gearbox problem on potential new car!

[gina2201]

Thinking of buying one of these, and it's local to us, only thing is the gearbox problem...what do you guys think?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-Mercedes...oryZ9855QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Any ideas on said problem....?

"This car has the rare 5 speed Auto but it is being silly! It hesitates to change!
On the odd occasion and some times to get her into 5th from 4th you need to just back off the gas a little."

 

[andy_k]

that doesn't sound like the gearbox is being silly, it sounds like the kickdown may be adjusted poorly - if you keep your foot flat to the floor it will constantly try and shift down into 4th as you are pressing the kickdown switch.

Try and take someone who has driven one of the cars with a 5 speed box

It may be knackered but it may just need adjusting


hth

Andy

 

[television]

I have to agree with Andy on this, it does sound like the kick down being poorly adjusted, as the 5th is added what decides when it should change down, the torque converter normally

 

[gurpz]

Ideally you would think that before someone would want to sell a car, they would clean it internally and externally at least. The cars filthy but its nothing a bucket and sponge wont fix. It just may go to show the owners care for the car. Also noticed theres no mats so expect the original carpets to be dirty and stubborn to clean. Would also need a new rear left light cluster as the crack will just allow condensation to get in and steam up the insides. Lastly it would seem the drivers side window would need a new regulator too. However that said should you be able to get a good deal and find out the real cause for the gearbox problem you could have yourself a nice car.

 

[nick mercedes]

Thinking of buying one of these, and it's local to us, only thing is the gearbox problem...what do you guys think?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-Mercedes...oryZ9855QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Any ideas on said problem....?

"This car has the rare 5 speed Auto but it is being silly! It hesitates to change!
On the odd occasion and some times to get her into 5th from 4th you need to just back off the gas a little."

Dodgy gearbox actuator?

 

[television]

Looking at Andy K's car at the weekend makes me want one again, but I could not use it, and that makes me sad

 

[gina2201]

Hmmm, very tempting....if it's cheap enough....

 

[vijilants]

Ideally you would think that before someone would want to sell a car, they would clean it internally and externally at least. The cars filthy but its nothing a bucket and sponge wont fix. It just may go to show the owners care for the car. Also noticed theres no mats so expect the original carpets to be dirty and stubborn to clean. Would also need a new rear left light cluster as the crack will just allow condensation to get in and steam up the insides. Lastly it would seem the drivers side window would need a new regulator too. However that said should you be able to get a good deal and find out the real cause for the gearbox problem you could have yourself a nice car.

If he can't be bothered to clean it before selling it, I guess mechanics of the car must be in the same way aswell.....neglected !!!

 

[High-Lo]

Mb 00 Mrs! :d

 

[mercs600]

Having had a E280 estate on a 1995 with the same problem and after many many hundreds of pounds I refitted a four speed auto I can only recommend - keep well clear !
Initially I had the box rebuilt as far as possible but it lasted 50 miles ! These and the later Merc 5 speed autos are well known for these problems - keep well clear and stick with the bullet proof 4 speed auto's !

 

[Ade B]

If you budget for a replacement box on top of the purchase price, you may be pleasantly surprised if all it needs is new atf, filter and a bit of adjustment.

My gut feeling would be that the gearbox is one of many ailing bits on a 180k car which from the pics is not a pampered, garaged example. Having said that get the impression that W124s will happily chug on for a long time with everything worn and baggy without actually going bang.

As came up in another thread, I'd work out the bangernomics before taking the plunge. You might be trying to offload an even more knackered high mileage coupe in 6 months time...


Ade

 

[mercs600]

These w124 5 speed auto's were a 'trial' 5 speed before the later versions - basically it's a 4 spped auto with a 'bolt-on' overdrive. The main problem being that they were not up to the job and if you want spares for them (i.e. rebuild) everything comes from MB Germany as they were not produced in enough quantities to appeal to other spares manufactures to produce ! I found this out the hard way - along with silly unrealistic prices ! The vale body alone was £3k from Mercedes - worth more than the vehicle !
Also with the later w210 5 speed autos my 1997 E320 full MB service history 148k miles had 4 of these lovely boxes before I came to my senses and scrapped the car !!!
I would therefore not touch any Mercedes newer than 1994 or any with a 5 speed auto !!!! - all this from experience - learnt over the last 20+ years !

 

[del320]

Gina, you'd be mad to consider that manky heap. Anyone who presents a car in that condition, in those surroundings, must be a pikey!

"The Cream Leather interior is comfortable and unworn..." Look at the armrest!

"Rare 5 Speed Auto model with MPG around 30-35! Honest". Not rare but does not have to be as unreliable as mercs600 portrays if oil changed every 36000 miles. 22 - 29 mpg nearer the mark.

Lack of care and cleaning will result in blocked drains at base of windscreen and mud clogged in wheelarches and behind outer plastic cills - a recipe for rust.

Even if it goes for under a thousand, do you really want someone elses filth inside and out?
...and that spoiler...

"MB History up to 145,000, then specialist" Yeah, right! It surely can't be on the original head gasket but i'd want to see proof of replacement. The admitted faults will not be cheap to fix either. He's been running it on a shoestring - buying one tyre at a time - and the petrol tank is empty.

That car will not give you the essential feelgood factor, and that number plate does not give me good vibes either.

...and that spoiler...

 

[janner]

His second to last purchase was this.

Maybe he hasn't worked out how to use it yet?

The car doesn't look that great to be honest. It's one of those cars that's worth spending a few quid extra to get a good one. This one could work out very expensive in the long run.

 

[gina2201]

Cheers for the help, it's my brother who would be buying it so I shall have to tell him to stop bidding! Still looking at others too.....

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Its a dog, look at the state of the car, and the location its photo'd in!

That number plate is oh so nearly BARRY

 

[nick mercedes]

Gina, you'd be mad to consider that manky heap.

It's not exactly top money.

£500 is not going to buy the best E320 coupe in the world...

 

[andy_k]

As far as i am concerned, the jury is out on this one

Yep, it's dirty and a bit unloved but I'd rather buy a car like that for £500 less trhan one which has been valeted just to sell it

Now, mileage, my 320 has done 190k on it's original 5 speed box and drive train wise it's faultless and yes, it will turn in 30-35 mpg at motorway speeds.

Sadly, they all rust sooner or later on the wings, just like sooner or later the rear subframe is going to fall apart and the brake pipes will rot through - old cars go rusty.

The dodgy number plate isn't in the sale and the interior looks fine apart from the cracked piping on the armrest

That car has got to be worth £700 - £800 of anyone's money even to sell on.

As for the service history, dealer history up to 145k is good. I wouldn't expect any more.

Andy

 

[aka$h]

Your not going to find a minter for anything close to what its on at the moment. You get what you pay for at the end of the day.

 

[del320]

As far as i am concerned, the jury is out on this one

Yep, it's dirty and a bit unloved but I'd rather buy a car like that for £500 less trhan one which has been valeted just to sell it

Now, mileage, my 320 has done 190k on it's original 5 speed box and drive train wise it's faultless and yes, it will turn in 30-35 mpg at motorway speeds.

Sadly, they all rust sooner or later on the wings, just like sooner or later the rear subframe is going to fall apart and the brake pipes will rot through - old cars go rusty.

The dodgy number plate isn't in the sale and the interior looks fine apart from the cracked piping on the armrest

That car has got to be worth £700 - £800 of anyone's money even to sell on.

As for the service history, dealer history up to 145k is good. I wouldn't expect any more.

Andy

I would generally agree with your comments if they referred to any old banger, but IMHO it makes no more sense to buy an uncared for C124 than a clapped out R107 or R129 or any other such car purporting to exude "style".

The C124 is maybe not quite yet "collectible" but at least a good one no longer depreciates. It is, however, a car for the enthusiast and I would never buy one from someone who was not reasonably knowledgeable and who had not cared for it.

Without spending an uneconomic sum of '000s, that car will never have the class or give the pleasure of a well-cared for example.

I would have no problem buying and smoking around in a 124 saloon or estate in that condition. I too have squeezed 35 mpg from my 5sp coupe but the average over six years and 33k has been 27.1mpg.

I know the plate wasn't included - it's just that what it spelt did not impress .