What is the torque converter? where is that?