E-Class (W124) 1984-1995: E 260, E 300, E 320, E 420, E 500 (Includes CE, T, TD models)
View Poll Results: fix, sell, or something else?
Fix it
13
54.17%
Sell it
5
20.83%
Other (please specify)
6
25.00%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll

Should I fix it or sell it?

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Old 10-03-2006, 04:23 PM
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Guys,
I really appreciate all of the responses. I've decided to keep and fix it. I just needed peer group acceptance to make up my mind I guess.
Thanks again.

Maybe one of these "fix it or sell it" threads should be stickied so we can all look at it when that question comes up in our minds.
Old 10-03-2006, 04:36 PM
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Remember bro, they don't make these things anymore so if you let it go its destined for one of two places; (A) the junkyard (B) some punk who doesn't appreciate your car as much as you do.
Old 10-04-2006, 01:03 AM
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you should sail it!

Old 10-04-2006, 02:06 AM
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Bigpete123 - I think you need a good mechanic who can actually find the problem and not chase ghost but 9k worth of repairs? WOW!!! Sound you they took you for a ride with your own car. I would not fix a car that cost more than the price of another one.

When i was 16 i was charged 1600 for a ignition problem and i was thinking it's a mercedes so i guess it's that's the price it cost to fix a mercedes. Now that i know more about these cars i was like Omg what a rip off!!

It's like when they see mercedes they see $$$$!!!

MGW 300e - i think you should do alot of DIY or either buy another engine/trans combo at a local salvage yard. Make sure the car was either hit on the side or the back. Do not buy engines from cars that have no exterior damage since they mostly go to the junk yard because of engine problems.
Old 10-04-2006, 02:06 AM
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the first thing I would do if I were anybody is ask people for recommendations of a good shop.

My mechanic did my head gasket and valve job for around $1700.00 and that included changing all fluids, and a few other things as well that I had asked him to do.

He also did my tranny a few years back for $1500.00

So I think it is not about wheter or not to do it, so much as finding the right person to do the job properly and for a good price.

I know I can trust my mechanic 100% and I can trust he will do a proper job 100%. How many people can say that about their mechanic.

If your engine needs the headgasket, might as well get it done including a valve job. shouldn;t cost you more than what I paid. and I would simply keep driving it and save the tranny for when it goes before doing anything about it.

You could swap an engine in from another car or a junkyard, but you would need to know what you are getting first too. what if you get one that doesn;t run or worse also has a major problem.
Old 10-04-2006, 08:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Bigpete123
I voted "other", which probably reflects my indecisiveness about my 300ce. I'm a very similar situation, although I'm probably in much deeper than you are.

I have owned my coupe for around 2.5 years. I totalled up my invoices the other day and was shocked to find that I have spent over $9,500 in NECESSARY repairs during my ownership. For some reason, $7,500 was my ballpark guess. This doesn't count rims, suspension, tires, stereo system, etc etc.

My car recently failed emmissions. I had it adjusted (which requires some parts to be replaced). They wer able to get the car through emissions with flying colors, but the car now idles HORRIBLY, hesitates to the point where it's dangerous, and takes many tries to get it to start.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the day before I left for my honeymoon a few weeks ago, the car decided that it didn't want to go into reverse anymore. So the engine will rev as if I'm in neutral even when I'm in reverse. Sometimes the tranny will kick in and my tires will chirp (due to the revving). Imagine trying to parrallel park the car when it's like this. ugh.

I'm hoping that an OVP relay will solve my problem cuz I'm sick of paying my indy $95/hr to troubleshoot things.

Anyway, here's what freaks me out. My car is a 1990 w/200k miles on the clock. It's worth about $4k blue book, assuming it's in excellent condition, or $3k in poor condition (which it's currently in based on the mechanical issues- body and interior are in very good shape).

If I sell the car for $3k, I lose $9.5k in repair costs and $2.5k in depreciation. $12k is a lot of money to me!!! I keep rationalizing that I should fix the car because "what else could go wrong after this??". But then something goes wrong, of course.

It's an extremely tough decision. At some point, you have to just stop the bleeding. In business school, they called these types of costs "sunk costs". The theory is that you should never let past expenses or investments steer your decisions for the future. If a better (less expensive, more profitable, etc) option exists, you shouldn't stick with something simply because you spent a lot of money on it.

But on the other hand, you have the concept of some future benefit as a result of those repairs that you have yet to realize. This is what makes me keep my car. I keep thinking that I will get over this hump and my love for this car will reignite. But I with that rationale, I could just keep digging the hole deeper and deeper.

When I think of all of the money I have spent trying to get my car to run correctly, it makes me sick. Honestly, at this point, I regret doing major repairs to this car. It has costed me a fortune!!! But if the OVP relay fixes my problem and my tranny just needs a little maintenance, maybe I'll be singing a different tune.

Just my $.02. Or should I say $5,
Pete OVP solves everything LOL.

Man...9K is too much freaking money! I was really taken aback by this comment.

You know when it comes down to it a little DIY doesnt hurt at all, and it will probably save us half (or more!) of the money we spend on our cars while at the mechanics!

Matt, I will pay you to mail Pete a copy of our beloved "boys gone wild" DVD

maybe it'll save his pocket a few nickles...
Old 10-04-2006, 09:17 AM
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87 Supra Turbo / 89 300ce
im selling my 300ce as well
e mail me at


killermk3@yahoo.com
Old 10-04-2006, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by shadowgriffen
Matt, I will pay you to mail Pete a copy of our beloved "boys gone wild" DVD
Pete, it's really not gay ****, although Henry keeps hinting around about making one

Alon, If I keep getting quoted $3k+, I may just drive out to Cali to use your guy! I'd spend way less on gas than the $1300 I'd save, and it would be a cool road trip.

Last edited by mgw_300e; 10-04-2006 at 11:13 AM.
Old 10-04-2006, 01:56 PM
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1990 300ce
Ha ha, I'm not sure how gay **** would help my problem. lmao, but thanks!

I know you guys. I spent a ton of money on my car! About half of it came from doing the head gasket, valve job, and a ton of other things along with it... I'm too lazy to list it all. That was the major decision point. I had the choice to spend around $5k on all of those necessary repairs, or get rid of the car. I decided, hey, I love the car... it's overall in great shape, etc etc.

So I dropped $5k, thinking that it was going to drive like new. About 1 week later, the fuel distributor went out. I forget the number, but it was like a $2k part. So my mechanic spent a few hours on the phone and tracked down a place that rebuilds them. So there goes $800 plus labor (he only charged me fore a 1/2 hour cuz he felt bad for me).

Then the O2 sensor. then failing emissions. Then a ton of other electrical crap. All the while I was thinking, "man, I've spent $5k+ already. I can't get rid of the car now! This next repair will get me over this current maintenance hump and my car will be like new". And I just kept telling myself that. And the problems continue and continue.

So mgw, I will take the contrary point of view and tell you to sell it. So many things can (and do) go wrong with these cars that you may end up digging yourself deep. Once you drop this cash, it will be very difficult to justify selling the car when the next expensive fix comes. And it snowballs from there.

I don't know about you guys, but shops in seattle charge like $95/hr. I have no idea how Alon's mechanic makes money doing a head gasket and valve job for $1,700, but that sounds like a hell of a deal.

I have gotten independent quotes from many different mechanics and they're all in the same ballpark. Also, my regular mechanic is a very trust-worthy guy and has known my dad personally for a long time. So I don't think I'm getting ripped off. I just think that I made some bad personal financial decisions in this case.

I should've sold the hunk of trash!
(shh, baby don't cry.... daddy didn't mean to say that... he loves you so much. ssshhhhhhh!) lmao.
Old 10-04-2006, 02:38 PM
  #35  
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Tranny

Bigpete123, I hate to tell you this but your tranny is shot. Add about $3k to your repair tally if you want to keep driving this car. I just got through with the same problem. When you put the car in reverse it just revs, every once in a while it will catch and chirp the tires. You need a new transmission. I would advise you not to repair the old one, IE, take the old tranny out of the car and fix what is wrong, then stick it back in. With a repair they will only go in and replace what is broken at that point in time in the tranny. With 200k miles, you could have something else in the tranny break another couple of miles down the road after the repair. Then you're out the cost of the original repair and you still have to replace the transmission. I talked to a ton of mechanics about mine and they all advised against doing a repair, no one would even agree to do it. I can understand their position. The mechanic replaces what is broken at the time, but then a week later something else breaks and the customer wants his to fix it again for free. Suck it up, get a new/rebuilt tranny and soldier on.
Old 10-04-2006, 03:30 PM
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3k?....I keept telling you people just buy a used transmission and engine and it should come out around 1300-1500 more or less. I wouldn't rebuild or put a new transmission in front of a old engine. It makes more sense to buy a used transmission and engine because for the price you can buy 2-3 used transmissions for the price of a new one. My car has 235k miles and it runs fine and transmission shifts smooth and the only thing i have done is change the transmission filter, gasket and fluid every 10 months, Engine oil change every 3k or 3 months.

These cars are simple so just buy a m103 block that dosen't show oil leaks from the front of the engine, valve cover gaskets will leak so this is not a major problem. Also get a clean looking transmissiona and change the fluid and filter as soon as you get it.

I'm almost positive you can get 20-30k miles of a used engine and transmission.

Look at this!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...QQcmdZViewItem
Old 10-04-2006, 03:47 PM
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1990 300ce
hmm

Man, that sucks so bad I can't even tell you. After getting married (and paying for the wedding) and buying a condo and doing rennovations to it, I can't afford another $3k repair bill.

I hear you YNV. However, I had a head gasket and valve job done on my car a year and a half ago, so I can't imagine that I'll be able to find an engine in better shape. So I would just want to get a tranny.

But then I would worry that a used tranny that is old enough to fit my car would end up going to crap soon after I install it anyway. In other words, I could spend say $1k on a used tranny that may be close to going kaput. Then I'd be right back where I am right now, except I would be $1k poorer.

I guess it's just a matter of how risk-averse people are. Used parts are cheaper, but they're riskier. The concept of risk and return is present everywhere we go...
Old 10-04-2006, 04:08 PM
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Just to be completely clear:

adsitco sells rebuilt trans for $1395, with a warranty

http://www.adsitco.com/category.asp?CID=1645

here is the warranty:

Rebuilt Transmissions are DYNO TESTED and come with a one year unlimited mileage warranty or a two year unlimited mileage warranty with the purchase of a torque convertor.

Old 10-04-2006, 04:25 PM
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I'm talking about mgw_300e his head gasket needs to be replaced....

1k for a used transmission? Max 600 for a transmission from a salvage yard and that one on ebay goes for 380 shipped.

Buying a used car is basically taking the same risk because it has a used transmission. Instead of buying the whole car just buy a used transmission.

Bigpete123 - do you replace the head gasket and rebuild the transmission when you buy a used car? The risk is that you don't know the history of the car either unless the owner really kept all his servie records.

I don't mean to flame you but you spent 9k on a 4k car and it still needs parts.


THE POINT IS ... Buying a used car is worst than buying a used transmission. What if the transmission on the used car goes out? What if the engine craps itself? What if you need to replace the engine harness?

Buying a used transmission the only risk you have is in the transmission and not the whole car.
Old 10-04-2006, 04:42 PM
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1990 300ce
great, that softens the blow a little. I know you mentioned that earlier in the thread, but i forgot! I got caught up in the "woa is me" thing.

I just talked with my mechanic and he said he could rebuild my tranny for around $2,500. So with tax and a cushion for over-runs, I could see it easily costing $3k.

He said labor was approximately 4 hours to get the tranny out, 4 hours to put it in, and 11 hours for the rebuild. So at $90/hr, labor is $1,800 and parts are around $700 (this is my math, his rate might've gone up).

I just called adsitco. He said the shipping (to Seattle) would be $300 round trip. I asked what this "round trip" business was all about. Apparently they sell them on an exchange basis. So they ship a rebuilt one to me, and I send my crapped out tranny back to them. So at the time of the sale, you have to give them a $300 deposit, which they will refund when they receive the old tranny. So here's the comparison:

1. Buy a tranny from Adsitco for $1,395, have it shipped to my mechanic for $300, who will install it with 8 hours of labor (8 x $92, plus sales tax of 8.8%). That comes to roughly $800 of labor, plus $1,695 for the tranny and shipping. That comes to $2,495.

2. Pay my (trust) mechanic (who says he has rebuilt many of these exact trannies) $2,500 to do it himself.

So not to poo-poo on your idea mgw... but after looking at it this way, this isn't much of a deal afterall. Plus, there's less hassle involved (shipping, deposit, dealing with somebody out of state who I dont' know and trust, etc).

I guess my wife's dad is a fairly good mechanic.. so maybe we could put the tranny in ourselves. I know NOTHING about this stuff, so the idea of that makes me nervous.

Ugh, decisions... decisions...
Old 10-04-2006, 04:52 PM
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Not at all YNV. I'm just trying to think the issue through. Yes, I will agree that I spent too much on this car. That's in the past. The question is, what do I do now?

If I bought a new car, I hate to utter the name, but it would probably be a Honda. I know, hondas suck. But they also dont cost the owner a fortune (and countless headaches) in maintenance. So when you speak of the risk of buying a used car, I'm not gonna buy another W124. I will probably never buy a german car again.

So let's just talk transmissions. They are good for roughly 220k miles. So if I was going to buy a non-rebuilt tranny, it would have to be a low-mileage example. Otherwise, it's probably just as old as mine and close to pooping out on me. So let's say you're right and I find a used one for say, $400 or $500. I still need to have it installed (trust me, it would be a bad idea for me to do it). So we're looking at around $1,300 installed (using the labor figures in my previous post). Let's say it lasts me another 10k and sh*ts all of the gears out. Then I have to spend another $800 on getting it removed and another used one installed. Then we're set back $2,100 ($2,300 with sales tax) PLUS the cost of buying another tranny or having this one rebuilt, which would bring the cost well above what I would pay to just have mine rebuilt. A rebuilt one would probably last at least another 100k miles. See what I'm saying?

so it's a matter of taking a risk. The risk may be exceptable and worth it to you, which is totally cool. But I'm a bit more risk averse I guess. I'd rather pay extra for the sense of security and for a longer-lasting solution. Because you better believe I'm gonna drive this piece of sh*t until the wheels fall off!!!

Last edited by Bigpete123; 10-04-2006 at 04:57 PM.
Old 10-04-2006, 04:57 PM
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I had my transmission replaced with a rebuit here in San Antonio for $1,250 with a one year parts/labor warranty. The guy is good - worked at the stealership for 15 years - you should hear the sh*t he tells me about how they were instructed to gouge customers. MGW - if you can get your car to SA (about 200 miles) this guy is good, can do all your other work as well.
He quoted me $900.00 parts and labor for the upper wiring harness (sounds like a decent price). I have sent off my "notice" letters to MBUSA in an attempt to get them to replace the harnesses for free. Ill keep you informed, and if it works - Ill pass on the procedure.
Steve
Old 10-04-2006, 05:13 PM
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Originally Posted by jdmfiend
you should sail it!

i agree. pure genious!
Old 10-04-2006, 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Bigpete123
So not to poo-poo on your idea mgw... but after looking at it this way, this isn't much of a deal afterall.
But I'm talking about doing the labor myself, so it would be a deal. However, it's starting to sound like there's a shop in San Antonio with my baby's name on it.
Old 10-04-2006, 05:23 PM
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werd. For the first time, it makes me wish I lived in Texas.

Have you installed a tranny before? Cuz my father in law is a pretty decent DIY mechanic. So if it's only a moderate or easy job, maybe I should ask him if he would be willing to help me.

Last edited by Bigpete123; 10-04-2006 at 05:26 PM.
Old 10-04-2006, 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Koolwipski
I had my transmission replaced with a rebuit here in San Antonio for $1,250 with a one year parts/labor warranty. The guy is good - worked at the stealership for 15 years - you should hear the sh*t he tells me about how they were instructed to gouge customers. MGW - if you can get your car to SA (about 200 miles) this guy is good, can do all your other work as well.
He quoted me $900.00 parts and labor for the upper wiring harness (sounds like a decent price). I have sent off my "notice" letters to MBUSA in an attempt to get them to replace the harnesses for free. Ill keep you informed, and if it works - Ill pass on the procedure.
Steve
do you know what he charges to do the headgasket?
Old 10-04-2006, 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Bigpete123
werd. For the first time, it makes me wish I lived in Texas.

Have you installed a tranny before? Cuz my father in law is a pretty decent DIY mechanic. So if it's only a moderate or easy job, maybe I should ask him if he would be willing to help me.
I put a new trans in a Rabbit and a Civic before. It's a pain in the a$$, but considering I paid $125 for the Rabbit trans and $80 for the civic trans, I saved a bundle. Some people that I've talked to said it would be almost as easy to do a w124 trans, just add some vacuum lines and a couple of extra wires and cables.

And BTW, Texas kicks a$$!
Old 10-04-2006, 07:32 PM
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fine guys. ignore my badass mspaint sailboat w124.

ill chuckle in the corner alone =(
Old 10-04-2006, 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by jdmfiend
fine guys. ignore my badass mspaint sailboat w124.

ill chuckle in the corner alone =(
Sorry, yes, very funny - fix it or sail it, quite brilliant.

Are you back from Mexico?
Old 10-04-2006, 08:45 PM
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Keep Teh Benz


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