How many million mile Mercedes have there been? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JHZR2 · #31 05-24-2019, 01:42 AM

In 2002 they knew of approximately one 220D.

vwnate1 · #32 05-24-2019, 08:06 AM

I never got any lapel pin.....

Diseasel300 · #33 05-24-2019, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHZR2

In 2002 they knew of approximately one 220D.

That's nice the car made it to 1M miles. Was it the original engine, or had it been rebuilt/replaced? Ever notice that part is *ALWAYS* left out?

JHZR2 · #34 05-24-2019, 09:56 AM

Who knows...

I think back in 02 when I first got into theee cars, someone said that if you get to 1M, you get a free one....

I have my badge but no lapel pin. Maybe I’ll submit my CD for one and see what I get...

79-240d · #35 05-24-2019, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHZR2

In 2002 they knew of approximately one 220D.

Interesting.

Obviously, I'm sure there might be others out there that have hit the 1M mile mark since 2002, not to mention cars whose owners didn't bother to send in to Mercedes to get certification.

But this thread is making a really valuable point. As someone who often browses W123s on Craigslist just for the fun of it, as I'm sure many of you do, every second listing describes these cars as million-mile cars. So whether it has 280k or 350k on the odo, the seller will proclaim, "this car is barely getting broken in!" And this is just not true.

Judging by what people are generally saying in this thread (not to mention the actual mileage seen in cars that are actually for sale), it seems to me like somewhere in the 200,000s to 300,000s is the typical high end for these cars. And for cars of that era, that's still impressive! I grew up at a time when people took pictures of their cars when the odometers turned over because it was such a big deal that their car had made it to 100,000 miles.

But I do think it's valuable to set realistic expectations, which is that these are something more like quarter million to half million mile cars.

gottarollwithit · #36 05-24-2019, 10:02 PM

I'm in agreement with that. Mine has well over 300k mi, and it's a bit more than "broken in"... more so just broken.
In my 10 yrs, i've worn out a tranny and a diff. Previous owner put a new crate motor in sometime in the 90's.

Most cars don't make it to 1 mil because of collision or neglect. 1 Mil miles is a TON of time on the road, especially if you're not routinely driving long distances at night. Traffic, cops, construction, etc make racking up miles difficult

jbach36 · #37 05-25-2019, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79-240d

Interesting.

Obviously, I'm sure there might be others out there that have hit the 1M mile mark since 2002, not to mention cars whose owners didn't bother to send in to Mercedes to get certification.

But this thread is making a really valuable point. As someone who often browses W123s on Craigslist just for the fun of it, as I'm sure many of you do, every second listing describes these cars as million-mile cars. So whether it has 280k or 350k on the odo, the seller will proclaim, "this car is barely getting broken in!" And this is just not true.

Judging by what people are generally saying in this thread (not to mention the actual mileage seen in cars that are actually for sale), it seems to me like somewhere in the 200,000s to 300,000s is the typical high end for these cars. And for cars of that era, that's still impressive! I grew up at a time when people took pictures of their cars when the odometers turned over because it was such a big deal that their car had made it to 100,000 miles.

But I do think it's valuable to set realistic expectations, which is that these are something more like quarter million to half million mile cars.

200k to 300k is NOT the top end for these cars. A Mercedes mechanic told me when I bought mine that "you will be darned good and sick of this car before it ever gives up on you. They're not a maintenance free car, but they will go a very long time if you take care of them". I see people who don't want to spend 10 cents on the car and just let it go to rot. The car can't talk to you. So when you see something leaking or squeaking, FIX IT NOW, not after it gets worse and breaks.

83w126 · #38 05-25-2019, 03:17 AM

I had a 300SD that I bought with the odometer stopped at 376k and drove it for several more years and it really didn't have any mileage related issues. I sold it because it needed a lot more money put into maintenance (tires, heater and ac didn't work, leaked a lot of oil, etc) and it was pretty rusty for a California car so I didn't want to spend more money on it. I wouldn't be surprised if someone is still driving it if it hasn't gotten wrecked though.

JHZR2 · #39 05-25-2019, 09:38 AM

Many of them will run a very long while, if kept well. But as others say, rust, collisions, etc can ruin the prospect fast.

I’m sure there are more which have not been reported, in third world service.

The point on misrepresented CL and EBay ads is a very good one.

barry12345 · #40 05-25-2019, 11:13 AM

Perhaps some Mercedes cabs in the middle east if worked three shifts made it.. Plus almost never where shut down. Might have made it on the original engines. I suspect the non turbo engines might last longer in service.

Fuel would have been so cheap back then. Plus perhaps a better grade. A constant running engine would not be a financial concern. It would have to be a manual transmission to have much hope though.

I drove a 1985 jetta diesel until I was just sick and tired of driving it. It was still running well when I stopped. Total miles forgotten but not that high. Possibly the cheapest car to maintain I ever owned. So easy to work on as well. Some things were extremely well thought out like the two stage low oil pressure warning system. There was no way you could ignore the noise when it went off. I found this out when driving through a deep water pool only once.

To this day I wonder why Mercedes eliminated both a water trap for the fuel and a better low oil pressure warning system.

83w126 · #41 05-26-2019, 02:04 AM

I think the problem with the water trap is that they aren't idiot proof, and they would eventually fill up and suck water into the engine and cause more damage than a small amount at a time in the fuel.

barry12345 · #42 05-26-2019, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 83w126

I think the problem with the water trap is that they aren't idiot proof, and they would eventually fill up and suck water into the engine and cause more damage than a small amount at a time in the fuel.

Volkswagons had a warning light that water was collecting in the water trap. It was located near the drivers rear wheel. You could reach under and drain it.

In the day I purchased aftermarket ones for my Mercedes diesels. They came with warning light feeds.. They were also dirt cheap new surplus but unfortunately that has changed as well.

My feeling is that if you do not buy fuel at really large volume places you do risk getting a real substantial amount of water at sometime. If you have the trap with the indicator light it will go on not too long after you leave the fuel stop.