Titivating my Mercedes 124

[loudlashadjuster]

r129sl said:

T-195 said:

RoverP6B said:

Where is the intake on petrol 124s? I still have a real hankering for an E320, or maybe an E36. The combination of the M104 and 5-speed auto would be the ideal IMO.

Once heard the 5 speed auto was best avoided.

The air intakes arrived post facelift.

The air intake on the right side wing features on all models where the air filter is located behind the right side headlamp rather than above or beside the engine. They featured throughout the 124's life but on only certain diesel models as follows:

250 D Turbo
300 D Turbo and TD Turbo
E250 diesel
E300 diesel and diesel T

The air vents also featured on a 500 E prototype that was used for public road testing, presumably to throw journalists off the scent, being a feature associated with the diesel cars. The w201 190 D 2.5 Turbo has similar wing vents, too.

On all other 124s, the airbox is above or beside the engine and air is drawn up a long tube starting behind the bonnet grille.

The five speed auto in the 124 is not the same as that used in the 55 and 65 AMG cars. Those cars use the 722.6 transmission which is bullet proof (apart from a tendency to leak oil from the pilot bush of the diagnostic connect which eventually creeps by way capillary action along the wiring harness and into the ECU case). The 124 (and early six cylinder 129s) use the 722.5 transmission. This is essentially the 722.3 four speeder with an electronically actuated fifth gear stuck on the end, paired to a lower final drive ratio. I prefer the 722.3. It is smoother in its changes in my experience. It is also more robust. But to say the 722.5 is weak relative to the 722.3 is like saying reinforced concrete is weak relative to granite. Although the 722.5 in my 320 TE did drop to bits. It still went, even with holes in the casing from which myriad metal parts were ejected.

Oh, the conversations with folk, many of whom should have known better, who insisted that the 'TD' badge on my half-facelift 300TD meant it was a turbodiesel.

On more than one occasion it wasn't resolved until I popped the bonnet and asked them to point to the alleged turbocharger!

[RoverP6B]

I must admit that had always been my understanding too!

[r129sl]

T stands for Touring or Transport, as in T-Model.

I mean, nobody thinks the 300 TE is a turbocharged fuel injection engine, so why would the 300 TD be a turbo motor?

[Northbrook]

Habit.

[bolidemichael]

Modern terminology such as the Golf GTD may influence this.

[RoverP6B]

The S124s I've seen in recent years have all been post-facelift E220/280/320s. I'd forgotten about the old nomenclature.

[r129sl]

^^^I was being a bit sarky, I realise my post might have read a bit funny, apologies.

[T-195]

Didn't know the vents were diesels only.

Probably fewer on the roads back in the day.

[JakeT]

That's an absolutely mega trip. Hats off to the both of you.

On the t for turbo subject, BMW nerds said the same about my 325ti, saying 'I never thought BMW made a turbo one', when in fact it means 'Turismo Internazionale'. I feel your pain.

[r129sl]

Re wing vents. I spotted these on a VW Transporter just now:




I forgot to add that wing vents were also present on the E300 turbodiesel and E300 turbodiesel T (which is powered by the 12v OM603 not the 24v OM606 of the E300 diesel).

[RoverP6B]

Umm... doesn't the BMW i suffix stand for injection? There were some models where both carburated and injected variants of the same engine were offered, and the carburated version just had the model number (e.g. 316) while the injected one got the i suffix...

[helix402]

RoverP6B said:

Umm... doesn't the BMW i suffix stand for injection? There were some models where both carburated and injected variants of the same engine were offered, and the carburated version just had the model number (e.g. 316) while the injected one got the i suffix...

On the 2002ti-ti stood for Turismo Internazionale, stolen from Alfa. Tii is Turismo Internazionale Injection. Off topic, sorry.

[r129sl]

Oops. Two this time. 115 in a 90 seems fair enough but 117 in a 110 seems a bit harsh.

|https://thumbsnap.com/oKh4pMBq[/url]


In other news, this was the telephone conversation between me and my very dear wife today:

She: The car has broken down.
Me: Oh dear, what has happened.
S: Well it was fine. I filled it up with petrol and then it just conked out.
M: Ah. That will be why. It's a diesel.
Very, very long pause.
S: [Lots of cuss words]

Happily all sorted out by the AA. They have seen it all before, apparently. I am just off out in the rain to replace the fuel filter. I can't think of any other sensible precautions. Well, I think I'll change out of my brand new wool double-breasted... that might be a sensible precaution.

Edit: seems to run better than ever. Maybe the petrol cleaned it out a bit.

Edited by r129sl on Wednesday 12th June 21:18

[T-195]

From Carsurvey.org

[ferrisbueller]

Your address is visible there, chap. Might want to obscure it.

[r129sl]

^^^Ta.

Would buy another again? If only it were possible. Although these chaps seem to be offering something promising: https://www.e-arrows.jp/arrowsclassicline.html

[T-195]

It is fairly conclusive.

[Peanut Gallery]

Enjoying this thread, random obscure question, have you been fined in Italy before? 88 in a 70 here...

Keep it up, and we'll done finding the garage to do your wheel bearing!

[Krikkit]

r129sl said:

In other news, this was the telephone conversation between me and my very dear wife today:

She: The car has broken down.
Me: Oh dear, what has happened.
S: Well it was fine. I filled it up with petrol and then it just conked out.
M: Ah. That will be why. It's a diesel.
Very, very long pause.
S: [Lots of cuss words]

Happily all sorted out by the AA. They have seen it all before, apparently. I am just off out in the rain to replace the fuel filter. I can't think of any other sensible precautions. Well, I think I'll change out of my brand new wool double-breasted... that might be a sensible precaution.

Edit: seems to run better than ever. Maybe the petrol cleaned it out a bit.

Oops indeed! Fortunately it won't have the modern flavour of high pressure pumps etc that are knackered when not lubricated by the diesel they pump.

A friend of ours wrecked her decade old Audi A3 doing that, 3 grand if you please, not even at a dealer.

[r129sl]

Peanut Gallery said:

have you been fined in Italy before? 88 in a 70 here...

Thanks for the positive comments. I haven't been to Italy since about 2007 when I took my r129 down to Perugia. I didn't pick up any tickets, despite running at 130mph plus most of the way. I found the rapid changes between dark and light that came with the bridges and tunnels on the Riviera motorway very hard to deal with.

Re the wrong fuel: I suspect you could put cement in the tank and it would still run. You can certainly run it on a 50:50 dieseletrol mix in winter. It's tough as old boots. It genuinely feels a bit better this evening.