I have an opportunity to buy a '94 E320 Coupe with 146K on it. I don't see too many of them on the road and after consulting Nike's book of production, I can see why. MB only built 3,234 of them in 1994. No telling how many of those actually made it here.

Anyways, how much life, can one expect out of these 3.2 straight sixes. Are there any issues with these engines. I know about the wiring issues in MB cars during this period, and I will check that out.

Any purchasing advise the "collective" can provide would be helpful.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

The M104 engine in the car you are looking at has some problems relating to the head gasket as well as the previously mentioned wiring harness. Make sure that the engine is not seeping any oil or coolant from the cylinder head gasket and that the coolant has no oil mixed in with it. Beyond those problems, the M104 is a pretty stout unit, and with proper care and attention it will last for many more miles. There are of course problems with the ASR traction control so I would make sure that the system works as it should with no warning lights or that it does not go into 'limp' mode with symptoms of the throttle control being greatly reduced. I would avoid a car with ASR if I could as problems with it are often a nuisance to fix and costly.

Other coupe particulars to pay attention to are the seatbelt retractors. Make sure that they extend and retract as they should when you turn the car on or close a door with the ignition on. The front seat backs should lock into place when the engine is running and the doors are closed. They are not locked when the engine is off or the corresponding front door is opened. Ensure that all the electric accessories work, and that the climate control system is up to par. A good pre purchase inspection should reveal any other faults about the particular car you are looking at.

On a final note, you can't go wrong with the style of the classic pillarless coupes, and they are rare compared to other W124 models. It is not that often that I see another example roaming the roads. Good luck with your purchase!

Thank you for the quick reply. I will look out for those pariculars.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

I agree with all the items mentioned previously, I will add that I have a 92 Coupe with ASR auto slip control which has shown no problems yet @ 150k miles. It really helps in the snow, even with street tires. I have also had no problems with my seat retractors in either my coupe or cabriolet.

The 94 will have the bad wiring harness, which hopefully has been changed out by now. It also agree that the E class coupes remain a fabulous looking car, much better than the S or C coupes made after '95 in my opinion.

The new 2010 E Coupe looks great too, but it will be years before I can afford one (used that is!!)

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1994 E320 Cabriolet
1992 300CE (Sold)
1991 300SE (Sold)
1986 560SEL (Sold)

coupe w124 is deff one of most beautiful cars out there, those suckers get me hard all the time

Classy.

1) Evaporator can leak without warning; $3500 to fix
2) Tranny can fail beginning at 150k miles; regular fluid changes can push that to over 200k
3) Engine wiring harness sheathings degrade with age, causing weird electrical issues ($800)

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

$3500 sounds high for an evaporator. I thought it was more like a $2000 job.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

A friend did it to his 500E - it was $3500 cash price. If you can get an evap replaced for $2000, that'd be a steal.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

I thought book time was something like 17 hours in labor. That's about $1,700 in labor, plus whatever the evaporator costs (and also the vacum actuated pods that most guys usually replace while they're in there).

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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".