but I owned a 1987 Saab 900t most of this time as well and I could DIY most of what went wrong with that car - which was a LOT less than what went wrong with my E320. Very few people on this forum or elsewhere are going to DIY a transmission. Without a lift the accumulators and exhaust proved impossible. The throttle actuator is tough.

I did the alternator bushings, water pump, brakes, radiator and many other items on my Saab, but the Saabnet forum has much more useful information for the DIYer. I never felt lost since someone had posted either very good step by step instructions or a even a pictorial. For the W124, on the other hand, it seems as though water pumps or belt tensioners even (!) have many variations, pitfalls, and not much for instructions unless you buy the factory manual. My Saab also had a couple of great books rather specific to the model I owned, but Mercedes has next to nothing.

My conclusion - the M104 W124 is not a very good DIY car for the person of modest skill level and if you can't DIY you can't afford to own one.

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Chip Johnson