cjayfer92

Hello people! I'm quite new to the forums here. As an w124 owner myself, I seek to you're guys advise and experience on whatever you can share about this extraordinary peice of machinery.

Let's start off by introducing who I am. I'm from Vancouver Canada. I own a 1987 Mercedes 300E since 2010. I bought the vehicle second hand from my dad's friend whom he known for years. This was my first car (mind you I'm 24 now) and let me tell you. This car jump started my career straight out of high school, that being said..., I do have an automotive background. I've done my schooling for AST courses at one of the local colleges here. Graduated and now I work for a Honda dealership here in the city as a service technician. Ask me anything thing about a Honda and I will gladly answer your questions!


Back to where I was saying. I do own a W124 1987 300e. I have done quite a bit to it lately as its my plan to restore the vehicle to tip top shape.
I have done quite of bit of repairs/replacements such as:

-Plugs/wires/cap/rotor
-EHA (leaked on me, smelled fuel big time and my diagnoses to be that faulty actuator
-brake fluid flush
-new front brake pads/rotors
-waterpump (due to excessive and consistent seepage from weephole)
-radiator (story is to this was when I was on my way to work in the morning, I noticed the cars temp rising. As soon as I pulled into my parking space. Steam and coolant started to squirting out when opend my hood. So to confirm my diagnosis. Obviously I had to talk to the manager and my service advisor if I could bring it in before the day ends, otherwise how the hell would I get home? Got it in, did my pressure test the bam upper rad neck upper rad neck blown. So I did what I had to do, ordered a new radiator, upper and lower hoses and expansion cap + coolant)
-serpentine belt+tensioner
-normal maintenance flushes with all oil/tranny/powersteering/differential/coolant.
-battery

Now I'm far from done because I plan on replacing my worn out idler arm and damper sometime in the next couple months. New tires. Along with a complimentary alignment that I will do to correct the thrust angle veering to the right.

As for as I'm concern. I'm having quite a bit of a problem. This problem have been going on for about a month now and I just can't seem to pinpoint it. Even with a stethoscope. Though I think the sound is coming from the engine bottom end and torque convertor and starter area. It happens on start up and it stays regards at what speed, it just basically stays on regards on what condition. Now I've done my ATF flushes which includes draining the torque convertor as well. I guess the best way or best example for me to describe the sound would be.....let's say you take a couple of pennies, dimes, and nickels (sorry canadian currency), and you start shaking it in a stainless steel bowl (higherpitch) and that sound that sound it makes accelerates at higher RPMs . That type of clinging, clanging sound. Another sound to best describe is you take a loonie or a toonie coin and start tapping it again a guard rail and go faster as you go to replicate at whatever RPM you are at. I want to call a new torque convertor or some rod bearing in the bottom end, or even a starter not disengaging. What do you guys think?

If anyone can shed any informative advise, it would be greatly appreciated. As this problem is quite different to that of a Honda. As a technician, I call this forum as my own personal "Tech line"

optimusprime m1

Welcome Cjay .As owner my self of the W124 260e its the little brother to yours .But you may have the m104 engine instead of m103 2.6. I dont know what this may be,.But to eliminate any of your pullys and the altrnator plus the others items that can make a noise .I would remove the serpentine belt .And run the engine ,see if you sill have the noise.Please come back and let us know how you get on.

cjayfer92

Good morning. Thanks for getting back at me in a timely manner. I forgot to mention I have actually the m103 3.0L SOHC. I've have done so to speak. But still am getting that coin in the stainless steel bowl of a rattle. I almost think that it could be an internal problem. It has had an oil change using 10w-30 oil on the last oil change about 2000kms ago and started happenin since then. To be honest, I lent the vehicle to my father for about a year because I have a different daily vehicle that I use around the city. The mercedes I use is for cruising, and some times summer downtown cruising just for the hell of it. One day he had taken it to an indy shop and they put an aftermarket oil filter and 10w-30 when I specifically said to him to hold off on the change until I do it. 10w-30 is to thin of an oil for this engine and age. It has about 316000kms at this time. I usually run it with 10-40, 15-40 nonsynthetic oil with an MB filter, it does not burn a whole lotta oil, approximately 1L every 3-5000km. I remember it used to blow blue smoke out the exhaust evry time i stepped the gas due to worn out valve stem seals and ive replaced them about 20-30kms ago. My next plan of attack is to perform an oil change. Hopefully to isolate my diagnosis a little further.

optimusprime m1

You can get a oil diagnosis , on the oil that you drain out from the engine .You will get a full report . Then you will know if you have metal particals in the oil due to wear etc. Hope you have not by the way. As i said the best way to eliminate pullys is a removal of the serpentine belt .You could try a thicker type of oil see if the noise changes after you run it .Goog luck .Let us know what you find.