300TE non starter

[donteus]

hi all

I posted a while back with a 300te that would not start after being left to stand for a while.
thankfully a friend works at allparts auto, so I got all the service gear together for £80, so I thought Id have a go.
tried to start it before the service, but again flattened the battery trying.

plugs were a bit stuck in place, but we got them out, hard plastic on the plug leads shattered and had to be removed piece by piece.

but the fun was with the distributor cap. when I eventually got it off, it was very very very very bad. all contacts were very corroded, and the rotor arm had a dirty great crack across it!

all normal stuff I guess.

the interesting part is that the dist cap was the original part, fitted in 1989, and the car has since done 160K !!!!!!!

impressed with german engineering!

 

[lookskyward1]

How is the car running now?

Sounds like the old girl has suffered from a bit of neglect over the years.

Hope everything works out OK.

 

[Dieselman]

PLease don't tell us that the oil was original fill also......

 

[Brian WH]

Sounds like it had been standing for more than a "While".

Needs a major overhaul not just a service.

 

[donteus]

all ok now

ok, finished the service, car started perfectly and has continued to do so since then.
Took it for an MOT yesterday, and it sailed through, tester (who is a bit of a gruff git anyway) said that it was in top condition for the year, so well chuffed with that!!

only downside is that after I gave it a good clean at the weekend, I reversed into my tool box and carcked the back bumper, also removing the mud flap..........oh well, small price to pay for my stupidity!!

 

[bolide]

300te

The really early W124s were the best built. A good early 300TE will go forever so long as the tinworm doesn't get at it

If you want to keep it I'd steam clean it and Waxoyl it asap. Have a good look at the underside and the wheelarch lips and treat any rust. They also tend to rust under the rearmost windows if the rubber seal leaks. So watch out for condensation in the rear, clean the sunroof drains and make sure it's dry inside the car

If you look at contemporary cars - which isn't easy as most of them have been scrapped - you see just how good the W124 is. They do rust but the paint finish & longevity is superb on a good example


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Howard]

Yes i agree...

My dad had one of the first 300te's a C reg ...

He didn't own it from new, it was owned by Mclaren believe it or not before him, he only got rid of it when a CLK 430 came his way at the right price, he loved that car ....

Had virtually every extra on it, heated memory seats, dual tone horn , you name it, except leather .... , also it had the wierdest paint colour, when you looked at it from one angle it was dark blue , and changed almost to a deep purple when you moved round the car on sunny days.... i don't think i have seen another colour like it , certainly not on a w124

Anyway, he loved it, and when the time came for it to go , it still reached £1500 , even with starship mileage, it was bought by Colin Ferns, who has serviced all dads Mercs and now mine too !!

A Great car !

 

[donteus]

found the issue

a few years in the reply (AHEM)

sold the car and the new owner let me know the issue, apparently there was a water plug in the engine that was leaking, and allowing water in around the distributor

just in case it helps anyone else!!!