Mercedes W124 E300D estate - progress, or not...
Discussion
The exhaust is in four bits. Manifold, down pipes (includes three cats), centre section, back box.
The down pipes with the cats are wrongly priced at Merc: £95! My man Baister bought three when I told him and still has two.
Centre section and back box are NLA but approx £125 each from Eberspächer.
Manifold never goes.
The down pipes with the cats are wrongly priced at Merc: £95! My man Baister bought three when I told him and still has two.
Centre section and back box are NLA but approx £125 each from Eberspächer.
Manifold never goes.
A1244908720 has three cats?!
My local dealer - Vertu - has that section as £500+, mid at £150, rear at £230. Ish. I've also sent my parts enquiry to Brooklands, because I think they offer 25% discount on parts to OC members.
After some more part number chasing this weekend, I have some additions to the list.
My local dealer - Vertu - has that section as £500+, mid at £150, rear at £230. Ish. I've also sent my parts enquiry to Brooklands, because I think they offer 25% discount on parts to OC members.
After some more part number chasing this weekend, I have some additions to the list.
8720 has one big cat and two small ones. I definitely paid £95 for mine from Merc back in 2016 and, as I say, Baister ordered three more. He has two lying in his spares room: give him a call. They were wrongly priced with Merc: the non-cat version ending 8820 was £500. Maybe they have cottoned on.
That could be a very interesting lead. Looks like I could go aftermarket for around the same price, but that might be one cat (or soot reducer) rather than three.
Got the parts estimate back from one of the dealers today. Includes injectors (just asked for info) , excludes exhaust.
Fifteen hundred pounds!!
Once I'd knocked off the new injectors - about two hundred apiece - plus three crankcase breather pipes (forty quid each - the originals will just need to be handled carefully) and the breather valve, plus the o-rings I've already ordered Viton replacements for, it's down to a more-reasonable £140. Possibly plus injector refurb, but I'm leaning towards it being a glow plug problem, and I've got them already.
Heater knob arrived - £13ish delivered from Latvia, but ironically double what I'd pay at the dealer. I'll be asking them first from now on!
Got the parts estimate back from one of the dealers today. Includes injectors (just asked for info) , excludes exhaust.
Fifteen hundred pounds!!
Once I'd knocked off the new injectors - about two hundred apiece - plus three crankcase breather pipes (forty quid each - the originals will just need to be handled carefully) and the breather valve, plus the o-rings I've already ordered Viton replacements for, it's down to a more-reasonable £140. Possibly plus injector refurb, but I'm leaning towards it being a glow plug problem, and I've got them already.
Heater knob arrived - £13ish delivered from Latvia, but ironically double what I'd pay at the dealer. I'll be asking them first from now on!
Thank you, sir. Part of me wants to crack on with the glow plug work myself (once MB have got around to supplying me with the parts); another - poorer, less brave but more sensible - part of me wants to put it in to get done.
The MOT is getting closer, so I do need to make plans for that.
I tried out my new code reader yesterday. Interesting to use, but not particularly useful thus far as there aren't many pins to check in the diagnostic socket! I cleared the airbag & central locking codes that came up, so we'll see if anything recurs.
Also changed all the fuses in the fuse box. Not sure that was worth doing, either - the front electric windows blew two fuses in quick succession, so I've gone back to an older (but more chunky) fuse on that circuit. Could just be down to me cheaping out on the fuses as I wasn't sure what to get. We shall see.
I managed to track down (what looks to be) a new wing mirror unit, which I'm picking up later. I do need to get the right colour painted cover, or try to get the one off my old mirror without breaking it.
And I picked up a couple of 15-holes, so I can have an alloy as a spare. It's from a 190, so the offset is slightly different, but I think it should be fine as an emergency solution. I'll need to get a non-directional tyre for it.
The MOT is getting closer, so I do need to make plans for that.
I tried out my new code reader yesterday. Interesting to use, but not particularly useful thus far as there aren't many pins to check in the diagnostic socket! I cleared the airbag & central locking codes that came up, so we'll see if anything recurs.
Also changed all the fuses in the fuse box. Not sure that was worth doing, either - the front electric windows blew two fuses in quick succession, so I've gone back to an older (but more chunky) fuse on that circuit. Could just be down to me cheaping out on the fuses as I wasn't sure what to get. We shall see.
I managed to track down (what looks to be) a new wing mirror unit, which I'm picking up later. I do need to get the right colour painted cover, or try to get the one off my old mirror without breaking it.
And I picked up a couple of 15-holes, so I can have an alloy as a spare. It's from a 190, so the offset is slightly different, but I think it should be fine as an emergency solution. I'll need to get a non-directional tyre for it.
Enjoying this thread immensely, Northbrook, you’re a very amusing writer. My first car was also a 1968 Triumph Herald (Valencia Blue), a lovely thing. I’ve driven W124 230e’s for the last 16 years and dislike having to drive anything modern. (Yes, I know the M102 isn’t favoured but I drive like an old lady anyway so don’t care).
Best of luck with your car, nice to see other 124 owners helping with info, too. (I read r129sl’s thread in a single sitting, great stuff). :0)
Best of luck with your car, nice to see other 124 owners helping with info, too. (I read r129sl’s thread in a single sitting, great stuff). :0)
Thank you kindly, gentlemen.
Adam - I haven't received the seal as of yet: the seller contacted me to say that they were out of stock, so they refunded me and I'll reorder later. Currently I don't think I'll be working on taking those windows out - there's plenty else to do, the window sills seem fine, and money is finite (sadly) - but I'll let you know if/when I do order. In the mean time, I wouldn't advise against ordering from that seller (tshopabs from memory, and apologies for the double-negative) - I've already had some stuff from them, and it seems absolutely fine.
Based on part number, it does seem like the seal is <the rubber bit between the bodyshell, window & metal overlay trim> so, despite the low price, it may be worth a go. With that said, though, it'd be worth trying a MB dealer here, too, for pricing - having paid £13ish for a new heater knob from Latvia, I could have bought from the dealer for £6. Oops.
MrScroggs: Heralds are great, no? My first driveable car, and I learned so much about driving with a benign car that just did the basics. Hand-pumped windscreen washer was a particular favourite, especially when the feed line fell off mid-pump. Oddly, now I think about it I get a good amount of the same feeling in this car. Maybe that was the appeal.
Back to this car - 1950ish miles done since purchase in mid January, and the MOT is due in a couple of weeks. I need to chase up MB on the parts I need for the intake manifold work (glow plugs, fuel lines, possibly injectors) but I'm booked in for a checkup with my mechanic next week, to see what else I need to throw money at.
Exhaust needs fixing or replacing, wing needs duct tape (yes, I know, but later), brake needs unsqueaking, inner wing holes need inspecting (also later), but what else?
Then there's a round trip to Peterborough on Monday - which I usually dislike, but not in this car - and then the planned work & MOT will be done while I'm bombing around Boston in a hire car on a work trip in mid-May.
As we know, hire cars are the fastest cars in the world....
Adam - I haven't received the seal as of yet: the seller contacted me to say that they were out of stock, so they refunded me and I'll reorder later. Currently I don't think I'll be working on taking those windows out - there's plenty else to do, the window sills seem fine, and money is finite (sadly) - but I'll let you know if/when I do order. In the mean time, I wouldn't advise against ordering from that seller (tshopabs from memory, and apologies for the double-negative) - I've already had some stuff from them, and it seems absolutely fine.
Based on part number, it does seem like the seal is <the rubber bit between the bodyshell, window & metal overlay trim> so, despite the low price, it may be worth a go. With that said, though, it'd be worth trying a MB dealer here, too, for pricing - having paid £13ish for a new heater knob from Latvia, I could have bought from the dealer for £6. Oops.
MrScroggs: Heralds are great, no? My first driveable car, and I learned so much about driving with a benign car that just did the basics. Hand-pumped windscreen washer was a particular favourite, especially when the feed line fell off mid-pump. Oddly, now I think about it I get a good amount of the same feeling in this car. Maybe that was the appeal.
Back to this car - 1950ish miles done since purchase in mid January, and the MOT is due in a couple of weeks. I need to chase up MB on the parts I need for the intake manifold work (glow plugs, fuel lines, possibly injectors) but I'm booked in for a checkup with my mechanic next week, to see what else I need to throw money at.
Exhaust needs fixing or replacing, wing needs duct tape (yes, I know, but later), brake needs unsqueaking, inner wing holes need inspecting (also later), but what else?
Then there's a round trip to Peterborough on Monday - which I usually dislike, but not in this car - and then the planned work & MOT will be done while I'm bombing around Boston in a hire car on a work trip in mid-May.
As we know, hire cars are the fastest cars in the world....
I've been having a bit of a conk problem today.
Not with my schnozz, you understand, although I do have a cold.
After the usual-at-the-moment cold start smoky shenanigans this morning, I was wafting casually (and late, as usual) to work this morning, and had what felt like a hesitation in pickup when accelerating onto a roundabout. Almost little enough to wonder if I'd imagined it.
A semi-conk, if you will.
Ho him, I though to myself (because we're all the Famous Five really) - I wonder if that's a sign of slowly-worsening clear fuel pipe condition. Ho hum.
This evening, after the usual cold start smoky histrionics again (thankfully in a mostly-deserted work car park, although I'm sure the cleaner appreciated her lungful of unburned diesel fumes) the car graduated to a full conk, shortly before joining a larger roundabout.
It restarted relatively okay, albeit on fewer cylinders than would be considered de rigeur for an online six, and after a minute ish of being a one-man traffic 'calming' device, I was on my way again.
Both times, the car was not-warm but not-cold. I think it's them pesky fuel pipes.
Hope I can nurse the car along (and source the parts) so both the cold start issue and the fuel lines can be fixed, a shiny new ticket granted, and other spending can commence.
Not with my schnozz, you understand, although I do have a cold.
After the usual-at-the-moment cold start smoky shenanigans this morning, I was wafting casually (and late, as usual) to work this morning, and had what felt like a hesitation in pickup when accelerating onto a roundabout. Almost little enough to wonder if I'd imagined it.
A semi-conk, if you will.
Ho him, I though to myself (because we're all the Famous Five really) - I wonder if that's a sign of slowly-worsening clear fuel pipe condition. Ho hum.
This evening, after the usual cold start smoky histrionics again (thankfully in a mostly-deserted work car park, although I'm sure the cleaner appreciated her lungful of unburned diesel fumes) the car graduated to a full conk, shortly before joining a larger roundabout.
It restarted relatively okay, albeit on fewer cylinders than would be considered de rigeur for an online six, and after a minute ish of being a one-man traffic 'calming' device, I was on my way again.
Both times, the car was not-warm but not-cold. I think it's them pesky fuel pipes.
Hope I can nurse the car along (and source the parts) so both the cold start issue and the fuel lines can be fixed, a shiny new ticket granted, and other spending can commence.
Good trip to Peterborough and back yesterday; nice car to drive.
But of a nutkick this morning - car is in for a pre-MOT, and the rear axle area is a significant problem. A not-really-roadworthy problem.
Arse.
Mechanic is happy to do the work, if I (1) pay for it, and (2) source the suspension mounting turret jobs. There's also welding needed for the rear floor area, but while it needs doing it's less of a concern.
@r129sl - when possible, please could you help me with while-it's-off part numbers for suitable bits. I think the panels are A 124 611 12 47 (not handed, so two of?) but I'm not sure on the bushes. Sounds like I need to replicate what you've had done. Thank you, sir. (incidentally, I think I've mailed you, but if not please let me know)
This could write the car off.... but I'm not sure it deserves that.
But of a nutkick this morning - car is in for a pre-MOT, and the rear axle area is a significant problem. A not-really-roadworthy problem.
Arse.
Mechanic is happy to do the work, if I (1) pay for it, and (2) source the suspension mounting turret jobs. There's also welding needed for the rear floor area, but while it needs doing it's less of a concern.
@r129sl - when possible, please could you help me with while-it's-off part numbers for suitable bits. I think the panels are A 124 611 12 47 (not handed, so two of?) but I'm not sure on the bushes. Sounds like I need to replicate what you've had done. Thank you, sir. (incidentally, I think I've mailed you, but if not please let me know)
This could write the car off.... but I'm not sure it deserves that.
The rear sub frame front mounting points are comprised of two parts on each side, an inverted turret (which is sided) and a plate with a threaded hole (which is not sided). The part numbers are:
Left turret: A 124 611 11 47
Right turret: A 124 611 12 47
Threaded plate: A 201 611 00 11
The front pair of sub frame mounts come as a pair in this kit: A 124 350 03 41
The rears don't. The mounting parts are a kit: A 124 350 67 08. But the rubber bushes themselves are sold individually: A 124 351 02 42.
They cost me about £350 for the lot from the main dealer. A German supplier makes after market versions of the metalwork and I suspect any half-decent welder could make up the components. Here is somebody else's picture:
While you have the rear axle out, you might want to renew all the suspension links with this very affordable kit. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lemforder-Complete-Cros...
Left turret: A 124 611 11 47
Right turret: A 124 611 12 47
Threaded plate: A 201 611 00 11
The front pair of sub frame mounts come as a pair in this kit: A 124 350 03 41
The rears don't. The mounting parts are a kit: A 124 350 67 08. But the rubber bushes themselves are sold individually: A 124 351 02 42.
They cost me about £350 for the lot from the main dealer. A German supplier makes after market versions of the metalwork and I suspect any half-decent welder could make up the components. Here is somebody else's picture:
While you have the rear axle out, you might want to renew all the suspension links with this very affordable kit. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lemforder-Complete-Cros...
Thank you again, r129sl. Coming through with the goods as always.
I'm due to drop in on the mechanic in the morning, when I give the courtesy car back, and will hopefully be checking my shopping list with him.
I'm currently unsure about the subframe bushes & the linked struts, solely on cost grounds (bearing in mind that the car also needs the glow plugs and fuel lines doing now, possibly also the injectors if I can't put them off, plus exhaust repair or replacement).
The expected costs for the back end work are £600-800 labour - to cover new front-rear brake pipes, subframe mounting repairs, and some floor repairs, possible front inner wing patching; not sure on the front end labour (so many numbers in my head) but a good couple of hundred for that at least. Plus parts - without injector work, without subframe stuff, it's looking at £300odd. So we're talking ~£1k to £1.5 without adding on other nice-to-haves.
I like the car, very much, but I also need to be sensible on how much I throw at it. Because, if the rear seats & carpet need to come out for the work, I may as well then bung in sound insulation as per r129sl.... So, if the cost of dropping axle again for bushes etc in a few months would be an extra £100ish but enable me to spread out the cost, that's something I could more easily get my logic around.
For now, the car is with the mechanic until it's repaired enough to get through an MOT. I'd like to use it this weekend, but I don't want to risk it. The good news is that I'm working away for most of the next two weeks so, once I've ordered up the stuff & dropped it off (two working day lead time), the Man can work on it at his leisure.
As long as I have it back as soon as I get back from the US!
I'm due to drop in on the mechanic in the morning, when I give the courtesy car back, and will hopefully be checking my shopping list with him.
I'm currently unsure about the subframe bushes & the linked struts, solely on cost grounds (bearing in mind that the car also needs the glow plugs and fuel lines doing now, possibly also the injectors if I can't put them off, plus exhaust repair or replacement).
The expected costs for the back end work are £600-800 labour - to cover new front-rear brake pipes, subframe mounting repairs, and some floor repairs, possible front inner wing patching; not sure on the front end labour (so many numbers in my head) but a good couple of hundred for that at least. Plus parts - without injector work, without subframe stuff, it's looking at £300odd. So we're talking ~£1k to £1.5 without adding on other nice-to-haves.
I like the car, very much, but I also need to be sensible on how much I throw at it. Because, if the rear seats & carpet need to come out for the work, I may as well then bung in sound insulation as per r129sl.... So, if the cost of dropping axle again for bushes etc in a few months would be an extra £100ish but enable me to spread out the cost, that's something I could more easily get my logic around.
For now, the car is with the mechanic until it's repaired enough to get through an MOT. I'd like to use it this weekend, but I don't want to risk it. The good news is that I'm working away for most of the next two weeks so, once I've ordered up the stuff & dropped it off (two working day lead time), the Man can work on it at his leisure.
As long as I have it back as soon as I get back from the US!
It would be interesting to see where this ends up. Might be cheaper to start again. But not the same, I recognise that. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-E300-D-W124-mu...
I got your email. I'll reply when I've ruminated a bit more.
I got your email. I'll reply when I've ruminated a bit more.
r129sl said:
It would be interesting to see where this ends up. Might be cheaper to start again. But not the same, I recognise that. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-E300-D-W124-mu...
I got your email. I'll reply when I've ruminated a bit more.
That looks like a genuine car, I’ve added that to my watch list. Meant to be going on holiday in June, I’m not sure how the wife will feel about using the spending money on an old Mercedes Estate instead. I got your email. I'll reply when I've ruminated a bit more.
The silver estate looks okay, and the seller seems like the right sort.
So, my car! I've agreed a plan of attack with the mechanic: rear floor repairs, brake pipes, tidying up of the front inner wing holes, the front mounting points of the rear subframe, front bushes & bolts. That, with some tidying of a few rust holes in the already-quite-repaired front exhaust section should get the car through the MOT, hopefully before the free 10 day retest period is over. The hole in the front wing is duct taped and not a concern, emissions were fine. The only other wildcard (aside from things being more seized or rusty than anticipated) is the rear brakes, which haven't been tested but were dragging a little.
Why not the rear bushes for the subframe, you ask? Well, the bill is more than enough already!
When the MOT has been passed (note the positivity), the next job - because it needs doing, and I'm basically away for 2 weeks - is the glow plug & fuel line replacement. Interestingly, the emissions are absolutely fine. Mechanic seems to leaning back towards the GPs again now. Injectors are off the work list for the time being, because that would add another £200+ to what will be a hefty bill.
Parts are ordered with MB, and hopefully they'll arrive so I can collect before Sunday, and pass them along. It gets more complex if not, because the dealer doesn't deliver, but I'll cross that bridge if I have to.
So what have I ordered? I'm happy to post the part number list if that'd help anyone, but basically:
- Subframe mounting point repair sections, front bush kit;
- Crankcase breather pipework (apart from the three small plastic pipes that are £45, and will be the only things that break;
- Intake manifold gasket & seals;
- Fuel lines & accoutrements.
That little lot, with VAT and discount, just pillaged my bank account for £570ish.
A set of Beru plugs are currently mere inches below my backside (under my chair, that is), and that's enough parts to get into trouble with.
After that, I just have to pay for the 'couple of days' on the ramp, and sundries.
If nothing else goes wrong. Which it will.
And unfortunately, my working weeks are rammed for the next couple of weeks, so I can't even go and hoik the seats & carpets out; I'll be paying them to do that.
But the car will live again! Unless they find something else horrendous.
So, my car! I've agreed a plan of attack with the mechanic: rear floor repairs, brake pipes, tidying up of the front inner wing holes, the front mounting points of the rear subframe, front bushes & bolts. That, with some tidying of a few rust holes in the already-quite-repaired front exhaust section should get the car through the MOT, hopefully before the free 10 day retest period is over. The hole in the front wing is duct taped and not a concern, emissions were fine. The only other wildcard (aside from things being more seized or rusty than anticipated) is the rear brakes, which haven't been tested but were dragging a little.
Why not the rear bushes for the subframe, you ask? Well, the bill is more than enough already!
When the MOT has been passed (note the positivity), the next job - because it needs doing, and I'm basically away for 2 weeks - is the glow plug & fuel line replacement. Interestingly, the emissions are absolutely fine. Mechanic seems to leaning back towards the GPs again now. Injectors are off the work list for the time being, because that would add another £200+ to what will be a hefty bill.
Parts are ordered with MB, and hopefully they'll arrive so I can collect before Sunday, and pass them along. It gets more complex if not, because the dealer doesn't deliver, but I'll cross that bridge if I have to.
So what have I ordered? I'm happy to post the part number list if that'd help anyone, but basically:
- Subframe mounting point repair sections, front bush kit;
- Crankcase breather pipework (apart from the three small plastic pipes that are £45, and will be the only things that break;
- Intake manifold gasket & seals;
- Fuel lines & accoutrements.
That little lot, with VAT and discount, just pillaged my bank account for £570ish.
A set of Beru plugs are currently mere inches below my backside (under my chair, that is), and that's enough parts to get into trouble with.
After that, I just have to pay for the 'couple of days' on the ramp, and sundries.
If nothing else goes wrong. Which it will.
And unfortunately, my working weeks are rammed for the next couple of weeks, so I can't even go and hoik the seats & carpets out; I'll be paying them to do that.
But the car will live again! Unless they find something else horrendous.
I'm not convinced the glow plugs will cure the smoking on start up. My thinking is this. Sometimes I and invariably my wife forget to wait for the glow plug light to go out before firing the car up. That is, we start it stone cold as if there were no glow plugs. It doesn't smoke. It chunters and stumbles but definitely doesn't smoke. I'll ask the legendary Baister next time I see him. In the meantime, I am glad somebody else has developed a mad love for these cars which justifies all kinds of expenditure.
I'm going to disagree there if your cars are garaged then you may get away without the glow plugs, and yours are working and they do stay on after the lights gone out, but parking outside I think they'll make a big difference and he's got them any way
Edited by ian316 on Thursday 2nd May 21:13
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