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Originally Posted by tkamiya
I don't know why Steve is taking the position he is taking... Wiring harness issue is rather well known and the cause is the supplier used a bio-degradable wiring harness and due to the heat under the hood, it is deteorating faster than expected. Apparently, Volvo had the same issue. Perhaps it's the european environmental thing.
Mercedes-Benz is aware of the issue and *I hear* some dealers are good-willing the repair cost for some. As this is a good will, and not warranty or recall, one can not expect your case will be handled this way, but it's worth a shot.
By the way, your car also has a throttle actuator with a short pigtail harness. It, too, has the same issue. Symptom is, erratic idling and cruise control malfunction.
As to this being a safety issue, I don't know why it wouldn't be. Car stalling at a wrong moment could be pretty dangerous in many circumstances, such as right when you are merging into a highway. Many asian and American cars has been recalled for less serious issues than this.
Mine was replaced in the second year of ownership (by the previous owner). Apparently, under Florida weather, it doesn't last much long at all.
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My daughter's 1989 300TE suffered from the "occasional stall" syndrome. Our local car repair genius (Enrique @ Mr. M.B. Motors) finally found the problem. You guessed it: a defective wiring harness. All the other mechanics that I had previously seen for this problem couldn;t find a cure, all they ever did was throw parts at it. Only Enrique was able to find the problem--but I digress.
We were going to order a new wiring harness from Germany (not in stock in the U.S. at the time). Instead of ordering a new harness, Enrique checked wire by wire in the harness until he found the guilty wires and then he replaced them. The car runs fine now. (That is why Enrique is truly an automotive genius!). Her car has 190k and now it runs like it was brand new.
Recently I had occasion to drive a 1994 Volvo 940 wagon with "only" 136k miles on the clock. The engine had no power and the car rattled like it was going to fall apart. My daughter's car, with far more miles and years, runs somuch better than the Volvo wagon.
Moral of the story: These w124 cars, whether wagons or sedans or convertibles or coupes are truly great cars. Some may even argue that these are the best cars Benz ever made. If you have one, invest the time and money to get it to run the way it was designed to and you will be real happy. Or, as Steve said, buy a Kia.
BTW, how do you like your 1994 E320? I am thinking of buying one for myself to use as a daily driver. Let me know. thanks.