I am going to look at a 1992 300te with 170,000 miles this weekend. Is this a good model to buy used? Is the 4-wheel drive a positive or a negative? What should I check? Thanks!

i like mine alot 90 300te 4matic.i know minnesota is snow country as well.the 4wheel drive in this car is one of the best.4matic system does require higher maintenance than regular drive.doe a search to find more info

I wouldn't touch a pre-1998 4-Matic with your ten foot pole... Do a search and expect to spend sometime reading up on the failures of this system.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

NO NO NO
RUN do not WALK from this!!!

Gilly

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The accumulated wisdom of this forum from techs and owners is that the 4-matic system on W124 300E's / 300TE's is extremely problematic, prone to failure, and expensive.

The next generation E320 in the W210 chassis seems to have a 4-matic system that is much more reliable.

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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".

(Yes, if you wanted to be wordy, you could put it that way, too. I prefer "NO NO NO!")

Gilly

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On the other hand, there are many who have had wonderful experiences with the first generation 4matics: While the infamous transfer case leak is bound to occur, the all wheel drive system is one of the most advanced built, excellent for snow country. You can turn off the 4matic system in warm months, which preserves the transfer case.

With 170k miles, one would expect at least two new transfer cases. If not, expect a $3k+ expense.

Regards,
Bob

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'94 E500 Anthracite
'92 300E 4Matic (donated to charity)
'90 300TE 4Matic

2nd generation transfer cases were actually improved due to modification.so if the transfer case was already replaced and normal maintenance such as fluid changes were performed you may not have any problem at all.my car still has the original with 350kkm and no problems.the transfer case only contains 3/4 litre of atf so frequent changes are a must.twice a year at the very least

hi guys - I ham the proud owner of a 90 300e 4matic - serious trad offs from my 86 quattro avant - however - I would like to change the atf in my xfer case can you help me out there is no documentaton on it in the cd manuals for 124 - where is the drain - and fill - ? _

Yeah, yer proud allright

The procedure IS in the disc. Disc 1, go to the second page of Models and select the 4Magic. Then hit "continue".From that menu select "maintenance manual", from the next menu select the bottom option, "Maintenance Manual Index". On the next menu go to the 3rd page, select job 2801, which is replacing the transfer case oil.
One hint is that you might want to get the exhaust shield off (you have to do this to do the job anyways) and remove the fill plug before removing the drain plug to see if the tx case is way over-full. If it is, this is the death-knell of the Tx case, bye-bye baby.

Gilly

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I have a 1992 300TE with 154K that I just purchased a month ago. SOme things that I have done that you WILL have to do if they havent been done already include
-new headgasket
-new valve guides/valve grind
-water pump
-radiator

I did it all myself for under $750, but a shop would be probably 2-3K.

I havent had any issues with the 4matic system, but the way I figure it, if it gives me problems that are too expensive to fix, you can just switch it off and have a nice 2wd wagon. Like another poster said, with good maintenance the 4matic can be a kick ass system.

Thanks - did the transfer case drain looks like im a lucky one for now -(in addition to being "proud " ) anyone have EXP using synthetic fluid in place of MB fluid ?
i have also done the water pump , a ball joint -- upper strut mount and as soon as i figure out what tool to use to remove the outer cv joint from the axel I'll finish up the cv boot replacement . I actualy got the car for next to nothing the ignition lock did the self destuct thing - the previous owner gave up on the car -all and all this car has been easier to workon then the Audi was - turbo avant --- while not as sporty time will tell what car fairs better - well over 200k on the quattro and still being driven by a freind -

It could also be a 4 wheel drive, just depends on the flatbed wrecker the thing is sitting on the back of........

Gilly

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I have a 92 4matic with 179K.
The transfer case was changed at 72K; would this be a 2nd generation transfer case?
And how exactly does the 4matic work?
thanks guys