1991 Mercedes W124 250D Manual
Discussion
There I am giving out advice to people on what not to do and what to do etc.. What do I do? Throw the rulebook away! Here is a tale and tribulation of how I acquired my W124, not quite in the spec that I wanted either! But let's see how this began!
A few years back I sold my 205 GTi. In return I got a sheddy W124 300D Auto back as part of the deal.
Great deal some of you would say if you knew the value of 205s back then! However, this W124 was not without its issues as the buyer told me when I got it off him. In short, it didn't turn itself off, it was slow and it was tattier than it should have been in places!
But it was a cheap 124 and the core of the car seemed fine! Despite the issues you could also sense part of the W124 magic ; it was silent at speed and just wafted everywhere! I was debating keeping it but after the troublesome it went onto a friend of mine. It's looking pretty good these days but then it should for the cash that's been put into it! I'm told it drives a little better now too and since doing the repairs initially it's been a solid car! Being a well kitted W124 initially the wheels, seats and other bits really have transformed it!
After this I almost bought an OM606 NA estate instead of the Clio 172! They were a bit cheaper then for a good W124! But it was not to be!
Eventually I bought a car which I thought nailed many things. Speed, comfort, the lot! My E46 M3:
Not a retro I know but they are getting on a bit now! A bit I soon realised with quite a few bills that hit me within quite a short space of time! A little like my first 944 S2 this somewhat dented my enthusiasm for the car, until I drove it again! But at least I made it past Xmas without going into a hedge of sorts! Maybe it wasn't that bad!
So one night after coming back after a few beers I felt a bit of a sensible cap moment coming on ; strange I know! I fancied something cheaper to run than the M3 but without paying much money for it, shed money if I could! Going old has its issue and PCP was not an option for me! I also didn't fancy modern diesels with injector, EGR and other issues to go wrong ; good examples were also more than I was looking to spend! Of course the W124 lust came back into the frame unfortunately! After doing my research I decided I wanted a 300D Auto, preferably an estate and that I could settle for a 220TE ; the MPG and performance isn't meant to be that different.
Little did I know I would whack on a bid onto a W124 despite barely checking the MOT history, and buying sight unseen or even speaking to the seller! It was also miles away! 160 miles from home to be exact ; I stopped travelling for cars this far away many years ago after a lot of dissapointment! Yup, you can blame the beers!
A week later it popped up to say that I won the damned thing! Damn! The BMW had been on a good stink ; I placed the bid thinking I wouldn't win it, I rarely do! There was only one thing to do. Collect it. With many things getting in the way of collection for both me and the seller it seemed like this car and me were not meant to be! But eventually I finally got my train ticket to go down to deepest, darkest Devon:
A few years back I sold my 205 GTi. In return I got a sheddy W124 300D Auto back as part of the deal.
Great deal some of you would say if you knew the value of 205s back then! However, this W124 was not without its issues as the buyer told me when I got it off him. In short, it didn't turn itself off, it was slow and it was tattier than it should have been in places!
But it was a cheap 124 and the core of the car seemed fine! Despite the issues you could also sense part of the W124 magic ; it was silent at speed and just wafted everywhere! I was debating keeping it but after the troublesome it went onto a friend of mine. It's looking pretty good these days but then it should for the cash that's been put into it! I'm told it drives a little better now too and since doing the repairs initially it's been a solid car! Being a well kitted W124 initially the wheels, seats and other bits really have transformed it!
After this I almost bought an OM606 NA estate instead of the Clio 172! They were a bit cheaper then for a good W124! But it was not to be!
Eventually I bought a car which I thought nailed many things. Speed, comfort, the lot! My E46 M3:
Not a retro I know but they are getting on a bit now! A bit I soon realised with quite a few bills that hit me within quite a short space of time! A little like my first 944 S2 this somewhat dented my enthusiasm for the car, until I drove it again! But at least I made it past Xmas without going into a hedge of sorts! Maybe it wasn't that bad!
So one night after coming back after a few beers I felt a bit of a sensible cap moment coming on ; strange I know! I fancied something cheaper to run than the M3 but without paying much money for it, shed money if I could! Going old has its issue and PCP was not an option for me! I also didn't fancy modern diesels with injector, EGR and other issues to go wrong ; good examples were also more than I was looking to spend! Of course the W124 lust came back into the frame unfortunately! After doing my research I decided I wanted a 300D Auto, preferably an estate and that I could settle for a 220TE ; the MPG and performance isn't meant to be that different.
Little did I know I would whack on a bid onto a W124 despite barely checking the MOT history, and buying sight unseen or even speaking to the seller! It was also miles away! 160 miles from home to be exact ; I stopped travelling for cars this far away many years ago after a lot of dissapointment! Yup, you can blame the beers!
A week later it popped up to say that I won the damned thing! Damn! The BMW had been on a good stink ; I placed the bid thinking I wouldn't win it, I rarely do! There was only one thing to do. Collect it. With many things getting in the way of collection for both me and the seller it seemed like this car and me were not meant to be! But eventually I finally got my train ticket to go down to deepest, darkest Devon:
Edited by SebringMan on Friday 10th November 19:48
Edited by SebringMan on Saturday 11th November 16:36
Cheers, the pace part did initially worry me! I remembered how slow my 300D was!
.
Back to the car.
I did leave one bit of the tale out! After I found out that I won it I spoke to him over the phone. He was saying the bodywork could be tidier and mentioned the other points that I already knew about but otherwise it was a solid car. I really did have my reservations. However, since I committed to the bid it was only right to go down and see what was occurring.
After leaving Warwickshire I soon hit Reading station! It's not a bad stations, but maybe not in the top ten. After grabbing a bacon butty and a coffee I sat down waiting for the train to Exeter. As soon as it arrived I hopped on I saw yet more green fields with the odd scrapyard popping up next to the railways! I would have taken a photo if my phone didn't freeze up for the first time ever during my ownership! Was it really that bad to buy this car?
What I did notice however was my second change on the train looking unlikely! With an 11 minute delay on my train I could see that I could possibly see my other train leaving rather than being on it! Thankfully the train companies made the other train wait due to this.
Going on a GWR train reminded me of everything that was wrong with trains! It was smelly, worn out, old and even looked like it belonged in the 80s! I even saw someone having a swift swig of Hostein Pills at 11am on the train! Yup, the scenery had changed somewhat! In some ways this was for the better. I was rewarded with stunning views however for my patience and perseverance! Suddenly this trip was beginning to make more sense!
Before I knew it I came across the well spoken man known as Ken. He rocked up complete with his beard and long white hair in quite a sheddy W124 Estate, also a manual and a 250D! I know these are rare but this obsession is sounding unhealthy! Despite the rot ridden exterior I was looking forward a little more to picking up the car. Once I saw the car I had won I knew from then I would be taking it away.
A quick drive around the block surprised me! Sure, it was a normally aspirated and on first impressions it had the wrong 'box but it certainly had a charm that won you over! Sure, the engine lost one cylinder but except it sounding slightly more Audi 5 pot like you couldn't really tell it was down on power! If anything it felt a little pokier! It was no road burner but it did gather speed at a nice pace ; it seemed quicker than my old Pug 206 DTurbo! And then there was the W124 factor: The feeling of a well built, wafty car. It drove much better than I expected it to. With that done I agreed to the deal.
Part of the other reason for agreeing to it was down it having a new timing chain, evidence of regular oil changes and with the exception of mismatched panels a nice honesty. Oh, and it is solid!
With that all done it was time to fill the old girl up and hit the open road:
It was an utter joy to drive this back! It just cruised at motorway speeds! I was banking on the return journey taking me a while. It's fair to say that I had underestimated the car. It just loves the motorway and feels right in its element! It's not been taxing on fuel either so far!
Before I knew it I arrived back home quite pleased with the purchase. Yes, this car was a 'if only you were closer' car and I broke every rule of mine buying it! But for once the outcome hasn't been that bad
So, do I have a plan? Well, I am working on that! It has a couple of minor electrical issues that need seeing to, like the headlights that either work, sort of do or don't at all (I had to use the inner driving lights ; I think they are fog lights!). See why my new radio doesn't work and then decide what to do about the exterior. It's an ideal workhorse as it is! The interior is not too shabby at all and it's clear the car has been taken care of. That said, lows have been uttered around me with even the correct spring compressors offered for the deed!
One thing is for sure. While the M3 can go into hibernation over winter (as I decide what to do with it) this is a great way to waft around.
ian316 said:
A manual 250d I had one to say the box is pedestrian is being polite, you can see why 99% are autos 
C'mon this is Pistonheads. It's a manual gearbox or nothing here I thought .Back to the car.
I did leave one bit of the tale out! After I found out that I won it I spoke to him over the phone. He was saying the bodywork could be tidier and mentioned the other points that I already knew about but otherwise it was a solid car. I really did have my reservations. However, since I committed to the bid it was only right to go down and see what was occurring.
After leaving Warwickshire I soon hit Reading station! It's not a bad stations, but maybe not in the top ten. After grabbing a bacon butty and a coffee I sat down waiting for the train to Exeter. As soon as it arrived I hopped on I saw yet more green fields with the odd scrapyard popping up next to the railways! I would have taken a photo if my phone didn't freeze up for the first time ever during my ownership! Was it really that bad to buy this car?
What I did notice however was my second change on the train looking unlikely! With an 11 minute delay on my train I could see that I could possibly see my other train leaving rather than being on it! Thankfully the train companies made the other train wait due to this.
Going on a GWR train reminded me of everything that was wrong with trains! It was smelly, worn out, old and even looked like it belonged in the 80s! I even saw someone having a swift swig of Hostein Pills at 11am on the train! Yup, the scenery had changed somewhat! In some ways this was for the better. I was rewarded with stunning views however for my patience and perseverance! Suddenly this trip was beginning to make more sense!
Before I knew it I came across the well spoken man known as Ken. He rocked up complete with his beard and long white hair in quite a sheddy W124 Estate, also a manual and a 250D! I know these are rare but this obsession is sounding unhealthy! Despite the rot ridden exterior I was looking forward a little more to picking up the car. Once I saw the car I had won I knew from then I would be taking it away.
A quick drive around the block surprised me! Sure, it was a normally aspirated and on first impressions it had the wrong 'box but it certainly had a charm that won you over! Sure, the engine lost one cylinder but except it sounding slightly more Audi 5 pot like you couldn't really tell it was down on power! If anything it felt a little pokier! It was no road burner but it did gather speed at a nice pace ; it seemed quicker than my old Pug 206 DTurbo! And then there was the W124 factor: The feeling of a well built, wafty car. It drove much better than I expected it to. With that done I agreed to the deal.
Part of the other reason for agreeing to it was down it having a new timing chain, evidence of regular oil changes and with the exception of mismatched panels a nice honesty. Oh, and it is solid!
With that all done it was time to fill the old girl up and hit the open road:
It was an utter joy to drive this back! It just cruised at motorway speeds! I was banking on the return journey taking me a while. It's fair to say that I had underestimated the car. It just loves the motorway and feels right in its element! It's not been taxing on fuel either so far!
Before I knew it I arrived back home quite pleased with the purchase. Yes, this car was a 'if only you were closer' car and I broke every rule of mine buying it! But for once the outcome hasn't been that bad
So, do I have a plan? Well, I am working on that! It has a couple of minor electrical issues that need seeing to, like the headlights that either work, sort of do or don't at all (I had to use the inner driving lights ; I think they are fog lights!). See why my new radio doesn't work and then decide what to do about the exterior. It's an ideal workhorse as it is! The interior is not too shabby at all and it's clear the car has been taken care of. That said, lows have been uttered around me with even the correct spring compressors offered for the deed!
One thing is for sure. While the M3 can go into hibernation over winter (as I decide what to do with it) this is a great way to waft around.
Edited by SebringMan on Saturday 11th November 11:55
ian316 said:
Two other guys near me own w124s and we wave when we see each other, my wife calls it the sad c@nts club I still smile
I can only guess you own an old Mercedes of sorts? What is it? .Well, today was the day I put the W124 into use. For for the last couple of weeks I've been using a Mondoe 2.5T, and then briefly an '07 Saab 9-3 1.8t 150BHP. Unsurprisingly, the M3 went from feeling reasonable to pretty bloody rapid especially with temperatures down to 5 degrees C! Going from the M3 to the W124 was slightly surprising! But that said once I got my mind out of warp drive I just got on with enjoying wafting about, and still somehow trying to stay within speed limits ; it's quiet in this car!
The headlamps are behaving better but I may check the bulbs given that the main beams are working fine.
But now it's at home I can begin to crack on with the niggles. Sourcing an OEM engine mount for sensible money is proving interesting. I have options from GSF but being Vetech items I'd rather use them as a last resort. But then this a shed car :/.
ian316 said:
Mine's a 300d it's my 3rd the 1st was a 300d auto 2nd a 250d manual, they really are relaxing places to be the only cars I regret selling I don't think I could part with the present one. They're great round town and on a steady cruise so quiet at 80 which I think is the lack of tyre noise compared to newer stuff but you are going to be out hustled by a new 2ltr diesel but its paid for and parts are cheap, ENJOY ps do the front ball joints
It's funny you say that, I was out hustled by a Honda Accord VTEC unsurprisingly! A Ka however, not quite. But as said I'm chilling more and more with this boat! ps do the front ball joints I suspect it is the lack of wind and tyre noise that make them so quiet! Like you say I am surprised how good this car is around town, even as a manual! I think the 300d had the edge for just wafting around town but the 250D can move when it wants to!
Are the balljoints a known weak point on these? So far the tyre wear is OK on the front
.I've been busy again despite pushing this car into service only yesterday! Yes, I know it has its issues but needs must!
You may recall that the headlights went to briefly working to not working at all, but also working intermittently! Gah! Would I be driving on foglights every night like below? I could not even pull off the rudely look in this form! But they are vaguely convincing headlights! I even had the glorious light bulb warning going on and off!
The one clue that it could be a simple fix was that the beams worked perfectly with the light warning bulb going out! Being dual filament bulbs that ruled out an earthing fault to me. That left in my eyes a switch, connection or a relay problem. Tapping the fuse box did nothing. Opening it and wiggling the fuses however did. Gone are the intermittent headlights, and now come the reliable shiny lights! The bulb warning light that seems to plague most W124s has gone out now too! You have to love a free and easy fix!
Yes, yes I know about the leaves! I'll have to hoover them out!
My plan for these fuses are to sand back the contacts on iffy fuse connections, vaseline the connections and replace any tarnished fuses.
Another thing? When I collected the car it came with a crappy Grundig HU from a Corsa! I ended up taking it out and putting in very swanky Alpine, a 9887R for those wondering what it is!
But hang on, why is it not in the dash? A few reasons:
-I pulled it out as it didn't power up when I put it in first time. This was down to the power wires not being connected on the Alpine harness
-Some clown/C-unit has cut the godforsaken wires and bullet connected/ taped the stupid connections! Some connections are intermittent, some are just plain wrong! Right speaker connected as a left speaker anyone? At least they got their front and back speakers right.
PLEASE people. Don't be just tight gits! Don't curse word up the wiring over the price of a few beers! Just go out and splash some cash on a proper HU harness converter! It will be quicker and deliver a better result. To this day I've never owned a car where the wires have been cut and then put together correctly! ARRRGGGGHHH. Ah well, it's a soldering job I can do. I can add it to the list of previous cars I have done the same with. I've very rarely had an issue with harness converters.
Speaking of other jobs the inventory has started for the car! This is in the form of :
-Bosch Aeroblade wiper for a W124 : I have these on my M3 and I have to say I am really impressed with their quality and longevity; it's way better than their normal blades or even Valeo's offerings now!
-Hydraulic steering filter. Yes I did just say that. I plan to change that when I change my PAS lid O-ring ; the reservoir is leaving a mess around the engine bay! Let's be honest, if it drips on the floor, none of your friends with clean driveways like the 'drippy' car. But £3 for an O-ring? Mercedes saw me coming! Mind you, it's still cheaper than what a local specialist want, but they do have it on the shelf, but then Mercedes are closer to me...
-Ruville engine mounts. I went for Corteco mounts and I believe they are meant to be the OEM mounts as used by Mercedes. However, CP4L did kindly tell me that I'd have to wait which to be fair is decent of them. As a result I've decided to give these items a go. Will they work as good as the OEM items or will they shake the car like mental like one of them does currently at idle? We shall wait and see. They were a reasonable price mind you! They are still meant to be hydraulic mounts apparently. If other folks have tried these let me know
.
Yup. For a car that was cheap I should be careful what I get! But the core of the car is pretty good and let's be honest, who likes a car were you can't see where you are going in the rain in addition to vibrating itself inside at a warm idle?
ian316 said:
The ball joint squeaking is a sign it needs replacing, it's a press out joint unless you have sportline wishbones. Googling w124 ball joint failure makes you want to do it
I *may* be lucky in that respect. I think mine had play in them a few MOTs ago and as such were replaced despite being an advisory. I'll have to check the paperwork and also see what is fitted to the car.ian316 said:
R129sl the true expert, the thread on his car is amazing
I shall have to take a look at that one of the days Edited by ian316 on Wednesday 15th November 06:31
.Anyway, I've been making progress again!
As for my car have I been busy with it? Yes, I've been driving it daily already! While I plan to sort out storage for the M3 to go into hibernation it will give me the time to sort out the few niggles on this car. One niggle I wanted sorted sooner though was an oil leak. It's wet underneath the engine and part of the engine bay too! After carefully looking it seemed that not all was well with the hydraulic steering reservoir. This is why I got the filter
. Despite me gently tightening the filler cap further it only leaked more! It looked like the seal was shot ; I had a similar but less extreme issue with my M3 PAS reservoir seal.
Mine was grubbier and definitely damper than this item however! Even the airbag behind it had a misting of PAS over it, along with the entire PAS pump!
If there is anything I hate as well as your friends with nice or new driveways it's oil leaks. It makes the cars a pain to park and you become 'that guy', joking aside about 'only real cars leak' etc. With that in mind I got the seal at a price of £3 from Mercedes. Pricey I know, but not when they were cheaper than the local specialist. Always check the dealer prices first peeps!
And so off I went to change it. On first impressions the seal looked OK in the cap, to the point I could barely tell if it was there or not!
It was only when I compared the new seal to the old that I realised something was amiss.
Yup, that seal was toast! It's almost half of the thickness!
With the seal changed I then went to clean the housing with some rag and carb cleaner. I'll do the rest of the engine bay when I get a spare weekend ; what's one of those? Suffice to say at least it's lost this leak and hopefully keep everything a little cleaner
It can be funny at times. For one reason or another you keep on procastinating over doing the job. It could be down to laziness or life simply getting in the way. In this case it was also down to the poor weather being a driveway warrier as well as the fear factor ; I don't really fancy having my hand taken out by a heavy OM602 lump just in case it falls down.
With that in mind I recently acquired storage for the M3 so that it can hibernate over winter. It however can also be used as work space. This left me with a problem. Bar a few specialist tools and my ratchet gun I don't actually have a toolset! Yes, I know! I simply used to borrow my dad's set over the years! After all, we'd normally fix the modern stuff together so it made life easier. Taking socket sets down can become a pain however. Something needed to be done to rectify this.
Enter stage left, or rather Black Friday (Yes, I know!).
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrI've been meaning to get one of these for ages. One so that I have a better charger than the fully automatic Halfords jobby. Two because in order to code/remap the gearbox ECU on my M3 I need a 10A and 13-14V supply while doing updates. Why? If the voltage drops below 13V during the update over the 1/2 hour period it takes to perform there is a chance that the ECU will brick itself; I plan to finalise the CSL updates on that which until now I've only partly done due to the above. If it saves the large battery in there and on other cars then I guess it is a win. The fact that it was cheaper than ever on an Amazon Black Thursday deal sweetened the deal for me. I've already used it twice!
Finally, this is the second item:
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrYes, I could have gone secondhand, some will say. But they do say a workman is only as good as his tools. That and IME things like these tend to be pretty abused by the time they are sold. With that many parts in the toolbox I couldn't complain at what it cost me.
So, I had the tools, I had the workshop, all I needed was a weekend. With last weekend's crazy schedule gone this weekend gone was looking promising. And so off I went with a very packed W124 down to the unit.
When I came to look and check out the driver's side engine mount it wasn't in bad condition at all. If anything it looked almost brand new!:
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrHowever, as soon as I looked up the passenger side I knew I found the source of the problem:
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrYup, that mount had gone big style! The rubber had split and then fallen away from the mount. On top of that the fluid if there was fluid even in there had long gone! No wonder it was shaking like mental at idle! By the looks of it the power steering leak it previously had looked like it may have finished off the engine mount. With that in mind I got out the carb cleaner, soaked the area thoroughly and then proceeded to remove the engine mount. That way I can also find it easier to trace leaks in the future.
It's fair to say it had seen better days.
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on Flickr
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on Flickr
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrMuch to my surprise the job actually went quite well! Within a couple of hours I had cleaned myself up and packed everything away before I was on my way home.
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on Flickr
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrYup, the new mounts were fitted with the passenger side being thoroughly cleaned up prior to fitting the new mount.
Is there a difference! Definitely! The engine is no longer shaking the entire car to smithereens at idle, but then I guess the ladies will be missing that. Not that they were good vibrations. Gearchanges have also improved and the car is generally alot nicer to drive, especially in town. All in all it was a result, with the car now being more suitable for tackling daily driving.
I then proceeded to go to an old friend's place who deals with W124s. While he was showing me some wheels I can have for my car he fancied a drive of the 250D. After all, manual 250Ds aren't that common! This is the same guy I sold my 300D to. In short he was perplexed by the spec of the car. After all, it had electric windows all round, a full wooden trim package inside but not much else! He loved how the car had zero injector knock but also how quick the car was. OK, I mean quick for a 250D ; quicker than his 300D auto he felt and possibly on a par with a 220E Auto. Not bad at all! He was very complimentary about the drive. A result indeed.
Will I walk away some day with his 15 hole wheels for £90-120 depending on if I get his part worn tyres. We shall see. I am trying not to let mission creep affect things!
Oh, I heard you guys ask about MPG? I finally managed to refill the car after 3 weeks and 470 miles! Not bad at all! With mixed work and me trying to be a little too quick at times (cough, running late for Roadkill!) I have managed 35MPG. Not great, but not terrible, a Pug 407 2.0HDI I had previously could only usurp this by driving like a nun in that car. It's fair to say it's alot cheaper to run than the M3's V-Power'd 24MPG on average!
Cheers for the comms!
I remember my Alfa 147 JTD 8v. That was a lovely car and even in 115BHP form it did shift nicely! I know what you mean about rustproofing!
It's a car that I have gelled with. Besides the tyres it wants the bodywork sorting, or at leasts parts of it to get it better as well as the driver's seat reupholstering ; I have found a cheap solution for that but we shall see if I go ahead with it.
Interesting about the fluid. It's the first time I have seen the part number for it! I ended up getting this after Comma saying it is the recommended fluid. I'm hoping it should be OK. I notice that most use Dextron III. The Comma fluid in question is a Merc specified one however. Whether I will return the bottle is another answer.
http://www.commaoil.com/commercial-vehicles/produc...
Paul S4 said:
Excellent thread ! Very well written tale and sounds like a good project.
Keep us updated on the progress...it sounds like it will become 'more than a shed' and the temptation will be, as most PH'ers know, to keep on improving the car.
I have just bought a Fiat Grande Punto 1.9 Mjet Sporting as my daily commuter car, but I have to resist the urge to spend money on it !
It has 130 BHP anyway, but if I got a wee remap it would be a real hot hatch...almost as good as my P&J which is an Alfa 156 JTDM with a remap. The Fiat is supposed to be used to keep the miles ( and more importantly the salt etc ) off the Alfa, which has been rustproofed underneath in an attempt to preserve it !
Anyway, apologies for going OT, but quite envious of your old Merc !
The temptation is there for mission creep! It will want two new tyres which will be around £90-100 for Goodyears ; I can't see the point of fitting budgets for £20 less and I've had mixed experiences with part-worns. Considering the alloys will set me back £160 after fitting, and I could probably make some cash back off my wheels and trims it's a tempting deal.Keep us updated on the progress...it sounds like it will become 'more than a shed' and the temptation will be, as most PH'ers know, to keep on improving the car.
I have just bought a Fiat Grande Punto 1.9 Mjet Sporting as my daily commuter car, but I have to resist the urge to spend money on it !
It has 130 BHP anyway, but if I got a wee remap it would be a real hot hatch...almost as good as my P&J which is an Alfa 156 JTDM with a remap. The Fiat is supposed to be used to keep the miles ( and more importantly the salt etc ) off the Alfa, which has been rustproofed underneath in an attempt to preserve it !
Anyway, apologies for going OT, but quite envious of your old Merc !
I remember my Alfa 147 JTD 8v. That was a lovely car and even in 115BHP form it did shift nicely! I know what you mean about rustproofing!
It's a car that I have gelled with. Besides the tyres it wants the bodywork sorting, or at leasts parts of it to get it better as well as the driver's seat reupholstering ; I have found a cheap solution for that but we shall see if I go ahead with it.
r129sl said:
Interesting stuff.
On the power steering front, it is very easy to change the fluid and actually improves the feeling at the wheel. Engine off. Remove the return line and stick in a jug. Have someone work the wheel from lock to lock. This pumps fluid round the system, back through your return line and into your jug. Add new fluid to the reservoir as you go (do not let it run dry). Run about two litres of fluid through it. Change the filter (about £5). Top up. Febi make the fluid (Febi 08972), it is less than £10 a litre on eBay. Mann make the filter (Mann H85), again less than a tenner.
You're probably well aware how best to maximise mpg in these but I find with my E300 D that keeping it under 80mph makes a big difference. I get about 30mpg but my wife gets up to 36. She is something of a slow coach.
I see someone spotted the Hengst PAS filter.; I asked for a Mann at the local factors but they had the equivlant Hengst item. I was debating cranking it over with the stop lever pulled so as to flush it out but your method sounds alot better and easier! I also have concerns about running the pump dry.On the power steering front, it is very easy to change the fluid and actually improves the feeling at the wheel. Engine off. Remove the return line and stick in a jug. Have someone work the wheel from lock to lock. This pumps fluid round the system, back through your return line and into your jug. Add new fluid to the reservoir as you go (do not let it run dry). Run about two litres of fluid through it. Change the filter (about £5). Top up. Febi make the fluid (Febi 08972), it is less than £10 a litre on eBay. Mann make the filter (Mann H85), again less than a tenner.
You're probably well aware how best to maximise mpg in these but I find with my E300 D that keeping it under 80mph makes a big difference. I get about 30mpg but my wife gets up to 36. She is something of a slow coach.
Interesting about the fluid. It's the first time I have seen the part number for it! I ended up getting this after Comma saying it is the recommended fluid. I'm hoping it should be OK. I notice that most use Dextron III. The Comma fluid in question is a Merc specified one however. Whether I will return the bottle is another answer.
http://www.commaoil.com/commercial-vehicles/produc...
r129sl said:
The Comma fluid will be more than good enough. It's a fairly unsophisticated system, after all. In the past I have topped up with regular ATF with no problems. And Hengst is probably better than Mann. The power steering fluid circulates pretty fast with the pump running, so I would definitely do it with the engine off, an assistant turning the wheel from lock to lock. My six year old did it for me (wheels off the ground).
There is a very nice early 250 TD for sale in the Merc Club. It is super-poverty spec but in seriously mint nick. I bet it's a lovely thing if you can slow down a bit...
Edit: you're mad to spend £100 a tyre on this car. Is it on 195/65 R 15s? You can get Contis for less than £50 a corner. I'd be tempted to put Michelin Cross Climates on it to give it winter go anywhere abilities.
I thought exactly the same thing about the filters so that is promising. The strange thing is I found the Febi oil for £3.60 a litre from CP4L; a right result! If I need more ECP keep it in stock on a trade account There is a very nice early 250 TD for sale in the Merc Club. It is super-poverty spec but in seriously mint nick. I bet it's a lovely thing if you can slow down a bit...
Edit: you're mad to spend £100 a tyre on this car. Is it on 195/65 R 15s? You can get Contis for less than £50 a corner. I'd be tempted to put Michelin Cross Climates on it to give it winter go anywhere abilities.
.I’ll be honest I am really gelling with the car. Sure it would be nice to have more pace but not at those economy figures; I already have one semi thirsty car for that. The diesels certainly have a charm however!
As for the tyre prices I found Goodyear EfficientGrip Perfomances for £88 a pair fitted on my driveway. I wouldn’t spend £100 on 195/65R15s either! The issue for me was being offered the decent 15 spoke alloy wheels for £120 with the fitting of two supplies tyres on top. Ultimately they make look better but I suspect sticking with the steelies and new Goodyears will yield a better result and with change from £100.
It’s great to hear such good advice about how to go about things ??
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted with the Cross Climates. Michelins have been super for me in the past and on the other car transformed it from it being on Falkens. It all depends on if I keep the car.
Edited by SebringMan on Monday 27th November 19:35
r129sl said:
I'd stick with the steelies. Personally, I like the look. And I'd rather have new Goodyears than second hand alloys.
Thanks for the tip on the PS fluid. Although it's not like I use a lot of it.
There is something ever so satisfying about these old NA diesels. They seem to offer enormous fidelity. You just know the engine and transmission will run and run and run, no matter what you throw at it. I know in mine that I feel that no journey would exhaust it: all it needs is time (although mine happily runs at 95mph all day long, as I'm sure yours will, too).
Time will tell which choice I will go with. That will wait for another time however Thanks for the tip on the PS fluid. Although it's not like I use a lot of it.
There is something ever so satisfying about these old NA diesels. They seem to offer enormous fidelity. You just know the engine and transmission will run and run and run, no matter what you throw at it. I know in mine that I feel that no journey would exhaust it: all it needs is time (although mine happily runs at 95mph all day long, as I'm sure yours will, too).
.There is definitely something satisfying about the diesels just running and running. I may have tried the upper speeds I must admit and not on a downhill slope! They do just go and go!
This weekend was spent with me putting on almost 200 miles onto the car. It's not a car I leave sitting much! However, it was time to do power steering filter.
For those wondering it's quite an easy job to do. I did it as R129SL suggested and it's not too bad. Pelican Parts say to use the turkey baster method which they claim is effective.
It is interesting that the original filter was made by LUK or at least for LUK ; I've never seen them involved with filters before.
Maybe it is a placebo effect but the steering does seem a touch lighter now. The keen eyed would have noticed that I removed the air intake reducer from the airbox. Some claim it makes a difference, others don't. Whether it does or not is another matter. I may reinstall as I saw the state of the air filter. Suffice to say I plan to give the car a service of all of the filters via an order with CP4L using Mann filters where possible. It seems they possibly are the OE filter for the fuel filter going by a few dealer listings.
Edited by SebringMan on Monday 4th December 18:36
r129sl said:
The Mann filters are perfectly OK and I use them but Mann definitely doesn't make the fuel filter for MB. The design is different. The Mann filter has four holes in the top; the MB filter has (from memory) eight. Not sure that makes much difference at all, of course. It is such a bore buying genuine parts because they are not readily available by mail order or online and trooping out the dealer's is such a ball ache.
I thought there was a definite improvement in steering feel with new fluid; not just placebo.
That is interesting. I merely went off a passing advert I saw.I thought there was a definite improvement in steering feel with new fluid; not just placebo.
Mann may still make the filters but the motor factors may not sell the correct item/Mann may reserve it for MB OEM. I've seen it on a few cars. Get a Dayco timing belt from Peugeot and it's thicker/wider than what you get from GSF. You can buy two dampers for an E46 M3 (Coupe or Convertible, maybe even CSL), but ECP? They only sell one, despite Sachs making them. Mahle E46 M3 filters are another known one. There are others like Mondeo MkIII brake pads but you get the idea
IME I have come to a few conclusions as to why this is the case, after speaking with a few folk who worked on the lines/around them in the industry and now partly being involved:
-Price/profit; IMHO it's the main one and everything will always come back to it ; If the manufacturers can lower the prices they will. That could be by changing specs on filters etc. over a few thousand or by cross referencing an item to being sold to a wholesaler, thus selling only one item in the place of 4. Economies of scale have alot to answer for.
-Stocking ; it's easier to stock 1 item for many as a motor factor as opposed to 5 for various bits. Logistics probably work out better too.
-People : Suspension may be another thing, but on most aspects most people won't initially be able to tell the difference. The fact that it's cheaper to buy from a motor factor will simply make it a win. I'll admit, I'm not much better here myself! The M3 and a previous Ford are probably the only cars I've bartered with the dealers over on price. But it took me many hundreds of thousands of miles to come to this conclusion, albeit on Fords. Unsurprisingly the last one was pretty good. It's also almost too late for old BL stuff ; alot of the stuff made is cheap crap which barely lasts a year.
But as you say, the filters should be OK. Interestingly, the Crosland fuel filters do have 8 holes in them.
r129sl said:
At the risk of descending to new levels of anal retention interesting not even to ourselves, the Mann oil filter for my w201 is a better item than the genuine MB part. MB changed the spec (presumably to reduce cost) and the MB part now is smaller and lacks the scalloped edges which fit into the oil filter removal spanner; the Mann filter still matches the original MB spec.
As with everything, selection of parts is a matter of intelligent judgment rather than slavish adherence to rules.
Couldn't have said it better myself As with everything, selection of parts is a matter of intelligent judgment rather than slavish adherence to rules.
.Anyway, all being well, there will be another update but bar the bodywork and seat the workload coming is a little more bread and butter
.What R129 said. Headrests is one area. The other choice is to obtain another part of an interior (seat base etc.) very cheaply, which is what I plan to do (rear seat squab for £20).
This reminds me. It's time to see if an old trimmer friend I know is still around. I know of one but he's a little more pricey due to more labour intensive methods, even if he is a friend!
This reminds me. It's time to see if an old trimmer friend I know is still around. I know of one but he's a little more pricey due to more labour intensive methods, even if he is a friend!
It's fair to say I am gelling with this car! I will have to remember that this was only term car! I guess this always happens mind you!
Speaking of gelling, I knew that when I bought the car the Nexen NBlue tyres on the front of the car were not long for this world. They gripped well but they were down to the markers! Amazing considering they are only a year old going by the DOT stamp and they've potentially covered 10,000 miles! Clearly, something had to be done.
With that in mind I initially was going to get a half decent mid-range tyre like a Hankook. Something else however was more within reach than I initially suspected ; that was right in my price range! Before I knew it I placed the order and then played the waiting game of when the tyre man would arrive at my drive.
As for the latter part I was not kidding!
Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It was strange going for tyres this way, especially when I have used a tyre bloke in Rugby for years! For £90 fitted on the driveway on a busy day however I could not complain.
What did my £90 fitted get me?
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on Flickr
These. A pair of Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tyres. Reassuringly the tyres were date stamped 4717, so week 47 of this year, something I wasn't expecting to be honest! It's fair to say they were a very fresh batch! On a cold frosty day I couldn't really tell the difference between them and the Nexens ; I guess the coldness and the tyre releasing agent still wearing off probably wasn't helping matters. Something else later wouldn't but we will come back to that later.
The reason why I wasn't too bothered about finding out about the new tyres was because I was helping a fellow friend acquire his new car. But I also ended up coming into part of his other plans.
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on Flickr
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on Flickr
In short he bought the silver/gold Skyline above with a poorly engine. After a rebuild sage he eventually had it rebuilt by a competent person and the car has generally been better than ever. Those of you who went to Retro Rides Gathering would be more than aware of this. Yes, it was a bit of an ad-hoc day for me that day but what a way to have such a great time! The red car was on Weber 48s and boy that thing shifted! I am not considering changing car to have something on Webers. Or looking at overpriced carbon fibre airboxes on my M3. I don't need the noise, honest. Who am I kidding, I do! No, I don't! Arrrrghh!!!!
I then came to do some more work on the car on Sunday or even just drive abot. However, remember that 'something else' that I mentioned previously? Yup, I would come across a bit of an obstacle:
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on Flickr
Yes, the snow had hit Warwickshire! With the car being on summer tyres all round it probably wouldn't grip in the snow at all! For a while I was wishing I got some winter biased tyres fitted on the front! Suffice to say I knew that would have been a silly solution, and as suspected the wishing feeling went away by Thursday! Just as the snow disappeared oddly enough!
So did I go out on the snow days in a car that can't wheelspin in the dry with mechanical sympathy in mind and possibly also the wet? Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn't it?.
There will be more to come soon folks!
Speaking of gelling, I knew that when I bought the car the Nexen NBlue tyres on the front of the car were not long for this world. They gripped well but they were down to the markers! Amazing considering they are only a year old going by the DOT stamp and they've potentially covered 10,000 miles! Clearly, something had to be done.
With that in mind I initially was going to get a half decent mid-range tyre like a Hankook. Something else however was more within reach than I initially suspected ; that was right in my price range! Before I knew it I placed the order and then played the waiting game of when the tyre man would arrive at my drive.
As for the latter part I was not kidding!
Untitled by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt was strange going for tyres this way, especially when I have used a tyre bloke in Rugby for years! For £90 fitted on the driveway on a busy day however I could not complain.
What did my £90 fitted get me?
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on FlickrThese. A pair of Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tyres. Reassuringly the tyres were date stamped 4717, so week 47 of this year, something I wasn't expecting to be honest! It's fair to say they were a very fresh batch! On a cold frosty day I couldn't really tell the difference between them and the Nexens ; I guess the coldness and the tyre releasing agent still wearing off probably wasn't helping matters. Something else later wouldn't but we will come back to that later.
The reason why I wasn't too bothered about finding out about the new tyres was because I was helping a fellow friend acquire his new car. But I also ended up coming into part of his other plans.
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on FlickrW124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on FlickrIn short he bought the silver/gold Skyline above with a poorly engine. After a rebuild sage he eventually had it rebuilt by a competent person and the car has generally been better than ever. Those of you who went to Retro Rides Gathering would be more than aware of this
. Yes, it was a bit of an ad-hoc day for me that day but what a way to have such a great time! The red car was on Weber 48s and boy that thing shifted! I am not considering changing car to have something on Webers. Or looking at overpriced carbon fibre airboxes on my M3. I don't need the noise, honest. Who am I kidding, I do! No, I don't! Arrrrghh!!!!I then came to do some more work on the car on Sunday or even just drive abot. However, remember that 'something else' that I mentioned previously? Yup, I would come across a bit of an obstacle:
W124 Weekender by Charlieboy, on FlickrYes, the snow had hit Warwickshire! With the car being on summer tyres all round it probably wouldn't grip in the snow at all! For a while I was wishing I got some winter biased tyres fitted on the front! Suffice to say I knew that would have been a silly solution, and as suspected the wishing feeling went away by Thursday! Just as the snow disappeared oddly enough!
So did I go out on the snow days in a car that can't wheelspin in the dry with mechanical sympathy in mind and possibly also the wet? Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn't it?
.There will be more to come soon folks!
Edited by SebringMan on Saturday 16th December 07:21
As always, cheers for the comments! It's surprising to see the admiration this old bus gets, be it as 'they're great cars' or 'I remember seeing one as a taxi in Turkey'!
I've been there with working in the Snow! I did an alternator on a 306 diesel previously as well as a cooling system (rad & hoses) and heater matrix swap in a Porsche 944 S2. That's probably one of the first bigger jobs I ever did on a car ; yup, it was a dash out job!
A 230E did enter my radar eventually but by that time the bid I placed for this had come through! If you still fancy one I would give one a go! I am surprised at just how much the prices for these cars has changed over the years ; the 300D was sheddier than this car but that was half of the price of this one too! I guess not many cars have the feeling of class, solidity and general refinement when you consider how old these are now.
When I said there was more to come I wasn't kidding!
Firstly, the MPG on this third tank has been 40MPG! Not a result at all for an indirect injection 2.5 diesel engine from the 80s! That included the odd motorway and country road trip, tackling Birmingham traffic for what seemed like an hour and putting my foot down wherever possible as well as sticking to around an indicated 75MPH on the motorways. It does indeed seem to make a difference going below 80!
Firstly I checked the tyre pressures for the first time ever in this car. Crazy I know! According to the sticker on the car it is meant to have 29PSI all round. It seems a little low but I went with it When I came to check the pressures the rears were at 32 with the fronts being at 31 with the new tyres ; better than what I've seen some people do. With the pressures reset to 29 the steering has become slightly heavier ; it's something I noticed straight away. I thought the car felt a little more planted with the new tyres on, but now it really is grippy! I'm sure it wanders a little less too. Suffice to say that I am surprised at the difference a few PSI can make on a steering 'boxed cruiser like this one.
With this in mind I went to crack on with something I was going to do last week until the snow spoiled my play ; a service.
It's not like I didn't have the parts. Far from it!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
There we have a Mann fuel, pre-fuel & oil filter along with a Fram air filter. Topped off with Gulf oil to MB spec it is fair say that I wasn't going to be as cheap as possible for this area.
It was then time to crack on. Like many I did get a Haynes and scan a few YouTube videos. Seeing a handle on an oil filter certainly is interesting! A neat idea mind you!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
It was then time to do the air filter! It's fair to say that it was a good idea that I changed it! I'm surprised that the MB schedule for this filter is 30,000 miles mind you! It's not like diesels don't need much air! At the same time I cleaned out the airbox in addition to removing the air reducer/restrictor in the airbox intake. Will it make a difference? Who knows?
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
With that done it was time to do a job I had been putting off ; the diesel filter. Why? There was a risk it wouldn't start due to an airlock in the system despite the injection system being self bleeding. It's also a messy job! At least petrol dries off if you spill it and cleans your oil pain out! Can you tell I enjoy changing diesel filters?
There was nothing for it but to crack on. With a few litres of V-Power Diesel purchased I filled the filter up, caught as much diesel as I could from the old filter and then proceeded to put in the newly filled up filter. Note that the Mahle filter I removed had quite a few holes in it, something the MB filter is meant to also have as well:
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
There was one more filter to do. The Pre-filter. I knew this would be a messy job! Seeing as the old one had a couple of black bits in it as shown in the shot above I also knew that it would be best if I changed it. I also knew there would be no way for me to prefill this without getting diesel everywhere! This would have to be one filter I annoyingly would leave empty!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
With it all assembled it was time to put it back together. Haynes was saying to give it a few more seconds than normal to allow the car to start and then to try to keep the revs at 2,000rpm for a bit ; I don't think they mention the pre-filter in that. However, it burst into life straight away! The pre filter filled up fast! It then stalled! I wasn't surprised here, given that the pre-filter was previously empty. After cranking it over what seemed like a minute the car did fire up again and this time it ran great!
I'm sure it feels a little perkier and starts a little cleaner too than before. Not that it was a terrible starter previously! All that was left to do was do throw the remainder of the V-Power into the petrol tank and then clean up under the bonnet ; I now know why so many diesel engine bays are filthy!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on Flickr
So, it's fair to say it has been a result all in! Will it transform to better MPG? Unlikely. It does seem to shift a little better with the little power it has around town mind you! It's a lovely drive around in the old girl!
helix402 said:
Wise words, I remember when Fiat changed the manufacturer of their oil filters. I had a brand new gen one with swarf in the threads!
The old Merc is lovely. I have only worked on one, a 300TE, which was rather fun in the snow!
Indeedy! The above is one reason why I love forums. It's one way to share information!The old Merc is lovely. I have only worked on one, a 300TE, which was rather fun in the snow!
I've been there with working in the Snow! I did an alternator on a 306 diesel previously as well as a cooling system (rad & hoses) and heater matrix swap in a Porsche 944 S2. That's probably one of the first bigger jobs I ever did on a car ; yup, it was a dash out job!
ian316 said:
Bargain on the tyres
I could not believe the price when I saw them. If I typed in the reg or the tyre size they were £114 a pair fitted. Not a terrible price at all. When I typed in the tyre size into Google it was one of the top hits! Initially I thought it was a mistake. But I double checked everything and then went ahead! Camskill sell them as cheap as I got them but without fitting! What can I say? So far the car is the gift that keeps on giving!J4CKO said:
Something so right about them, amazing they are still viable now with minimal fettling, well, if you buy a good one as they do eventually rust.
There was an old guy on our road, 15 years we lived here and he had a 300E, always fancied it, it was mine and his partner scrapped it when he passed.
Nearly bought one, like four years ago, still see it every time I go to the local Aldi, to be fair, 230's are a bit slow, but it is 27 years old now, amazing ts still a daily.
You are certainly right! There is something about the proportions and design of them. Everything is very well laid out inside. It is a shame that they do succomb to the aforementioned rust but then they are now getting on a bit!There was an old guy on our road, 15 years we lived here and he had a 300E, always fancied it, it was mine and his partner scrapped it when he passed.
Nearly bought one, like four years ago, still see it every time I go to the local Aldi, to be fair, 230's are a bit slow, but it is 27 years old now, amazing ts still a daily.
A 230E did enter my radar eventually but by that time the bid I placed for this had come through! If you still fancy one I would give one a go! I am surprised at just how much the prices for these cars has changed over the years ; the 300D was sheddier than this car but that was half of the price of this one too! I guess not many cars have the feeling of class, solidity and general refinement when you consider how old these are now.
When I said there was more to come I wasn't kidding!
Firstly, the MPG on this third tank has been 40MPG! Not a result at all for an indirect injection 2.5 diesel engine from the 80s! That included the odd motorway and country road trip, tackling Birmingham traffic for what seemed like an hour and putting my foot down wherever possible as well as sticking to around an indicated 75MPH on the motorways. It does indeed seem to make a difference going below 80!
Firstly I checked the tyre pressures for the first time ever in this car. Crazy I know! According to the sticker on the car it is meant to have 29PSI all round. It seems a little low but I went with it When I came to check the pressures the rears were at 32 with the fronts being at 31 with the new tyres ; better than what I've seen some people do. With the pressures reset to 29 the steering has become slightly heavier ; it's something I noticed straight away. I thought the car felt a little more planted with the new tyres on, but now it really is grippy! I'm sure it wanders a little less too. Suffice to say that I am surprised at the difference a few PSI can make on a steering 'boxed cruiser like this one.
With this in mind I went to crack on with something I was going to do last week until the snow spoiled my play ; a service.
It's not like I didn't have the parts. Far from it!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrThere we have a Mann fuel, pre-fuel & oil filter along with a Fram air filter. Topped off with Gulf oil to MB spec it is fair say that I wasn't going to be as cheap as possible for this area
.It was then time to crack on. Like many I did get a Haynes and scan a few YouTube videos. Seeing a handle on an oil filter certainly is interesting! A neat idea mind you!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrIt was then time to do the air filter! It's fair to say that it was a good idea that I changed it! I'm surprised that the MB schedule for this filter is 30,000 miles mind you! It's not like diesels don't need much air! At the same time I cleaned out the airbox in addition to removing the air reducer/restrictor in the airbox intake. Will it make a difference? Who knows?
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith that done it was time to do a job I had been putting off ; the diesel filter. Why? There was a risk it wouldn't start due to an airlock in the system despite the injection system being self bleeding. It's also a messy job! At least petrol dries off if you spill it and cleans your oil pain out! Can you tell I enjoy changing diesel filters?
There was nothing for it but to crack on. With a few litres of V-Power Diesel purchased I filled the filter up, caught as much diesel as I could from the old filter and then proceeded to put in the newly filled up filter. Note that the Mahle filter I removed had quite a few holes in it, something the MB filter is meant to also have as well:
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrW124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrThere was one more filter to do. The Pre-filter. I knew this would be a messy job! Seeing as the old one had a couple of black bits in it as shown in the shot above I also knew that it would be best if I changed it. I also knew there would be no way for me to prefill this without getting diesel everywhere! This would have to be one filter I annoyingly would leave empty!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrWith it all assembled it was time to put it back together. Haynes was saying to give it a few more seconds than normal to allow the car to start and then to try to keep the revs at 2,000rpm for a bit ; I don't think they mention the pre-filter in that. However, it burst into life straight away! The pre filter filled up fast! It then stalled! I wasn't surprised here, given that the pre-filter was previously empty. After cranking it over what seemed like a minute the car did fire up again and this time it ran great!
I'm sure it feels a little perkier and starts a little cleaner too than before. Not that it was a terrible starter previously! All that was left to do was do throw the remainder of the V-Power into the petrol tank and then clean up under the bonnet ; I now know why so many diesel engine bays are filthy!
W124 Service 161217 by Charlieboy, on FlickrSo, it's fair to say it has been a result all in! Will it transform to better MPG? Unlikely. It does seem to shift a little better with the little power it has around town mind you! It's a lovely drive around in the old girl!
Edited by SebringMan on Sunday 17th December 09:40
You're too right about the overall ethos of the W124.
I thought the same thing about the pre-filter. The truth is that it has a longer fuel line going to it than previously ; it's something that an American bloke off YouTube (MercedesSource?) again. Just as well as it is easier to change where it is as opposed to under the fuel manifold.
When I get a chance I may clean out the tank stainer, but I'd rather I didn't haver a full tank of fuel in the car!
I thought the same thing about the pre-filter. The truth is that it has a longer fuel line going to it than previously ; it's something that an American bloke off YouTube (MercedesSource?) again. Just as well as it is easier to change where it is as opposed to under the fuel manifold.
When I get a chance I may clean out the tank stainer, but I'd rather I didn't haver a full tank of fuel in the car!
Pacman1978 said:
I spotted this w124 250d for sale on Gumtree for the bargain price of £470. Has MOT til Feb next year, located in Castleford?
Listed as a "restoration project" I thought of ph upon seeing it, don't know if it would be a good parts car or be of use? Surely some parts on it would be way costlier individually than the car as a whole.
(I have no connection with the car advertised or the seller, thought it might be of interest?)
:-)
A friend of mine who I found out now deals in W124s might be interested but this I know he'd pull apart as a parts car assuming it's a good runner. But I'll leave it for a PHer first Listed as a "restoration project" I thought of ph upon seeing it, don't know if it would be a good parts car or be of use? Surely some parts on it would be way costlier individually than the car as a whole.
(I have no connection with the car advertised or the seller, thought it might be of interest?)
:-)
.I left this tale about the car feeling perkier to drive. It certainly was! A result indeed!
However, in a moment of madness I decided to get the M3 out of retirement especially with it getting milder! With this in mind it was time to clean it. I do plan to mop the car but with it being Christmas I ran out of time! What I didn't bank was the claying to take as long as I thought! This car had all sorts of random tar spots over it ; It was strange for sure! But, the funny thing is the car actually scrubbed up very well with a wash, dry and the clay mitt treatment, even if the latter took quite a while!
[url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4Pm"][img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4731/38750816934_d1fd55b496_c.jpg"][/url][url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4Pm"]Mercedes Stored[/url] by [url href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/url], on Flickr
[url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4tS"][img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4647/38750815804_339b6615bf_c.jpg"][/url][url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4tS"]Mercedes Stored[/url] by [url href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/url], on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/387508...
[url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h44J"][img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4646/38750814404_7cc95e92e1_c.jpg"][/url][url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h44J"]Mercedes Stored[/url] by [url href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/url], on Flickr
The next leg has involved taking the M3 on a last minute adventure up North, but I'll be back to the W124 soonish.
However, I am trying to keep my thoughts away from what to do about the wings ; it was not part of the plan either...
However, in a moment of madness I decided to get the M3 out of retirement especially with it getting milder! With this in mind it was time to clean it. I do plan to mop the car but with it being Christmas I ran out of time! What I didn't bank was the claying to take as long as I thought! This car had all sorts of random tar spots over it ; It was strange for sure! But, the funny thing is the car actually scrubbed up very well with a wash, dry and the clay mitt treatment, even if the latter took quite a while!
[url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4Pm"][img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4731/38750816934_d1fd55b496_c.jpg"][/url][url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4Pm"]Mercedes Stored[/url] by [url href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/url], on Flickr
[url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4tS"][img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4647/38750815804_339b6615bf_c.jpg"][/url][url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h4tS"]Mercedes Stored[/url] by [url href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/url], on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/387508...
[url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h44J"][img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4646/38750814404_7cc95e92e1_c.jpg"][/url][url href="https://flic.kr/p/223h44J"]Mercedes Stored[/url] by [url href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154663652@N04/"]Charlieboy[/url], on Flickr
The next leg has involved taking the M3 on a last minute adventure up North, but I'll be back to the W124 soonish
.However, I am trying to keep my thoughts away from what to do about the wings ; it was not part of the plan either...
It's good to see this thread is getting a warm reception. As always, thanks and keep the comms coming
Regarding the engines it's a "Yes & No" answer.
Until the early 90s both the 190E and W124 used the 2.0 (OM601) and the 2.5 (OM602). It seems the 2.5 received a slight power increase at around 1990ish, but that a few years after the W124 went over to the twin cam multivalve version of the 2.5, the OM605. Of course, the 3.0 became the OM606 with a similar update.
As for it revving high, yes, even this is doing around 3,000rpm on the motorway in 5th. Ken, the guy who I bought this off had an estate with a taller diff. That thing was very relaxed on the motorway but not much slower getting going from my brief experience in the car.
That is very interesting regarding car histories! I do miss my 205 GTi now ; we only go rid as it was a shame to see it getting used less!
irish boy said:
Great thread thanks for sharing the car.
I’ve a 190d 2.5, is it the same engine? I thought I remember reading somewhere the W124 had slightly more power. Has been on a sorn since October but looking forward to April!
CheersI’ve a 190d 2.5, is it the same engine? I thought I remember reading somewhere the W124 had slightly more power. Has been on a sorn since October but looking forward to April!
Regarding the engines it's a "Yes & No" answer.
Until the early 90s both the 190E and W124 used the 2.0 (OM601) and the 2.5 (OM602). It seems the 2.5 received a slight power increase at around 1990ish, but that a few years after the W124 went over to the twin cam multivalve version of the 2.5, the OM605. Of course, the 3.0 became the OM606 with a similar update.
As for it revving high, yes, even this is doing around 3,000rpm on the motorway in 5th. Ken, the guy who I bought this off had an estate with a taller diff. That thing was very relaxed on the motorway but not much slower getting going from my brief experience in the car.
shalmaneser said:
Quoted for to see pics! Am enjoying this thread (and your other thread about your M3). Interesting you had a 205 GTI - so did I and am now also in an M3 (albeit a E36)
Old girl is getting some great TLC and looks great all polished up!
Cheers and thanks for sorting out the pics! Since Photobucket nuked the hosting services I've gone over to FlickR. I've noticed I can just drop an embedded code in however on occasions! I'll probably go back to using the IMG tags again on a direct link.Old girl is getting some great TLC and looks great all polished up!
That is very interesting regarding car histories! I do miss my 205 GTi now ; we only go rid as it was a shame to see it getting used less!
Edited by SebringMan on Thursday 4th January 07:25
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