Couple of questions that came to mind from your reply:
1) You did not mention the cost and time to replace the lower wiring harness?
As I remember it, this "upper wiring harness" connects all eight of the injectors, the temperature sensor, the MAF (mass airflow sensor) and the cam adjuster solenoids at the fronts of the cylinder heads.
You can get them for significantly cheaper from an MB parts discounter like www .parts .com The MB part number is 124 543 95 26 (for cars up to end of model year 1992) and 124 440 20 06 (for 1993/1994 model year cars). List price for the earlier cars' harness is $790 and for the later cars is $720. You can order the MB factory part from the aforementioned parts vendor for $542 and $494, respectively. The harness is only available as an MB factory part.
The harness requires about 2-3 hours for a DIYer of only moderate skill, to do in the driveway. Basically you just disconnect the old harness, connector by connector, and thread in the new connections from the new harness as you disconnect the old ones.
2) How do you know (tell tale sign) when the A\C condensor is on its last legs?
Like with any W124, you don't have any A/C. And when you recharge it, the refrigerant rapidly leaks out. The evaporator core (factory part) for my 1994 E500 (and other W124 cars from 1990 onward) is 124 830 07 58, with list price $700 and selling price of $483 from the aforementioned vendor. You can get them on the aftermarket, but they are generally of lesser quality (and also lesser cost, ranging from $200-300). Best to go factory.
3) How do you troubleshoot the EZL module and if one goes south...the best place to get a working one (Other than the stealership?)..even if used? Is there a Benz dismantler that specifically specializes in the W124 500Es?
You don't troubleshoot an EZL module. It troubleshoots you! meaning, you will be in trouble and want to shoot yourself (or your car) when the EZL dies.
Generally, a bad EZL is evidenced by a total "no-go" condition of the car. It won't start. Other times, a bad EZL will kill one bank of the engine, but allow the other bank of 4 cylinders to run. This is what happened to my own EZL back in January of 2009 -- one cylinder bank was dead. I was able to drive the car the 15 miles to my mechanic, and after diagnosing that the coil wasn't the problem, the only other logical explanation as to why a spark wasn't being provided to the entire engine, was the EZL. Luckily, I had just a couple of weeks before paid $800 for a used EZL module, so was able to drop that in and the problem was solved.
Like I said, the EZL is only available from MB, and is one of the single most expensive individual parts on the car. Currently, the MB part number for the EZL is 015 545 61 32 and the list price is $2,750. You can get it from the aforementioned vendor for $1,898. Do be happy though -- the price of the EZL fluctuates, and not that long ago it was list priced at over $3,200. So it's come down a bit in price, thankfully.
The thing to remember with the 500E/E500 EZL modules is that they were made by both Bosch, and Siemens. Generally speaking, the Siemens units seem to be better made and are preferable if you have to get a used unit. That is, if possible. Used units can be difficult to find, so often beggars can't be choosers.
The other thing, is that when you replace an EZL (just as with the 560/420 W126 cars), you MUST slather a layer of heat-sink paste between the bottom of the EZL module and the inner fender of the car, to properly conduct the heat. Otherwise you will burn out your EZL and need a new one. You can get this paste at Radio Shack or any electronics supply shop.
4) How simple is it to replace the cam oilers?..Pull a valve cover and bolt off..bolt on affair? I have designed lots of parts in AutoCAD and can get pretty much can have anything (within reason) CNC'd..so not worried about OEM or sourcing parts here.
The cam oilers aren't a difficult job to do. Pull the cam covers off, and you have to remove the cam bearing caps, one by one. These cam bearing caps cover the oiler tubes, so you loosen one, replace the oiler tube, then replace the cap and move on to the next one.
There are 16 of them required, which makes the job more tedious than anything else. The part number for the oiler tubes is 119 180 03 66, and they cost $16 each list price, or $11 discounted from the aforementioned vendor.
5) Can you bleed the SLS suspension like any regular hydraulic system for the fluid replacement?
The SLS is maintained in exactly the same way as it is for the 560SEC/SEL cars. It is a nearly identical system, both in form and function, though the accumulators are physically a bit smaller, if I remember correctly. Also, the 500E/E500 accumulators are located inside the spare wheel well in the trunk, rather than underneath the car as they are on the W126.
The hydraulic fluid is the same and the tank is located under the hood. The 500E/E500 doesn't use a separate hydraulic pump on the front of the block like the W126 does; rather it uses a "tandem pump" which is a combination hydraulic and power steering pump. These pumps often leak and require resealing.
I forgot to mention earlier, that one of the "normal" bugaboos for the 500E/E500 is the fact that the power steering gearbox often leaks, particularly at mileage intervals over 100K. This has to be pulled and re-sealed. The re-sealing process isn't a big deal -- MB makes an inexpensive kit to do this, but pulling the box is a real pain in the a$$. It's a labor intensive job, but something again that only needs to be done once every 10-15 years.
Are the M119 motors solid to 200K with frequent oil changes and diligent ownership \ care?
The M119 engines are absolutely bulletproof, even moreso than than the M117s. With regular maintenance and oil changes, it is very easy to get 300 and even 400K miles out of one - that includes both top and bottom end.
How long have you owned your car, have you spent alot ($$) in ownership over that time? Great videos thank-you for sharing!!! Also are there any local MB owners GTG in the Houston area?
I have owned my E500 since September of 2003. I have owned my 560SEC since September of 2002 - so a year longer than the E500. I have spent a lot of maintenance $$$ on both cars in that time simply because I have chosen to take a mechanical "money no object" and highly proactive approach to maintaining my cars, particularly mechanically. I just completed a full top-end rebuild of my 560SEC motor, this past spring, and even with 85 hours of my own labor, the parts and tools bill for this job came to between $2,000 and $2,500, because I chose to replace every bit of engine rubber & plastic I could on the top end of the motor, along with the cam and all rocker arms on the right-side of the engine.
I know of a number of local E500E owners here in the Houston area, and we have gotten together from time to time, although not everyone in one place at the same time. I am hoping to orchestrate something perhaps this fall in terms of getting the 4-5 owners I know locally, together at one time.
Hope this helps.:thumbsup:
Cheers,
Gerry
