HELP-Im trying to buy a used 1992 300te
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HELP-Im trying to buy a used 1992 300te
I'm about to (maybe) purchase this used 92' 300te wagon. It has 150,xxx w/ little to no service records. I am curious of some things I should look out for, ask the seeler about, and common quarks with this particular model. Mecahnically it seems sound. All the motorized stuff i.e. doors/ windows seem to be in perfect order. The car is clean. The seller is asking $5,000 private party and it appears the KBB is around 6k. Just want some friendly advice. I have a 92 GTI now and am fairly capable of fixing most things on it.Granted the parts cost will be a big hike but hey. Thanks for any info or advice.
Jeremy
davies74@sbcglobal.net
Jeremy
davies74@sbcglobal.net
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Joined: May 2003
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From: Motor City
95 E320 Cabriolet, 108K
There's a few weak points I can think of:
- Head gaskets can and do fail on these cars. This is usually evidenced by oil leaking to the outside at the rear passenger side corner, or oil in the coolant.
- The upper timing covers are prone to leakage. This is evidenced by oil leaking from the front of the engine.
- The original overvoltage protection relay (OVP) is a known problem. The replacement is updated. Search on this site to find the part numbers for both good and bad units.
- Door check straps often develop creaks and need to be replaced (or repaired, if you're resourceful).
- The motorized headrest mechanisms can sometimes fail ($16 part plus labor).
- Green coolant is a minus. Colant should be amber in color.
- A/C evaporator is prone to leaks.... big job!... $2000 at the dealer!... ouch!
Except for the evaporator and maybe the head gasket, all these issues can be dealt with properly without much fuss.
Beyond that, just evaluate the car as you would any used car. Like you did, I check and make sure all buttons and features do what they're supposed to do. If the guy was a DIYer or diligently took it to a mechanic, maintenance records may not be needed, though personally I think all cars should have some type of maintenance record-keeping by the owners nowadays. Either way, the car will speak for itself.
- Head gaskets can and do fail on these cars. This is usually evidenced by oil leaking to the outside at the rear passenger side corner, or oil in the coolant.
- The upper timing covers are prone to leakage. This is evidenced by oil leaking from the front of the engine.
- The original overvoltage protection relay (OVP) is a known problem. The replacement is updated. Search on this site to find the part numbers for both good and bad units.
- Door check straps often develop creaks and need to be replaced (or repaired, if you're resourceful).
- The motorized headrest mechanisms can sometimes fail ($16 part plus labor).
- Green coolant is a minus. Colant should be amber in color.
- A/C evaporator is prone to leaks.... big job!... $2000 at the dealer!... ouch!
Except for the evaporator and maybe the head gasket, all these issues can be dealt with properly without much fuss.
Beyond that, just evaluate the car as you would any used car. Like you did, I check and make sure all buttons and features do what they're supposed to do. If the guy was a DIYer or diligently took it to a mechanic, maintenance records may not be needed, though personally I think all cars should have some type of maintenance record-keeping by the owners nowadays. Either way, the car will speak for itself.
