skjolden

Hello friends,

Used to have an 85 300TD, loved it but didn't seem modern & practical enough, so have gone through a series of Audi wagons which, while sveldte and quattro, were terribly unreliable. Now I'm back to purchasing a good ol' reliable Mercedes, this time an 89 300TE. Service history seems remarkable, everything works at it should, but I do note a leak at what I assume is the (rear) differential. Can anyone determine what they think this is, and if it's catastrophic or a no-buy issue. Car is 286k miles and $1850, but like I said, incredible service history including original window sticker, newer tranny, all warning lights work on start-up, everything you could ask for. I'd already have the car in my garage if it wasn't for that pesky wet spot under the back. A great price regardless, probably.

stormtigers

Probably just a gasket my friend. As to how hard it is too replace I cannot say. But what I would do is get under there with some cleaning stuff, get it spotless and then monitor it over a few days/week and see how much fresh fluid is added to the leak point.
That sort of buildup could have taken months and months and be so miniscule as to not worth worrying about immediately but something to tag for future repair !

Yes NO LEAK is a GOOD LEAK but let's be honest we have ageing motor vehicles and leaks are something we need towatch for and live with in some cases unless we wish to spend every waking moment resolving every issue as it appears !

I have leaking timing seal but it is such a pain in the *** to get at.
The amout of oil I lose is minimal in the overall scheme of things so it is flagged for a later date perhaps when viscous clutch needs attention and the radiator has to come out !

skjolden

Stormtigers--thanks. I didn't think it could be something terribly severe, the owner has been pretty meticulous in maintenance and said as much the same as you did, I just wanted an un-biased opinion. Will be chatting around these parts soon enough, and will post pics of the car soon!

Jim's500E

That only looks like a 'weep' instead of a leak....is it even hitting the ground?

Which Audi wagon(s) did you have? Although I can't argue with your experience, my allroad has been great with only normal repairs; it ceratainly has not been unreliable over the last 7 years (knocking on burl now).

skjolden

Doesn't appear to be a heavy drip, where the guy had it parked when I went to take a look, I didn't see anything on the pavement, but he only had it there for a few hours. I'm going to buy and keep my eye on it. He seemed sincere in his surprise at it.

I have had 2 S6 wagons--both 1995 models. Loved them, great wolf-in-sheeps-clothing, but so many electrical problems, the kind of things that just drive you nuts even if mechanically the car is sound. And on the last one, the heater core went, but to get at it the entire dash had to be removed. It made me appreciate the straight-forward engineering of the Mercedes. As my (exclusively Audi) mechanic told me, Audi's do not age gracefully. Right now I want a 2nd/3rd car hauler/beater/dependable inexpensive car, and I think the Mercedes is the better choice. My brother's immaculate 1990 200 Avant is parked next door, and my mother has a 2009 A4 Avant, so I can still get my kicks from those whenever I want!

Jim's500E

There you go, buy that old gem and jb weld the heck out of where the mating surfaces meet if it bothers you that much. Yeah, I said that !

Nice...those old S-wagons are cool.

I hate that we never got the C5 RS6 Avants...I could eliminate my 2 C5s in one punt.