First off I will apologize in advance for not posting any pix, don't have any yet (just got it) It is 300SD TURBODIESEL with 169,xxx miles. Car is very smooth and comfortable. Engine runs very nicely, there are a few rust areas (trunk lid, sunroof panel and under right rear taillight housing) to fix. Other primary issues are no AC (blows cool not cold) and the dash/instrument lights are out (turn signals and high beam indicator work) Can anyone point me in the direction of which fuses are which, or maybe toward a good shop manual (paper or electronic). Lastly, what is general feeling among the members here of the W126 Diesel vs the W123 Diesel (my other car is an '82 300D TURBODIESEL), before I had the creampuff 240D that was just too undergunned for my hill. Aloha to you all.

You have typical old MB problems. The A/C is expensive to fix properly, the dash lights are probably the rheostat, the dimmer switch. It is also the trip odometer reset button, press it in to reset and spin it to adjust the brightness of the dash lights. A search will reveal much info on the subject.

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83 SD

84 CD

I have been through most of what you are talking about with my 83 126.

Dash lights:
Pushbutton unit has four lights on a christmas tree strand. There is a fifth light on this strand that goes back to the rear of the inside of the dash and into a hole where it lights several other things through fiber optic cable. The sunroof/domelight/defrost/antenna row and the gear shift indicator. I still can't get my gear shift indicator to be very bright at all. just too much distance and accessories for the one bulb.

The rheostat is a nice option, but even after I got a working one, I found I just kept it at max brightness all the time. So, once it started to fritz out I jumped it with solder and a small wire so that it is maxed all the time.

There are plenty of AC threads and much reading to do before you can start diagnosing the AC. I did the reading, found out what wasn't working, and still took it to a qualified AC guy. He wasn't a mercedes guy so he was shaking his head as soon as I pulled up. luckily I had already figured out all the weird mercedes stuff and ordered compressor/receiver dryer/Expansion valve kit on Ebay (which many on this forum will tell you not to do) but its working fine on its second season.

If temps get above 90 for more than a week where you are, I would seriously consider sticking with r12 as a refidgerant. There are many things you can do to help make your AC colder but in the end, in 1982 a highly paid German engineer at mercedes said to put R12 in it. They made the rest of the car so nice...how can I turn him down.

w126 v w123
Bigger vs More fuel efficient
I think you get slightly better handling out of a w123
They both have that nice Diesel torque feeling which I just can't get in gasser
I think the w123 has less to go wrong with it (but not by a whole lot)

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

actually, the 126 gets better highway MPG than the 123 due to aerodynamic improvements...
for the a/c make sure the condenser is cleaned really well, and the aux fan is working!

The AC shouldn't be a problem if you can spend allot of time over on the "windward side"

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"