The UK specification part of my brochure clearly states that gas shock absorbers are standard and self levelling is an option. I expect all UK 300 T's had levelling as standard though.Anyone got an old price list?
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W124 300TE rear sports dampers / car sickness
The UK specification part of my brochure clearly states that gas shock absorbers are standard and self levelling is an option. I expect all UK 300 T's had levelling as standard though.Anyone got an old price list?
grober
MB Master
1990 price list
My 1990 price list which I just looked up for the w124 200E-300TD estate cars says self leveling rear suspension standard for 200TE upwards. So I'm guessing all the UK estates have it ??
My 1990 price list which I just looked up for the w124 200E-300TD estate cars says self leveling rear suspension standard for 200TE upwards. So I'm guessing all the UK estates have it ??
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mark.porthouse
Active Member
Hi Andy_k,
Thanks for the tip that estate strut mountings are different to the saloon and coupe - wouldn't want to attempt to put the wrong things on!
grober,
Thanks for the Titan link - I'll keep it in mind pending car examination when I get it back. Let's hope that the LPG conversion people don't do a 'Cutty Sark' on the car!
Thing is, if the springs were for an SLS car then I would expect the rear ride height to be quite low... hmmm. I wish the car wasn't an hour's bicycle ride away!
big_x - we'll see whether the brochure is right later this week! Hmmm, but what is 'right'. By the way, the car was registered in July '88.
I will furnish the list with photos of relevant bits when the car comes back.
Maybe I should get one of those parts CDs that are available on eBay.
Nothing like a bit of suspense eh? Allows us all to exercise our detective fantasies!
I'll get back to you all soon.
Cheers,
Mark
Thanks for the tip that estate strut mountings are different to the saloon and coupe - wouldn't want to attempt to put the wrong things on!
grober,
Thanks for the Titan link - I'll keep it in mind pending car examination when I get it back. Let's hope that the LPG conversion people don't do a 'Cutty Sark' on the car!
Thing is, if the springs were for an SLS car then I would expect the rear ride height to be quite low... hmmm. I wish the car wasn't an hour's bicycle ride away!
big_x - we'll see whether the brochure is right later this week! Hmmm, but what is 'right'. By the way, the car was registered in July '88.
I will furnish the list with photos of relevant bits when the car comes back.
Maybe I should get one of those parts CDs that are available on eBay.
Nothing like a bit of suspense eh? Allows us all to exercise our detective fantasies!
I'll get back to you all soon.
Cheers,
Mark
Dieselman
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mark.porthouse
Active Member
Ah, thanks Dieselman.
The bits I want to see though, I cannot see - the first five items off here:
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb1.as...&GA=722.320358&GM=717.430&CT=F&Cat=506&SID=32
Would these appear on the CD version?
I wonder what the headings 'SA' and 'BM' mean?
Cheers,
Mark
The bits I want to see though, I cannot see - the first five items off here:
http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb1.as...&GA=722.320358&GM=717.430&CT=F&Cat=506&SID=32
Would these appear on the CD version?
I wonder what the headings 'SA' and 'BM' mean?
Cheers,
Mark
Dieselman
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The first five items are Special equipment items, SA. The lower set are standard fit, BM.
Maybe SA= special application and
BM = Built/basic model or similar.
Maybe SA= special application and
BM = Built/basic model or similar.
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mark.porthouse
Active Member
Thanks Dieselman. That would imply that there are no drawings (and indeed parts) for non SLS estate rear suspension.
Mark
Mark
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
I had a look on my MB EPC and there are no non-levelling shocks shown.
The situation with my BMW Touring is quite similar. It has self-levelling
air springs which where an option but in practice virtually cars all came with it.
adam
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Dave Lewis
Active Member
There is no option code for SLS on 124 estates. This would indicate that they are all made with it, surely? I've never come across one without. And they all have headlamp beam height adjusters too.
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mark.porthouse
Active Member
Hi Dave,
I was surprised to find out that even SLS W124s have headlamp beam adjusters. My Citroen XM did not have them - it simply didn't need them.
Not long to wait to get the car back now.
Is that green car a Bristol? - looks very nice. Ah, I see you are from Bristol! Our nearest car manufacturer is Ariel, maybe I should stick a photo of an Atom on my profile.
Cheers,
Mark
I was surprised to find out that even SLS W124s have headlamp beam adjusters. My Citroen XM did not have them - it simply didn't need them.
Not long to wait to get the car back now.
Is that green car a Bristol? - looks very nice. Ah, I see you are from Bristol! Our nearest car manufacturer is Ariel, maybe I should stick a photo of an Atom on my profile.
Cheers,
Mark
Dave Lewis
Active Member
Yes Mark, the beam adjuster is unneccesary, and doesn't carry an option code. I guess it might have been cheaper to include it for the estates than leave it out, I think it's part of the central locking vacuum system.
As has been said by others, the best way to tell if your car does indeed have SLS is to look for the fluid reservoir, situated between the ABS pump and the inner wing. The SLS pump on a 300 M103 is part of the power steering pump. Not sure what to say about the car sickness, unless it's the rear springs that are really tired. With SLS, any problems concern the opposite, ie it goes hard.
And yes, the car in my avatar is a Bristol 404, 1953. Not mine unfortunately!
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
unless the system is low on fluid/empty when it will have little or no damping
Andy
Dave Lewis
Active Member
That's a good point Andy, plus, if it's empty, it really won't have self-levelling!
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mark.porthouse
Active Member
Well guys. You were right. It does have SLS!
What had confused me is that when I bought the car I asked the seller if I we could sit in the boot and test the self levelling. He then said that he didn't think that it had it. Anyway, we sat down and waited - and nothing happened (the engine was running).
I'm now wondering now if the sound that I hear shortly after starting the engine is the self levelling and that perhaps it only happens shortly after starting the engine??? Can anyone tell me if this is the case. I was used to the Citroen XM where it would continually readjust.
Cheers,
Mark
What had confused me is that when I bought the car I asked the seller if I we could sit in the boot and test the self levelling. He then said that he didn't think that it had it. Anyway, we sat down and waited - and nothing happened (the engine was running).
I'm now wondering now if the sound that I hear shortly after starting the engine is the self levelling and that perhaps it only happens shortly after starting the engine??? Can anyone tell me if this is the case. I was used to the Citroen XM where it would continually readjust.
Cheers,
Mark
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
the system is pretty low key, you won't notice it working but it goes something along these lines, the pump circulates the hydraulic fluid around the system and under normal load it is returned to the reservoir.
The fluid in the rear axle between the struts and the spheres provides the damping and some assistance to the springs
Once there is a big load in the rear and the rear lowers, the return valve opens allowing more fluid into the system until the suspension is high enough to close the valve. As the suspension gets too high fluid is released.
The return valve also holds pressure in the back axle when the car is parked
The Citroen system lacks this return valve so the car will settle and the system needs re pressurising when you start the car.
If/when the return valve fails your car will behave just like a Citroen
HTH
Andy
The fluid in the rear axle between the struts and the spheres provides the damping and some assistance to the springs
Once there is a big load in the rear and the rear lowers, the return valve opens allowing more fluid into the system until the suspension is high enough to close the valve. As the suspension gets too high fluid is released.
The return valve also holds pressure in the back axle when the car is parked
The Citroen system lacks this return valve so the car will settle and the system needs re pressurising when you start the car.
If/when the return valve fails your car will behave just like a Citroen
HTH
Andy
Dieselman
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the system is pretty low key, you won't notice it working but it goes something along these lines, the pump circulates the hydraulic fluid around the system and under normal load it is returned to the reservoir.
The fluid in the rear axle between the struts and the spheres provides the damping and some assistance to the springs
Once there is a big load in the rear and the rear lowers, the return valve opens allowing more fluid into the system until the suspension is high enough to close the valve. As the suspension gets too high fluid is released.
The return valve also holds pressure in the back axle when the car is parked
The Citroen system lacks this return valve so the car will settle and the system needs re pressurising when you start the car.
If/when the return valve fails your car will behave just like a Citroen
HTH
Andy
No it won't, the Merc has springs which will hold the car up, the Citroen doesn't...and Citroen XM shouldn't sink anyway as it has an anti sink valve, as do xantia after 1994. They only sink if the anti sink sphere is discharged.
Other than the springs the system is very similar to the Citroen setup but is only operational when the rear of the car drops due to load. It isn't being used when there is no load in the boot as the adjuster is set to not operate the valve until the rear is lower than standard height.
If the rear stays down check the fluid level and the height adjuster valve.
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
Dieselman
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Not quite in the sinking Citroen league then....
I thought the MB setup was that the valve wasn't active until there was a load in the rear causing it to sink a bit..
Not disagreeing with you Andy..
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
they don't sink as much as Citroens and I thought they worked like you said until I dropped the fluid out of one and realised just how far it had dropped.
Then I had a return valve break on me (common fault around 200k apparently) and the rear of the car would drop around 3 inches until you started the car when it would rise up just like a Citroen.
The system being active and providing support and the weight thing both apply, to set the system up you need a 120kg weight in the back but once the system is running then it just maintains that level.
Andy
Then I had a return valve break on me (common fault around 200k apparently
) and the rear of the car would drop around 3 inches until you started the car when it would rise up just like a Citroen.The system being active and providing support and the weight thing both apply, to set the system up you need a 120kg weight in the back but once the system is running then it just maintains that level.
Andy
