back in the w124 scene, huge project, daily beater. 1993 300CE W124.052

[gabzor]

So i picked up a 1993 300CE (3.2 M104)
no asr
Paint code 702 is smoke silver, interior code 265 is mushroom leather
came with chrome 500e rims i believe
now heres the catch.. so the odo says 115,000 i know i know too good to be true..
i ran a vin check, turns out the odo was rolled back/replaced 100k basically a long time ago, but the last 2 owners had NO idea.. so basically lets say the car has 250k.. he thought everything was just happening prematurely.. poor guy
he bought it from his aunt..
Car has basically been sitting for about a year and who knows how he drove it..
I picked it up from palm springs california so.. the car is dusty.. and many things are cracked..

interior has gone to hell, but headliner is good, and surprisingly, the seat belt carriers work PERFECT!

-he has a 6000$ transmission job receipt from 1999 or something (not his)
(has about 2k in receipts, including wiring harness done back in 2001 (he seems to have probably followed some online guides, cause he showed me where he cut it to check the wires, and has his own code reader thing?)
-head gasket receipt (don't know if its mb spec, but he said his mechanic used a good steal one)
-has a receipt for cylinder #5 being replaced (but i don't know if its mb spec)
-has receipts for other repairs, tensioners, etc
-dash isn't cracked.. but its dry

now things that worry me
-has a CEL, i tried the code reader (never had one before, it blinked like 5 times, ill make sure) and repost
-all the rubber/plastic seem dry
-vacuum leaks
-AC doesn't work very well it gets cold, but the blowerfans seem weak, nothing from middle vents, he blocked the top vents with pvc tape, he did it so more pressure would come out through the sides
-don't think heater works
-cheap tires
-Brakes seem weird, but not bad, lots of life in them
-has a KYB shock i think, but bushing is out, and makes annoying sounds when i go over something (only 1)
-cheappppp autozone battery
-serpentine belt looks like it needs swapping, but he gave me a new one (AUTOZONE) PEHHHH
-speedo needle shakes a little
-dusty
-don't know if/where it leaks
-weird aftermarket alarm
-sunroof is slow, when it tries to open, but closes fast
-lights dim a little when window switch is pressed
-right side power mirror doesn't work
-windows are very slow, and scratched.. hopefully its just the tint..
-defroster status, unknown
-still hasn't gone on the rack
-steering feels heavy (PS fluid seemed dark dark dirty though)
-reverse seems to lagg? or the car doesn't move unless i put some gas in reverse
-the accelerator pedal is heavyish, but clicks (no not the kickdown) seems kind of loose
-oil pressure is at 0 when idling, and falls a bit
-oil light comes on when i took it to 80, goes off, comes back, etc
-seems to run kind of warm, but i think its common for m104
-one headlight doesn't work, but high beams do, so its probably a fuse

-i want to ideally get rid of the CEL asap so i can smog, he got a smog 2 years ago he said he turned off the light with his homemade scanner device or something? or with battery clamps and they passed fine
and get my tags too (august 2011) was his last tags

-i'm going to get a ppi asap, with leakdown test and everything
-going to change the oil sooner then asap, but i'm not sure what oil to put, he doesn't remember his last oil change, and he seems to have gone to jiffy lube
he is pretty sure he put dino oil though i just don't know what grade to put

I got the car for $1000, and with all the service receipts, even with the rolled odo, it seemed like a decent daily as i don't have a car and the engine didn't run too bad, and tranny was smooth
(till it blew a fuse, and i went crazy and thought it was the immobilizer when it turned out to be a little central locking system fuse :crazy at work
-i brought it from 400ish miles away so i really should get an oil change asap!!

so the little diy things i probably need to do
-sun visor clips are broken
-one speaker goes in and out (probably just wiring)
-need to replace front seats
-need to get new seatbelt retainer covers or whatever
-new window (water proofing seals)
-basic tuneup
-possibly 400e brake upgrade
-need to change battery to a better one
-serpentine belt
-shifter knob
-facelift headlights
-new plates, their all bent up, wish i can keep my old ones it was so easy to memorize
-suspension overhaul.. still thinking whether to go sportline or not, but of course i want the steering box and everything, but i still havn't decided
-stick my old sound system in there?
-compass mirror retrofit
-get cover for ecu -__-


so the story, i had a 95 c280 before, and the m104 feels just like it, a tad more power, not as smooth (yet) but my 1987 3.0 m103 seems to pull me back alot more to my seat, esp during first gear, and is alot more responsive, i thought the 3.2 m104 was going to be a wow over the m103, and as well as compared to the m104 2.8 but the m103 still pulls harder for some reason?

-the seatbelts are cool, once both windows are down, you feel like a king despite how your car looks.. although it'd be better swagging out
-the ride is smooth (well i need a new suspension) [even in its current state]
-still looks great even with such crappy paint (or lack of clearcoat)
-great mpg, way better than my 87 300e


the only thing i've done is
-change all the fuses to german copper ones (i thought they'd use ato fuses from the 93 as they do have like a code scanner)
-change ovp relay fuse
changing my taillight bulb, for now but once i wash my facelift ones ill stick em in

i need to really clean the car, but i have no idea where to start.. how do i clean all the dust from the inside/worn out leather/plastics?

i know "there is no such thing as a cheap benz" and it is better to find one in good condition..
as i've gone through 2 in pretty beat condition, i mean my 300e was fine till it got wrecked.. my c280.. everything i fixed and some old lady decided to rear end me

but man does my 300e's paint look good haha

anyways this is just my daily, so i don't mind if it doesn't look great, i mean i do but im more worried about how the car runs, and the little minor things..
and i figure its better than any civic, way better driving feel, comfort, and its so much more safer, i would know. (i was going to buy midasmike's 300ce sportline, but the money just didn't come around )

so what else are some easy things i should do first,
i do plan on doing things over time little by little like saijin_naab was it?

i know it might be expensive
and all i want first is for the car to run properly and well then do the suspension probably..

if anyone has any pointers or tips where to start, and things to do i appreciate it and i know i missed things, its almost 12 am, had to work after a 4 hour drive

heres some pics.. will take more later, just kind of busy and lazy and had a w124 leave me stranded!! well i should have checked the fuse.. hahaha

OH and i forgot, what can i swap from my wrecked 87 300e, into the 93 300ce?






just a couple i snapped in work parking lot.. will take some of the dusty interior soon

[sixto]

Change the oil, coolant, transmission fluid and filter, brake fluid, power steering fluid and filter, differential fluid, air filter, all the fuses...

Sixto
87 300D

[Ferdman]

Regarding oil change: Use either 15W40 mineral oil or Mobil 1 15W50 with a new oil filter cartridge. Suspect the oil level is low now. That's why the oil warning light comes on while you're driving. It's likely you need to replace the oil pressure sending unit since the pressure reads 0 at idle.

Remove and check the condition of the distributor cap, distributor rotor, spark plugs and ignition wires. Replace, as required. A neglected ignition system can cause the EZL unit to fail, and a new one costs around $2,500.

That car needs much TLC. Hopefully you are a DIY'er with access to discounted parts, or you will be spending thousands of dollars making that car right. Good luck.

[gabzor]

just did the fuses today, seems like im going to need to update the headlights anyways.. the damned connector has epoxy all over it so the damned lowbeam on 1 side wont go on :|

gotcha sixtwo, some stuff is already coming in the mail, and all fuses done.

ferdman - isn't mobile 1 full synthetic only? i didn't want to go full synthetic because i thought it'd cause a leak..

i suck at doing diy, i have a little mechanics tool kit thing, but i learned alot from my last w124.. although this has even less room

thanks for the info on the idle, ill change the oil first..

i thought m104 doesn't use a cap and roter?

theres access to tons of junkyards and stuff here in southern cali, but man i didn't think working on a baked car is so damned annoying and hard..

theres sand and dust everywhere, and everything is so damned brittle.. -___-

guess im spending more than i thought i would..

[Ferdman]

gabzor, my mistake about the distributor cap & rotor ... I saw the 300CE designation on the trunk lid and immediately thought of our 1991 & 1992 300CE engines. The engine in your car does not have a standard cap and rotor set-up. Instead it has the top-mounted coil packs (3) atop cylinders/spark plugs 2, 4 and 6.

Mobil 1 has swell agents to preclude leaks from gaskets and seals. I run it in our 1991, 1992, 1995 and 1998 MB automobiles without any leakage problems. In the case of the 1991 and 1995 engines I started using Mobil 1 when I bought each with over 100,000 miles ... still no leakage problems regardless of the horror stories you may read from time to time.

Replacing the thermostat should resolve the engine running hot. Check aroung the engine compartment for signs of coolant leakage ... white residue if the proper MB coolant is in the engine. As you probably know, green coolant is a no-no in MB engines.

Use leather rejuvenator on the seats. 303 Aaerospace Protectant works well on vinyl surfaces (the dash board) and rubber (tires, door & trunk seals). Try Meguiar's Cleaner Wax on the paint, although it appears the clear coat is shot.

[gabzor]

coil packs act like cap and rotor? or is it all built with the spark plugs/wires?
guess ill switch to mobil 1 again, i did this for me 87 300e, leaked at first but when i changed it to a heavier grade was fine.. but right now i need an oil change period so ill use dino for now and stick to some more repairs..

havn't checked coolant yet actually..

so i thought i could use the power mirror from the 87 300e, but nope, their different..

and the rearview was in bad shape, so i tried to use the 87 300e one as well, different.. i thought all w124 mirrors were the same so i just tugged it out, but it happens to have 3 screws, and comes off with the mini-visor..

so things i've done..
-safely removed driver side mirror without it breaking on me
-broke the rearview mirror -___-
so i have only 1 mirror, and power doesnt seem to go to it
-my AC controller lights went out for some reason
-engine makes more noise than i thought, and shakes the whole car, might need mounts.. hopefully sand isn't in the engine, but i wouldn't be surprised as its everywhere.. as i think sand might be in the lifters or something, as its causing a tick
-need a new headlight switch
-can't figure out how to take the drivers side headlight out, i got the bolts, but the wiper motor is there and i really don't remember how i got it out of the 87 300e
-pulled out the power seat switches and cleaned it, full functions are back
-the accel pedal is loose or something..
-little flare between gear 2-3 upshift
-took out sunvisors just cause they were swinging around a little bit..
-vacuumed a whole bunch of rocks under the carpeting..
-found various digital ports in the back..?
-think i need new thermostat sooner or later

so basically i need even more work! maybe i should get some mirrors from the junkyard, clean it up and get rid of it..

[Ferdman]

gabzor, a rough idle could be due to a failed coil pack. The best thing you can do is take your 1993 300CE to a reputable indy who is MB-trained and is familiar with that particular car. Get his professional opinion on exactly what is needed to make the car right with an itemized material and labor cost for each item. Then you can decide if it's a good idea to invest any more time and money, or sell the car as-is.

[gabzor]

Originally Posted by Ferdman

gabzor, a rough idle could be due to a failed coil pack. The best thing you can do is take your 1993 300CE to a reputable indy who is MB-trained and is familiar with that particular car. Get his professional opinion on exactly what is needed to make the car right with an itemized material and labor cost for each item. Then you can decide if it's a good idea to invest any more time and money, or sell the car as-is.

aye, heading to mrmb in reseda, or some random mech indy asap.

btw i have found an mystery part..



any idea what this is? i found it swinging around, and it was tied to the rearview.. of course before i broke it..

[sixto]

Maybe a microphone for an on-board cell phone.

Sixto
87 300D

[gabzor]

seems to come out from the headliner though

[gabzor]

got smogged today, smogged okay even with the CEL on, i asked what it was he said its just dusty sensor
got that done for $50

Got an old tint removed for $10..
it was all scratched up because so much dirt and dust is between the seal or something..

so it makes a creeking sound and its slow.. is it the whole regulator assembly?
and how do i clean up the thing that scratches up the window tints?