300SE is 'Shed of the Week' on Pistonheads
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RoseTattoo
Active Member
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- W204
Beautiful cars. If I had room, time, money and space I'd have one. Perfect, timeless classy cars. Tell me, why, when you can have cars like this do people want to drive brrrm, brrrrm cars like Ferraris and SLMNOPQR's from Mercedes, you know these little two seater tart pullers. Please excuse, no don't the political incorrectness.
And while I remember, a few years back we had to make a sojourn overseas and needed a house for a year. One very tempting possibility had a nice garage which, when we looked in, had such a car. It's yours if you take the rental, said the agent. Did it for me except that Mrs Tattoo is just far too practical in these situations.
And while I remember, a few years back we had to make a sojourn overseas and needed a house for a year. One very tempting possibility had a nice garage which, when we looked in, had such a car. It's yours if you take the rental, said the agent. Did it for me except that Mrs Tattoo is just far too practical in these situations.
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Ian B Walker
MB Enthusiast
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- 300-24, saloon and coupe, E300 24 valve diesel estate
Innocenti13
New Member
Mercedes 300se
Just read your post with interest as I have just bought through ebay a 1990 300se which is a 2 owner car that has only done 84,000 miles. Although it needed a little bit of paintwork which is not surprising for a car thats nearly 20 years old.
It has a few issues which I need to look at but the best part is that I think that this car has the best colour combination Blue Black Metallic with Beige Leather...
I think whats interesting with these cars is that they are seriously underated and I think that seeing whats happened to the w124 market, I think that the market will wake up with these so my best advise is to snap one up whilst the price is right!!
Just read your post with interest as I have just bought through ebay a 1990 300se which is a 2 owner car that has only done 84,000 miles. Although it needed a little bit of paintwork which is not surprising for a car thats nearly 20 years old.
It has a few issues which I need to look at but the best part is that I think that this car has the best colour combination Blue Black Metallic with Beige Leather...
I think whats interesting with these cars is that they are seriously underated and I think that seeing whats happened to the w124 market, I think that the market will wake up with these so my best advise is to snap one up whilst the price is right!!
MPG
Active Member
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I've got a 2 owner 1992 500SEL, also in blue/black metallic so I know where you're coming from. So far I've been surprised at how cheap it's been to service & obtain spares for. Admittedly, it's not the most fuel efficient car on the block, but it's not frightening given the size of the thing. Welcome to W126 ownership :bannana:
Innocenti13
New Member
Mercedes 300se
Yes thanks for your reply, I only have a few issues which is 1 the nearside rear suspension seems to be lower than the other 3 corners...could be a weak spring!! secondly the heated seats aren't working and finally the central locking does not operate from the drivers door but does work from the boot....can you or anybody else give me advise me if you have experienced these issues and how to fix, thanks.
Yes thanks for your reply, I only have a few issues which is 1 the nearside rear suspension seems to be lower than the other 3 corners...could be a weak spring!! secondly the heated seats aren't working and finally the central locking does not operate from the drivers door but does work from the boot....can you or anybody else give me advise me if you have experienced these issues and how to fix, thanks.
- Joined
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- E280CDI SPORTS ESTATE and C200 KOMPRESSOR SE Coupe Auto (1.8 lit petrol)
I loved our 1984 380SE, which I finally scrapped this year after 8 years of real motoring pleasure.
I miss the clunk of those huge doors.
But I also miss the sheer style of the old bus with its comfortably-understated power from the V8 engine and its smooth, quiet driving.
What a magnificently-engineered piece of kit !!
Regarding Innocenti 13's problems.
First the good news:
These cars are pretty easy to work on, as far as most general service and maintenance jobs are concerned.
In 8 years, I never had a moment's problem from the vacuum locking system, so I can't tell you how to fix it, but you'll need to take off the front-door inner panel, as the problem is almost-certainly the key-operated actuator.
Does it fail to lock and also to unlock using the key ?
This might help in fault-finding.
Regarding the heated seats - The fact that both of them don't work means that it is not the seats themselves.
Possibly a switch or the fuse.
My fuse-box had a comprehensive list of fuse-functions inside the fuse-box lid.
Regarding the rear suspension - It could be a weak spring.
It could also be a cracked spring.
Sometimes they crack just near the end, and it's not easy to see without taking it apart.
It could be a failed shock absorber.
I fitted new shocks to all 4 corners of my 380SE, and they have quite a strong positive force.
Maybe someone has fitted the wrong type of shocker at some time.
Hope it's nothing more serious.
Cheers.
Johnsco
I miss the clunk of those huge doors.
But I also miss the sheer style of the old bus with its comfortably-understated power from the V8 engine and its smooth, quiet driving.
What a magnificently-engineered piece of kit !!
Regarding Innocenti 13's problems.
First the good news:
These cars are pretty easy to work on, as far as most general service and maintenance jobs are concerned.
In 8 years, I never had a moment's problem from the vacuum locking system, so I can't tell you how to fix it, but you'll need to take off the front-door inner panel, as the problem is almost-certainly the key-operated actuator.
Does it fail to lock and also to unlock using the key ?
This might help in fault-finding.
Regarding the heated seats - The fact that both of them don't work means that it is not the seats themselves.
Possibly a switch or the fuse.
My fuse-box had a comprehensive list of fuse-functions inside the fuse-box lid.
Regarding the rear suspension - It could be a weak spring.
It could also be a cracked spring.
Sometimes they crack just near the end, and it's not easy to see without taking it apart.
It could be a failed shock absorber.
I fitted new shocks to all 4 corners of my 380SE, and they have quite a strong positive force.
Maybe someone has fitted the wrong type of shocker at some time.
Hope it's nothing more serious.
Cheers.
Johnsco
Innocenti13
New Member
300se
Hi Johnsco
Many thanks for that, actually re. the problems the drivers door does lock with the key.
Re. the heated seats, I have had a look at the fuses in the fuse box in the engine bay and these are all good, would it be seperately fuesed elsewhere?
Finally the rear suspension, surprisingly there is no clunking when I go over bumps etc but I will take a further look.
Many thanks again.
Hi Johnsco
Many thanks for that, actually re. the problems the drivers door does lock with the key.
Re. the heated seats, I have had a look at the fuses in the fuse box in the engine bay and these are all good, would it be seperately fuesed elsewhere?
Finally the rear suspension, surprisingly there is no clunking when I go over bumps etc but I will take a further look.
Many thanks again.
Innocenti13
New Member
300se
Many thanks - Is it likely to be in the drivers door by the actuator?
Many thanks - Is it likely to be in the drivers door by the actuator?
- Joined
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If the driver's door locks and unlocks with the key, then the driver's door locking mechanism is clearly OK.
If the central locking does not operate (locking or unlocking or both) at the same time, then the vacuum actuator in the driver's door is not functioning.
You need to have a look at it.
It may be something fairly obvious.
If the central locking operates from the boot, then it is probably not a vacuum system leak.
Re the fuse - If you can identify the correct one in the fuse box, try two things:
Test the fuse (It may look OK ... But)
Try rotating the fuse in the fuse holder clips.
On my 380SE, I found on a couple of occasions that the clips developed a corrosion film and the current stopped flowing even though the fuse was OK.
It might just be this.
Regarding a further line fuse ... I don't know.
You could try jumping the heater unit inputs with a length of wire from the correct fuse in the fuse box.
Don't connect straight to the battery terminal in case there is a short-circuit condition.
We don't want a big bang !!
Re the rear suspension - Glad to hear that there is no rumbling or knocking.
Worn suspension joints are not a nice job to do.
Having thought about this a bit more, I would look first at the rear shocks.
Are they both the correct ones ?
Same length ... Same expansion force ... Not bent.
Check them both.
It could be either one causing the problem
See how the car looks with both removed (or at least disengaged at the bottom).
If the car's still ****-eyed, then it's not the shocks.
The next place I would look is the springs.
Hope this helps.
Johnsco
If the central locking does not operate (locking or unlocking or both) at the same time, then the vacuum actuator in the driver's door is not functioning.
You need to have a look at it.
It may be something fairly obvious.
If the central locking operates from the boot, then it is probably not a vacuum system leak.
Re the fuse - If you can identify the correct one in the fuse box, try two things:
Test the fuse (It may look OK ... But)
Try rotating the fuse in the fuse holder clips.
On my 380SE, I found on a couple of occasions that the clips developed a corrosion film and the current stopped flowing even though the fuse was OK.
It might just be this.
Regarding a further line fuse ... I don't know.
You could try jumping the heater unit inputs with a length of wire from the correct fuse in the fuse box.
Don't connect straight to the battery terminal in case there is a short-circuit condition.
We don't want a big bang !!
Re the rear suspension - Glad to hear that there is no rumbling or knocking.
Worn suspension joints are not a nice job to do.
Having thought about this a bit more, I would look first at the rear shocks.
Are they both the correct ones ?
Same length ... Same expansion force ... Not bent.
Check them both.
It could be either one causing the problem
See how the car looks with both removed (or at least disengaged at the bottom).
If the car's still ****-eyed, then it's not the shocks.
The next place I would look is the springs.
Hope this helps.
Johnsco
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2008
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- 2,800
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- Leeds, West Yorkshire
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- E280CDI SPORTS ESTATE and C200 KOMPRESSOR SE Coupe Auto (1.8 lit petrol)
My dream was to have a 560SEL or SEC (Type W126).
Sadly - At 25000 miles a year, I wasn't born quite rich enough !!
Johnsco
Pringles
Active Member
I love these W126 mercs,they had real presence and many movie villains of the 80's and 90's would not be seen in anything else. I have often been tempted to swap my W124 for a nice blue/black 560sel. Unfortunately my garage is a few inches too short and I wouldn't own a car like that unless I could put it to bed at night !
Not being partcularly mechanically able I have spent a small fortune on my 1995 W124 getting things sorted and to swap it for a W126 would probably be a financial disaster knowing my luck. It doesn't stop me browsing auto trader and dreaming of owning such a great car.
Not being partcularly mechanically able I have spent a small fortune on my 1995 W124 getting things sorted and to swap it for a W126 would probably be a financial disaster knowing my luck. It doesn't stop me browsing auto trader and dreaming of owning such a great car.
talbir
MB Enthusiast
Lower nearside can often be the differential mount.
Heated seats not working - there are a couple of fuses external to the main fuse box. They are small black boxes with lift up lids.
Central locking not working from drivers door can often be related to aftermarket alarm systems, where a feed for the remot locking feature is usually taken from the wiring in the drivers footwell channel, and that feed is from the wire from door actuator. Once spliced into, if alarm malfunctions, then whilst central locking will continue to work from other places (since it is multi-point system), it will not activate from the point that has been spliced into.
talbir
mattc
MB Enthusiast
Where are these small black boxes please Talbir?
MPG
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2008
- Messages
- 320
I haven't experienced any of the issues you mention with either the central locking or the springs & I don't have any heated seats to comment on ! 
. Personally I just had to service the car when I got it, to replace filters, fluids etc. The only job I found took time was replacing the spark plugs on the passenger side as every plug wrench I had seemed to be either too short or too long ! Arghhhhhhhhhhh...
Also took a little time to wire a new stereo in properly to use the existing amplifiers which despite popular concensus to the contrary I found to be OK - then again I am only a Radio 2 listener....
For technical info I find the BenWorld site in the US to be invaluable - lots of info & often you'll find the relevant parts of the workshop manuals uploaded in PDF format. Definitely worth joining. The URL is www.benzworld.org (you'll find a specific forum devoted to the W126):bannana:
. Personally I just had to service the car when I got it, to replace filters, fluids etc. The only job I found took time was replacing the spark plugs on the passenger side as every plug wrench I had seemed to be either too short or too long ! Arghhhhhhhhhhh...Also took a little time to wire a new stereo in properly to use the existing amplifiers which despite popular concensus to the contrary I found to be OK - then again I am only a Radio 2 listener....
For technical info I find the BenWorld site in the US to be invaluable - lots of info & often you'll find the relevant parts of the workshop manuals uploaded in PDF format. Definitely worth joining. The URL is www.benzworld.org (you'll find a specific forum devoted to the W126):bannana:
talbir
MB Enthusiast
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