I am going with a friend to look at a '95 E300 diesel. It has 215k miles on it. We looked at it yesterday and I drove it. In general, it seems like a car that was fairly well cared for most (perhaps all) of its life, with some new hoses here and there, tie rods of recent vintage, and good paint/rubber, which is saying something here in Texas. It drove very nicely with smooth shifts and tight steering, good brakes.I have a few questions:1. The climate control fan doesn't come on at all. It's not the fuse - we replaced it. How expensive/difficult is this to fix? At this point I'm guessing the fan itself is bad. I think the climate control brain works, because I turned on the AC, and the refrigerant hoses got very cold in the engine compartment, which is not a bad sign.2. There is an illuminated idiot light on - it's amber, the diagram is the shape of a bulb with a ! in the middle - a bad bulb light? Or something else? There is no owners manual in the car to look it up.3. What size wheels/tires should this car have? I walked up to the car and was surprised how small it seems compared to my '85 300D. Maybe somebody swapped out the wheels somewhere, or do all W124s seem that way?4. Finally - any special spots I should be looking for trouble? I checked the CV boots in back, all the power accessories, sniffed for burnt coolant, everything I could think of, and the biggest thing wrong with the car is the climate control fan and a flaky power mirror - all in all, not bad for $3200.Thanks in advance,Charlie

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Charlie

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'66 VW 1300 96K miles
'97 E300D 239K miles
'85 300D 203K miles (sold Sep 2012)

Hard to say how much it would cost to fix when we're not sure what the problem is. AC job costs can quickly add up if you have someone else do the work. You say the AC hose gets cold, so the compressor must be coming on - can you confirm that the clutch is engaging on the AC compressor when you turn the AC on? If the clutch is engaging that it's getting the message, so it may be that blower motor is your problem. If it is the blower motor, replacement will go something like this: http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W124BlowerMotor

Uhh, I can't picture this one in my head. You are correct there is a warning lamp to tell you when an exterior light is out - so check around - could be a license plate illumination bulb (don't forget those). There is also an idiot light for ASD (anti skid differential - I think) if the car is equiped with that feature (mine is not).

195/65-15

A short list of the usual:
1. Watch out for green coolant - it should not be used if it is. Probably has it, just flush it out if you buy.
2. Check the wiring harness throughout the engine. It is biodegradable (no, i'm not joking) and sometimes falls apart way too early. If it is bad it is about $400-$450 for the part alone.
3. AC evaporator (part is about $300) is known to go bad on this model - so inquire about the AC system overall and how much it has been serviced.
4. Vacuum pump should be replaced before 250,000 miles - part is roughly $300.
5. How about glowplugs - ever been changed? They can be a bear to remove on this one.
6. Do a search on here for 1995 E300D - you'll find lots more info.


Take some pics and post them. $3200 is a real good price on this one if it is in good condition. Be forewarned though that if you do not intend to do the necessary repairs yourself, that cost can quickly double. Be sure to do a Car Fax before you buy!

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'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
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"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

In addition, the original wheels are either: 8-hole turned-aluminum w/ clear-coat OR 6-spoke "special edition" silver painted wheels.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

either way... $3200 is still 1/3 of what I paid for my '95, 8mo. ago

suspension rubber look ok?
I've got some pics of mine, which will be searchable via a thread I posted about what i thought was a suspension squeak, ended up being lower ball joints...

thread is here.

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Matthew McIvor

2016 E350 4Matic Black/Black
2007 GL450 4Matic with Off-Road Pkg Silver/Black
1995 E300 Diesel White/Gray
1994 S600 Euro Black/ Black Velour
1986 560SL Blue/Blue/Gray
1986 190E Blue/Blue 93k

Thanks to all who replied. The AC clutch does seem to engage as far as I can tell, so he's going to roll the dice on that one. No service records are available, so don't know anything about glow plugs or vac pump.Tires look good, and are the 15-inch 8-hole variety found on later 124's. Even if he has to put a couple hundred $$ into the car, I think he'll be OK.The thing is, now that I drove it, I want one to replace my W123. It really is a step up.

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Charlie

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'66 VW 1300 96K miles
'97 E300D 239K miles
'85 300D 203K miles (sold Sep 2012)

No such thing as "a couple hundred $$", there's always something else.

Sounds like a good buy though.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

One difference on the 1995 8-holer wheels compared to 1992-1994 8-hole wheels is the finish.

1992-1994 variety are painted silver and clear coated.

1995 wheels are machined and then clear coated.

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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".

I bought one w/211k miles for $4200. I paid too much. I Like the car, but I put another $3k in parts & some labor. Still not perfect, but very good. I would pull out $2000 in cash, hold it in front of him and see what happens. My highest offer would be $2500, if he declines, I would walk away. My 2 cents.