88 260E stored for 2 years - resurrect or let go?
 

I've been casually looking for a car for my daughter. I'm not looking for perfection but I am looking for a safe, sturdy and reliable vehicle. I'm also willing to tinker a bit for the next few months so I am not in a rush.

I found a 1988 260E that has the following qualities:

• Body - no structural rust seen. small spot of rust under paint on edge of rear wheel arch. Hood has two minor dents with broken paint and beginning rust. Jack points were OK with some very minor rust forming on one.
• Windows & sunroof all worked. Right mirror was slow. Vacuum pump seemed to labour but worked. All gauges and lights worked. Tires in good shape. Spare set of rims available. Glass was all OK. Interior looked OK but the sun damage included the cracked wood trim on the transmission and some fading of the weatherstripping. MBTex seat covers were all OK except drivers seat with small hole and cracking.
• One owner car. 200,000 km or 120,000 miles. Owner said most of the maintenance records are available but were not provided when I checked the car. To be fair, I did not ask prior to dropping by.
• A/C is not working and is with original R12. No leaks observed at the compressor or the condenser. Fans work and control panel appears to be working.
• Engine started OK. No leaks under the vehicle. Oil pressure was 1.5 bar at idle and want to the stop by 3000 rpm. Vacuum appeared fine (economy gauge). Engine ran smoothly from idle through to 5000 rpm. I didn't want to redline the engine. No blue smoke was observed.
• It had a new water pump installed awhile back but still has original radiator.

Issues

• Engine does not idle well. It runs well enough but does not purr like my 300E. Owner said the mechanic (an indy) thought the problem lay in the fuel system and changed some parts with no effect. Mechanic told owner that the car was not worth further repairs to "get right".
• The owner revealed that at some point in the past that due to the use of regular fuel one of the pistons was damaged and therefore the engine was repaired by boring out slightly and using the next larger piston set.
• SRS light is on.
• Brake rotors are very rusty from sitting but E-brake held. The brakes, to me anyways, are suspect until the rust is removed
• Couldn't test drive the car because it was unlicenced. However, the car did not clunk in any of the gears while shifting into the gears while idling in the driveway. Car was able to move forward and reverse without any problem however the engine was not strong while idling and in gear and often died so it had to be babied a bit to move.
• Needs new driver's seatbelt as current one is stiff and does not appear safe.
• More than likely needs all fluids replaced - coolant, engine oil, brake fluid, transmission oil, P/S fluid, and rear diff.
• Probably needs fuel system cleaned - filter, at least.
• Needs new battery and windshield wiper.
• Needs major cleanup from leaves, pine needles, mouse droppings.
• Needs new rear muffler (could last a few more months).

Questions
What do you think of its value? Owner wants $1000 which seemed fair. However, while I know that it needs some work (that I can do) I am cautious that there might be a catastrophe lurking. Anything else I should inspect?
I'm curious about the poor idle -engine mechanicals? or electrical? or fuel system? The fundamentals look and feel OK but curious if there is something that I missed or am underestimating.

I appreciate your comments.

Cheers,
Paul

It sounds as if this car has seen more than its share of major repairs. In and of itself, that's not a bad thing, but unless you can get it FILTHY cheap, with the prices of the124 cars as low as they are these days, I would think that you would be money and time ahead with a more solid example.

Getting to details:

Rust on the rotors is no big deal. They will be shiny the first time you drive it around the block.

The fuel system issues. This one is a roll of the dice. If you can find someone that is very experienced with the Bosch KE Jetronic, then you could probably sort through it. It sounds as if the mechanic was a parts changer that didn't understand this out of the ordinary system.

I hope this helps.

It has got to be cheap
 

Sounds to me like a $300.00 to 500.00 tops car. If it has rust in a fender arch, I bet I can find more. It doesn't have a vacuum pump, only diesels do.

I'd try and offer him $700 take it or leave it. Reason being it will be $300 for a basic tune up and all standard oil changes etc done. (assuming you do it yourself).

SRS light could be indication of OVP -- which could be your problems solved!

What year is your 300E? If it is early, you could bring your OVP with you and plug it in -- 2 mins tops and see if the SRS light goes away along with a better idle.

curious about the lower oil pressure at idle
mine idles at operating temp close to 3 & its got 196,000 miles
never seen it under 2 at least even idling under load

I'll have to take better notice
maybe that is nothing but

I'd worry about the guy saying that reg gas ruined the pistons & they reworked the engine

does it pin when gas is applied I think it should?

Oil pressure could be once it's been warmed up. At initial start it should most always be pegged.

Have to wonder what he found. Bad cam? Valves? Lifters?

U want a reliable car but this one would scare me. I would have at the least a compression check done before throwing a dime at it.

Could someone explain how regular gas would ruin an engine?

'Pre-Ignition' -- the mixture burns before the spark plug fires. The flame front starts propagating from some location other than the intended location near the spark plug(s).

This is _similar_ to the normal operation of diesel engines. But in a diesel, ignition is triggered by introducing fuel into a dense hot charge of clean air.

Mild cases are called engine 'knock'. Current engine designs run lean, and will knock _lightly_ under heavy load conditions. [and input from a knock sensor will adjust mixture, ignition timing and valve timing to reduce the knocking]

Severe, repeated knocking will erode the interior of the combustion chamber.

For $1,000 you might be able to find one you are more comfortable with. That one should be no more than $750.

Prepare to spend at least twice that on initial repairs, plus the ones that surprise you shortly after you take ownership.

Thanks, everyone.

I am now a bit distracted because last night someone backed into my 1989 300E and damaged the RF (headlight, fender, wiper motor,etc). Some consolation that the other driver admitted fault and I shouldn't have to worry about getting it properly repaired. Very disappointing because I just had the whole front repainted only about 5000 km ago and everything was perfect. No cracks, scratches, dents, pits, or rust. D***!

Regarding the 260E - it appears that doing the compression test is wise. I read on another site that low compression could cause poor idle conditions. I don't know how much effect but I understand that it appears that a poor idle generally develops slowly as the engine wears.

Does anyone know of the compression pressure that I should see on the test? If I recall correctly, the 260E has slightly lower compression ratio (9.2 vs 10) and that the 300E should have 190 psi in a compression test. If the compression test shows good results then I may make an offer.

Thanks again,
Paul

Dlevitt - I do not disagree, but would not a normal person, hearing severe and continuing pinging, either have the engine detuned for regular or switch to premium? My point is that I would be wary of buying any car from such an owner. He probably beats his dog too.

Not sure what the normal readings are going to be but most often the thing to look for in a compression test is a variation between each cylinder. You want them all to read close to the same. If there is a big difference between any of them it is time to walk away.

My vote: let it go. 21 years old is beyond student clunkerdom. I would look for a 10 year old four-banger (Volvo maybe): safe, slow, un-sexy.

Well, I offered $400 and, not surprisingly, was refused. I'm not worried about the loss and there are lots of MB's for sale. I am interested in a 1992 190E 2.3 with a 5 speed. Have to research that model a bit more as I am more comfortable with the 124 models.

Thanks, everyone.

Paul