E-Class (W124) 1984-1995: E 260, E 300, E 320, E 420, E 500 (Includes CE, T, TD models)

its official! i bought a pos..

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 04:07 AM
  #1  
funkgab's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
1987 300E, 1995 C280
its official! i bought a pos..

so right after you guys warn me about my wiring harness that rats ate up.. my car stalled on me.. it looks like its being starved, will post video as soon as my phone charges, running way too lean or something... basically the eta/airfilter started shaking.. and popped off and stalled or something... the previous owner sure did know what he was doing..

basically its having vacuum leaks, misfires a little, rarely, but looks like wiring harness/eta.. probably eta harness(hopefully not)

took it apart really quick while i was waiting for aaa, it looks filthy, kind of covered in oil/black grimes..

i feel like such an idiot, and need assistance for the next step..



~edit added pic and video.
i know its a terrible sound the engine makes goes away with more gas, probably since more air is being sucked in..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPw22FhzKB0

btw i have no idea if this happened cause gas is low.. but man i probably need to make a whole new car, or just get another car.

the filthy eta.. never seen one, well i saw my m103's but its very clean.. unlike this one, its the first m104 eta i've seen and the air cover got opened by mistake actually..
how hard is it to take it off and clean it?


Last edited by funkgab; Feb 19, 2012 at 04:55 AM.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 04:30 AM
  #2  
Saijin_Naib's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 3
1990 300ce 24v I6
You know the answer. New harnesses, new vac lines, new EHA, possibly new ETA.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 04:40 AM
  #3  
funkgab's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
1987 300E, 1995 C280
yeah.. sounds like it.. i might as well get a new car.. man i should have bought midasmike's car.. damn me for trusting old receipts.. going to check under the valve cover never did it before.. and yeah the vacuum gormets look toasted.. i have a good feeling the previous owner knew.. cause he gave me a bag of goodies.. mostly bulbs and vac lines..

love how i get a check from school for $350 from financial aid right when my car dies :|

Last edited by funkgab; Feb 19, 2012 at 04:56 AM.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 05:00 AM
  #4  
Saijin_Naib's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 3
1990 300ce 24v I6
Originally Posted by funkgab
yeah.. sounds like it.. i might as well get a new car.. man i should have bought midasmike's car.. damn me for trusting old receipts.. going to check under the valve cover never did it before.. and yeah the vacuum gormets look toasted.. i have a good feeling the previous owner knew.. cause he gave me a bag of goodies.. mostly bulbs and vac lines..

love how i get a check from school for $350 from financial aid right when my car dies :|
You're lucky you have that check! I owe my dad quite a bit for all the bills he has footed so far that I've not paid back yet.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 05:32 AM
  #5  
funkgab's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
1987 300E, 1995 C280
and saijin i think your lucky your dads the mechanic.. haha money you can always pay back later.. yeah i owe my mom tons.. for my last c280.. the w124 300e, i did with my own though.. the ce.. oh lord biggest mistake of my life.


took the ignition cover thing off.. plugs look good.. well at least i'm learning how the engine works :P
(there was some rat drippings!! i need to find that damned palm springs desert rat!! he did quite the damage)
but man the 2 holes that connect to the air filter.. nasty..


heres the air filter itself.. is it supposed to have oil all over it? :|

well the p.o knew what he was doing somewhat i guess, and the ziptie.. mr.mb (my mechanic) put it on cause he broke the clip off :|

Last edited by funkgab; Feb 19, 2012 at 08:46 AM.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 08:55 AM
  #6  
funkgab's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
1987 300E, 1995 C280
some more updates... as i spent all night just taking apart the car to inspect..
first time doing it, its pretty fun this car actually..

that damned rat.. left drippings and chewed up my harness! well it was from the previous owner.. but damn..
after i took off all the pvc tape, this is what was under it.. jesus christ was this guy thinking.. jesus christ what was I thinking!!! somebody please hit me with a hammer!!!




oddly enough, turns out the harness is great shape besides where the rat chewed it up..

looks like that where the rat chewed it up.. and i cut off all his weird ghetto fixes and connections..


perhaps i can solder just that part as a temporary after i cut some more wiring? and ill buy a new harness later? because the harness besides there again is still great.


went under the car a little bit.. don't have jacks, so just took a pic of how much oil is leaking



so many vacuum seals things, the little elbow things are in bad shape..
i didn't get to the valve cover, cause i dunno how
but after i took off the cover (screws were in bad shape, they wouldn't really tighten for some odd reason, cept 2...)
for the coils/spark plugs.. looks like the coils are aged, and the spark plug wires are old too
thats the only plug i could take out.. ;p seems to be covered in oil..

thats where the plug came from..

something else i inspected are the symptoms

basically the car takes forever to start, won't start unless im holding down the gas, and the brake pedal is hard.. and when i turn the wheel, the power steering kicks in, rpm flutters to about 500, shakes and car dies..

Last edited by funkgab; Feb 19, 2012 at 09:00 AM.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 11:03 AM
  #7  
RHW's Avatar
RHW
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 3
From: North NJ
94 Wagon and 94 Cabriolet
What are the odds of curing losses, maybe part this one out?
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 01:53 PM
  #8  
ptoro01's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 462
Likes: 3
From: Boulder, CO
86 W124
The m104 runs rough with the intake tubes taken off. The intake isn't particularly bad, that oily residue is just blow-by from the manifold gases. No biggie.

You'll need a valve cover gasket, that'll probably fix most of the oil leaks.

Right now its not running because of the harness, solder that disaster back together, then check for other splices.
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 03:06 PM
  #9  
funkgab's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
1987 300E, 1995 C280
Originally Posted by RHW
What are the odds of curing losses, maybe part this one out?
yeah.. tell me about it.. i know i bought a pos, but it had receipts! and the harness is a 92 harness... dammitall!

i would, if i knew how, and had the space/tools.. i might even pay someone too haha

this is my 3rd benz.. my luck gets worse every time! :| next time im telling someone else to buy it for me lmao..

Originally Posted by ptoro01
The m104 runs rough with the intake tubes taken off. The intake isn't particularly bad, that oily residue is just blow-by from the manifold gases. No biggie.

You'll need a valve cover gasket, that'll probably fix most of the oil leaks.

Right now its not running because of the harness, solder that disaster back together, then check for other splices.
yeah i just gotta figure out how im going to take it out, and what kind of solder i should use.. my only access to a solder is at work, and man do they use cheap stuff.. my boss won't even get me flux ffs..

funny thing is it ran fine the whole day

Last edited by funkgab; Feb 19, 2012 at 03:08 PM.
Reply
Old Feb 19, 2012 | 07:59 PM
  #10  
funkgab's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
1987 300E, 1995 C280


you guys were right, thats the wire by the ABS pump, and on its actually a 93 harness by delphi or whatever the company..

so looks like im going to need get a new harness either way, i tried to fix it, by crimping them, car still has same issues.

jumped the fuel pump relay, i hear something hissing from the pumps to the engine even when the car is off, but it does start a little faster.. even though it takes a while.

and it stalls when the steering wheel is turned for some reason..

going to clean the icv and the intake and mas/maf with some carb cleaner.

Last edited by funkgab; Feb 19, 2012 at 08:04 PM.
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:48 AM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE