KMAR

It drives so well, and I cant believe it has that many miles on it, all of the harness wiring has been redone, it doesnt leak any oil. I went to MB mechanic in LA, and he says it runs great, but it runs a little hot???? I beileve the head gasket has already been replaced, could it be the thermostat, or some sensor???...
Thanks for any help...

neanderthal

With that kind of epic milage, it could be anything. And it could portend bigger problems down the road.

Unless the car is really cheap, and by cheap I mean $500 or so, I would walk away.

Edit; Unless you know the history of the car, or know its provenance. For instance, my manager drives 150 miles a day to go to work. I would buy his 4 year old car with almost 200000 miles on it because I know it is all freeway miles. And those are very easy on the car.

KMAR

Thanks for the advise, I did get it for cheap, everything works including the AC, it was inspected, and everyone is kind of in awe, that this car runs so strong, after all those miles. I drove alot of others, with half the milage and this one by far was the strongest. I am going to have to deal with the heat issue. I have been driving in LA, with the AC going, and it runs to 110, and the comes down below 100, then stays at 100??...I ve noticed people talking about having a infared heat thermometer to troubleshoot the system...so Im thinking I will try that.....any advice would be appreciated!!! and I love the 2002 I had in college, one of my favorite cars!!!

Tracy6621

It could be the water pump or thermostat. Is it leaking from back of pump? If pump is starting to weep you may not notice at first because of belly pan underneath the car. Are you topped off in coolant recovery tank? I had similar problem, replaced pump,o rings & thermostat, problem solved. Used German pump & like new thermostat from 94E320 from local bone yard spent considerable time doing repair & car running like a Tiger tank once again! Love this 124, my first...want wagon....M119 V8 400...having 500 fantasies as well! I've had 123's, 126's,116's, a 107, 115 & this 93 300E has sure impressed me. Used German part on Ebay $150, new Discount pump $125, new German part $350, bone yard like new pump $8......driving a 124 priceless!

KMAR

I have replaced the thermostat, and found a really great mechanic, the car runs much cooler, on the freeway, it barley above 80, and only heats up to like 90 95, in traffic in LA, which can be bumper to bumper for hours...so, I believe problem solved....This car drives so strong, that I cannot help but be amazed at how Mercedes makes cars, I had an old S class 300 sd, and it lasted forever....but I like the gas engine much more...it screams.....I have paid alot more for cars in the past, new, and used, German, Japanese, and American, and this is by far my favorite, I love my tank...........Ski season is around the corner, and we will headed to to the mountains together.....

neanderthal

Be wary of a car that barely copes with engine temperatures on street traffic.

That usually points to a weak/ failing water pump.

At high speed, which also means higher engine speeds, the heat dissipation through the radiator is enough to mask this shortcoming.
At low speed and lower engine speeds, the waterpump is unable to move enough water through the cooling system to dissipate the heat.

Remember, engine speed is congruent to waterpump speed.

Tracy6621

Neanderthal is right! Triple check the pump, is there a coolant smell present? Is the recovery tank level correct? Any signs of leak? Can't be too careful with this system. What is cond. of radiator? It could have partial clog. You bought the car right so these repairs on a DYI basis can be done cheaply. The radiator is an inexpensive repair most people can do easily w/o many tools or experience. The pump is more complicated, but not that bad. Mine was original w/158k mi so getting the old bolts out was a bit of a pain. I sure felt great after the effort & car was up and running again. You're right about the diesels I call 'em fast tractors and they do help in the speeding ticket department. A good 300D Turbo 0-60 13-14 secs. 92mph top end, 29mpg, 24/7 365 days a yr so I love 'em too!

KMAR

Thanks for all your help guys, I think I will have both of those items checked, as it seems to do exactly what you had said, it runs really cool on the freeway, and long streches, and then when bumper to bumper traffic hits, it warms up to 100.......should the needle move at all in traffic, or should it stay right at 80-85.....because its definitely goes to 100 in bumper to bumper, and then cools down as im driving......I must say, that is the only issue, all of the wiring harnesses have been redone, and the coolant level stays exactly where is has been, no oil leaks, my mechanic, who is this great South African, and then worked for Beverly Hills MB, before starting his own shop said I could probably get another 200k out of this a car,.....amazing....I will drive these cars forever...I heard of something called an infared thermometer, that is supposed to find heat in spots, where there could be blockage??...anyways, Im going to deal with this stuff after Thanksgiving, Happy Happy to you guys....

neanderthal

Here is the greatest suggestion I can give you; take a moment every night to read everything you can about overheating W124s. Use the search function, read every thread.
Heck, do it for any of the things you might have a problem with. I would do a search for "high milage" and read everything about the problems that plague these cars as they get older. Your car is unlikely to be the only one to suffer a particular ailment...

You are going to see that it's a pretty common problem and the symptoms and causes are the same culprits every time. You might learn, for instance, that you don't use regular anti- freeze bought at whatever parts store you use. You either get Mercedes Benz Anti Freeze from the dealer, or Zerex G06.

Anyway, regarding the temperature gauge. Welcome to Mercedes ownership. You temperature gauge is a real gauge, it goes up and down as the coolant passing the sensor changes temperatures. In most cars other cars, if the temperature is in a specified range, the needle will just sit in the "ok" position. It is a "dummy" gauge that will rapidly go from OK to overheating. Yours will go in a pretty linear way.

In your car, the ok position is pretty large, basically anything from about 80 to 110 is fine, depending on the milage of your car, its condition, its previous maintenance, etc. You are almost guaranteed to see slightly higher temps in stop and go traffic, hard driving, steep climbs etc.

Your cooling system is pressurised. This increases the boiling point of water, as does anti- freeze. So don't fret too much if your needle gets over 100C, unless it is doing so consistently.

The system has two high speed fans that come on when you have temps that are ~105C, if you have your AC on, and in other specific circumstances; those being the only two I can remember off the top of my head.
Typically, the high speed fans (if you open your hood, those are the two fans right at the front of the car) will cool the car down unless you have too little water/ coolant in your system which is another problem altogether.

VERY IMPORTANT. Best tip for overheating; turn your climate control/ heater to the hottest position and turn your fan on to maximum speed. This helps to dissipate the heat from your cooling system. This doesn't work if your coolant level is too low however...

KMAR

I appreciate the last reply, as I was just wondering why most other cars heat gauges never move, unless they are on there way, to the top. Hence I will do the required research, as my mechanic has said not to worry about it either, I have blown 2 head gaskets in the past not realizing the car was overheating, in an new at the time 1976 5301, and 1994 Cadillac sevile, STS,...So I am a little nuerotic about the heat gauge.....but other than that, and some motor mounts, and the heater makeing a little squeaking noise, all is good....so thanks,

my 2002 was steel blue, with dark blue leather, I wish i still had that car, I just saw a maroon, must have 72, in immmaculate hsape, with a nice older lady driving it.......beautiful...

ESTJ

There are two kinds of antifreeze by ZEREX G-05; the 50/50 mix and the full strength that you have to mix 50/50 with water. If someone put the full strength without mixing this could be a source of the overheating. You need the water to cool.