Just some notes after fiddling with this car for a couple weeks now:

This is a 1980 280SE with a DOHC M110 inline six. Appeared to have 75,000 miles but the odometer was slipping as soon as I took possession of the car. There were no records and the seller looks to have bought it from the original owner, and he was sort of sketchy. It had also been repainted, and not very well. So that was worrisome. But a few things convinced me that the mileage was fairly close to correct- the MB-tex interior is perfect, except for the sagging springs and horsehair pads. The trunk has the original spare tire and it's flawless, still holds air (The toolkit is missing though). And other high wear places like the plastic door sills look nearly perfect. And it's very straight. There's some light TLC needed on the body but I'm pretty confident it's never been hit. Which I feel more and more is truly something that a car never recovers from.

I didn't see a newbie explanation of what is a common problem for these cars, so for the record: In addition to having a radiator leak, the notorious AC servo was cracked and leaking as well. You learn fast that there's a cottage industry surrounding this hateful, expensive part. Ebayers know all about this thing. In the end I had the radiator recored, then called George Murphy for his beautiful, aluminum-housed version of the servo and put it in myself, cleaning the dried up, corrosive coolant that spilled over entire area while I was at it. His guidance and explanations that come with the servo are first class. I highly recommend calling him for only the reasonable solution to this problem. I also replaced the amplifier (behind the dash) and the auxiliary coolant pump (sits next to the AC servo). Probably didn't have to do the amp, but the pump was whining, someone had bypassed the temp switch that controls it (switch is behind the dash as well) and I put that all back the way it's supposed to be.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87684525@N00/3248846715/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87684525@N00/3249674568/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87684525@N00/3248846759/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87684525@N00/3248846801/

I believe there are a lot of cars in the recycling yards because of this- the coolant leaks from the servo and the levels drop, but because may not be pressure to pop the radiator cap, the temperatures just go through the roof if someone is not bothering looking. Aluminum heads warp, head gasket fries, and that's the end of that. I think that's where all the w116's go. When I had my 108 years ago, every single yard in the Bay Area always had at least ten each, with rapid turnover. They're all going to the crusher. My mechanic even mentioned it- "That car has pretty low mileage." I said, yeah, it could be a nice car when it gets sorted. I was thinking a 450SE is probably what I really wanted. "And he goes, "Yeah, but they're everywhere. How many 280SE's do you see any more? And if you do they've been beat on and run up to 200,000 miles."

So now the temp needle stays put, just over 80c, and the AC is working perfectly. Which is a godsend, I'm truly thankful for that.

I had a vacuum leak in the doors- the actuator in the rear passenger side. Still waiting for the replacement and plugged the line in the interim- now it holds for days. It's interesting how you can diagnose this- you know you have a leak somewhere. If you leave the car unlocked, come back a day later and all the plungers drop when you lock it, the leak is one of the diaphragms that pull the locks closed. Then when you do lock it, if you listen closely, when the vacuum dies away, the gas door lock slides open again. This is because it has a light spring on it so you don't get skunked when have no vacuum and need to fill the tank.

I replaced the trunk seal. That's a time consuming job. I used the black 3M Weatherstrip Adhesive after a complete cleaning of the old adhesive out of the channel. This is one of the things you wish you could do as well as Sindelfingen did but you never will. The lip curls out- so the water flows down the channel in the trough of the rubber. There are two joints in the seal, which took a while to figure out why. Between the two joints is a special section that is supposed to be aligned with rear deck of the lid. The cross-section of the seal that curls under the lid is deeper. Also, if you look at the lid profile itself, it's designed to slide along the curl when it first contacts the seal and push it into the proper shape but the time it closes. (It curls it that way over years and years until it curls so much and the rubber stays compressed and stops contacting the lid. That's why it might look fine to you but it's actually leaking). I did it about 18 inches at a time, and I removed the long plastic shield that protects along the bottom perimeter- that made getting the seal along the taillights much easier. I also went through about 25 pair of vinyl gloves to keep the adhesive from getting all over the wrong side of the seal.

So then I'm done, I close the trunk and think everything is fine. Well it's not. The new rubber is grabby, and it folds the wrong way in all sorts of places- it's not "doing the curl". So first I think talcum powder will do the trick. I think it helps make the seal slide along that trunk lid better, but it's not enough. Finally I get the idea to put strings in the trunk when it's open, then pull the strings out after it's closed. This grabs the lip of the seal and flips it into the "curl out" position when you pull it out. You can sort of feel it flipping as you pull. Trouble is you can't tell if it's really doing it. I'm not even sure you could tell if you stayed in the trunk to observe it firsthand because it's tucked so deeply into the trunk lid profile. (I'm in the middle of this right now so that's why I'm obsessing so much. Plus I HATE not having a dry trunk. Yes, it rains in LA.) So the latest now is that the string wasn't enough- it doesn't have enough friction to definitively pull the seal into the right position. So last night I started using that ribbed rubber cord that you use to make window screens stay in their channels. That, I'm hoping has enough grab and heft to pull the seal into the proper shape.

So the other project is the odometer. Advice: TAPE the dash just below the cluster when you pull it. Protect the steering column. You will be wrestling with this thing when it comes out. Loosen the speedo cable under the dash first. Also, go to Harbor Freight and buy some of those plastic trim and molding pull tools with the wedges and slots and stuff- keeps things moving without scratching. Other than that, it comes out easily enough. The gasket on my cluster was ripped up. I found another rubber gasket at a pick-n-pull that was intact and reconditioned it with vinyl protectant. Take pictures, label connectors, careful of the cruise control stalk. Once out, I took it inside, put a towel down, followed this: http://www.dieselgiant.com/repairyourodometer.htm
which was excellent guidance. He was correct- it was indeed the pot metal gear at the end of the row that was slipping on the shaft. Everything else was fine. I pushed out the shaft with a drill bit and roughed up the end, then pushed it back on again. It took some real pushing to get it to seat the gear again. I sort of scraped it so it was like a very poor imitation of a splined shaft, and that was plenty of friction to hold the gear. I couldn't for the life of me get any loctite in there, and I was using dental picks and needles and stuff. I figured it was fine without as I added a couple hundred miles by hand- every time it gets to .9 miles on the trip meter, the resistance goes up and clunk- it flips the next number. But it wasn't slipping any more. Satisfied, I put it back together, tested and cleaned up all the lights, put it back in the car and it works now.

Now I can calculate that it gets no better mpg than a 450SE and has half the oomph.

Next- adjust valves, new tires, adjust steering box, replace windshield. Also I two problems I welcome advice on: I have a hot start issue, and the transmission shifts late. I'm looking over transmission posts right now, but I see very little insight into the hot start problem. From what little I've read, I suspect the fuel pressure accumulator.

jk

Here is the car:



Installed vacuum element in rear door, put it all back together.
Still wrestling with the trunk seal. It leaked terribly with the last rain. It may never be right.

Cleaned up the engine with citrus spray and a power wash. Cleaned out the plug holes. Lots of solvent, blowing and vacuuming. I have to say, this was not their finest moment, design-wise. Adjusted Valves (most were slightly tight, one intake was rather loose.) Cams look fine, put a new gasket and plug rings in. Plugs looked fine as well.



Cleaned up the throttle linkage and replaced a missing plastic shackle that I think was keeping it from achieving full throttle. Engine bay is starting to look better, but still has a long way to go. I have the cruise actuator cable pushed away so it doesn't interfere. Right now it hunts between 40 and 70 mph. Can anyone tell me what the electrical connector to the right of the distributor housing plugs into? A safety switch?



Now I'm after the hot start issue. Don't have a proper gauge yet but I tested the cold start injector for leaks. The spark plugs all look fine so I still suspect the fuel accumulator. I don't think it's too much fuel. I think is no fuel at all after a hot soak. I could tell the pressure dropped fairly quickly as I was messing about putting the cold injector back in.

Maybe some of you could help identify a couple things- first, the sensors on the passenger side of the engine. I'm pretty sure "D", (somewhat hidden here) is the thermo-time switch for the cold start injector.



Also, in front of the fuel tank. The pump is easy to spot with the wiring going to it. Then the canister above- that is the filter? And at the far left- is that the accumulator?



Also, tucked up in front of the enclosure, there is yet another mystery item. Maybe this is the accumulator?



I also realize now that 116's have CV joints in the back- and this probably explains a low tone I hear when I coast at high speeds.

The cannister near the fuel pump is the filter. The last picture is the accumulator.

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

What you thought was the accumulator is the check valve.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

WRT to the switches.

I have looked in several places without much success. All that I've found out is that "C" is a 100 degree (C) switch. I suspect that it signals a relay to un-retard the timing at high engine temps. Still looking for the others.

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

Great post. Fine car. Your mechanic is right, you are doing a real service to the MB community by preserving this vehicle. Care to post driving impressions?

If my memory is correct Road & Track stated that the W116 280SE got 2 mpg better than her sister 450SE/SEL.

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Anders

1995 E300
2015 VW TDI Sportwagen 15K
1977 240D (197K)
2002 Subaru Legacy L Wagon (115k) (Wife's)
Gone but not forgotten:
2005 Buick LeSabre
1998 C230
1984 300D
1983 240D
1981 300SD
1974 240D
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
1968 Triumph TR250

Driving impressions? Maybe it's not fair to yet, as there is so much with regard to driving that still must be done. There's some play in the steering box, third-rate tires, late and hard shift from 2nd to 3rd, and likely trouble in the bearings or CV joints in the rear.

But that aside. . . it's fun to drive. It's not a rocketship. I've had a 4.5 and this is not in that raw power category. I also had a 560SEC and of course it doesn't move like that either. (both are at the ends of the M117 spectrum) But it is a very modern highway cruiser. For comfort and sound levels, it's not far from the refinement of a W126, crumbling door seals or not. The engine is very smooth at idle, and likes to rev, runs smooth at high rpms. At 65 it is very comfortable and it is enthusiastic about getting up to 80 upon request. Doesn't pull screaming towards redline like a Porsche flat six, but still very spirited and refined. I've read a lot of comments about the shrill rpms of later inline sixes on the 126 cars. This car doesn't feel that way, the engine sounds don't fill the cabin. Now that being said, I mean, let's be honest: it's a dog. This is a two-ton car, and if there's three or four adults in there with the AC on, it takes its sweet time on the freeway on-ramps. But not like a diesel, at least.

Power aside, it rides like an S-class. Supple, not sloppy. If you jack it up you see a massive anti-roll or dive bar under there and the reports are true- it is quite nimble, almost zero diving on hard braking. That surprised me, the stability, even after having owned several various era Mercedes' already. The brakes are incredible. Like a 108. You feel the mass of the car, and you feel the brakes smoothly muscling the car to a halt.

There ergonomics are perfect. For me, it turns out to be just a little bit smaller than I would expect of the S-Class. The W108's had a more expansive feel sitting in the driver's perch. But it all works. Not cramped. Everything falls to hand. Putting in that little plastic shackle insert in the throttle linkage made a big difference. It made the whole car feel more responsive, which makes sense- all that slop in the linkage is gone and I have full throttle finally. These little details can make for break the driving gestalt.

There are other considerations. Collapsed horsehair and springs on all the seats, and the smell of them isn't great either. That will be replaced soon. I think that will make it feel much fresher as to the interior vibe. But I'm glad I bought this car. With some research and care, it is perfectly home-serviceable. Has the gravity and workmanship of the golden age of Mercedes- not even their flagship, just a mid-sized sedan destined for Munich taxi work, but still some of the best Unterturkheim had to offer. The turn signal is buttery and satisfying, the heft and finish of materials is from some other time. The Carter Administration "55" highlighted on the speedometer with the browns and tans of the era reverberating their color through the cabin. The incandescent interior illumination glowing during night running, the analog AC system balanced and quietly maintaining exactly 70 degrees.

I took apart the center console and noticed the fiber optic lines running from the bulbs to the interior of the switches, switches surrounded by wood, and it struck me that the car was such a mix of old and new. It comes after the Apollo missions, and has early computers in it, and at the same time feels like you're sourrounded by a 1950's Grundig console stereo, running down the highway at 80 miles per hour.

Some years ago when working on television commercials in NYC, there were a couple of ad men visiting the studio- a writer and an art director. Their agency had been awarded the Mercedes Benz ad account in the mid 90's. They had just returned from Stuttgart and told us about complete tour of the entire MB complex, including a ride in a W140 on their track with a company driver throwing the car around like a go-kart, doing donuts and drifting all over the place. They remarked that the W140 was the last of the no-holds barred Mercedes. I remember them mentioning that the company's motto had recently changed. It used to be "The Best, or Nothing." Now it had become: "The Best for the Customer." Which, I don't know . . . that could mean anything. Of course, a lot has happened since the LS400 came out (essentially a maintenance -free W124). But before all that, before anyone could come close, they were confidently building W116's. And I can confidently say that when you drive a 280SE you can feel that it was their heyday.

jk

I feel like I'm right there riding along with you. Nice description; elegant use of adjectives.

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1988 California version 260E (W124)
Anthracite Grey/Palomino
Owned since new and still going strong and smooth
MBCA member

Past Mercedes-Benz:
1986 190E Baby Benz
1967 230 Inherited from mom when she downsized
1959 220S Introduced me to the joys of keepin' 'em goin'

There are only 10 kinds of people in the world--those who understand binary and those who don't

Nice writing.

Apropropriately, I saw the movie "the In-Laws" last night with Peter Falk and Alan Alda. They made a getaway at a Central American airport in an English Red W116 280SE

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

I like it!

I listen to KPLU's All Blues Saturday and Sunday nights on my 1964 Grundig Mandello console. It's complete with country markings on the shortwave dials.


As for the trunk leak, check the gaskets around the taillights, mine leaked rather badly. I used a putty like stuff that the RV store sells to seal around vents and other openings on RVs. My rear glass seal leaks also, that's a planned task for this summer when things are warm and more pliable (including me).

Michael

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Usta haves '69 250/8, '76 280C, 1971 250C 114.023, 1976 450SEL 116.033
Current have, 1983 300SD 126.120

You're right , this was Mercedes finest moment back in the day .

I'm a W-123 enthusiast but the great W-116 S Klasse sedans were and are , manificent automobiles .

Your street pix make it look like you live near me ~ the best parts source for W-116's is the Pick-A-Part yards in the San Fernando Valley , not a long drive .

Long Beach has loads of them too but usual;ly all scruffy , still good for parts.

Lots of Euro Spec. ones too so sourcing perfect $30.00 Euro Bumpers and $15.00 Euro headlights just takes some hunting ....

I got the entire Unwired Tools digital Klima I upgrade kit for $32.00 ("?! Nate , you buy the worst junk we have !!") off a near perfect W-116 in that lovely Mustard yellow...

If the fuel pressure drops within 5 minutes of shutoff , the check valve has crap in it or the accumulator is faulty , like that . I'm better on D-Jet cars but the pressure needs to be up there for quick starting .

It may simply be a dirty fuel filter .

Here's a tip : whilst it's apart , run the fuel pump _backwards_ in a pan of clean Diesel fuel to clean it out .

Never run the fuel pump dry ! it needs fuel for lubrication and will damaged the bushig typ bearings in it almost instantly when operated dry .

The tranny prolly has old dried out & leaky vacuum hoses to it , too low a vacuum signal makes for rough shifting . too much makes for slipping "flare" .

Always fix the little stuff before adjusting the myriad of things you can tweak .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Yes- good eye. I am in Torrance.

I work in Burbank as well so I know about those yards. I went to both Long Beach and Burbank Pick Your Part's this past weekend. They do have high turnover, though people are really fast taking the goodies: CIS, vacuum elements. Maybe because it was President's Weekend. I saw a 6.9 in Long Beach a few years ago. Now it seems they're loaded with dozens of V8 126's. If I could find Euro bumpers and lights for the car that would be awesome. Already picked up some neat doodads like both of the rubber drains from the firewall, original wipers.

I'm certainly thankful that aside of the hot starting issue, this car seems to have a very healthy CIS system- it does everything on schedule and really moves that car when the revs get going.

Thanks for the advice, and you have very practical advice. I will go after those things with a little less fear now. Over the years I've definitely learned to relax and stop disassembling stuff all at once. I do just one job at a time, then put it back together and enjoy driving for a while. Diagnosing problems is much easier, and the car doesn't languish in the driveway for weeks. Once these other things get sorted I'm going to pull the dash and change all the hissy leaking pods, which is a job that makes it hard to follow that rule.

jk

Just remember to change the fuel filter on a timely basis and any time the power gets sluggish as we have terrible " Motor Fuel " in Ca. (it AIN'T Gasoline) , I change more fuel filters than any out of state Mechanic I know .

CIS is a good system . keep it clean and you'll not need to replace the fuel distributor like all the boobs out there do .

Never forget , L.A. has more Mercedes than Stuttgart ever did , SCADS of gray market cars were imported and many were sneaked through with the Euro lights & bumpers intact so that stuff IS out there ! .

I just hipped my buddy in Detroit to a set of W-116 Euro bumpers with EMPI over riders and bumperetts out of the Weat Blinn Av. P-A-P in Long Beach....

He's shickled titless and I'm now trying to hook him up with a rust free one owner W-116 300SD .

Those little So. Cal. postwar Bungalows are hard to miss

I own a 1923 Craftsman Bungalow (or slum , I live in The Ghetto) .

My low milage 1980 300CD came from 115th St. in Torrance .

Sadly , I allowed a pristine 1979 300SDL go to the crusher as I don't like W-116's and it was poop brown to boot . now i feel guilty as it was pristine and FREE to boot .

BTW : for the Euro stuff , be sure to hit the P-A-P on Myrtle Av south of the 210 Fwy a few miles...

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

That's about what I have- an 80 W116 300SD in Golden (aka "Poop") Brown. Its a Redlands CA refugee....needs a repaint in a classier color...

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Back in the day , brown was very popular color choice but it made used cars close to unsellable .

Be aware there's a fair amount of people who dote upon this color and call it
" stay around brown "

Color change can be risky if you ever decide to re sell .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better