New to the W124 club...
Discussion
...and now I see what all the fuss is about. Wow! What a lot of car for not a lot of cash.
The car in question is a powder blue, F-plate 300E saloon. 92k miles on the clock and only two previous owners (a heart surgeon and his neice). 6 months tax, 5 months MOT. Bodywork in very good condition, interior almost unmarked (aside from a little wear to the drivers seat). And all for less than a grand.
I collected it yesterday, and bought it as a winter run-about, to keep my 635csi out of the rain and slush over the coming months. I am absolutely bowled over by how solid, smooth and strong it is.
The auto gear change is silky smooth, the 3.0 lump is near-silent yet plenty potent, the seats well-cushioned but supportive, the air con works, the sunroof works, and there's even a button on the dashboard that pops down the rear headrests.
Incredible. Why doesn't everyone have one?
The car in question is a powder blue, F-plate 300E saloon. 92k miles on the clock and only two previous owners (a heart surgeon and his neice). 6 months tax, 5 months MOT. Bodywork in very good condition, interior almost unmarked (aside from a little wear to the drivers seat). And all for less than a grand.
I collected it yesterday, and bought it as a winter run-about, to keep my 635csi out of the rain and slush over the coming months. I am absolutely bowled over by how solid, smooth and strong it is.
The auto gear change is silky smooth, the 3.0 lump is near-silent yet plenty potent, the seats well-cushioned but supportive, the air con works, the sunroof works, and there's even a button on the dashboard that pops down the rear headrests.
Incredible. Why doesn't everyone have one?
Edited by Gruber on Sunday 10th October 17:27
Gruber said:
Why doesn't everyone have one?
Well, I am working on that...The only thing you should watch out for on W124s (and W201 & R129s) is worn front balljoints. They're £15 each from Mercedes but, when they fail, they fail somewhat inelegantly. Your local MB Independent Specialist will be able to check them & replace as needed
Other than that, so long as they are serviced properly they will last forever and not depreciate. Congratulations on your purchase...
Nick Froome
Edited by bolide on Sunday 10th October 21:39
Thanks for the "heads up" Nick. I read through your checklist on the honestjohn site before I went to look at mine - most helpful! Thank you.
With regard to the balljoints, are there any tell-tale signs of impending doom - knocking etc? I'm taking it to my local trusted back-street garage next week for an oil / filter / coolant change, so I'll make sure I ask him to look at the balljoints.
With regard to the balljoints, are there any tell-tale signs of impending doom - knocking etc? I'm taking it to my local trusted back-street garage next week for an oil / filter / coolant change, so I'll make sure I ask him to look at the balljoints.
, just praying it's still there in 2 weeks Hi
I bought an E320 Estate last month - my first Mercedes and I concur with the OP.
Very good help from the forums at www.mbclub.co.uk by the way.
L.F.
I bought an E320 Estate last month - my first Mercedes and I concur with the OP.
Very good help from the forums at www.mbclub.co.uk by the way.
L.F.
I love my 320 TE. Paid £500 for it a year and 20,000miles ago. It has pretty much everything and all working, too: 7 seats, a/c, heated seats, sportline, leather trim, &c. It is incredibly practical, reliable and goood to drive. I've been away for three weeks, and left it parked in the yard. When I returned last night, it started immediately!
Re balljoints: your average backstreet garage won't have a clue, nor will MOT testers find them if they're worn.
I believe the procedure involves putting the car on a ramp then lifting the front wheels (using a transmission jack or similar) to see how much the balljoint "lifts". Worn ones will have vertical play
The symptoms are creaking at walking pace when steering or going over speed humps, stiff spots in the steering travel and (possibly) feathered front tyres
This is what happens when they fail: there is a mighty "Boing!" sound as the front spring drives the lower wishbone down onto the road, a crunch as the tyre hits the arch and a lurching sensation in the wallet
The balljoint attaches the lower wishbone to the hub. Without it the wheel & hub go skywards. If you're unlucky, and have some lock on, the top of the tyre will punch a neat rectangular shape in the wheelarch
Fortunately they normally fail at low speed when manoeuvering on full lock. Here you can see the pin of the balljoint is still attached to the hub and is clean & shiny. The rusty bottom end of it should be attached to the ball in the wishbone - it's not. Probably the ball seized in the joint and the pin has snapped off
Nick Froome
I believe the procedure involves putting the car on a ramp then lifting the front wheels (using a transmission jack or similar) to see how much the balljoint "lifts". Worn ones will have vertical play
The symptoms are creaking at walking pace when steering or going over speed humps, stiff spots in the steering travel and (possibly) feathered front tyres
This is what happens when they fail: there is a mighty "Boing!" sound as the front spring drives the lower wishbone down onto the road, a crunch as the tyre hits the arch and a lurching sensation in the wallet
The balljoint attaches the lower wishbone to the hub. Without it the wheel & hub go skywards. If you're unlucky, and have some lock on, the top of the tyre will punch a neat rectangular shape in the wheelarch
Fortunately they normally fail at low speed when manoeuvering on full lock. Here you can see the pin of the balljoint is still attached to the hub and is clean & shiny. The rusty bottom end of it should be attached to the ball in the wishbone - it's not. Probably the ball seized in the joint and the pin has snapped off
Nick Froome
Edited by bolide on Tuesday 12th October 10:49
Edited by bolide on Tuesday 12th October 10:52
Older W124's are now getting rare,plenty of post 89 cars around,so yours really is worth hanging onto,air con also a fairly rear option even on a 300E.I believe the boot light can cause problems,dash fires caused by failure of the unfused bulb in the boot due chaffing of the wiring close to boot hinge.What colour,photos please!
Thanks all - much appreciated.
Nick - thanks for the warning about the ball joints. Mine doesn't seem to be exhibiting any of those symptoms, but I guess I should get it looked at anyway.
Bob - I'll take some pics at the weekend and get them posted. Is there anything that can be done to avoid the fire risk, or just keep an eye on the wires for fraying?
And this afternoon's update is that the old dear seems to have developed her first issue: one of the rear calipers seems to be sticking. No biggie (and probably just the result of it only having done 10k miles in the last 6 years...) but I need to get it sorted.
So, can anyone recommend a reasonably inexpensive Merc specialist? I'm in Fulham/Chelsea area but happy to travel a little way (though not too far with a sticking caliper!).
Nick - thanks for the warning about the ball joints. Mine doesn't seem to be exhibiting any of those symptoms, but I guess I should get it looked at anyway.
Bob - I'll take some pics at the weekend and get them posted. Is there anything that can be done to avoid the fire risk, or just keep an eye on the wires for fraying?
And this afternoon's update is that the old dear seems to have developed her first issue: one of the rear calipers seems to be sticking. No biggie (and probably just the result of it only having done 10k miles in the last 6 years...) but I need to get it sorted.
So, can anyone recommend a reasonably inexpensive Merc specialist? I'm in Fulham/Chelsea area but happy to travel a little way (though not too far with a sticking caliper!).
You'll find the rear discs will be very rusty and the side with the sticking piston will be awful. Fortunately parts are cheap from MB. A regular Italian tuneup will help with rear discs
MB independent: Colin Ferns is well thought-of
Nick Froome
MB independent: Colin Ferns is well thought-of
Nick Froome
Edited by bolide on Tuesday 12th October 22:55
Mikey_W said:
Excellent stuff - well done. The face-lifted version definitely looks a lot more modern than my pre-facelift version.Just by way of update... (on the off-chance that anyone cares!)
First, a picture of the old girl:
(Not a great picture, admittedly, but the Blackberry memory was full and time was tight).
Wallet is now £300 lighter, following a service. She's had a new rear caliper, rear pads, brake fluid, oil & filter and new coolant. Hopefully now good to go for the winter! The previously smooth straight six seems even smoother with fresh oil.
The other news is the great discovery of service history. I bought the car believing there to be no history, but have now found the service book - tucked away in the car and presumably long-since forgotten. Fully main-dealer stamped from new to 82k miles in 2003. The old girl has only done 10k since then. Although the previous owners have lost all the invoices for the last 7 years / 10k miles, I've been in touch with the back-street garage they took it to, who confirmed it has been in to them from time to time for odds and ends. To my mind, that's almost a full service history - especially with the £300 I've just spent on it.
This brilliant old shed looks more and more like a bargain every day!
First, a picture of the old girl:
(Not a great picture, admittedly, but the Blackberry memory was full and time was tight).
Wallet is now £300 lighter, following a service. She's had a new rear caliper, rear pads, brake fluid, oil & filter and new coolant. Hopefully now good to go for the winter! The previously smooth straight six seems even smoother with fresh oil.
The other news is the great discovery of service history. I bought the car believing there to be no history, but have now found the service book - tucked away in the car and presumably long-since forgotten. Fully main-dealer stamped from new to 82k miles in 2003. The old girl has only done 10k since then. Although the previous owners have lost all the invoices for the last 7 years / 10k miles, I've been in touch with the back-street garage they took it to, who confirmed it has been in to them from time to time for odds and ends. To my mind, that's almost a full service history - especially with the £300 I've just spent on it.
This brilliant old shed looks more and more like a bargain every day!
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