1989 300te...the rear rides harshly. That is, when I hit bumps, unlevel roads, anything but flat pavement, the car takes the hits sharply. Not smooth...doesn't seem to absorb the blows.
Now, I have never driven another 300te, so I don't know if they are supposed to be like "butter"... Maybe in 1989, this was the best that they could do.
It doesn't seem to be bouncy...but rides like an old truck.
Any ideas?

Yes, check the rear self-leveling suspension (consisting of hydraulic struts, accumulator cells, leveling valve, and hydraulic fluid circulating through a pump part of the power steering pump to the valve and accumulators, and back to the reservoir in the driver's side front engine compartment). Is there hydraulic fluid in the reservoir? When was it last changed? Have the accumulators been replaced ever (they wear out like shock absorbers)? Now, use the search function above, search "SLS" or "self level suspension" and you will find a ton of information. This is a common issue with our TEs.

Replace the accumulators -- about $100 each plus labor. Otherwise, you will beat the seals out of the struts, and they are more like $700 each.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

If your system has hydrolic fluid in the reservoir, it is fairly clean, not dark or black, and the filter in the reservoir is in place and decent, I would say you need new accumulators in the rear. They are like shock absorbers in your car. Your car has what looks like shocks in the rear wheel wells, but they really just act as a hydrolic lift of sorts, the dampening action a normal shock would do is mainly accomplished by the accumulators. They look like large black softball sized orbs under the rear of the car and have hydrolic lines running to them. They do most of the dampening and the bounce control. When the seals in them go bad and the pressurized nitrogen gas in them is no longer pressurized, you get a crumby ride. I suspect they need replaced, it is common for these to go bad in time. They are an easy, but messy job and always use a flange wrench on the hydrolic lines casue they will round off very very easy. Be slow, deliberate and use a lot of penetrating fluid and they will break free with no issues. Get "strong man" disease and you will ruin the lines fast.

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Christopher Henkel
1990 190E 2.6 - Arctic white SOLD
1986 190E-16v - Blauswartze
1993 300CE - SOLD
2003 W208 CLK 320 Cabriolet - Magma Red