w124 300 diesel how many miles and what to look for?

[Chewitt]

I am looking at at a W124 E300D (or at least looking for) estate or saloon

I get the impression these are carved from granite but what sort of issues should I look for? and at what point do mileages move from impressive to depressing?

any help gratefully received...

[Egbert Nobacon]

Chewitt said:

I am looking at at a W124 E300D (or at least looking for) estate or saloon

I get the impression these are carved from granite but what sort of issues should I look for? and at what point do mileages move from impressive to depressing?

any help gratefully received...

My W124 300TD has in excess of 200k and is fine.

The key to these is not mileage but regular servicing and preventative maintenance.

Find one thats been looked after and serviced and it will last for years - just don't expect to run them on a shoestring.

[Vixpy1]

The non Turbo D is slow, really really really slow, try and find a TD if poss

[marc.l]

The w124 was never available in rhd with a turbo, Mercedes always claimed the turbo would get in the way of the steering box. The next generation was turbo diesel and the CDI.
I had a E250TD (TD was for touring diesel or estate) that was maybe the slowest car we have ever owned and have fond memorys of switching the air con off when going up hill, every little helped.....when you have 7 seats and only 110 bhp.We did 160k miles in it and it was crashed badly into the side of a pug 306 when we were doing 70mph.

Things to look out for (or things that I have had go wrong with w124 estates)

Glow plugs (glow plug warning light comes back on after starting when one gose dead)
Self leveling suspenshion. Pump went on a e300 petrol and a valve on the e250
diff. mine got loud at 130k miles but had not given up by 160k miles.
Head gasket. Had one go on the e300 at 120k miles.

One of the best made Mercedes I have ever owned.

[r129sl]

Vixpy1 said:

The non Turbo D is slow, really really really slow, try and find a TD if poss

The TD is an estate car not a turbodiesel. As stated above, the 300 D Turbo and 300 TD Turbo (to give them their proper designations) were not available in RHD in the w124 chassis.

There were 4 rhd diesels. The 250 D and 300 D (and TD, of course) and the E250 diesel and E300 diesel (and T-models, of course). The 250 D had a 5-cylinder, 10-valve engine and put out about 95bhp (from memory); the 300 D had a 6-cylinder, 12-valve engine with 109bhp. The E250 diesel had a 5-cylinder, 20-valve engine with about 110bhp; and the E300 diesel had a 6-cylinder, 24-valve engine with 135bhp. E300 diesel T-models in good order fetch very good money, like £6-7,000: www.w124.co.uk.

Both 6-cylinder cars are adequately powered but slow. I learned to drive in a 300 D and it was wonderful. It was very smooth. I have driven an E250 diesel and it was very slow. In all cases, one would have to adopt a relaxed and forward-looking driving style to avoid death by frustration: they are not racers by any stretch of the imagination. Drive them like a grown up and they are very satisfying.

The 6-cylinders are very highly regarded but finding a good one is difficult, so well do they take abuse that most have been run into the ground.

When I was younger, a local taxi firm ran 250 Ds and I specifically recall riding in one with in excess of 400,000miles on it. Over that mileage it had required only a clutch.

I would very much like a 300 D or E300 diesel.

Edited by r129sl on Tuesday 22 September 12:47

[Ecurie Ecosse]

My Dad had several W124s over the years and the last one - a 1995 run out E220 "SE" didn't seem as well put together as the previous models. It also rusted, whereas the others didn't.

Is there a cut off time that the OP should be looking at?

Damn fine cars, I love them.

[MJK 24]

Get a 250d auto.

So so relaxing to drive. They're so god damned slow that you'll soon give up any thoughts of speed and just cruise along without a care in the world.

The 5cyl diesel makes the most lovely noise imaginable on the motorway.

The 6cyl is unecessarily fast and thirsty! 5 pot all the way.

[bolide]

The late cars (93-on) have the 606 multivalve engine and are preferable to the earlier cars. They're all non-turbo, as has been mentioned, but they're not so slow that they can't keep up with traffic

They are great cars & work seeking out. A good one will drive beautifully and be totally reliable

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk