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Comments
You sure know a lot about these cars. How did ya learn all this stuff? I am not too worried about the cruise control as I don't think I will use it much.
However, my antenna stopped working today. I am not sure what happened. Also I noticed that when I try to work the air/heat if I press the EN button sometimes nothing happens. First I have to press the UP and Down arrow buttons it will kick on and then I can press the A/C or the ECN button and it will remain working. I imagine that it should work immediately once I press any button. Paul any help on this? This stuff I will need to use.
By the way I retightened the tac sending unit and it has been working ever since. The clock doesn't work though! Darn.
You can buy them from many sources, but I think if you keep an eye on Ebay you can get them used for a decent price as compared to new.
I like to do work with my hands and think I will enjoy fixing the problems. However, the concern is the "Diagnosis" or what to fix. That is not always apparent. And I am not sure what to look for. Just for the cruise control there are 3 or 4 parts that it can be. Paul that posts in this board always pinpoints the problem and seems to be good at it. He was right on the Tac issue and am willing to bet that the CC part he described is most likely what I need for that.
I will get the manuals on CD. Then I can just print out the pages I need for that specific project. Project one I think is going to be a Brake inspection and fluid flush. I also will look into changing the CV boot. On one side the outer boot looks very old. Paul has bee extremely helpful here and Mr. S. I really appreciate all the tips.
Anyone here in the Bay Area? Maybe we could meet some time to discuss 123's. Oh a small thing that bothers me. The plastic covering that goes on the interior border of the windows. It shriveled up and is not nice and flat. Annoying. Do they have replacements for that?
I bought the a/c module as a spare because they aren't very durable. Anything having to do with A.C on a Benz built from 1965-1985 (more or less) is going to be trouble you can just count on it.
Do you recommend for a average guy(Not mechanically inclinde) to purchase a used 240 or 300d as a car.
But don't by some cheapo rat-trap of a car, that's a disaster waiting to happen.
And weren't the a/c systems in all imported cars from like 1965-90 kind of a joke? (Except for maybe the Japanese or Swedes)
European a/c isn't very good in the 70s & 80s, but if you keep after them they are adequate for most climates...forget Arizona desert, however, in a 70s or 80s Benz. There is no way. But for 90 degree heat, and with a light colored car, mine is adequate.
Thanks for the info. The buttons don't always work. Even if I have the fan on high and press the A/C or the ecn nothing happens. I went in a long trip and had the A/C on with the automatic. Well the fan never slowed down. It was always on high.
I took the unit out yesterday and with car running and air on, as I moved the unit the fan speed varied significantly.
Looks like the unit is bad! Mr. S, Paul, would you agree? On the Antenna, It started working again! Not sure what happened. Paul I also looked at the oil cooler hoses. Only the lower hose is a little moist. Definitely not leaking.
One of the windows doesn't stop so I will try to adjust the regulator, if I can figure it out. And I think I will replace the vaccumm check valves. They look pretty beat up. Also when I disconnected them the brake pedal got softer. So I take it my booster works. It was funny that I took the key out though and the car kept running. I am having fun figuring all this stuff out. I will soon get the Manual CD's. Hurray! Thanks for all the info!
I'm not that familiar with 123 body cars, but in every 116 body car I have dealt with the rear windows work just the way your descibing. The 116 body car I have now is also that way. I've never had to replace rear regulators, only fronts, so if that is normal or not I don't know.
If it's not, the only thing I think it could be is the drive gear on the motor slipping on the driven gear on the regulator. Now you have me wondering if it's really "normal" or not. I don't remember ever seeing anything in the manual about the front and rear door window mechanisms having any significant differences.
Engine keeps running when key is taken out :
There is a vacuum switch that shuts off fuel, and this is obviously bad on your car.
Not a big deal.
I am also debating whether it is worth getting the Mity Vac. Not sure that I need one. I can bleed brakes without one. Do you guys use it much? Please let me know. Also I believe in quality so I would not just buy the cheapest. Please let me know if it is worth it.
Thanks. I will NOT get the plastic one. I don't believe in doing half (complete) jobs nor do I believe in cheap tools! Kind of an Oxymoron. I want to do a good job with cheap tools. Ha ha. I hope the manuals do show how to use the thing.
Paul, In taking the ACC module apart, the board is hard to take out. I think I have to remove the levers that hold the buttons by removing the little c clip and spring. The casing around the board has an L shape.
TOP
_____case________
Button > (-- |_____Board_______| < back
|____case_________|
BOTTOM (Bottom case cover comes off)
So the board doesn't just slide out. Looking above you have to pull it down and out. But as you pull down the board in the back the button levers crimp in the front against the top. There is not enough clearence to pull down and out. Question then is, when I pull button out, DO I have to also remove the spring and take out the white levers???? Hope you know exactly what I mean. Thanks a lot! I didn't want to force it out because I may damage the board even more!
I took it all apart last night. And I did an overhaul of certain connections. I have to deal with the tools I have. I did not have a fine pencil soldering tool. But careful attention and precision allowed me to do it with regular soldering unit. It turned out cleaner that I thought originally. I reinforced all the connections on one side. The other side was still solid. However It should be all set. I will test it today!
Gotta watch the World Cup at the same time. I also repaired my aftermarket radio. Someone had tried to pry it off and steal it from the previous owner breaking the casette deck. That is all fixed too! Thanks to CRAZY glue. I already ordered the Mity Vac. I also got a pair of used window motors and regulators. One of my regulators in back is bad. And I heard you cannot adjust the regulator.... Is this true?
So this is all happening. Soon the benz will be in "PERFECT" order once again! Still amazed at how it doesn't drop any oil on the floor. Engine is in great shape!!!
Paul, again many thanks!!!!!
On the performance catalog, do you mean Performanceparts.com? I hadn't known of that. Maybe I will fix the Cruise Control. I will not use it much and I know that. But I like to know that everything works like it should!
After sitting for a few days, when I opened the door, the others did not open. So I know that I have a leak somewhere. The Mity Vac should be on the way as well as the manual CD's. The best thing is that I am having fun with it.
Oh! it seems to leak some oil through the oil filler cap! And in the last service record it said that the oil filler cap seal was replaced. So what should I do???
Thanks for all the info!
1. What do they do when they rebuild the engine in the 300D and how much will it cost(cnd dollar)
2. Does that mean the engine will be like new
3. What is the difference between the 300D and the 300SD
you don't want to know the cost of rebuilding a 300D engine and you don't even want to do it, because you can buy about three nice 300Ds for the price of the rebuild and keep two as spares.
Other alternatives would be a junkyard engine.
Is it worth it. One owner
Give you a for instance, mine is a high mileage car 230K, ( a 1980 W123 chassis, very similar to this car) and I just priced new CV joints (axles) for the independent IRS, and new they are $600 each, $225 each rebuilt---+ 4-5 hours shop time. (I found some good used ones at $115 each and I'll put them in myself---a long day's work for me on the ground).
Maybe the diesel engines are long lived, but those engines are also dragging around an entire car with 300K on all the components. Buyer beware!
I'm from Canada and just to let you know what our winters do to nice cars..........(IT EATS THEM FROM THE INSIDE OUT!!!!!!)I was wondering.
I was just on ebay, and I saw so many nice looking w123 mercedes benz diesels. My question is, are cars from the States(nice whether areas)better to buy, would you recommend buying a car on Ebay...
So here's the question, for our host and anyone who want to chime in:
I'm looking for an MB that we can use reliably for longer trips, but where total annual miles probably won't exceed an average of around 6000 or so. We have a nice reliable late-model Corolla for the local runaround stuff. Because I'm not a mechanic, I haven't bothered with looking for anything but low-mileage cars. For the past 2 issues of the STAR, there is a guy in SoCal who is trying to sell an '81 300SD [more or less identical to a car I once bought new] with less than 10,000 miles on it since new [no, not a typo]. He wants $20,000. Yeah, I know...but the questions are these:
-What is this car's value, do you suppose, in the cold hard real world?
-What should I be looking for in inspecting the car, beyond the obvious [starting and running like a car with only 10k on the clock, AC function, no obvious leaks, running vibration-free at freeway speeds, etc.]? Yes, I'd probably take it to a professional, but only if it passes my cursory examination on the driveway and the road - here's where I can use some hints.
-How should a garage queen like this have been maintained? At least annual oil changes for the engine, but how about other fluids?
-Should I be worried about other rubber parts besides tires [which I would replace in almost any case - I have strong prejudices here]? Seals, suspension bushings, door/trunk rubber?
-Joe has already given me some ideas about maintenance costs; anybody else is welcome to chime in.
I owned a total of 5 diesels during the 70's and 80's. My experience was that the turbos were far and away the most enjoyable cars to drive, and always seemed to run better on the crappy diesel fuel we have in this country than the normally aspirated engines. Still, I'd welcome any "watch-out-fors" from any source - I'm an MB veteran, but not in the area of cars with 20+ years behind them.
Finally, a question for Joe: are you the "Troise" half of the R&T cartoon team? If so, I'm a big fan....
Thanks in advance for everyone's input.
John R.
Elk Grove CA [near Sacto]...so working AC is an absolute necessity...
Buying a Car on Ebay?
Ah, I'm really divided about that. I suppose it depends entirely on the published reputation (feedback data provided by Ebay). I've seen a Florida dealer for instance, who gets very good feedback on his sales, so he must be doing something right. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean his clients don't find some problems later on, after the honeymoon.
Personally, I would buy a car on Ebay but only after having hired someone to look at it and report back to me.
As for a 300D, e-mail me rocque and I may be able to turn you onto a good W123 sometime.
As for the climate control, there is a bit of a delay but it should kick in after a short time.
You tell him "if it's so cheap to fix, why don't you do it and I'll pay for it before I buy the car".
I'm sorry to be so geocentric....how much is $6,500 cdn?
If you really like the car, ask the dealer to change the filters and/or glow plugs and get the climate control working.
WARNING: Rough idle on a 300D could also mean low compression in one cylinder!
On a diesel, given the high compression ratios, any drop, even in one cylinder, ha a pretty strong effect on idlling.
People never adjust the valves on these engines like they should, so you could also have a tight valve.
So tell the dealer to square the car away.
Any 300D should start instantly and idle smoothly within 5-10 seconds.
I'd estimate about 95 out of 100 people complaining about Mercedes quality have never owned one, and of the 5 who have owned them and had bad experiences we often don't know the complete circumstances.
Certainly, every now and then any car made will cough up a few poor examples, but given the quality that goes into a Benz engine I'd say that a failure at 100K would be far more the exception rather than the rule.
Mercedes diesels are probably in a class by themselves when quality and longevity are considered. The thousands of Mercedes diesel taxis in Germany speak well for their quality and endurance. My wife has a 1977 300D with 97,000 miles, and she's fond of saying that it's almost broken in! But then, I ensure that it's properly maintained, and it's garaged whenever it's not on the road. When we drive it and stop, people keep trying to buy it from us!
Bottom line -- if a Mercedes diesel is given proper care and regular maintenance, it should last a very long time and accumulate many miles.
If it isn't supported by such, one would have to suspect malicious intent.
I'm reasonably sure that my experience has been repeated by owners of every make of automobile that's ever been on the road. And I would say AGAIN that ANY car that is driven 255,000+ miles with minor upkeep expense is, indeed, an extreme exception (Mercedes diesels included -- they DO need regular maintenance and frequent upkeep that often is costly). I believe you're aware that in Germany, Daimler Benz awards 100,000 Km. grill badges to owners of Mercedes diesels as they accumulate each 100,000 Km., and some grills sport four or more such badges!
It was just a general comment about brand-bashing.
In any case, I think consumers ultimately decide which brand of autos survive and which bite the dust. I remember Nash, Studebaker, DeSoto and more recently, Plymouth. Soon Olds will join the list. For a while, Audi was on the ropes, at least in the U.S. market. Some would say, "Too bad." Others might say it was bound to happen. My bet, though, is that we'll never see Mercedes or BMW discontinued.