Hello everyone,

I'm hoping to soon be the owner of a well-maintained 1995 (or maybe 1994) E300D. I've been a long time diesel enthusiast and lurker on this forum. I had a 2002 VW Jetta TDI in the past for a few years (stupidly sold it...). A close relative is nearly ready to give up her E300D that she's owned either since new or since it was 2 or 3 years old (possibly a certified pre-owned vehicle - it has a "reconditioned" sticker on the driver's side B pillar). It's been maintained by an independent Euro shop since she bought it. I drove it last week and it seems all is needed is a fuel sender and the LCD ambient temp display replaced. It's got 135K miles on it. Garaged since she's owned it at least.

Anyway, so I'm confident it's a good car, and I know it will be reliable with proper maintenance. The plan is to use it as a daily driver and do all the upkeep I can myself. My only concern is parts availability. Reading around here, it seems this car is at the age where some things (like the engine wiring harness - which I think she had done years ago, but I need to check) are coming up as "NLA."

What would you guys recommend a new owner stock up on (model-specific things that are current NLA or you think soon will be)? Or am I overthinking this?

Thanks in advance!

Scott

Hi Scott and welcome to the forum! There are a ton of great resources in this forum, not to mention all the knowledge and experience that our members bring. I'm attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on the W124 platform that I think you'll find helpful for any maintenance or repairs that you'll do down the line. We're also happy to help with any part needs that you may have. Please let us know if you have any questions and post some photos of the new ride when you acquire it.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class W124 (1987-1995) Technical Articles - 300TE 24, 300CE 24, 300E 24, 300CE, 280E, 300E2.8, E280, 320TE, E320 - Pelican Parts

So far so good.

Yes, the wiring harness is NLA but any auto electrician should be able to re-wire it. They can possibly do it for a lot less money than the last sold price of these harness's which was somewhere in the US$650-$750.

__________________
1995 E300 Diesel

It takes many hours to rewire it. I'm sure it would be SLIGHTLY cheaper. Just because it is NLA doesn't mean Eddie at MB of Annapolis can't get it.

__________________
Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

Thanks for the responses.

For the harness, if it's not already done, I'd probably take a stab at doing it myself. I saw a recent thread where someone got on from a supplier in the midwest for $1500!! Ouch.

Fingers crossed it was already done!!

And the DIY articles. I missed those somehow! They're great! Between this site/forum and outfits like Mercedes Source, I should have no trouble doing much of the maintenance myself. Really looking forward to this. Hopefully I can get my grubby mitts on the car soon.

Scott

Replacement monovalves are available from MB but some crack within a year. Epoxy is a good fix. Check the thread started by jeremy5848.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

You mentioned a concern about parts availability. I don't think you need to be concerned about that at all. Mercedes is very good about providing parts for older cars (and cars much older than this one). You can usually get whatever you need from a dealer. Sometimes the dealers have to order it from a paarts center, which takes an extra day or two. Failing that, you can get it from the "classic center" in California. The problem is one of price. Mercedes provides very good parts support for older cars.

Often you can get a better price on line. Peach Parts usually has what you need, often at a much better price than you can get from a dealer. When I need a part for my car (a '98 e300), I check with the dealer for a price and then go to Peach Parts and another on-line seller I use and then buy from the one which offers the best price. Price, not availability, is the concern.

My view is that you will be able to buy whatever part you need. Your only problem will be the search for the best price.

Great cars! The monovalve problem is concerning, apparently they are unique to this model, but worst case is we'll have to either "hack" in a replacement from another model or come up with a DIY repair.

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Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

I second Maxbumpo's comment. I have replaced my monovalve about four-five times now with the genuine MB part. They seem to last about 1.5-2 years. The original valve lasted a long time, but the replacements don't last - at least for me. It would be great if someone developed a work around to get rid of the valve altogether.

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1995 E300D

ODD.

any reason in your opinion why the replacements fail? what coolant are you using? is the system clean? runningn hot?

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

oh...

I was planning a purchase of a 95, and found a deal on a 95 MB manual... lemme know if you want it, I do not need it.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Here's a pic of my mono valve which is currently leaking. The valve has plastic hose connections that develop small fissures. The valve seems to leak from multiple locations. I have been using Prestone, the fluid is clear and the coolant temperature gauge on the instrument panel indicates normal. This valve is just under two years old. The reservoir level drops over time, but fast enough that a repair is needed.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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1995 E300D

Well, does Prestone meet the MB spec? Although I really doubt it, I also don't think that is related, unless you have been using the same Prestone fill for years and it has gone acidic and is eating up your monovalves. In your place, just to eliminate a remote possibility, I'd change over to MB spec coolant like Zerex G-05.

Next, I'd replace the hose(s) on both sides of the monovalve with OE from MB, to make absolutely sure that your hoses are not putting some pressure on the monovalve and causing the early failure.

Last, make sure that your monovalve mounting and rubber isolation (if any, I don't know but I suspect it is supposed to be on rubber feet) are present and correct.

__________________
Respectfully,
/s/
M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC

This is all great info. I appreciate it!

I tend to overthink things... but it does lead to well-informed decisions! Still can't wait to get a hold of the car. Should provide years of reliable service!