1991 Mercedes W124 250D Manual
Discussion
SebringMan said:
I am tempted to keep it, I'll be honest and I may well do that! I may well need another winter car and this does do the job very well! But it was only ever bought as a winter smoker! It also happened to fit the bill for the Laon Historique. Besides, there are always plenty of things for me to tinker on. The M3 I doubt will leave me tinker free; it's still not completely free of issues 
:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I do also have another car to keep me company.:https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's an itch I've fanced scratching for some time. It's made the decision a little harder between the W124 and the 2CV!
So, after alot of driving and coming back to rest and chill with like-minded enthusiasts over a couple of beers, off we went to our humble abodes and to see what the Sunday would bring!
Sunday for us was a bit of a waiting game for around 2 hours! It was the day of the town parade, which is the common theme to Laon Historique. To some people I am aware that waiting isn't what we do best! But then with 700 cars to do the Parade it is to be expected, especially with the entire town pretty much shut down in order for this to happen! With this in mind I went for a bit of a scout before things began coming into action.
With 700 cars around however, it's not like we didn't have enough things to see! Where do I start?
Thankfully, the Merc's crustiness of its wing was nicely disguised by the lovely 911 Carrera in front of it, or so its stickers stated on the side of the car!
There were plenty of TR7s at the show, with many being of the V8 flavour, as you may have seen previously in the hotel shots. But this was the only Grinnall over there. @hoopsontoast , keep yourself contained here [img src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png" class="smile" alt=";)"].
The Corsair Owner's Club also made a massive effort! Crayford Convertibles were amongst the cars along with the estate versions! It's funny, I don't mind a Corsair these days, but I did find them quirky for a very long time
An ale or a wine sir?
The Fords may be not perceived as classic but they are both now on the 20+ year old mark! The ST200 was a very clean example, and I honestly can['t remember the last time I saw an RS2000 4x4!
Here is a token gesture of the number of cars. That was just for one of the 6 areas we got told to wait in prior to the parade!
Which brings me onto another car that caught my eye. Say the name 'E-Type' and what comes to your mind? Stock Series 1.5? On wires maybe? Owned by a gent who has time for no-one? Maybe it's something you see at many shows! This was a little different!
Hang on! Isn't that on Revolution RFXs? Isn't that a J-Gate? The bonnet has random bulges in the bottom of it! Those seats are very Jaguarish! It's a wreck! It's superb! So. what was the story behind this E-Type? This car is owned by a Scot. I can't remember his name. Maybe it was Jock. It could have been Gavin! Who knows! All I can tell you is that through the very thick cigar smoking Scottish accent was a real character of a man who was welcoming and went out of his way to be friendly with us upon us striking up a conversion about his Jag! It was at this point I found out what the car was all about! It apparently had a race history behind it, which is why it had the fibgreglass bonnet, which is why it had the bonnet bulges in the sides for the catches!
Gone was the 3 speed auto and in came a ZF 4 Speed 'box with a lockup converter, hence the J-Gate shifter! The stock seats had made way for the retrimmed Recaros along with a period AC system fitted, perfect for the continental cruising! But this car was not just about added refinement! While the RFXs provided one visual clue, the engine revealed more! Gone were the twin inlet manifolds and in came a set of 6 Weber IDFs! It was not just about show either! With the engine capacity enlarged to 5.7 Litres with an alloy rad and twin fans to keep it cool this certainly sounded like an E-Type that was designed to soak up the problems of the continent and really allow you to settle in for a lovely experience! Now, if only our and the EU governments could arrive to a similar timely solution eh?
Yup, we were loving the Jaguar! The verdict was out on the wheels but they seemed to work in my eyes! On ContiSport tyres all round it was certainly going to handle better than a factory Jag anyway!
But for those who don't like Jags, have some French Hot Hatch porn. Soak in that goodness!
Or maybe you want a French number. A true alternative to the MGB!
Yup! I loved the American La France (ALF) car! What an awesome thing it was!
The first thing to do was to attend a driver's briefing! What we would find out later is this briefing despite appearing to be mandatory was actually taken to be optional by a number of individuals, mainly by the regular Laon Historiquers (LHers). Why? The briefing consisted of a few things:
1) Telling people to be sensible in the town, espeically with nothing but basic barriers to protect people. This one is obvious of course, but I can appreciate it is not obvious to everyone!
2) Alot of time was spent with the Mayor of Laon giving speechs and thanking everyone for participating, from the LHers to the municipal services!
Honestly? I wonder if it was the Mayor's way of saying "I'm aware some of your Bre..., French haters come over here every year and take over our town! You go where you like, speak English with barely a hint of French when ordering anything, drink our wine and treat this place like a tip! But that's OK. Why? You all are handy for one thing; MONEEEYYYYY! So please, let this plague come on by year by year".
OK, maybe I really am a cynic!
With the briefing out of the way, we carried on with what we did best! Look at cars!
This was certainly a treat to look at! I was in for another treat later but we shall see if the video can be uploaded!
What was annoying? This is a car worth well into 6 figures, maybe even 7. Seeing swirls on the paint is one thing; after all, it's great to see a 288 GTO being used; I can't remember the last time I ever saw one! But, FFS please fit some decent tyres on? On Goodyear NCT Mud and Snow all seasons up front (No, I'm not joking!), and ageing Falken FK451s on the back I seriously doubt the car is being enjoyed as much as it could be, even at lower speeds! I seriously doubt fresher decent rubber is that much of a deal breaker on a car like that. It would also seem less like he whacked on some part-worns. But it's his car, and to all intents and purposes it had alot of attention, because Ferrari!
If you can get rid of them go on them! Getting into the old town of Laon left you with no choice regarding this
With the parade to go we again went to enjoy a bit of rest! But I still hade one more day left of the show....
Sunday for us was a bit of a waiting game for around 2 hours! It was the day of the town parade, which is the common theme to Laon Historique. To some people I am aware that waiting isn't what we do best! But then with 700 cars to do the Parade it is to be expected, especially with the entire town pretty much shut down in order for this to happen! With this in mind I went for a bit of a scout before things began coming into action.
With 700 cars around however, it's not like we didn't have enough things to see! Where do I start?
Thankfully, the Merc's crustiness of its wing was nicely disguised by the lovely 911 Carrera in front of it, or so its stickers stated on the side of the car!
There were plenty of TR7s at the show, with many being of the V8 flavour, as you may have seen previously in the hotel shots. But this was the only Grinnall over there. @hoopsontoast , keep yourself contained here [img src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png" class="smile" alt=";)"].
The Corsair Owner's Club also made a massive effort! Crayford Convertibles were amongst the cars along with the estate versions! It's funny, I don't mind a Corsair these days, but I did find them quirky for a very long time
An ale or a wine sir?
The Fords may be not perceived as classic but they are both now on the 20+ year old mark! The ST200 was a very clean example, and I honestly can['t remember the last time I saw an RS2000 4x4!
Here is a token gesture of the number of cars. That was just for one of the 6 areas we got told to wait in prior to the parade!
Which brings me onto another car that caught my eye. Say the name 'E-Type' and what comes to your mind? Stock Series 1.5? On wires maybe? Owned by a gent who has time for no-one? Maybe it's something you see at many shows! This was a little different!
Hang on! Isn't that on Revolution RFXs? Isn't that a J-Gate? The bonnet has random bulges in the bottom of it! Those seats are very Jaguarish! It's a wreck! It's superb! So. what was the story behind this E-Type? This car is owned by a Scot. I can't remember his name. Maybe it was Jock. It could have been Gavin! Who knows! All I can tell you is that through the very thick cigar smoking Scottish accent was a real character of a man who was welcoming and went out of his way to be friendly with us upon us striking up a conversion about his Jag! It was at this point I found out what the car was all about! It apparently had a race history behind it, which is why it had the fibgreglass bonnet, which is why it had the bonnet bulges in the sides for the catches!
Gone was the 3 speed auto and in came a ZF 4 Speed 'box with a lockup converter, hence the J-Gate shifter! The stock seats had made way for the retrimmed Recaros along with a period AC system fitted, perfect for the continental cruising! But this car was not just about added refinement! While the RFXs provided one visual clue, the engine revealed more! Gone were the twin inlet manifolds and in came a set of 6 Weber IDFs! It was not just about show either! With the engine capacity enlarged to 5.7 Litres with an alloy rad and twin fans to keep it cool this certainly sounded like an E-Type that was designed to soak up the problems of the continent and really allow you to settle in for a lovely experience! Now, if only our and the EU governments could arrive to a similar timely solution eh?
Yup, we were loving the Jaguar! The verdict was out on the wheels but they seemed to work in my eyes! On ContiSport tyres all round it was certainly going to handle better than a factory Jag anyway!
But for those who don't like Jags, have some French Hot Hatch porn. Soak in that goodness!
Or maybe you want a French number. A true alternative to the MGB!
Yup! I loved the American La France (ALF) car! What an awesome thing it was!
The first thing to do was to attend a driver's briefing! What we would find out later is this briefing despite appearing to be mandatory was actually taken to be optional by a number of individuals, mainly by the regular Laon Historiquers (LHers). Why? The briefing consisted of a few things:
1) Telling people to be sensible in the town, espeically with nothing but basic barriers to protect people. This one is obvious of course, but I can appreciate it is not obvious to everyone!
2) Alot of time was spent with the Mayor of Laon giving speechs and thanking everyone for participating, from the LHers to the municipal services!
Honestly? I wonder if it was the Mayor's way of saying "I'm aware some of your Bre..., French haters come over here every year and take over our town! You go where you like, speak English with barely a hint of French when ordering anything, drink our wine and treat this place like a tip! But that's OK. Why? You all are handy for one thing; MONEEEYYYYY! So please, let this plague come on by year by year".
OK, maybe I really am a cynic!
With the briefing out of the way, we carried on with what we did best! Look at cars!
This was certainly a treat to look at! I was in for another treat later but we shall see if the video can be uploaded!
What was annoying? This is a car worth well into 6 figures, maybe even 7. Seeing swirls on the paint is one thing; after all, it's great to see a 288 GTO being used; I can't remember the last time I ever saw one! But, FFS please fit some decent tyres on? On Goodyear NCT Mud and Snow all seasons up front (No, I'm not joking!), and ageing Falken FK451s on the back I seriously doubt the car is being enjoyed as much as it could be, even at lower speeds! I seriously doubt fresher decent rubber is that much of a deal breaker on a car like that. It would also seem less like he whacked on some part-worns. But it's his car, and to all intents and purposes it had alot of attention, because Ferrari!
If you can get rid of them go on them! Getting into the old town of Laon left you with no choice regarding this
With the parade to go we again went to enjoy a bit of rest! But I still hade one more day left of the show....
Edited by SebringMan on Thursday 5th July 12:23
Cheers! It really was as good as it looked, possibly better I'd say with meeting differing folk and sharing experiences/breaking bread:
On the final day however, no hills would be involved! The meetup point would be at a bowling alley, not even 1 mile away from the hotel. No stairs, nada! It made a bit of a change!
But I think the Frenchman in the Volvo must have heard a few of us mentioning the colour of their chinos; they're "almost" out of sight, but they love bright trousers! Maybe we're missing out over here? Or maybe they wore them for a bet...
Laon 2018 Sunday (26 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
One for the Clio owners here: I was never aware there was a differing sidelight option for the Clio 220 Trophy. It's certainly an interesting take on sidelights over the UK cars, or the UK cars I've seen so far! (I now realise this is the Facelifted version)
Laon 2018 Sunday (27 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
With the route given to Fourmies and some banter and catching up shared with a few of the LHers it was time to set off:
Laon 2018 Sunday (28 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
But not before we scanned the carpark a bit more! 996s were a car you saw a few of at LH as well as the 986 Boxsters. But I knew that previously as per my pilot post for this thread. What I didn't expect to see were a number of Ford Mustangs! I keep deliberating over getting one, but I can never commit to it! This trip, however, left me a little less unconvinced that maybe a Mustang was for me! Was the Morrocan ta, sorry, Mercedes spoiling me with its handling or are Mustangs a little like MGBs at shows? Who knows?
Laon 2018 Sunday (29 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
The final leg of the trip was to finish at the EcoMusee in Fourmies. This was of course a little different to Chimay, with it showing how life and industry use to be, and how labour methods differed to back-in-the-day.
Laon final shots by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Laon final shots by Charlieboy, on Flickr
But I hear you guys; Less about the place, more about the cars! Sure, sure.
There were various great things to see, but as always it's not often you see of the same/similar kind next to each other! Which is it for you? The Barchetta or the X1/9?
Laon 2018 Sunday (30 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
For me, this particular X1/9 is working; as long as you can keep water away from the steel!
Laon 2018 Sunday (33 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Laon 2018 Sunday (34 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
This time, a few more 2CVs joined the party, as did a scruffy MGA. I was worried m E46 M3 wouldn't fit in. It seemed on the trip two other people felt otherwise.
Laon 2018 Sunday (31 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Laon 2018 Sunday (32 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
No, when did you last see an Alvis?
Laon 2018 Sunday (35 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Laon 2018 Sunday (36 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
You have to love a pair of French fancies!
Laon 2018 Sunday (38 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It was however getting towards that time. What I left out previously was that the Scot used the trip to Laon as sort-of stop off point for himself as well as a break! He was taking his E-Type down to Portugal!
Laon 2018 Sunday (39 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
I previously alluded to seeing a scruffy MGA throughout Laon. To many people it was probabl seen as an MGA fit for the scrapyard! This thing did however seem to tell a story, show that less-than-perfect bodywork wasn't going to stop it from being enjoyed often with it mechanically seeming to be sound!
Laon 2018 Sunday (40 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Laon 2018 Sunday (41 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Laon 2018 Sunday (42 of 42) by Charlieboy, on Flickr
With the car admired it was time to head back! No trip back is every fun but you can try where you can! In our case we took a bit of a detour near Dunkerque to take some backroads via Calais Vins. Stop sniggering in the back! Our wine supplies from last year had gone swiftly, Bourgne and Pommard for those wondering! What we didn't realise was how reasonably priced Belgian beers were here! Chimay? Very reasonable. Trappist and Dunkels were not badly priced either! But once we bought a few bottles to satisfy us it really was time to get the ferry home and call it a day.
What a trip. What a car and what great people were around us! The poor Merc which was the butt of a few jokes certainly shone through with its charm and relentless nature! Doing 46MPG average as well merely sweetened the deal on the trip!
Now, let's see if I can throw up a video onto here.
On the final day however, no hills would be involved! The meetup point would be at a bowling alley, not even 1 mile away from the hotel. No stairs, nada! It made a bit of a change!
But I think the Frenchman in the Volvo must have heard a few of us mentioning the colour of their chinos; they're "almost" out of sight, but they love bright trousers! Maybe we're missing out over here? Or maybe they wore them for a bet...
Laon 2018 Sunday (26 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrOne for the Clio owners here: I was never aware there was a differing sidelight option for the Clio 220 Trophy. It's certainly an interesting take on sidelights over the UK cars, or the UK cars I've seen so far! (I now realise this is the Facelifted version)
Laon 2018 Sunday (27 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith the route given to Fourmies and some banter and catching up shared with a few of the LHers it was time to set off:
Laon 2018 Sunday (28 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrBut not before we scanned the carpark a bit more! 996s were a car you saw a few of at LH as well as the 986 Boxsters. But I knew that previously as per my pilot post for this thread. What I didn't expect to see were a number of Ford Mustangs! I keep deliberating over getting one, but I can never commit to it! This trip, however, left me a little less unconvinced that maybe a Mustang was for me! Was the Morrocan ta, sorry, Mercedes spoiling me with its handling or are Mustangs a little like MGBs at shows? Who knows?
Laon 2018 Sunday (29 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrThe final leg of the trip was to finish at the EcoMusee in Fourmies. This was of course a little different to Chimay, with it showing how life and industry use to be, and how labour methods differed to back-in-the-day.
Laon final shots by Charlieboy, on FlickrLaon final shots by Charlieboy, on FlickrBut I hear you guys; Less about the place, more about the cars! Sure, sure.
There were various great things to see, but as always it's not often you see of the same/similar kind next to each other! Which is it for you? The Barchetta or the X1/9?
Laon 2018 Sunday (30 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrFor me, this particular X1/9 is working; as long as you can keep water away from the steel!
Laon 2018 Sunday (33 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrLaon 2018 Sunday (34 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrThis time, a few more 2CVs joined the party, as did a scruffy MGA. I was worried m E46 M3 wouldn't fit in. It seemed on the trip two other people felt otherwise.
Laon 2018 Sunday (31 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrLaon 2018 Sunday (32 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrNo, when did you last see an Alvis?
Laon 2018 Sunday (35 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrLaon 2018 Sunday (36 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrYou have to love a pair of French fancies!
Laon 2018 Sunday (38 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt was however getting towards that time. What I left out previously was that the Scot used the trip to Laon as sort-of stop off point for himself as well as a break! He was taking his E-Type down to Portugal!
Laon 2018 Sunday (39 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrI previously alluded to seeing a scruffy MGA throughout Laon. To many people it was probabl seen as an MGA fit for the scrapyard! This thing did however seem to tell a story, show that less-than-perfect bodywork wasn't going to stop it from being enjoyed often with it mechanically seeming to be sound!
Laon 2018 Sunday (40 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrLaon 2018 Sunday (41 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrLaon 2018 Sunday (42 of 42) by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith the car admired it was time to head back! No trip back is every fun but you can try where you can! In our case we took a bit of a detour near Dunkerque to take some backroads via Calais Vins. Stop sniggering in the back! Our wine supplies from last year had gone swiftly, Bourgne and Pommard for those wondering! What we didn't realise was how reasonably priced Belgian beers were here! Chimay? Very reasonable. Trappist and Dunkels were not badly priced either! But once we bought a few bottles to satisfy us it really was time to get the ferry home and call it a day.
What a trip. What a car and what great people were around us! The poor Merc which was the butt of a few jokes certainly shone through with its charm and relentless nature! Doing 46MPG average as well merely sweetened the deal on the trip!
Now, let's see if I can throw up a video onto here.
I ended up hooked on this saga of the Mercedes. I've had a 1990 W201 since 2005 - I've posted about it elsewhere several times. It's black, 2.0 injection with 5 speed manual, MB Tex grey interior, which seems a rare spec these days. It's far from immaculate and I've had a few problems, though nothing too dreadful that I couldn't fix. It used to be my commute car but I'm retired now, so it is not used so much. One little comment about driving at 90odd all day made me feel a bit annoyed as I was busted for doing 80 - cunningly sited camera! As regards mileage I reckon it does between 35 and 40, though on one long run I concentrated really hard and got around 50 mpg, but even my wife complained about how long the trip took!
Perseverant said:
I ended up hooked on this saga of the Mercedes. I've had a 1990 W201 since 2005 - I've posted about it elsewhere several times. It's black, 2.0 injection with 5 speed manual, MB Tex grey interior, which seems a rare spec these days. It's far from immaculate and I've had a few problems, though nothing too dreadful that I couldn't fix. It used to be my commute car but I'm retired now, so it is not used so much. One little comment about driving at 90odd all day made me feel a bit annoyed as I was busted for doing 80 - cunningly sited camera! As regards mileage I reckon it does between 35 and 40, though on one long run I concentrated really hard and got around 50 mpg, but even my wife complained about how long the trip took!
It is a rare spec! Unusual for sureMany thanks for enjoying the saga!
TR4man said:
A great read and some wonderful, characterful cars.
Isn't that old Simplex a chain driven four cylinder?
Where's the video then?
Thanks again,Isn't that old Simplex a chain driven four cylinder?
Where's the video then?
The Laon Historique is well worth doing for any car nut. No rules, no real judgements, just a bunch of guys with varying cars there for the craic!
As for the video, it's here! It was a nightmare to upload it onto YouTube with many pauses and me giving up on even putting the video up! But some perseverance lately has swayed me somewhat
. Enjoy!https://youtu.be/UMZsYmjoHaE
So, as some of you know, my W124 250D has gone to new owners in new pastures! But, in a strange twist of fate, my W124 tales are far from over. Well, that's not true. Technically, my W124 tales may be, but the S124? Well, that's another story.
For those worried that they wouldn't hear of my spannering tails, I can assue you that is not the case. Why?
I still have the M3. Let's be honest, that will always require maintenance! It's not worth alot, and the 10 year old dailies that I like (Focus 2.0 TDCI Diesel estates, Merc C320 CDI Estates, E320 CDI estates, E61 530ds), while being nice, are more cash than I can bear to pay, certainly for good examples of the latter, probably worth as much as my M3. I can't justify that on something that old when 4 years ago they were half of the cash. It's not like the above are free of issues either. Maybe the Focus is better than the others, but light reading about the C320 W203s certainly doesn't inspire confidence! Those cars above were £1500-2k tops not too long ago, not £3k for a Focus that's not shot or £5k+. I know with a friend wanting to buy an E61, we saw alot of turds out there below £5k; But at least I got paid for fuel for driving him about!
So, there's me damning myself. But, I'd had another reason to damn myself. Why?
Well, it didn't start with a kiss. But like most things, it did start with a conversation:
So, what was my excuse for this one? Well, it started with a message, not a kiss as Tom Jones said. One day, after I got back from work, the old man informed me he knew of a reasonably priced W128. He keeps calling them that!
"Hey Chas, you know that W128 you had?"
"You mean the W124?"
"Yes, that one, well my mate is getting rid of one"
"I've just bought a 2CV, what makes you think I need another car?"
"This one is fully loaded, and its cheap!"
Sigh
"Go on then"
"It's a 300, I think, and an estate"
"Petrol or diesel?"
'Petrol, son"
"I'm not interested, there's a reason why I bought a 250D, those petrols love a drink, even more than the M3 loves a drink!"
"It can't be that bad can it? My Mondeo (2.5 Turbo Volvo lump) does 28-30MPG average?"
"Erm, yes, it really can be worse. Way worse! I'm expecting worse than the M3 and maybe on a par with the E32 730i we drove for a bit".
That 730i I mentioned was a 1991 E32 derivative, and man that thing is probably the thirstiest car I've ever driven! MPG? 18. Cruise? Around 18! No matter how you drove it, that thing just chomped through the fuel! It was a lovely drive but wow it was terrible on the fuel, even compared to our 4.0 Jag.
My old man thought the Merc would be frugal since the Jag was. Until I informed him that the 4.0 AJ engines were designed with MPG very much in mind. Not like the Merc or BMW units.
With that, I thought it was a matter of it being case closed. But we know it never goes that way.
Later on in the week, I had a few photos sent over.
So the car wasn't a 300, it was actually an E320. One of the last S124s made.
Oh, and another thing. It had been off the road for 2 years due to a running fault. It wouldn't start. With those two shots there was only one thing for it. To go and take a look. Maybe it would be so bad that it wouldn't come home!
Or maybe it would be a little more.
I still have the M3. Let's be honest, that will always require maintenance! It's not worth alot, and the 10 year old dailies that I like (Focus 2.0 TDCI Diesel estates, Merc C320 CDI Estates, E320 CDI estates, E61 530ds), while being nice, are more cash than I can bear to pay, certainly for good examples of the latter, probably worth as much as my M3. I can't justify that on something that old when 4 years ago they were half of the cash. It's not like the above are free of issues either. Maybe the Focus is better than the others, but light reading about the C320 W203s certainly doesn't inspire confidence! Those cars above were £1500-2k tops not too long ago, not £3k for a Focus that's not shot or £5k+. I know with a friend wanting to buy an E61, we saw alot of turds out there below £5k; But at least I got paid for fuel for driving him about!
So, there's me damning myself. But, I'd had another reason to damn myself. Why?
Well, it didn't start with a kiss. But like most things, it did start with a conversation:
So, what was my excuse for this one? Well, it started with a message, not a kiss as Tom Jones said. One day, after I got back from work, the old man informed me he knew of a reasonably priced W128. He keeps calling them that!
"Hey Chas, you know that W128 you had?"
"You mean the W124?"
"Yes, that one, well my mate is getting rid of one"
"I've just bought a 2CV, what makes you think I need another car?"
"This one is fully loaded, and its cheap!"
Sigh
"Go on then"
"It's a 300, I think, and an estate"
"Petrol or diesel?"
'Petrol, son"
"I'm not interested, there's a reason why I bought a 250D, those petrols love a drink, even more than the M3 loves a drink!"
"It can't be that bad can it? My Mondeo (2.5 Turbo Volvo lump) does 28-30MPG average?"
"Erm, yes, it really can be worse. Way worse! I'm expecting worse than the M3 and maybe on a par with the E32 730i we drove for a bit".
That 730i I mentioned was a 1991 E32 derivative, and man that thing is probably the thirstiest car I've ever driven! MPG? 18. Cruise? Around 18! No matter how you drove it, that thing just chomped through the fuel! It was a lovely drive but wow it was terrible on the fuel, even compared to our 4.0 Jag.
My old man thought the Merc would be frugal since the Jag was. Until I informed him that the 4.0 AJ engines were designed with MPG very much in mind. Not like the Merc or BMW units.
With that, I thought it was a matter of it being case closed. But we know it never goes that way.
Later on in the week, I had a few photos sent over.
So the car wasn't a 300, it was actually an E320. One of the last S124s made.
Oh, and another thing. It had been off the road for 2 years due to a running fault. It wouldn't start. With those two shots there was only one thing for it. To go and take a look. Maybe it would be so bad that it wouldn't come home!
Or maybe it would be a little more.
harrykul said:
Looks interesting! Running fault likely to be the wiring harness at a guess. Not cheap, but not the end of the world.
Cheers.I thought the same. A friend of mine had an E280 with a cooked harness. It had been repaired at least twice in its life, with the bills to prove the work! This was a concern of mine, as we did know that a harness could be north of £500 for a new one! Because of this, my friend sold the E280. A shame, but in many ways, another friend did rescure the car and get it running again.
But, let's get back to the '300'.
Eventually the day would come that I'd have to see it. It sounds terrible, but while I was hoping it wouldn't be a lemon I also didn't care if it was. Why? I didn't want spend the car on a car I didn't really need!
I did however get to ask a few questions with my dad being the proxy for the answers.
"How bad is the rust"
'He says' it's gone behind a headlight'
"Ah ok, You do know those HFM equipped cars eat through their original wiring looms; What's the deal with that"
'He tells me it's a freshly rebuilt loom from the ground up.'
"Ah, ok"
'So, when are we going to look at it son? You want it don't you?'
"I'm not bothered. I'm free this weekend. Shall we head down?"
'Sure'
And so we did. It's fair to say what greeted us wasn't great! But let's start on the good stuff eh?
It looks alright from this angle eh?
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on FlickrThere interior is there, but it's not what you'd call clean!
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on FlickrSo, in short, it was a sound E320, not a 300 as I was initially told. But maybe the jacking points and subframe mounts were bad? Nope, they were solid. They are about one of the best I've seen on one of these and I've walked away from some externally pretty examples too! Damn, This was looking like a done deal! Before I could even say that I'd think about it, the old man uttered the words that sealed the deal. No, it wasn't 'awld awwwwt yer 'annnnnndd' by Mike Brewer. It was far more incongruent, for me anyway:
"Mate, we're not going to haggle, but we'll (read I!) will give you the money".
After which the logbook was signed, the deed was done and I was once again the owner of yet another W124! Great! I like these things but I didn't need another car, especially one that didn't run! The conversation on the way back home between my dad and I went along the lines of "where are we going to put it-it can't go in the unit as a non-runner; you do know there's a hill that you have to push the cars out of the unit onto!" So the unit was out for storing it. I didn't want to risk towing it back 60 miles either. Remember, this car hadn't been run for 2 years, and it was enough to make the previous owner give up!
In the meantime I arranged a trailer to get the car in the form of a work colleague. That was £140. But I knew the petrol and trailer hire (and not to the mention the MAM weight of a mate's Focus being questionable with a 1600kg S124 on the back) wouldn't be much less anyway, and more stressful. So while I was at RRG in the M3 on the Sunday the said collegue was towing the Mercedes from Tewksbury all of the way back home.
It's fair to say that I enjoyed RRG! While coming back in the AC'd M3, enjoying the cooler air inside the cabin I was thinking long and hard about that S124 and what could cause it not to start. Eventually, I'd have my chance. It had landed!
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on FlickrI am sure my neighbours were loving yet another car coming onto the drive on the back of a trailer! But would it move from the driveway under its own steam?
It would be a while before I tackled the S124. After all, I have the Retro Rides Gathering to attend, some in-laws coming around on the same day and I ended up running around like a headless chicken; the in-laws, and then I finally got to work.
I heard on the grapevine that a non-working Over Voltage Protection (OVP) relay could cause a few issues including a non-start. Finding a good one was hard. The dialogue on eBay went as follows:
"Hi, did the relay come off a running car?"
"Hi, the relay is in good working order"
So, they said the relay was perfect, but not if the car ran on it. If you research Merc circles, many think you don't need an OVP relay for the car to start. On a Bosch KE-Jetronic or diesel car that may be the case but not for an HFM equipped car. Thankfully, I had some help from an old friend. He lent me a relay.
But with a shot battery, it was never going to sort itself so, so on I went about charging the battery:
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
As soon as I plugged it in, this was the result in the video below:
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Hallelujah! It was the relay! This of course left me with an issue of buying a relay. The tappetyness would soon go quiet; the tappets must have had no oil in them! The engine was very slow to turn over, but despite the battery, it did still fire up.
For the relay, my friend told me £35, but that a new one was £70. I know why he wanted a little more for a used OVP relay ; they are harder to come by working as I'll get to later. With this in mind, I threw a bucket of water over the car in that time, so as to attempt to make it more presentable. But with flakey paintwork in areas, that will never happen! I also obtained a new relay later on, now that I knew that the car could run.
It was then MOT time around the corner. Had I really bought a bargain or a pup?
I heard on the grapevine that a non-working Over Voltage Protection (OVP) relay could cause a few issues including a non-start. Finding a good one was hard. The dialogue on eBay went as follows:
"Hi, did the relay come off a running car?"
"Hi, the relay is in good working order"
So, they said the relay was perfect, but not if the car ran on it. If you research Merc circles, many think you don't need an OVP relay for the car to start. On a Bosch KE-Jetronic or diesel car that may be the case but not for an HFM equipped car. Thankfully, I had some help from an old friend. He lent me a relay.
But with a shot battery, it was never going to sort itself so, so on I went about charging the battery:
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on FlickrAs soon as I plugged it in, this was the result in the video below:
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on FlickrHallelujah! It was the relay! This of course left me with an issue of buying a relay. The tappetyness would soon go quiet; the tappets must have had no oil in them! The engine was very slow to turn over, but despite the battery, it did still fire up.
For the relay, my friend told me £35, but that a new one was £70. I know why he wanted a little more for a used OVP relay ; they are harder to come by working as I'll get to later. With this in mind, I threw a bucket of water over the car in that time, so as to attempt to make it more presentable. But with flakey paintwork in areas, that will never happen! I also obtained a new relay later on, now that I knew that the car could run.
It was then MOT time around the corner. Had I really bought a bargain or a pup?
harrykul said:
I'd forgotten about the OVP relay: you lucked out! Don't think a new was expensive from the dealer when I got mine a few years ago
Definitely! I bought the car on a whim, and for a price I could sell it for if it was a non-runner. It was a risk, but then isn't any car?As for the relay, there are two kinds of relays. The earlier cars, so the carbs, diesels and I "think" the KE-Jetronic cars run a single pole relay. This protects the engine ECU (which doesn't prevent a KE-Jetronic from running bar the ignition ECU, but it does affect the idle etc.), and the ABS.
On a HFM car, they have a twin pole relay. This does the ABS ECU, engine ECU *possibly* but also the fuel pump circuit. It's the latter that can fail on an HFM car and make it a non-runner. These relays when I compared it to my 250D relay tend to be more expensive. I believe the relays are backwards compatible, so the twin-pole can fit an diesel etc.
I know when my mate bought an E280T he bought 2 secondhand OVPs, both with issues of their own ; it was his suggestion that made me splash out on a new one.
But, back to the car
.I booked it in for the first MOT it had seen in 3 years. While I knew it may not be a straight pass, I also wanted to see what else was iffy on it. I knew of a couple of issues anyway.
It passed the MOT with flying colours! I was surprised!
It needed a few things however to get it through!
1) An SLS Pipe repair
2) A new sidelight bulb
3) A pair of front indicator bulbs
That was it! I am not joking! Much to my surprise it even passed the emissions!
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
S124 E320 by Charlieboy, on FlickrI was shocked! But, I was not that eaaily out of the woods! It went from running OK to developing one of those dreadful intermittent faults; a random misfire. It really ruined the driving experience.
I didn't really know what to do! I had planned on a service and was going to get a service kit. This, however, brought up an interesting fact about the spark plugs. No-one seems to give a clear answer as to what plugs the car needs!
In short, this is what you get from people if you ask for their recommendations:
-Mercedes : Bosch F8DC4s (German Made)
-Bosch : FR8DC+ (Russian made if the ECP items are anything to go by, and it seems most Bosch plugs now are in the aftermarket
-NGK : BCP6ES
So in short, Mercedes offer a German non-resistored plug of what Bosch suggest and NGK suggest a colder spark plug, albeit unresistored like the factory items. I did look online but I struggled to find German parts. In this case, the dealer wasn't much much than the internet anyway, and so I arrived with the new plugs. But what would come out of the car?
Servicing by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt was what most motor factors offered me, the BCP6ESs. None, and I mean none of my local ones could get the Bosch plugs in, and likewise, they also suggested the resistored Bosch items. So, you get exactly the same parts from the motor factor? Erm, yeah...
So, did the car run any better with the new plugs? Nope, not at all! If anything, it ran worse at idle, but slightly better on a run! Would I ever get to the bottom of this misfire, especially with the car being a week away from being pushed into daily service?
I own a diesel of slightly older age but the petrol brethren always seem to need new distributor caps every one or two years regardless of mileage, from what I've seen on the forum. You might want to even replace the rotor arm at the same time, maybe someone with more petrol experience will chime in.
Light17 said:
I own a diesel of slightly older age but the petrol brethren always seem to need new distributor caps every one or two years regardless of mileage, from what I've seen on the forum. You might want to even replace the rotor arm at the same time, maybe someone with more petrol experience will chime in.
It's very funny you say that .On the non-HFM cars, including the M104, that is indeed the case. But this was something else
.So, where was I?
Ah yes, I had a running and MOT'd Mercedes but one that ran poorly! Many things came into my head of what it could have been. This included:
-Iffy injectors,
-Bad fuel ; after all, it hadn't been run for years. I still filled the car up with the old fuel!
-Ignition issue.
-Harness issue
Yes, I may well have been seeing the wood for the trees, but I'm also aware @dickdasterdley 's E280 had almost incurable issues due to a degraded loom! But I was told mine was a new loom! There was certainly plenty of evidence to suggest this including a faded receipt that came with the car! So, I ruled that out. That and moving the harness about didn't do anything to the running of the car. It also looked new in a number of areas to be honest
Injectors aren't something that can be easily checked IME but they seemed to be ticking nicely, so that seemed fine.
The fuel seemed plausible. I've read a few reports of surging being down to a blocked filter and bad fuel. With that in mind, I gave the car the rest of its full service that it deserved. So that's the oil, air, and fuel filters done.
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr[a href="https://flic.kr/p/MPLV3k"][img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1956/30076693227_1636f583eb_b.jpg" style="max-width:100%;"][/a][a href="https://flic.kr/p/MPLV3k"]S124 work[/a] by [a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/a], on Flickr
[a href="https://flic.kr/p/MPJk8k"][img style="max-width:100%;" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1963/30076188917_fa20a7c0ff_b.jpg"][/a][a href="https://flic.kr/p/MPJk8k"]S124 work[/a] by [a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/a], on Flickr
The strainer was also removed. Unlike the saloons, the stainer is much easier to access on an estate and also requires a 22mm Allen key to release it. Much to my surprised it was in great condition considering the car had been stood for 2 years.
Some yellowish fuel came out of the filter to be honest, but it was nothing much
I also stupidly didn't want it to the be the coil. After all, that involves spending cash! My gut feeling was this but the misfire was also intermittent. It would miss and then carry on as per normal, with eventually two cylinders beginning to miss at one point very briefly My ignition system was as follows:
-Factory 3 coil system, with 3 'daughter' HT leads, making it a wasted spark ignition system, all normal HFM (Hot Film Management, or Bosch Motronic ECU for those wondering) running gear here
-All 3 coils were different, including a 2012 dated Bremi, a factory coil and what I guess to be an Intermotor coil!
Thankfully, my local garage took pity on me here as I was on my way to EuroCarParts to get a Bremi coil. He let me know that he had some coil extenders to go onto the coil ; I suspected these extenders could also be the issue with my W124 (the extenders are almost like a mini-HT lead for the coil going onto the plug itself. After verifying the extenders would indeed fit and that the resistance was the same I went ahead and swapped the extenders for the used items, as the new items I ordered were on backorder. Hallelujah! The car finally wasn't misfiring! It rain like a dream, and finally things were looking up for this car being pushed into daily service! As soon as I pulled into the work carpark, it seems my E320 made a friend too!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt's fair say that the cosmetics were letting the car down, but I'd have other issues in store too!
Sure, it's a low mileage car for a W124, but awakening a car from a 2 year slumber isn't that easy
.So, I had the car running, but was I out of the woods yet? Not quite! In short:
-The gearbox wasn't behaving ; it seemed to be missing a gear!
-The car was vibrating over 70mph with a pulsing vibration
-I have been spoiled by modern accoutrements. Yes, the tape deck looked cool, but it would have been nice to have some other forms of enjoying music and having things like Sat-Nav directions etc. working!
But first of all, I had some garage keeping to do. Previously, I'd keep batteries if they held 12ish Volts. Buying this new tester however has confirmed most of the batteries I have removed are generally fit for the bin! As a plus I guess I now have less clutter!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
In short, the tester is saying the battery is shot. For a battery with a rating of 590A to the EN standard it's floating at 177A and 10.98V. Even the CTEK couldn't revive that on the RECOND setting, with me heaving the battery bubble a little when the charger went onto the trickle mode. I do wonder if the OVP died from potentially being jump started.
But first of all, the car was seeming to be the gift that kept on giving! I found this factory toolkit buried away in the depths of the boot! Quite a nice find I think you'll agree!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It's a shame the fuses are wrong for the car but it's the thought that counts, right?
The next thing to do was to remove the HU.
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It does look right at home and it is a nice bit of retro added to the car! But in truth, I knew it would become annoying to me. I've lived with tapes previously in old cars mind you, but the sound quality of those tape converters with a 3.5mm lead leaves little to be desired.
With that in mind I set to install the old faithful headunit, the Alpine 9887R. With this in mind I set to work. The 9887R despite being a Bluetooth friendly head unit doesn't actually have built-in Bluetooth. For that I'd need to dig deeper and find a new home for the Bluetooth box which gives the 9887R its Bluetooth capability:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
There were already one or two other boxes there too! I suspect I know what both of them are too.
With that, it was a case of dusting off the iPod, since the Bluetooth box allows you to plug in an iPod in addition to powering the head unit up!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
With that done, it was then a case of enjoying the tunes! But the car had one more trick up its sleeve. A factory installed wirless central locking. Initially, this didn't seem to be working. After changing the battery in the keyfob, adjusting the battery tabs within it, in addiiton to actually turning on the alarm/immobiliser sytem this is what I was greeted with:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
As the video shows, I was back in business! Or so I thought.
The tyres I suspected had flat spotted; after all, the car had been sat for 2 years! After foolishly trying to get them balanced you could see the flat spots on the tyres! It's fair to say that was a waste of cash The fact that they were old didn't really help matters. The dates went as follows:
-Fronts: Continental PremiumContact 2s (yes really!) : 2008
-Rears: Continental EcoContact CP: 2005ish.
Yup, they were old! The one legger burnouts in the dry with minimal throttle were losing their appeal. In truth, I should have stopped being silly and just bought some new tyres, especially for my sake as well as others. But there were reasons why I was being hesitant.
It was not all quite joy in paradise! I still had a gearbox that didn't seem to be working right! In short a Merc gearbox should work like this:
-pulls away in 2nd, and then go 3,4 & 5. 1st is only engaged during kickdown.
I suspected mine was doing the following:
-2nd, 3rd and 5th. I couldn't tell if it was forth or 5th that wasn't working but I knew something wasn't right.
-kickdown from 5th was atrocious, as was it getting gears. it would 'hang' in 5th, and then grab 3rd ages after you put your foot down! Of course, it would normally kick down to4th, but with no 4th gear that wasn't going to happen, so 3rd took quite a while longer to get!
I then went to an autobox specialist locally, albeit not one I've used before. He was adamant it was my 5th gear I had lost; after all, if you shifted the car manually from 3rd to 4th it would get the 'next' gear on.. After all, the 722.5 gearbox does have a variable reputation, which he made very sure I knew!. I remember him telling me to come back and that it's likely I'd need to get my gearbox rebuilt. It's not the news I wanted to hear but I'm aware that it's the risk of getting a 'barn find' car and using it for the first time in years too. After all, maybe this was another reason it came off the road.
Unsatisfired with his opinion I called the place @dickdasterdley told me about. I tried him before the above specialist but he was near impossible to get hold of. Finally I got hold of him. After discusssing the issues he said the problem very much sounded like I had lost 4th and that when the 'box first came out, it was an issue until a design change/recall with sorting out of the 4th gear replacement. The downside was I'd still need a rebuild, but it would be £600, and not less like the place above, albeit for just rebuilding 5th gear. This guy did say one thing however; read the codes, even with the blinker type tool.
So, with the homemade tool, I read the codes:
I then found the the code from the box:
-9 ; Control Valve.
I then went to clear the code. Immediately on the test drive, the car drove much much nicer than before! The car now had good acceleration above 50mph without screaming its head off in 3rd, or getting 5th early and then taking an age to get to speed. The kickdown was working alot better than I expected an old autobox to work and it was going great! For all of 4 miles. Then the car went back to its usual self. The 'box became a recalitrant and annoying thing once more. Damn! I could taste the victory only for it to be taken away!
Not the most descriptive code. From what I could tell, it was insinuating there was a connection problem, either with the solenoid breaking down, or there being an open/short circuit somewhere. Not a problem I thought, I can get a control valve for the 'box and it can be done with the 'box in situ! That would all change when I saw the price. It was in short, ridiculous! Ridiculous enough to make me consider finding a secondhand 5 speed autobox, or even converting the car to a 4 speed auto. Of course, I could sell the car on, and say something isn't quite right with the 'box. That said, with manualitis gripping the car enthusiasts like mental, I'm sure I could have just blagged it and gone:
"it's an autobox man. They're crap and they all do that. You have to live with 'em."
It's fair to say Merc's days were looking numbered under me. Yes I could fix it, but this was meant to be a new rolling resto daily, not something that would become a moneypit! I already have that boat well and truly full! This would soon change however.
-The gearbox wasn't behaving ; it seemed to be missing a gear!
-The car was vibrating over 70mph with a pulsing vibration
-I have been spoiled by modern accoutrements. Yes, the tape deck looked cool, but it would have been nice to have some other forms of enjoying music and having things like Sat-Nav directions etc. working!
But first of all, I had some garage keeping to do. Previously, I'd keep batteries if they held 12ish Volts. Buying this new tester however has confirmed most of the batteries I have removed are generally fit for the bin! As a plus I guess I now have less clutter!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIn short, the tester is saying the battery is shot. For a battery with a rating of 590A to the EN standard it's floating at 177A and 10.98V. Even the CTEK couldn't revive that on the RECOND setting, with me heaving the battery bubble a little when the charger went onto the trickle mode. I do wonder if the OVP died from potentially being jump started.
But first of all, the car was seeming to be the gift that kept on giving! I found this factory toolkit buried away in the depths of the boot! Quite a nice find I think you'll agree!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt's a shame the fuses are wrong for the car but it's the thought that counts, right?
The next thing to do was to remove the HU.
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt does look right at home and it is a nice bit of retro added to the car! But in truth, I knew it would become annoying to me. I've lived with tapes previously in old cars mind you, but the sound quality of those tape converters with a 3.5mm lead leaves little to be desired.
With that in mind I set to install the old faithful headunit, the Alpine 9887R. With this in mind I set to work. The 9887R despite being a Bluetooth friendly head unit doesn't actually have built-in Bluetooth. For that I'd need to dig deeper and find a new home for the Bluetooth box which gives the 9887R its Bluetooth capability:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrS124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrThere were already one or two other boxes there too! I suspect I know what both of them are too.
With that, it was a case of dusting off the iPod, since the Bluetooth box allows you to plug in an iPod in addition to powering the head unit up!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith that done, it was then a case of enjoying the tunes! But the car had one more trick up its sleeve. A factory installed wirless central locking. Initially, this didn't seem to be working. After changing the battery in the keyfob, adjusting the battery tabs within it, in addiiton to actually turning on the alarm/immobiliser sytem this is what I was greeted with:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrAs the video shows, I was back in business! Or so I thought.
The tyres I suspected had flat spotted; after all, the car had been sat for 2 years! After foolishly trying to get them balanced you could see the flat spots on the tyres! It's fair to say that was a waste of cash The fact that they were old didn't really help matters. The dates went as follows:
-Fronts: Continental PremiumContact 2s (yes really!) : 2008
-Rears: Continental EcoContact CP: 2005ish.
Yup, they were old! The one legger burnouts in the dry with minimal throttle were losing their appeal. In truth, I should have stopped being silly and just bought some new tyres, especially for my sake as well as others. But there were reasons why I was being hesitant.
It was not all quite joy in paradise! I still had a gearbox that didn't seem to be working right! In short a Merc gearbox should work like this:
-pulls away in 2nd, and then go 3,4 & 5. 1st is only engaged during kickdown.
I suspected mine was doing the following:
-2nd, 3rd and 5th. I couldn't tell if it was forth or 5th that wasn't working but I knew something wasn't right.
-kickdown from 5th was atrocious, as was it getting gears. it would 'hang' in 5th, and then grab 3rd ages after you put your foot down! Of course, it would normally kick down to4th, but with no 4th gear that wasn't going to happen, so 3rd took quite a while longer to get!
I then went to an autobox specialist locally, albeit not one I've used before. He was adamant it was my 5th gear I had lost; after all, if you shifted the car manually from 3rd to 4th it would get the 'next' gear on.. After all, the 722.5 gearbox does have a variable reputation, which he made very sure I knew!. I remember him telling me to come back and that it's likely I'd need to get my gearbox rebuilt. It's not the news I wanted to hear but I'm aware that it's the risk of getting a 'barn find' car and using it for the first time in years too. After all, maybe this was another reason it came off the road.
Unsatisfired with his opinion I called the place @dickdasterdley told me about. I tried him before the above specialist but he was near impossible to get hold of. Finally I got hold of him. After discusssing the issues he said the problem very much sounded like I had lost 4th and that when the 'box first came out, it was an issue until a design change/recall with sorting out of the 4th gear replacement. The downside was I'd still need a rebuild, but it would be £600, and not less like the place above, albeit for just rebuilding 5th gear. This guy did say one thing however; read the codes, even with the blinker type tool.
So, with the homemade tool, I read the codes:
I then found the the code from the box:
-9 ; Control Valve.
I then went to clear the code. Immediately on the test drive, the car drove much much nicer than before! The car now had good acceleration above 50mph without screaming its head off in 3rd, or getting 5th early and then taking an age to get to speed. The kickdown was working alot better than I expected an old autobox to work and it was going great! For all of 4 miles. Then the car went back to its usual self. The 'box became a recalitrant and annoying thing once more. Damn! I could taste the victory only for it to be taken away!
Not the most descriptive code. From what I could tell, it was insinuating there was a connection problem, either with the solenoid breaking down, or there being an open/short circuit somewhere. Not a problem I thought, I can get a control valve for the 'box and it can be done with the 'box in situ! That would all change when I saw the price. It was in short, ridiculous! Ridiculous enough to make me consider finding a secondhand 5 speed autobox, or even converting the car to a 4 speed auto. Of course, I could sell the car on, and say something isn't quite right with the 'box. That said, with manualitis gripping the car enthusiasts like mental, I'm sure I could have just blagged it and gone:
"it's an autobox man. They're crap and they all do that. You have to live with 'em."
It's fair to say Merc's days were looking numbered under me. Yes I could fix it, but this was meant to be a new rolling resto daily, not something that would become a moneypit! I already have that boat well and truly full! This would soon change however.
SebringMan said:
So, I had the car running, but was I out of the woods yet? Not quite! In short:
-The gearbox wasn't behaving ; it seemed to be missing a gear!
-The car was vibrating over 70mph with a pulsing vibration
-I have been spoiled by modern accoutrements. Yes, the tape deck looked cool, but it would have been nice to have some other forms of enjoying music and having things like Sat-Nav directions etc. working!
But first of all, I had some garage keeping to do. Previously, I'd keep batteries if they held 12ish Volts. Buying this new tester however has confirmed most of the batteries I have removed are generally fit for the bin! As a plus I guess I now have less clutter!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
In short, the tester is saying the battery is shot. For a battery with a rating of 590A to the EN standard it's floating at 177A and 10.98V. Even the CTEK couldn't revive that on the RECOND setting, with me heaving the battery bubble a little when the charger went onto the trickle mode. I do wonder if the OVP died from potentially being jump started.
But first of all, the car was seeming to be the gift that kept on giving! I found this factory toolkit buried away in the depths of the boot! Quite a nice find I think you'll agree!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It's a shame the fuses are wrong for the car but it's the thought that counts, right?
The next thing to do was to remove the HU.
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It does look right at home and it is a nice bit of retro added to the car! But in truth, I knew it would become annoying to me. I've lived with tapes previously in old cars mind you, but the sound quality of those tape converters with a 3.5mm lead leaves little to be desired.
With that in mind I set to install the old faithful headunit, the Alpine 9887R. With this in mind I set to work. The 9887R despite being a Bluetooth friendly head unit doesn't actually have built-in Bluetooth. For that I'd need to dig deeper and find a new home for the Bluetooth box which gives the 9887R its Bluetooth capability:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
There were already one or two other boxes there too! I suspect I know what both of them are too.
With that, it was a case of dusting off the iPod, since the Bluetooth box allows you to plug in an iPod in addition to powering the head unit up!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
With that done, it was then a case of enjoying the tunes! But the car had one more trick up its sleeve. A factory installed wirless central locking. Initially, this didn't seem to be working. After changing the battery in the keyfob, adjusting the battery tabs within it, in addiiton to actually turning on the alarm/immobiliser sytem this is what I was greeted with:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on Flickr
As the video shows, I was back in business! Or so I thought.
The tyres I suspected had flat spotted; after all, the car had been sat for 2 years! After foolishly trying to get them balanced you could see the flat spots on the tyres! It's fair to say that was a waste of cash The fact that they were old didn't really help matters. The dates went as follows:
-Fronts: Continental PremiumContact 2s (yes really!) : 2008
-Rears: Continental EcoContact CP: 2005ish.
Yup, they were old! The one legger burnouts in the dry with minimal throttle were losing their appeal. In truth, I should have stopped being silly and just bought some new tyres, especially for my sake as well as others. But there were reasons why I was being hesitant.
It was not all quite joy in paradise! I still had a gearbox that didn't seem to be working right! In short a Merc gearbox should work like this:
-pulls away in 2nd, and then go 3,4 & 5. 1st is only engaged during kickdown.
I suspected mine was doing the following:
-2nd, 3rd and 5th. I couldn't tell if it was forth or 5th that wasn't working but I knew something wasn't right.
-kickdown from 5th was atrocious, as was it getting gears. it would 'hang' in 5th, and then grab 3rd ages after you put your foot down! Of course, it would normally kick down to4th, but with no 4th gear that wasn't going to happen, so 3rd took quite a while longer to get!
I then went to an autobox specialist locally, albeit not one I've used before. He was adamant it was my 5th gear I had lost; after all, if you shifted the car manually from 3rd to 4th it would get the 'next' gear on.. After all, the 722.5 gearbox does have a variable reputation, which he made very sure I knew!. I remember him telling me to come back and that it's likely I'd need to get my gearbox rebuilt. It's not the news I wanted to hear but I'm aware that it's the risk of getting a 'barn find' car and using it for the first time in years too. After all, maybe this was another reason it came off the road.
Unsatisfired with his opinion I called the place @dickdasterdley told me about. I tried him before the above specialist but he was near impossible to get hold of. Finally I got hold of him. After discusssing the issues he said the problem very much sounded like I had lost 4th and that when the 'box first came out, it was an issue until a design change/recall with sorting out of the 4th gear replacement. The downside was I'd still need a rebuild, but it would be £600, and not less like the place above, albeit for just rebuilding 5th gear. This guy did say one thing however; read the codes, even with the blinker type tool.
So, with the homemade tool, I read the codes:
I then found the the code from the box:
-9 ; Control Valve.
I then went to clear the code. Immediately on the test drive, the car drove much much nicer than before! The car now had good acceleration above 50mph without screaming its head off in 3rd, or getting 5th early and then taking an age to get to speed. The kickdown was working alot better than I expected an old autobox to work and it was going great! For all of 4 miles. Then the car went back to its usual self. The 'box became a recalitrant and annoying thing once more. Damn! I could taste the victory only for it to be taken away!
Not the most descriptive code. From what I could tell, it was insinuating there was a connection problem, either with the solenoid breaking down, or there being an open/short circuit somewhere. Not a problem I thought, I can get a control valve for the 'box and it can be done with the 'box in situ! That would all change when I saw the price. It was in short, ridiculous! Ridiculous enough to make me consider finding a secondhand 5 speed autobox, or even converting the car to a 4 speed auto. Of course, I could sell the car on, and say something isn't quite right with the 'box. That said, with manualitis gripping the car enthusiasts like mental, I'm sure I could have just blagged it and gone:
"it's an autobox man. They're crap and they all do that. You have to live with 'em."
It's fair to say Merc's days were looking numbered under me. Yes I could fix it, but this was meant to be a new rolling resto daily, not something that would become a moneypit! I already have that boat well and truly full! This would soon change however.
Nice write up !! Re the control valve, could you remove and see if it's repairable?-The gearbox wasn't behaving ; it seemed to be missing a gear!
-The car was vibrating over 70mph with a pulsing vibration
-I have been spoiled by modern accoutrements. Yes, the tape deck looked cool, but it would have been nice to have some other forms of enjoying music and having things like Sat-Nav directions etc. working!
But first of all, I had some garage keeping to do. Previously, I'd keep batteries if they held 12ish Volts. Buying this new tester however has confirmed most of the batteries I have removed are generally fit for the bin! As a plus I guess I now have less clutter!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIn short, the tester is saying the battery is shot. For a battery with a rating of 590A to the EN standard it's floating at 177A and 10.98V. Even the CTEK couldn't revive that on the RECOND setting, with me heaving the battery bubble a little when the charger went onto the trickle mode. I do wonder if the OVP died from potentially being jump started.
But first of all, the car was seeming to be the gift that kept on giving! I found this factory toolkit buried away in the depths of the boot! Quite a nice find I think you'll agree!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt's a shame the fuses are wrong for the car but it's the thought that counts, right?
The next thing to do was to remove the HU.
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt does look right at home and it is a nice bit of retro added to the car! But in truth, I knew it would become annoying to me. I've lived with tapes previously in old cars mind you, but the sound quality of those tape converters with a 3.5mm lead leaves little to be desired.
With that in mind I set to install the old faithful headunit, the Alpine 9887R. With this in mind I set to work. The 9887R despite being a Bluetooth friendly head unit doesn't actually have built-in Bluetooth. For that I'd need to dig deeper and find a new home for the Bluetooth box which gives the 9887R its Bluetooth capability:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrS124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrThere were already one or two other boxes there too! I suspect I know what both of them are too.
With that, it was a case of dusting off the iPod, since the Bluetooth box allows you to plug in an iPod in addition to powering the head unit up!
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith that done, it was then a case of enjoying the tunes! But the car had one more trick up its sleeve. A factory installed wirless central locking. Initially, this didn't seem to be working. After changing the battery in the keyfob, adjusting the battery tabs within it, in addiiton to actually turning on the alarm/immobiliser sytem this is what I was greeted with:
S124 work by Charlieboy, on FlickrAs the video shows, I was back in business! Or so I thought.
The tyres I suspected had flat spotted; after all, the car had been sat for 2 years! After foolishly trying to get them balanced you could see the flat spots on the tyres! It's fair to say that was a waste of cash The fact that they were old didn't really help matters. The dates went as follows:
-Fronts: Continental PremiumContact 2s (yes really!) : 2008
-Rears: Continental EcoContact CP: 2005ish.
Yup, they were old! The one legger burnouts in the dry with minimal throttle were losing their appeal. In truth, I should have stopped being silly and just bought some new tyres, especially for my sake as well as others. But there were reasons why I was being hesitant.
It was not all quite joy in paradise! I still had a gearbox that didn't seem to be working right! In short a Merc gearbox should work like this:
-pulls away in 2nd, and then go 3,4 & 5. 1st is only engaged during kickdown.
I suspected mine was doing the following:
-2nd, 3rd and 5th. I couldn't tell if it was forth or 5th that wasn't working but I knew something wasn't right.
-kickdown from 5th was atrocious, as was it getting gears. it would 'hang' in 5th, and then grab 3rd ages after you put your foot down! Of course, it would normally kick down to4th, but with no 4th gear that wasn't going to happen, so 3rd took quite a while longer to get!
I then went to an autobox specialist locally, albeit not one I've used before. He was adamant it was my 5th gear I had lost; after all, if you shifted the car manually from 3rd to 4th it would get the 'next' gear on.. After all, the 722.5 gearbox does have a variable reputation, which he made very sure I knew!. I remember him telling me to come back and that it's likely I'd need to get my gearbox rebuilt. It's not the news I wanted to hear but I'm aware that it's the risk of getting a 'barn find' car and using it for the first time in years too. After all, maybe this was another reason it came off the road.
Unsatisfired with his opinion I called the place @dickdasterdley told me about. I tried him before the above specialist but he was near impossible to get hold of. Finally I got hold of him. After discusssing the issues he said the problem very much sounded like I had lost 4th and that when the 'box first came out, it was an issue until a design change/recall with sorting out of the 4th gear replacement. The downside was I'd still need a rebuild, but it would be £600, and not less like the place above, albeit for just rebuilding 5th gear. This guy did say one thing however; read the codes, even with the blinker type tool.
So, with the homemade tool, I read the codes:
I then found the the code from the box:
-9 ; Control Valve.
I then went to clear the code. Immediately on the test drive, the car drove much much nicer than before! The car now had good acceleration above 50mph without screaming its head off in 3rd, or getting 5th early and then taking an age to get to speed. The kickdown was working alot better than I expected an old autobox to work and it was going great! For all of 4 miles. Then the car went back to its usual self. The 'box became a recalitrant and annoying thing once more. Damn! I could taste the victory only for it to be taken away!
Not the most descriptive code. From what I could tell, it was insinuating there was a connection problem, either with the solenoid breaking down, or there being an open/short circuit somewhere. Not a problem I thought, I can get a control valve for the 'box and it can be done with the 'box in situ! That would all change when I saw the price. It was in short, ridiculous! Ridiculous enough to make me consider finding a secondhand 5 speed autobox, or even converting the car to a 4 speed auto. Of course, I could sell the car on, and say something isn't quite right with the 'box. That said, with manualitis gripping the car enthusiasts like mental, I'm sure I could have just blagged it and gone:
"it's an autobox man. They're crap and they all do that. You have to live with 'em."
It's fair to say Merc's days were looking numbered under me. Yes I could fix it, but this was meant to be a new rolling resto daily, not something that would become a moneypit! I already have that boat well and truly full! This would soon change however.
EarlOfHazard said:
Nice write up !! Re the control valve, could you remove and see if it's repairable?
Believe it or not, that update is coming right now .If you want to discuss luck here it is!
I first went about diagnosing the issue by resetting the code again for its 50 mile trip to work. This time however, I also changed the fuse for the autobox. Being one of those annoying log fuses they can cause havoc to an old Mercedes! In this they had been just like my previous one, a little like they did in a bloke's R129 SL500! Sure enough, at the end of the journey I realised all was not well again with the temporary autobox!
I was clutching at straws here. It was after all, pointless getting the gearbox rebuilt if the solenoid was at fault. Whatever I could briefly see of the wiring looked OK. In desperation, I then cleared all of the codes on every module within the car, including the gearbox ECU. I then disconnected the gearbox ECU, blew some air at the connections and reconnected it. Not wanting to push my lucky, I decided to go back into the house and see how it behaved.
It was then time to try the 'box. Halleluyah! Finally, I got why Merc aficionados out there say the 5 speed is the better 'box out of the factory autoboxes, and how it can drive lovely! It just wafted along! The kickdown was now more like telepathy, the car had some accessible get up and go, and wow the car became a bit of a flying machine! The peaky nature of the 3.2 really suits the 5 speed too! The ratios aren't just a 5th gear chucked on top, oh no! The rear diff is made shorter to make the most of the 5 gears, which is why the 5 speed 'box can make a real difference to the feel of the car. Not that I noticed it until now obviously!
So, I had a gearbox that was actually getting all of the gears, when it should! With all of that done, there was nothing for it, but to treat the old girl to a set of new boots! Sure, one legger burnouts are awesome, but it is also nicer to be safe too in a daily! So off I went to the tyre fitter of my choice.
Off with its wheels!
Off with the old:
And on with the new:
I thought long and hard about what tyres to get. I've been spoiled with decent rubber over the years, so budgets were out of the question. I've found most mid-range stuff compromised, with Kumhos being a bit meh on grip, Nexens offering Premium grip at the cost of an atrocious wear rate and Falkens being similar. I didn't want ot spend a fortune as I didn't know what I was going to do with the car. That said, Goodyears and Dunlops were considered. These Firestone Roadhawks popped up on one of Johnathan Benson's TyreReview videos. From what he was saying, they seemed to be as good as the award winning Bridgestone T005, but at less cash. The reviews also from Europe gave these very high praise, higher than the Dunlops and Goodyears in many cases for the tyres I could get on my car. With that in mind, I took the plunge, and at £60 a corner they were in keeping with having this car be a 'budget' rolling resto and nothing too crazy.
Yes, I could have gone part-worn, some of you say, but bear this in mind. My old tyres were legal, and considering I'm aware that the tyres will be going to a recycling centre who also sell part-worns, I'm fairly sure I may have been no better off than I am now. Yes you can be picky with part-worns, but IMHO all it leads to is an aggravated fitter, who let's be honest, could be awkward anyway, so why bother? Yup, I've been there before and wondered why I bothered.
Immediately, the car now felt more secure in the wet, was quieter on the road, in addition, to actually gripping in the wet! It was great to have the Merc going again! It's fair to say the poor girl was now earning it's keep!
There are still a few more things to do on the car, but for now, it's coming along rather nicely! I admit 25MPG isn't great but it does allow you to waft along at speed and in comfort with tons of practicality! I did look into getting an S203 C320 CDI, but Christ when did they become pricey? £5k for a 12-year-old car that's not a pup! Sorry, but that's not really my idea of value.
So as it is, it seems I'll be using this Merc for a little more time. Not that it's a hardship or anything!
For now, I'll leave this shot here. It's about one of the few times I've owned a predominantly German fleet! Funny eh? Both the M3 and the E320 share the same engine size. Both, however, are very different animals!
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