Moving W124

[bobski1]

Via Shipley I've got a quote to move some cars, 2 of which are family W124 mercedes. They've been sat for a number of years and are in need of restoration.

I have had a look at them this week and found the handbrake to be on both I don't know if it's always been or whether it was the last time somebody moved it.

I've got the key to get inside but I didn't dare start it or turn the ignition, would it be okay to do this?

I also tried to get it out of park, am I right in assuming without ignition this won't happen?

The transporter is confident he can still move them and says the winch will help to move the car if the brakes are seized but not 100% I agree.

[South tdf]

Putting onto ignition should not cause any problems as the battery will no doubt be flat.

Is there a button near the gearstick that allows you to engage neutral with the engine off? Handbrake should also come off once someone tried to put resistance against it. Sometimes worth pulling the lever and pressing the pedal a few times to see if it frees off.

[bobski1]

On the w124 there is a handle on the right to disengage and a pedal to engage. I managed with relative easy to pull the handle. Both cars gave the usual clunk and then the handle went loose which to me is handbrake off.

I'm not sure how to put it into park with engine off. The way I tried it was to put foot on brake and try to move the selector but it was having none of it.

Definitely a dead battery. The old man said he will source a battery and try it on one to see if it works

[Dapster]

I think I'm right in thinking that the early W124 autos had a free moving selector that you could move around the gate regardless of whether the engine was on or off, or whether you had your foot on the brake. The later facelift cars with the Sacco panels would have had the interlock. You can tell because the later cars had the legend at the base of the selector lever panel saying something like "Depress brake before moving selector lever out of Park...." or whatever and the earlier cars had none.

I'm not sure how you can over come the lock if that's what you have.

These may not be pics of a W124 but you can see the writing.

Without interlock




With interlock

Edited by Dapster on Monday 28th October 23:48

[Howitzer]

I have a 1991 w124 and even if the handbrake was on you could still move the car. They are surprisingly resistant to seizing though anyway.

Asking as you have some voltage on the battery it will
move from park.

Dave!

[bobski1]

So the old man had a look at them and has managed to get them into neutral. They had a cable under the wooden panel which he used to get it into to move.

Hoping the winch on the trailer will make moving them easier. Just a case of getting it booked in. Hopefully within the next month and build threads can begin