[iabhishekkumar]

Hi BHPians,

I looked at some gorgeous pics of the W124 (E220 or E250) and loved it to the core. I was contemplating whether I could lay my hands on any of these timeless beauties.

Would appreciate if any one can provide me some leads. Also the current price range which I should be looking to pay. Also, any other important information which should be kept in mind while considering these.

Cheers!

[hillram]

Dear all W124 aficianados...I would like to present my recently acquired W124 aka "Black Jack",which is running magnificently, and giving best driving experience I ever had on 4 wheels.
A loud shout to Team Bhpians akshay4587 and Viraat13 for all the help they extended while I was acquiring this german automobile and through out its restoration.






Yours Truly

[800Sid]

Hey guys, I recently picked up a W124 E220. Drove it down from Maharashtra to Mangalore, had no issues whatsoever till I reached the ghats. That's where I started noticing a whining sound from the back and occasionally, the car would bog down after taking the corners or climbing. It wouldn't stall, but it would hesitate and had to be switched off and on again to work properly. This only started after hitting the corners.

Therefore, after I reached Mangalore, I changed the fuel pump, fuel filter and fuel pipes. The problem still persisted. After a few kms of driving, the whining starts and once the car is heated up, it starts to choke and sometimes misfire. Switching off the ignition solves the problem temporarily.

Could someone tell me what could be the issue, I've even opened up the fuel tank and did a proper cleaning. Cleaned the injectors, which are all fine.

The mech says that it could be the engine crank sensor. But I don't know what causes the whine, even he isn't sure. I read somewhere that it could be a faulty Fuel pressure regulator, could that be it?

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by 800Sid

Hey guys, I recently picked up a W124 E220. Drove it down from Maharashtra to Mangalore, had no issues whatsoever till I reached the ghats. That's where I started noticing a whining sound from the back and occasionally, the car would bog down after taking the corners or climbing. It wouldn't stall, but it would hesitate and had to be switched off and on again to work properly. This only started after hitting the corners.

Therefore, after I reached Mangalore, I changed the fuel pump, fuel filter and fuel pipes. The problem still persisted. After a few kms of driving, the whining starts and once the car is heated up, it starts to choke and sometimes misfire. Switching off the ignition solves the problem temporarily.

Could someone tell me what could be the issue, I've even opened up the fuel tank and did a proper cleaning. Cleaned the injectors, which are all fine.

The mech says that it could be the engine crank sensor. But I don't know what causes the whine, even he isn't sure. I read somewhere that it could be a faulty Fuel pressure regulator, could that be it?

First off, congrats! Second, love the CT sticker on the back.

Take a look at the post I've quoted below. Have you had this filter changed?

Originally Posted by abhishek_5

The thick pipe that draws the fuel form the tank is the outlet from the Fuel strainer and is connected to the strainer itself.

Hence you need to disconnect the mail pipe which is mounted at the base of the strainer itself, which would then give you access for removing the fuel strainer.

Should be simple once the tank is empty. I am yet to get this one replaced.

[800Sid]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

First off, congrats! Second, love the CT sticker on the back.

Take a look at the post I've quoted below. Have you had this filter changed?

Thanks a lot mate!

Yes, I've checked the fuel strainer, didn't get it changed because it was nothing like in the picture. It was quite clean, just slight discoloration due to the age.

I've been breaking my head trying to figure out the problem.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by 800Sid

Thanks a lot mate!

Yes, I've checked the fuel strainer, didn't get it changed because it was nothing like in the picture. It was quite clean, just slight discoloration due to the age.

I've been breaking my head trying to figure out the problem.

A malfunction of the fuel pressure regulator causes issues with starts, if your car is starting fine, I'd suggest you move on.

When you opened up the fuel tank, did you check the breather valve? The easiest way to check the health of the valve is to open the the fuel cap after the car has been running for a while and is properly hot. If you hear a lot of pressure being released when you open it, you ought to change it.

Let's move on to the regular maintenance bit now. Get yourself a can of carburetor cleaner and clean out the mass airflow sensor using that. For the throttle body, disconnect the air pipe and spray the carb cleaner into the throttle body with the engine running. While doing this, you should take the engine through its RPM range to ensure a proper clean.
These two steps may not help in this cause, but they're a part of regular maintenance, so it doesn't hurt.

Do check that the spark plugs are correct. The correct ones are - Bosch F8DC4 or FR7DC+, NGK BCP6ES or BCP6E or BK5KE or BK5KES. Speaking of sparks, have a look at the ignition coil wire. A shorted wire will cause many issues.

Additionally, is the engine wiring harness new? If not, it could be the source of all your troubles.

[thewhiteknight]

Guys,

I've just begun my hunt for a W124 E220. Surprisingly, there aren't too many leads on Carwale, olx, Quikr, or even tbhp, compared to a couple of years ago. I would prefer MH registered cars but could potentially stretch to a non-MH car if the condition is really good.

I think a budget of about 2L-4L should be about right? Any advice here would help. I am budgeting some additional funds for initial fluid changes and other minor jobs which could crop up but help would be greatly appreciated.

Any pointers towards cars on the market and what I should look out for would be great. I have gone through most or all the threads this vintage of MBs on tbhp so I hope i would be able to spot a abused car but personal advice is always helpful.

[Screwdriva]

With a 4 lac budget, you're not going to get a well cared for car (see video of a Parsi owned example). To put it into perspective, just replacing the rubber door seals with original MB spares would costs around Rs.50K.

As an owner of one for nearly a decade (recent pic attached), I can tell you that buying a W123 or W124 that hasn't been maintained with original MB parts, by a specialist who really knows these cars inside out, is asking for a world of pain. Your 4 lacs can easily become 7-8 lacs. Much better spending that on a car that won't need major expenses because of the evident pampering it has received all its life.

It isn't hard to spot such an example. Just be ready to put the $ down right away when you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ-m2lxmK68#t=216

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by thewhiteknight

Guys,

I think a budget of about 2L-4L should be about right? Any advice here would help. I am budgeting some additional funds for initial fluid changes and other minor jobs which could crop up but help would be greatly appreciated.

Originally Posted by Screwdriva

With a 4 lac budget, you're not going to get a well cared for car (see video of a Parsi owned example).

Beg to differ, 2 to 4 lakhs is more than enough for a W124 going by current rates. Regardless of the condition, one can expect to shell out another couple of lakhs in maintenance over the first 12 months before things settle down to regular maintenance expenses.

[Screwdriva]

We clearly have had different experiences.

In my experience, a well maintained car like the one I purchased has almost no expenses (I think I paid Rs.50K in the first 3 years of ownership, less than most Civics at the time).

Expect to shell out waaaay more than 2 lacs if the car has been neglected, especially if you purchase OEM MB spares.

These cars love involved ownership and preventative maintenance goes a long way in minimizing expenses.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Screwdriva

We clearly have had different experiences.

In my experience, a well maintained car like the one I purchased has almost no expenses (I think I paid Rs.50K in the first 3 years of ownership, less than most Civics at the time).

Expect to shell out waaaay more than 2 lacs if the car has been neglected, especially if you purchase OEM MB spares.

These cars love involved ownership and preventative maintenance goes a long way in minimizing expenses.

50K for the suspension, 50K for the harness. That's a lakh straight off.
10K for a full service with all fluids, a few thousand to spruce up the interior, another 5K on the brakes, 10K in case one of the bumpers has to be changed, and so on.

I'm not talking about a neglected car, but one that has been maintained fairly well. It is far too unrealistic to expect to purchase a car that needs absolutely zero work, simply because they are too rare!

If you were lucky enough to find yourself a car that needed nothing done, I am more than happy for you, but the general idea with all used cars (for me) is to find one with potential. For this the car need not be pristine, but it must not be abused or have non OEM parts, which as you stated, is one of the most important things.

[DeepakMenon]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

50K for the suspension, 50K for the harness. That's a lakh straight off.
10K for a full service with all fluids, a few thousand to spruce up the interior, another 5K on the brakes, 10K in case one of the bumpers has to be changed, and so on.

I'm not talking about a neglected car, but one that has been maintained fairly well. It is far too unrealistic to expect to purchase a car that needs absolutely zero work, simply because they are too rare!

If you were lucky enough to find yourself a car that needed nothing done, I am more than happy for you, but the general idea with all used cars (for me) is to find one with potential. For this the car need not be pristine, but it must not be abused or have non OEM parts, which as you stated, is one of the most important things.

I partly agree with you about picking a car which is decently cared for with OEM parts, however your estimate on cost is quite low

Suspension OEM MB only parts : 1.2 lac
Suspension Lemforder parts and blisteien / Sach : 80k
All other Chinese shit in bushes: 50K

Trust me interiors in itself can cost a bomb, example
Door seals 16K a piece,
window rubber 6k a piece
carpets NA,
Vents 5k piece used
Wood NA
Panels / Trim : USED no clue of price, New NA

No matter how you cut it, one needs to budget minimum 2-3 lakh to get a poor car looking and running right

So the best bet is a car which is running good, with above average looks at a price between 2.5- 3.5 lakh and then spend money slowly to get a perfect beast

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by DeepakMenon

I partly agree with you about picking a car which is decently cared for with OEM parts, however your estimate on cost is quite low

Suspension OEM MB only parts : 1.2 lac
Suspension Lemforder parts and blisteien / Sach : 80k
All other Chinese shit in bushes: 50K

Trust me interiors in itself can cost a bomb, example
Door seals 16K a piece,
window rubber 6k a piece
carpets NA,
Vents 5k piece used
Wood NA
Panels / Trim : USED no clue of price, New NA

No matter how you cut it, one needs to budget minimum 2-3 lakh to get a poor car looking and running right

So the best bet is a car which is running good, with above average looks at a price between 2.5- 3.5 lakh and then spend money slowly to get a perfect beast

The suspension cost 50K 6 years ago (not Chinese), so maybe 70 or 80K today. I'll know soon, the front needs to be redone.
I bought a set of door seals for 8K, they were Febi.

I was talking about leather patch work for the seats as a worst case scenario. A bad interior is almost impossible to fix in these cars, except for minor stuff like broken AC vents.

You ought to change your supplier, I feel you're paying 20-30% more than you should.

[Screwdriva]

I source my new parts directly from MB UK after a MB Club of London discount. In most cases, my parts are sourced directly from Stuttgart.

Used parts are cheap here. I recently paid GBP 50 for a set of all 4 AC vents in good condition.

Again, a well cared for car won't need new suspension or a wiring harness. My car didn't when I purchased it and hasn't to date.

My point earlier is that finding these obsessively cared for cars is worth the wait....and the money. Spending 6+ lacs is totally worth it for the right kind of W124. As time goes on, I'm convinced that these cared for examples will only appreciate in value, given how rare they are.

[DeepakMenon]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

The suspension cost 50K 6 years ago (not Chinese), so maybe 70 or 80K today. I'll know soon, the front needs to be redone.
I bought a set of door seals for 8K, they were Febi.

I was talking about leather patch work for the seats as a worst case scenario. A bad interior is almost impossible to fix in these cars, except for minor stuff like broken AC vents.

You ought to change your supplier, I feel you're paying 20-30% more than you should.

FEBI is the not OEM; OEM door seals part number are A1247303578 / 3678
A1247201178 / 1278; check their prices you will be shocked


Yeah you are right on suspension if lemforders are used; however OEM MB stuff will cost you 6 figures

I generally pick it up when I am abroad, and bring it with me but the cost of OEM stuff is high

you can check my restoration thread for more prices