1992 400E--Buying advice?
 

Looking to replace a car that wiped out in the ice and found a 1992 400E with 140,000 miles on it.

I had a 1992 300D so I know a bit about the overall car, but is there anything I should look for that is 400E specific?

Engine wiring harness problems seem to be common on this car. Anything else I should know about?

There are no problems from a looks standpoint and everything seems to work. Still, I figured it might not hurt to get a few real world opinions.

Thanks!

Well, I just looked down the forum a bit and found most of the answers I am looking for under the thread 'Common issues with 400E'.

But if anyone has anything to add to that list of stuff to look for I would be glad to hear from them.

If I were doing it, before I got too serious on buying it, I would spend the money to have it diagnosed. It's not that expensive to have it done, and it's easy to overlook something someone that is experienced with the car can spot more easily.

I'll tell you- parts are MORE expensive for the V8's.


Be careful- Motor mounts, steering, suspension, wiring, timing chain, timing guides, oil tubes etc.. You can spend thousands on a neglected car - even if it's pretty.


Michael

Biggest thing - does it have ASR or not?

If not, it will be easier to maintain. Either way, wiring harness is suspect #1 on all these cars. Make sure it's been done, else back up $1000 off the price

After that, get an oil change history (every 5k preferable, every 7500 the chain should still be ok, but I would have it checked for stretch either way).

Did the non-ASR cars have drive-by-wire??? I know the ASR cars do, so the ETA (throttle actuator) is another grand, and it will fail at some point. Check records for replacement

Beyond that, the usual checks - tranny fluid every 30k, check for cold AC (remember, 92 is R12 unless it's been converted$$)....hmm what else?

PS pumps leak because of the proximity to motor heat (m119 cars much tighter than other 124s). I add about 1/4 bottle of PS fluid every couple months. So, you can limp them along indefinitely.

Don't be afraid of the reverse-gear grinding or being slow to engage, as long as the trans functions acceptably during normal operation. The trans in these cars survives like a cockraoch, as long as there have been regular fluid chages

When was the last time the coils, rotors, wires, and pugs were changed? If not within the last 30k, expect to spend a few hundred on one of these areas during the first year of ownership.

Don't be scared! They are rewarding cars, they just beg for attention sometimes. To top that, there can't be many reliable, avg+ condition V8 124s left on the road, especially the originals, 92/93 pre-facelift. Feels like a racecar (and sounds like one, thanks to a small exhaust hole which I do not care to fix)

What's the bottom line? Get a PPI from a reputable Mercedes-only indie, one who knows the m119 124s specifically