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  #1  
Old 11-13-2002, 04:54 PM
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All 124 Wagons- R. Windows ...are these typical leakers?

Our 95 124 Wagon- Rear rear window leaks by the antenna. (Not the rear hatch)

I was told by the dealerer doing a Starmark service that all the 124 wagons leak here.

It is very common. ...are these typical leakers? What's your experience?

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  #2  
Old 11-13-2002, 04:55 PM
it leaks, its german
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: raleigh nc
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they leak on a regular basis.



Joe
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  #3  
Old 11-13-2002, 07:04 PM
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Location: Portsmouth UK
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Rear Window Weep

Yip

I have a weep here too!

Any tips on the fix?

NormanB
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230 TE (W124) 1989 with 153,000 miles on the clock - hoping for at least another 100K
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  #4  
Old 11-13-2002, 10:19 PM
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After two loud discussions, Am. Service Center fixed mine under StarMark. Replacing the seal did the trick... good luck...
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1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230
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  #5  
Old 11-13-2002, 10:52 PM
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Ah hah!

The dealer tried to convince me that it was ridiculous to replace the molding.

"They all leak, even after replacing the molding."

I have it on the RO. Back to the dealer.

Micheal, are you generally pleased with your wagon?
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'91 300E-Went to Ex
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  #6  
Old 11-14-2002, 03:02 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Belgium,Europ
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Yes!
Mine is leaking too on the rear windows, left & right hand!
I'll try to fix it with some kit and when this don't solve the
problem, I will take them out and reinstal...
I do believe there is a "flaw" in the design. Just under the
visible seal at the rear end is an opening between the outer
plate and the inner frame. It looks like there was a drain
provided and they forgot the tubing!
Danny.
W124 300TD turbo
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  #7  
Old 11-14-2002, 11:32 AM
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Michael, are you generally pleased with your wagon?

YES

This month ends the first three years we've had it. When we got it, it had 60,000 miles. Today it has 90,000 miles.

The Starmark had been a key feature going to my happiness. As part of the 90k service, I had my indie check everything the dealer has done over the past three years. Knock on wood, I think that everything that goes bad has been replaced under Starmark. I hope to have the car for many more years and have my fingers crossed.

For us, it's the ultimate family car. While it's main job is a kid short hauler, it also does duty as grand tourer and pickup truck. It does all these jobs superbly. Performance is balanced and is more than adequate. Cruising at 75 mph returns about 25 mpg (without the roof rack cross bars or cargo carrier attached). However, push it much past that, and mpg goes down quickly.

Relative to a mini van, the seating area is obviously not as large. Visiting us for the weekend, my brother in law took his wife and three kids on a couple hour trip. They are used to their van and hated it. He said they felt cramped and were used to being able to walk between rows of seats. My wife, kids, and I are skinny. For us it’s just the right size.

I checked my records last night. To fix the leaking window, the dealer’s internal body shop replaced the molding and the trim piece that fits around the window. It has not leaked for two years.

Enjoy….
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1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230
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  #8  
Old 11-14-2002, 12:21 PM
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Our Starmark warranty is also up this month, we also purchased it in November, in 2000. The reason I asked about liking it, is there have been several issues with ours. Maybe just one of those wagons.

Lots of interior pieces not right, for example the passenger B column cover wants to work its way of the pillar, Starmark wouldn't pay for it.

Radio and speakers: Both rear door speakers have failed and the radio volume control doesn't want to work if it is below 60 degrees. Again, Starmark wouldn't pay for it.

The right-rear window leak: I was told Starmark wouldn't pay for it.

Starmark did pay for new rear shocks and for removing all the seats and re-sewing the seat cover padding that had worked itself backwards in all the seats, except the third.

I have always like the Benz wagons. I have not wanted to mini-van it because 90+% of the time our vehicle has only two or three people in it.

One of my favorite stories about its utility is when we purchased a new washer and dryer. Well we needed a washer but the combo deal was too good to pass up. But we had to transport them and it was an anticipated pain to move each one separately. I did a quick measure and determined I could fit both the full-sized washer and dryer in the car with the seats down, rear headrests out and the front seats pulled forward a little bit! We had a crowed around the car, staring in disbelief!

So overall you have had good experience? Have you had any interior work done under Starmark?

Haasman
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  #9  
Old 11-14-2002, 12:35 PM
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I have the same problem. I checked in the area around the window on the inside and noticed the metal is rusting away at the very spot it leaks. Thinking about using syringe to inject sealer under the seal. A new seal won't work because I now have rust. ARGH!
The 300 Wagon is a great SUV.
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  #10  
Old 11-14-2002, 01:13 PM
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Haasman, we also have a 95 wagon, which we bought through a local independent, it has a third party warranty which will not cover the items you describe; that's ok, I can fix all that kind of stuff myself.

What I find outrageous is that they were not covered at ALL under Starmark

The following items were covered 100%, no questions asked, thru the Certified program via BMW for our 98 328i currently with 55k miles:
1. Driver's side door lock actuator
2. Slightly drooping/warped (at rear window line) headliner.
3. Worn ball joints; currently a known trouble spot for all E36 models

The comparison is damning, and a sad commentary on MBUSA warranty policy, much like the wiring harness issue.
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Last edited by miktvk; 11-14-2002 at 01:18 PM.
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  #11  
Old 11-14-2002, 01:29 PM
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miktvk

Are you generally pleased with the overall QC of your wagon?
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'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
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  #12  
Old 11-14-2002, 01:43 PM
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I would say overall, yes.
At 108k, I expect a few niggles here and there, most of which I can and have already tinkered with.

It's such a grand car to drive, feels so nice and solid, and is perfect for us: with two medium size dogs and no kids. We wanted something really unique, stylish in a grown-up way, and comfy; no way was I going to drive an SUV, ever.

The real eye-opener was the warranty history that a local dealer printed out for me free of charge, yowsa!!

2 pages of repairs for 2 prior leasees, I'm glad I wasn't either of those 2 folks.

I still have yet to work out an arrangement with my dealer/mechanic over the harness, which is clearly defective, but still functioning. Just been too busy; and he is in the middle of totally rebuilding his facility, so there is no place to really work on a vehicle under cover.

Despite the really negative vibe I get from MBUSA, I am a True Believer, with a long-standing fascination with the 124 platform, and want to get the max utility and enjoyment out of this wagon for a long time to come.
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  #13  
Old 11-14-2002, 02:00 PM
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So overall you have had good experience?

Yes.

Have you had any interior work done under Starmark?

No. Despite the best efforts of my kids, the interior is in almost new condition (thanks to my wife for keeping it so clean and neat). The only interior piece that broke is the cup holder. Not wanting to explain how I broke it, I bought and replaced the $40.00 part myself.

The tex-covered seats are holding up great. An audiophile would hate the sound system. For us, though, it’s great… no issues with the speakers or volume control.

The right-rear window leak: I was told Starmark wouldn't pay for it…

Am. Service Center did not want to cover mine either. I explained to my service adviser’s manager that I thought the leak undoubtedly was caused by some hidden structural issue and that, if it was not addressed immediately, I would complain loudly about his obvious disregard for the safety of a vehicle his company sold me. That did the trick. Now that I think about it, there was some sort of unusual service code on the statement of work.

I really can not thank the moderators and members of this forum enough for helping me get the most value out of my Starmark policy. Here’s a short list of what was covered:

-head gasket
-wiring harness
-spark plug wires/connectors
-MA sensor
-O2 sensor
-throttle actuator
-OVP thing
-climate control fan
-radiator
-thermostat
-alternator
-sway bar bushings all around
-back window
-speedometer cable
-a few other things I can not recall

One thing that disappointed me recently…

To remedy the trip odometer that has gotten stuck once, my service adviser wanted ten working days. He was adamant that the only way to do the job was to remove the entire instrument cluster and ship it to Germany. I asked my indie about it. He said that the next time they needed to pull the cluster to replace a bulb, he would put a dab of something on it for free. After my service adviser assured me that he would give my wife a W210 wagon free loaner for the two weeks, it was quite clear what his agenda was. I passed on having the work done.

I know what you mean about a crowd watching… My neighbor and I helped the loading staff stage the supplies we were taking home. Pulling the car into the loading zone, they started to snicker and roll their eyes. After we loaded 5 six foot by 8 foot prefabricated fence sections (onto the roof rack), six 8 foot long four by fours, and fifteen bags of posthole fill, they all wanted to shake my hand. With my buddy riding behind me, were just over the maximum weight. The ride home was uneventful.

I’m not sure what to say about your experience and concerns.

The trim piece could be nothing or it could be masking something serious. If you got a replacement piece from a scrap yard, could you install it yourself?

Does your wagon have leather or tex seats? Having to redo the seat padding on a Starmark quality W124 sounds very unusual to me. At least they took care of that for you.

I really have no clue about the sound system. I wonder how much it would cost (and if it would even fix the problem) to replace the entire sound system? I think the W124 sound system is hard to work with in general, but have you had an independent audio shop take a look?

Perhaps, as a last resort, the dealer could “make it right” on a trade.

Good luck on whatever you decide. I’m interested to know how it turns out… please keep us posted.

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

Last edited by Michael K; 11-14-2002 at 02:42 PM.
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  #14  
Old 11-14-2002, 02:29 PM
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Leaks in the side window seem to be common. You need to see if the water is finding its way round the edge of the glass or the metal aperture. Running a hose on it for a few minutes should do the trick. Mine was getting into the seal at the front edge, then running down to the corner and coming in along the bottom over the top of the seal. A tube of sealant with a small nozzle run under the front edge between the seal and glass stopped it.
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  #15  
Old 11-14-2002, 02:41 PM
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Haasman, what other interior parts are giving your touble?

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1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
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