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Input on posssbile purchase

1K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  MrPid 
#1 · (Edited)
I passed on this car for a couple reasons. First the seller was too firm on his price and from comments of posters here. I asked for input and got it.Most comments were negative on the purchase. Also, there's a good selection MBs locally. I'm now eyeing a 1995 e420 with low KMs...buh bye 300D.


Hello all.I sold my 93 W124 to buy a W163 and so far it was the right decision.I love the W163. Now I'd like another sedan(or coupe) . I found a 1990 W124 Diesel which is not a common vehicle here. It's had 2 owners, the last owner was from 1991.He claims it's been well maintained. He also says it tends to overheat. He also said it sometimes bubbles in the expansion tank. He says there's no oil in the coolant and no coolant in the oil.The car has 340KM on it.I can do a head gasket if I have to but would prefer not.He's asking $1900. Is a headgasket a problem with that model?

Does anyone have any comments? I may be over my head on this but the price is fine IMO.I did enjoy my 300E.The idea of a diesel really interests me.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
That's a good question. I guess I like exchanging time for money. I hve lots of time. I'll know more when I see it. From my forum reading it doesn't seem that the 300D has a lot of head gasket problems.

Thank you for your input.
 
#4 · (Edited)
It all depends on how it was maintained. Being a turbocharged engine, heat stress is a serious issue and if the owner did not let the turbo spin down by letting the engine idle for a good 60-90 seconds before shutdown it can affect head & headgasket life tremendously in addition to the turbo itself. 5000km oil changes are a must with any turbocharged engine. With almost 350K km on the clock, you are very likely dealing with a bad headgasket or worse a head issue.

It can be done as a DIY repair, provided you have some understanding how diesels operate and are put together.

I would strongly advise against taking this on just for the sake of having a diesel. The overheating as well as the bubbling inside the expansion tank tells me this car may very well have a cracked head. Caveat emptor (buyer beware), as diesels do not take well to overheating issues and can become very costly to fix very quickly.
 
#7 ·
x2.
 
#5 ·
Thank you replying to my post. I will take a look at it but if I find the head gasket may be bad I'll most likely pass on it and wait for something else.

When I bought my w163 it was non running. I replaced the fuel pump and it has run 100% ever since I replaced it. The owner was quoted $3000 for 2 new CATs.There is hope , although probably not total hope.
 
#6 ·
Maybe it's worth spending a little to have it inspected by a mechanic? It could just be a radiator problem or even just the thermostat. Or, it could be a cracked head.

I would, of course, only have it inspected if the rest of the car is in nice shape.
 
#8 ·
Exchanging time for money is not a bad thing. I've had to be a skin flint most of my life. As a result I've learned to do all sorts of things that most people simply pay to have done.

That said, there is no guarantee that the bubbles are a head gasket. It might be something worse. If you're going to take such a gamble you should hold out for a CHEAP price on this car. It has EXTREMELY limited marketability and you can bet heavily that the seller KNOWS that. He may very well know even more bad things about the car that he's not 'fessin' up.
 
#9 · (Edited)
WELL...I finally managed to look at this car. The body and paint are very good;no dents or rust and the paint is still good.The interior is ok.Maybe a 7/10. The drivers seat has a piece missing maybe 3" around on the outboard lower bolster;the seats are leather but manual adjust.The car is all stock.

The tires are junk.The brakes work fine except for a low pad warning lite.The engine starts up willingly. It has a newer turbo and a new rad & T-stat.However, the coolant is the green stuff.His non Benz mechanic did that.

It had no insurance so I only ran it around the block a few times , there's a steep hill. I warmed it up to the 100C mark with the cap off. There was no sign of bubbling in the tank and the tank looks quite clean with no signs of oil contamination.The oil has no signs of coolant. The aux fans don't work. That and the climate control doesn't seem to work;no fan but the strip fuse is good and even when I jumped the fuse the fan didn't come on.The big thing is the hydraulic fan at the front if the motor.It took a full 4 seconds for it to stop at 100C. The pressure cap looked ok but may be faulty, it looks original.He's asking $1900 and seems firm. My preferred price would be $1100 or $1200.

I have more time than money so if I can get it at my price I may pop for it.
 
#10 ·
I got my 91 300E for $1600 ,they wanted $2500,no head gasket problems,thank God,but brakes were bad ,trans fluid change and various DIY repairs,I'm into it total cost so far $2k including purchase price and am now driving it to work every day,if you want it talk them down,why a Diesel?
I know they run forever but the engine has to be in good nic,or passssss!
 

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