I am considering purchasing my 17 year old son a used 1986 300E Benz. I have never owned a Benz personally but a friend has the 1986. It is in good condition. Their family has purchased a new one. The 1986 has 150,000 miles on it. They are asking $3,200.00.

I am seeking help in finding out if this model is a reputable year model or if there are some items I should be concerned about for this year model.

Any helpful insight would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Larryd

Larry
the 86-300E was the first year of production for this car.The car is very safe and excellent handling car.A great driver. If all the service has been performed on this model at the proper intervals 30k 60k 90k miles etc then you are getting a good safe car. Some of the problem arears were the automatic climate control system. Hopefully the previous owner or owners have addressed this problem. Also check to see if the head gaskets and wiring harness have been replaced. If all checks out, this is a good car at a decent price. AS with all used cars the more service records and owner history the better. Good luck. Happy driving.

joe moon
85-380SL-88k
94-E320Sedan-64k
95-E320 cabriolet-62k

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joe moon/95Benzman

I've own my 86 300E for 2 years. I've had to repair some things, but overall it's a great car. It still looks and drives like a new car. I paid 3500 for the car so you're actually getting a better deal. Make sure the all of the required maintenance has been done. Also the transmission will have to be done soon...it's 17yr old so that's expected.

Good luck.

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JR
1986 Gold 300E 4Dr automatic

@95benzman was there a problem with the wiring harness on theses cars m8
please let me know more

The wiring harness is only bad on 1993-1995 model year cars.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

The W124 chassis is (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) the most popular that MB ever made, and for good reason...it is a strong, long-lasting vehicle that doesn't require a lot beyond average maintinence...assuming that it has been done religiously. My personal experience is with an '86 and it now has 204k miles on the clock and still runs like a champion. I thankfully can't report first-hand on accident safety, but from what I have accumulated on that subject the model is excellent in that respect! As far as problem areas, the only one I can comment on is the heating/AC blower motor and the electrical fuse that connects it. It is a problem that WILL surface if it hasn't already, but a replacement of the blower and motor ($150 parts + labor) as well as removal of the fuse and addition of a circuit breaker ($100 p & l) will correct it ($500 total +-). Not bad for a car pushing 19 years old. Again from personal experience...the transmission leaks fluid because it needs a rebuild of seals, but still runs like brand new...seriously.
If I had to give an opinion regarding a 300E for a teen (or anyone for that matter), I would say most definitely!!!

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1996 SL320 97K miles
1996 C220 130k miles
1992 500SEL 170k miles <---sold
1986 300E 216k miles <---sold

Problem spots on an 86 300e are bad valve guide seals (oil smoke on starting, excess oil consumption), worn timing chain, leaking head gasket, leaking top chain cover, and rear suspension links. You will need new flex disks every 60,000 miles or so as well. ACC can be a problem, but acutally less so than for the W123 chassis (cheaper to fix most times), except for the evaporator.

The evaporator can be a deal buster, it's about $2000 to replace (requires about 16 hr labor!), so if the AC doesn't work, take a pass or a big reduction in price. If it works OK and HAS NOT BEEN COVERTED TO R134a, take the car. If it's been converted, check to see if the evaporator has been replaced. If it has, the car will be fine. If not, it can go at any time.

Check for excess noise in the rear and for a 'loose" rear end on turns. If these conditions exist, you will have to replace some of the rear suspension links (not terribly expensive or difficult) and probably rear subframe and differential mounts. Very common on these cars by this age, but not a deal breaker unless completely shot, in which case I would not drive the car until replaced, they get VERY unstable on wet or icy roads.

Everything can be replaced at reasonable cost on these cars, so unless there is something seriously wrong (horrible oil consumption for instance), they are a good buy. A bit more performance than is good for a new driver, but very safe and predictable. Check for signs of oil leaking past the filler cap if it has a history of oil consumption, too -- the seal goes bad and a new one is a couple bucks!

Take it to a good independent shop and do a Pre Purchanse Inspection, they can tell you what, if anything, is wrong with it. Most likely, since the owners are likely the first ones, it has been maintained well, but needs things like AC work, suspension links, etc all at once. The mechanic can tell you!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Hi Psfred, how do I know a/c has been converted to R134a and evaporator
has been replaced? Thanks.

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89 300 CE

depending upon where you live, if it snows there in the winter then the 300E is not a practical option for a new driver. It does not handle well even for the experienced drivers. If the winters are snowy I suggest either a 4WD or a front wheel drive vehicle.
good luck.

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Whether you think you can or cannot, Either way you're right!. by Henry Ford.

There will be a blue sticker on an A/C component in the engine compartment notifying you of the A/C change and different A/C hose connections for servicing.

I have nothing to offer on evaps, except to do an 'advanced search' in the technical section.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

The hose fittings for R134a are quick connects instead of screw on, covered by red and black plastic screw on covers. No way to tell if the evaporator has been replaced if there are no service records except "evidence" of previous messing about inside the dash. Sadly, evaporators are available in both the new style (all aluminum) and copper/aluminum. If the interior parts at the expansion valve are visible and aluminum, it's been replaced and should be completely trouble free, if copper it's original will probably evenually fail.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

if you buy it, expect to put some money into it. that is inevitable with any car of that age. You can expect one or more window motors/regulators to fail if they haven't already. The ball joints and suspension bushings are probably worn too. The belt tensioner is another wear item. Things like this can add up to $1k or more real quick. Like someone said, if the ac isn't working, and you can't rule out the evaporator being the problem (i believe the driers fail pretty regularly on these cars like they did on mine and they are not that expensive to fix), don't buy it unless you don't care about ac.

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2005 Mercedes C230k sport sedan, 6 speed
1987 Porsche 924S - 968-engined track car

depends upon how well it was maintained. at 150K without maintenance it will require quite a bundle of money to keep up. if the previous owners have some paperwork for the required maintenance that will be a def. plus !

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Whether you think you can or cannot, Either way you're right!. by Henry Ford.

My 86 300E runs like a top and requires little work - and it's my wife's car! I recognize many of the symptoms listed above, e.g., ACC on my car doesn't work, rear suspension needs fixing, subframe mounts, etc. All in all, I would buy another any day bearing in mind what is said above about maintenance by prior owner.
Matt Clarke

My 300E is at 275,000 miles and I've never had to replace a window riser or front end components beyond shocks and tie rod ends.

psfred, as always, has offered an EXCELLENT summary of this car and what to look for.

Good luck,