[supercars]

harjeev if it is a 1990's car then it is not the W124 that was launched in India.

harjeev I for one do not advise you on buying any old Merc or BMW. The Parts are Very Expensive and you need the right people to work on the car.

I for one am not found of the W124's that come with the Amber Turn Lamp in the Front.

Many of those cars have wind up windows and their doors feel pretty light.

E250DreamCar if you wanted to sell your car ever then this may be a good time to do so as I have also heard that some Badly maintained W124 are going for 1.5 Lakh.

[E250Dreamcar]

Thanks supercars, but I am quite enjoying the ownership experience of my car. I've seen that you've raked up all the threads about the W124 on Team-BHP...any particular reason?

[supercars]

I may be the only First Owner of the W124 here still having the car.

btw I have sent a PM, please respond.

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by supercars

I may be the only First Owner of the W124 here still having the car.

V-16 owned his W124 for 12 years until last year before it changed hands to a madman on this forum.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by GTO

Tell me about it. So, we're on the way to celebrate Mom's birthday last friday. Black 124 to the left of our car. Mom mumbles "now that's a Mercedes" (in Gujarati) . I've lost count of how many times I've come close to picking up a used W124 / W126.

W126 is the precursor to S class ?
Were they introduced in India?

And what about even decades older W123?

[supercars]

Thank You nitrous for the information.

I guess that makes it Official.

The W126 was never sold officially in India.

I like the W123 a lot too but in my opinion the W124 is the Best of All Worlds.

[stone_monkey]

Great Review Dude ! I have been looking out for a 250D myself but havent come across a nice one so far ! Being from Delhi the People here are really really smart ! Havent even found one car so far which had the original mileage but still after reading your review I am encouraged not to give up my dream first car and keep looking for it !

Keep us posted brother ! it sure is a big help !!

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

Big repairs: Apart from initial hiccups soon after I bought the car (battery needed to be replaced, fan clutch also – total cost 11k), the car hasn’t sprung any big surprises on me yet.

Wow. That is pretty awesome! I spent more than 10 times that amount on various things like tires, radiator, suspension, headlamps, steering system, some AC problems, all the hoses, engine wiring harness and god knows what else. End result being that I am (actually not only me, but my father as well)... FULLY SATISFIED!

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

On the return journey from Hyderabad, ... and he had a look and fixed the car for 800 bucks (yes, 800 rupees only!!).

Let me guess, the wire going or coming from the ignition coil had hardened and peeled and he just cut those off and attached parallel wires?

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

For a 13 year old Mercedes, I am very happy with these kinds of costs! (knock on wood)!

You can say that again. Mine is one year older actually. 1996 model.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• I am not very happy with the hardness of the clutch. My mechanic tells me its natural for a car that’s 13 years old and has run as many km as it has. Beckham would be proud of my left foot’s muscles now

I would have that checked out. It's pretty nice in my car.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• The engine is noisier than I’d like it to be, and I’ve had many people enquire whether it’s a diesel. Interior noise is much lower though. However, it does have a nice growl when you floor the pedal.

There is a sound deadening layer under the bonnet, if that isn't there then you know why it's so noisy. It could also be that the engine mounts are old and hard and are creating excess vibrations.
Interior noise is pretty low, except in higher RPM's. I'm not sure weather I should be happy or disappointed about that. Because on one hand I really like the sound of the car and on the other I think, it's a Benz, I should be isolated from the outside completely.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• The insurance covers only 50% of pretty much everything that can break in the car; because of its age (glass, rubber, plastics are 50% anyway!). It’s very frustrating.

Change your insurance co. Take it up with a firm in which you have goodwill, they will insure it for whatever amount you please.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• There’s an irritating creaking noise that comes from the driver’s side A-pillar. I will get to the bottom of it soon.

It could be from the area under the headlamp controls. That part opens up and has some of the electronic things there. Probably one of the panels is lose. No big issue, just make sure the person opening the dash knows exactly what he is doing. It's verrrrry easy to damage.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• The doors were a big let down for me. They are unusually hard to close and the hinges creak a bit despite a lot of greasing. Apparently, a common problem with this model – Can anyone confirm this?

Nope nope nope. Not normal. The creaking only comes when I open my door fully. But it is only a little so I ignore it. The doors are super easy to close. Maybe your mechanism is spoilt.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• Power windows keep developing some problem or the other. I’ve given up now.

I know they cost a bomb to fix, but it is worth getting done. My car only had a small problem with the motor of the front passenger. The rest of them were oiled/greased and now the work real quite and fast.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• The number of times I’ve had monogram’s stolen is seriously not funny (the damned things cost 1.5k each!!)

Avoid taking your car in places where they can be stolen. And if they're getting stolen so often, go with the cheaper alternative of the Taiwanese maal that costs 500. It looses it's finish over time, but if you're replacing them so often, how does it matter? Also try using an odd form of Murphy's law. If you have something spare, you will never have to use it. I have one spare in the boot. This one works like a charm! :-)
Also, you're getting gypped, the original costs 1300.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• Mumbai’s weather seems to be causing problems with the paintwork after 13 long years – I noticed some corrosion near the tire well and in some other nooks. I have got the areas painted and am keeping a close eye on the issue.

No rust so far for me. But I live in Delhi. Mine is going for a repaint sometime in April as the original does not seem like it will last so long.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• Mechanically, this is a tank. The engine is bulletproof and I’ve driven it for 400km with only 2 cylinders firing. Unbelievable. It’s also pretty sprightly for a car its size and age. I recently timed a 0-100 kmph run at 11 odd seconds.

The FE must have SUCKED. But still, wow!
Try again. You can shave off another second and a half.
When you really want to leave some racer boys behind, don't shift till you're in the 5500 RPM range. The car accelerates beautifully after 4000.

I'll narrate a small and amusing incident, it's a Saturday night and 2 guys in their modded City and another 1 in a modded Lancer (neon lights et all) are having their ego tussles at a red light. We (Dad + me) just happened to be there, along with these jokers. And decide to time a 0 - 100. End result? Racer boy's shamed and we managed a 0 - 100 about 3 seconds better than them (10).

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• ... On the highway, its weight is a great advantage as it stays planted at high speed. The braking is also expectedly top-class, as I’ve had the opportunity to find out!

Amen to that. Really comes into it's own on the highway. Stays planted even if you're doing some curves at 90 - 100.
The ABS is to thank for the awesome braking. We decided to test out the braking on an empty highway while doing 120. End result? My phone flying off my lap hitting the dash and falling and that's about the only noise we heard. A+ braking.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• When I bought the car, I was told that the ICE was only a tape player. After about 3 months, when I was getting the wheel’s balanced, I was sitting down on the floor next to the boot when I noticed, to my utter delight, a 10 CD changer stuck deep inside the roof of the boot! Woohoo!!

I wish I had luck like yours. I just ran down to my car to see if I was as lucky. Returned disappointed!

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• I’ve heard my friends and family say that the rear seat is to die for. I believe them. However, no way I’m letting go of the steering anytime soon

I told my dad the exact same thing. He still refuses to let me drive!
And it really is true. Go down to the car and sit in the back seat to read your Sunday papers. It's that good.

Originally Posted by E250Dreamcar

• I love the AC. It’s very effective and I sometimes need to switch it off, even in summer. The dual climate zones thing doesn’t seem to work though – something I need to fix

Yeah. It does get pretty cold! And yes, the dual climate zone things tends to stop working. Keep both of them at 22 and you'll be happy!
Oh and there is one annoying thing about the AC. The recirculation goes off on it's own every 8 mins! This causes the car to suck it 'fresh air' filled with the heady aromas of SMOKE! The effect is worse for us because we stupidly replaced the cabin air filters. Don't get them changed on yours.
And noticed how the AC cools a lot more when you're doing high speed? It's even written in the manual. So if you noticed, all I'm telling you is that it's not abnormal.

Originally Posted by GTO

Tell me about it. So, we're on the way to celebrate Mom's birthday last friday. Black 124 to the left of our car. Mom mumbles "now that's a Mercedes" (in Gujarati) . I've lost count of how many times I've come close to picking up a used W124 / W126.

Sir, your mom is absolutely right!
Go for the W124/126 dream.
Now that I've started, I can't seem to stop! Just want more and more of these real Mercs. Already decided to add another W124 to the stable next year. The 250D to be precise. And then later maybe a W201 or W126 or even a W116!
See what I mean? Just can't stop! Smitten. Absolutely smitten by these flawless machines!

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by alpha1

W126 is the precursor to S class ?
Were they introduced in India?

And what about even decades older W123?

W126 was the precursor to the W140. The W140 was succeeded by the W220. So yes. It is an S class. In fact, the W126 was the first one to officially bear the S class tag, which stood for 'Sonderklasse' IE Special Class. And no, they were not introduced in India.

The W123 is the predecessor of the W124. The W124 which was the first one to bear the E class tag.

(Sorry for the back to back post. I was going through the thread and no one had answered Alpha, so I posted again. Albeit, months later.)

[DNM]

Hi! I am really looking for a used Mercedes Benz E220 or the E250D. Please help me on this.. also, E250Dreamcar, please let me know about the car even more. i really like this car since the first time i saw it on the roads!

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by DNM

Hi! I am really looking for a used Mercedes Benz E220 or the E250D. Please help me on this.. also, E250Dreamcar, please let me know about the car even more. i really like this car since the first time i saw it on the roads!

See the T-BHP Classified, there are plenty of W124's for sale.

[DNM]

Okay! Thanks Viraat13!

[stormsearcher]

Guys, Need to clear an oil question. I've been using Mobil 1 5W-50 in my W124, E220 up till now. However, i learnt its no longer available and mobil 1 is now only available with 0w-40.
If i do this switch (she is due for a service in a couple of days).. would it cause any problem?

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by stormsearcher

Guys, Need to clear an oil question. I've been using Mobil 1 5W-50 in my W124, E220 up till now. However, i learnt its no longer available and mobil 1 is now only available with 0w-40.
If i do this switch (she is due for a service in a couple of days).. would it cause any problem?

You didnt look up on the forum, isnt it?
check this.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ngine-oil.html

[stormsearcher]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

You didnt look up on the forum, isnt it?
check this.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ngine-oil.html

I did actually. But it was not conclusive. And now, I want to move to SHELL 5W-40.
Is there any reason you want to stick to Mobil? Would changing brands be a problem with leakage etc? Cause even my car has been on Mobil for as far as i've had her and the guy before me also used Mobil1