educate me on a 1995 E-320 Wagon
 

Looking at a E-320 Wagon. I have Extensive experience with 124's as my current wagon is similar if not almost exactly the same.as mine. but, what are the quirks with the gassers, things I need to keep my eyes out for?

Was this one of the years that the lower ball joints can't be seperated/pressed from the control arm, and that you have to replace the whole arm? And also during the era of the biodegradable wiring harness?

the wiring harness is on the list of things to do.

Trouble points of the '95 outside of normal W124s

Wiring harness (biodegradable)
Head Gasket (likes to leak on the back side of the engine)
Timing cover Gasket (loves to leak)
Throttle Body (if its an ASR car, along with all the traction control components)
Also get a good look at that water pump and look for leakage.

hmm, I've heard stories about ASR, what is it, what does it do and how do I tell if this car has it?

It is Mercedes-Benz's traction control system. Look for the snow chain switch on the right hand side above the climate control and the yellow warning triangle light in the middle of the instrument cluster.

this is the Switch panel-

The w124s also had the "lifetime fluids" in the tranny, which if left in for the lifetime lead to premature failures (around 150k miles). It'd be best if any car you buy has had regular tranny fluid changes.

No ASR on that particular car. What is up with the stereo?

heh, the stereo.. yeah.... that was not the Owners doing. in his words it's a POS

So, I'll be looking for another bloody radio. 2 wagons now with ****ty sound systems

Thats an understatement! Also missing that wood trim around it

those little bits I have

Need to know the miles, condition and asking price for an educated appraisal. I'll be selling my nice Imperial Red '95 wagon with 200K soon and it will be fully serviced up.

180ish thousand miles. Condition is very good. small rust spot here and there but nothing huge. Has a leaky head gasket but it comes with the gasket head studs etc so that works for me

so are you buying this for about 1300? if not, walk

under 1300.

No 124s had lifetime fluids in the trans, wrong car.

I have a habit of changing all the fluids in the cars when I get them anyways

Aquaticedge, 4 years ago bought a 1995 E320 (with 130,000 miles) and have put over 40,000 trouble-free miles on it. They are wonderful cars if serviced regularly by-the-book. Transmission fluid should be changed every 30,000 miles ... same for spark plugs and air filter. Oil changes are every 7,500 miles per the Service Manual. I would avoid buying any car with rust issues because it will only get worse, and is expensive to repair correctly. No doubt you're familiar with the rear SLS.

The 1995 124 cars have the lower revving M104 engine which is a marked improvement over the early M104 engine. While a 1995 E320 sedan accelerates well and is a joy to drive, a wagon may accelerate somewhat slower due to the added weight.

Check the instrument panel for an ASR light on the far right. If there is no warning light then that wagon doesn't have ASR (Automatic Slip Resistance or positraction). There should also be a metal tag on the differential for an ASR-equipped car which requires special MB differential fluid. I own 2 MB automobiles with ASR and have never had any problems with it, but I've read posts advising against buying a 124 car with ASR. You will need to judge for yourself.

As with any used MB automobile best to have a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) performed by a MB-trained tech who knows that vintage MB vehicle and its quirks.

My 95 e320 wagon's last owner thought it had lifetime fluid....it did not. we nursed the tranny back to usability but it is still nowhere near where it should be. Other than that, the car is awesome.

OVP relay(behind the battery)
Fuel Pump Relay(also behind the battery)
Leaking evaporator (all 124's)

You can't get a beat up '85 for under $1300. For '95 wagon it's a steal. I wouldn't worry about any minor issues it has for that price.

OVP I've had issue on with my wagon, so I have a few spare, I know about the evaporators and the relay I'll grab a few next time I pick n pull

I'm not 100% that ovp's are compatible between years and fuels. I dunno...I just bought one specific to my car and in the meantime I cleaned the connections...I'm using my old one...my new one is still in the box unopened in the CD changer area in the back:)

Time will tell, The rust spots are small, no holes through the metal, but I plan on taking it down to metal, Priming and painting the area's I wont let it spread. No worries, This car has the M104 Engine? Good to know, I'm trying to source a head incase I need one

PMd you about the head.

IIRC your ''87 300TD is a single-fuse type and the '95 E320 is a 2-fuse OVP.

hmm, I'll take a look. Fuses are easy