123 vs 126 pros vs cons diesel

[seanarcher]

i am considereing buying a 123 or 126 diesel.
i have owned several 123 diesel but never a 126 sd.
I want to have a diesel with working a/c.
wich of these a/c systems is the easiest to work on and the most reliable?
I have seen the 240d systems with the knobs and some say they are the most reliable climate control system.I have turbo diesel now but it is a rust bucket and am worried about it being used much longer for the family.
i sat in a 88 560sl(same setup?) that had a very nice cold blowing a/c so i hope they can have a cold air system...if that requires disconnecting the heater core and doing some other things to keep the heat soak down i have no problem with that.I would like to find a nice white car too but will settle on a light colored car(i like dark colors but i live in closest to the equator florida rip your skin off mind melting heat/humidity).i have also read that the SD cars where quick sellers and were hard to keep on the shelves so to speak.this makes me think corners may be cut to get them out the door.i bet someone will say no but when you are a worker under pressure to push out product you are more prone to make mistakes.maybe i should jus stick with the 123 as the parts seem more readily available.i am thinking a 240d since a lot of peope think the climate control is the simplest.if that is so then my ideal ride for the family would be a 240d 123 from 81-83 white with crank windows.i have read that the 240d auto is weaker than the 300d trans but i have another 300d trans in the wings in case things go wrong.thanks for any info

[JEBalles]

As for climate control, the 240d will be the easiest, as it's the only one with manual. All 123s and 126s came with ac standard. I'd advise a 240d with a standard trans. Easiest car to work on. A/C in these cars are, unfortunately, notoriously problem ridden, so with either car, you'll probably have to work on the A/C eventually, if not immediately.

[seanarcher]

well im already in the mindset of finding a car without working a/c.I know the cars price will be much lower since i live in death heat FL.i want to keep it below 2k for the price.are there certain years of the 123 240d that will have a more reliable a/c sytem?i remember reading the term EVIL servo somewhere about MB,cant remember if it was a 123 body though.

[pawoSD]

Any car beyond 1980 will not have the evil servo system. All of the diesels in the 80's except the late 80's 603 powered cars have a very unreliable A/C compressor. The only one of our 5 MB's in my family with working A/C is my 300E....since it has the non R4 (and much more modern) A/C compressor.

[oldsinner111]

Go with a om617.951 w126.Better fuel mileage.W123s are flying bricks,or taxicabs.

[Oracle12345]

Originally Posted by oldsinner111

Go with a om617.951 w126.Better fuel mileage.W123s are flying bricks,or taxicabs.

w126 is a heavier car so the fuel mileage will slightly slower. As for the A/c system go for a w126.

[oldsinner111]

Both brick and w126 are heavy.I average 32 mpg on trips at 30.37 mpg running 35%wmo/watf.

[seanarcher]

when did the 123 and 126 go to a better a/c compressor?after 1980?

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by Oracle12345

w126 is a heavier car so the fuel mileage will slightly slower. As for the A/c system go for a w126.

actually.. incorrect..

the W126 has a lower .cd and actually gets better fuel mileage than the w123.

also.. S Class or no class!

[Whiskeydan]

Originally Posted by TheDon

actually.. incorrect..

the W126 has a lower .cd and actually gets better fuel mileage than the w123.

also.. S Class or no class!

+1

I own (had several over the last 20 yrs) both the W123 and W126 diesels and have always got better mileage with the S class.

To me the 123 is like driving a tractor after spending some time in a 126.

Also, the '85 W126 will have a more efficient AC condensor. My black '85 300SD is like a meat locker running R134.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by TheDon

actually.. incorrect..

the W126 has a lower .cd and actually gets better fuel mileage than the w123.

also.. S Class or no class!

x3 except I love my 123s. they are just so easy to work on.

[JimFreeh]

A few years ago I had two 83s, a 300SD and my 300D.
All things being equal, I'd rather have the 300SD.
In the end, the condition and pedigree of the 300D trumped the SD....

The SD will have power seats, and a bit more room in the back. Width is virtually a wash.

I didn't see any significant mileage difference. Car condition, driver's attitude, and terrain are more significant. Both cars while under my watch delivered similar mileage.

Jim

[lietuviai]

I replaced all the O-rings in the system of my 300D, re-used the original compressor, a Delco R4 unit, replaced the dryer and recharged it with R-12 and it works well. The only problem is that the CCU is a bit flakey but it does manage to keep things nice and cold in the heat.
It's always a good idea to replace the dryer especially if a system has been apart or not working for a long time. They're fairly cheap. I paid less than $20 for mine.
Apart for the CCU, the manual system uses basically the same plumbing and hardware as the automatic system.

[123Guy]

We've owned my 300CD and wife's 300SD from new. They both get good mileage and we both drive what we want. After 27-years, she still loves her SD. After 25-years, I wouldn't trade Elvira for a newer diesel - mostly because MB hasn't built a better car since.

[lietuviai]

Originally Posted by 123Guy

We've owned my 300CD and wife's 300SD from new. They both get good mileage and we both drive what we want. After 27-years, she still loves her SD. After 25-years, I wouldn't trade Elvira for a newer diesel - mostly because MB hasn't built a better car since.

AMEN to that!