I second getting the V8. The six is underpowered, gets almost the same mileage per gallon and they have headgasket problems. The V8s are great so long as you do chain and tensioners every 100K. Owned a 420 SEL from 100K to 200K and have only had trivial issues. Find an 89-91 420SEL with <100K and you will be happy.

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1984 300 SD 384,000 Miles

Depending on market.
In my country nearly all W126 V8's came with hydraulic rear suspension. 380's, 420's and 560's.
A great many of the SEL sixes also.

As mentioned in other post(s) - gas mileage is similar(300 vs 420).

I believe maint costs for a 420 would over-all be less than a 300.

You mentioned a W124. Remember - it has the same engine as the 300SE/300SEL - M103 - and therefore the same issues.

The only reason I still have my 300SEL is because I've done 95% of all work ever performed on it. I can't imagine what I would have shelled out in labor over the past 15 yrs.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

The problem with the 300SE is not the engine, it's the lack of FGS and a poor rear end ratio.

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http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...-RESIZED-1.jpg
1991 300E - 212K and rising fast...

Are you thinking of buying a '91 300SE or dusting off one you have on the shelf? I don't think anyone will tell you to not drive a car you already have. A 300 SE at 75 mph isn't noisy and what engine sound you hear is a pleasantly authoritative hum. Too bad there's isn't grunt to match the authoritative hum.

In a W124 you can step up to the M104 in the '93 300E and 94-95 E320 non-4Matic. More relaxed than the M103 because FGS allows a more sensible 2.65 diff ratio than early 300Es. If you need a cruiser, cross your fingers and consider a W140 300SE/S320 which come with the iffy 722.5 5-speed AT through '96 and the more robust 722.6 from '97. FWIW, my '95 S420 got 1 mpg worse city and 1 mpg better highway than my '91 300SE. V8 140s have the 722.3 4-speed through '96 and the 722.6 5-speed from '97. I don't know about the V-12s.

Sixto
87 300D

The euro 300se is quite brisk and responsive model to drive perhaps it does not have the extra smog bit,pump etc and that makes the difference. same story with the Euro 116 engine and the bogged down 117 engine for USA.
High revveing : all model starting with the fintails on revved high on the freeways but no ill effects on the drive train or engine .

Ad

After owning a 300SEL for a couple months now I thought I would chime in on this.

Yep, no doubt.

One little trick that I use occasionally regarding the 2nd gear takeoff is to lightly ride the brake pedal with the left foot when needing to coax a downshift to first. Not recommended as a regular procedure of course, but handy in certain situations.

I would think that the MB engineers would have solved this with simple adjustments in pulley diameters. For example, if the alternator is the same as other models that run at lower rpm, just making the M103's pulley circumference larger (to the same degree as the difference in rpm between the two) should have the alternator spinning at the same speed on both models. If this is not the case, is there a pulley swap and longer belt mod that can be done?

Much of the above also applies across the W126 line, no? Apart from engine/model specific items like head gasket, valve seals, mufflers, etc. of course. My old 300SD had the reverse clicking issue, front suspension & brake rotor problems, climate control gremlins, and so on...

Nevertheless a nice writeup that has been helpful. Many thanks for the tips.

Just out of curiosity, if the biggest issue with 300SE's is the rear axel ratio would it not be possible to swap the axel for one from a V8 if those are different ratios?

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

A nicely sorted w124 sedan with the 420 engine is great!

I have had no problems worth mentioning in my 1995 e420.

The mechanic calls it a "stealth" car because it's about 75-80% of what you'd get in an e500/500e with the bulletproof 420 engine (which has a much shorter than the 560 timing chain, so it's not as critical to change out the 420 timing chain every 100 miles as it would be in the 560.)

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Bc did that with the 300se that I sold him. I don't remember exactly but I got the impression that the power is a bit too low on the m103 to handle the 2.88? Diff I think he installed. Just required a different driving style and a bit of manual downshifting.

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

Every 100 miles?!? I hope that the fact that it's April 1st has something to do with that statement... ;-)

Could one not adjust the kickdown functions on the tranny to compensate?

Also curious to know what rpm this delivers at freeway speeds, and if there is an online list of ratios used on the various models.

Yeah, there is a good thread on here about switching out the diff. Do a search on 300SE diff and it should pop up. The bottom line was that 4th gear was just too weak to handle even a slight incline at highway speed, and with a big jump down to 3rd, it made for unsatisfactory results. Modern cars downshift all the time on the highway, but usually it's just the torque converter unlocking, or if it actually downshifts, the gear ratio spacing to that lower gear is a lot less than the Benz 722.3 from 4th to 3rd, so not as noticeable. The tranny must be modified to start in 1st, there are a couple of ways to do that, but it's somewhat involved, and the 1-2 shift can be harsh. At 60 mph the stock 3.45 diff turns right at 3000 RPM, so the 2.88 would turn about 2500. Seems fine, but apparently not in the real world of low engine torque, heavy car, and hills and winds.

DG

2.47 in a 300se

2.47 in 300SE

It's a good factual read.

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Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

Old thread, but I will chime in.

I purchased a '88 300SEL in 2008. I specifically wanted a 300SEL and got a great deal on this one. Purchased with around 153K miles, then the odometer broke about 1500 miles later and I never did get it repaired. I estimate around 175K on it now. I drove the car for a couple of years, then gave it to my mother in 2010.

The car has been very reliable. The main issue has been the A/C and no one has been able to figure it out. The A/C will blow ice cold for a long time, but you stop somewhere and turn the car back on, the A/C blows out hot air and will not blow cold air again until the next day. One shop said it was a bad control panel, had that replaced, still a problem so we gave up on it. Mom does not drive much, so not too big of a deal. Other than that, one time it would not start, turned out being a bad coil. Few minor things with age, a couple of power steering hoses leaking, the front oil cover leaks some oil and it has for a long time, but we keep a close check on the oil and it does not lose much at all between changes and recently the transmission will lose some fluid if parked at a certain angle. It looks like the pan is leaking, but it is due for a fluid change, so getting to that soon. Also, trunk leaks. Our car has never been in salt and is rust free, but the trunk seals on these tend to crack and rust around the seal on the trunk - we are dealing with that soon as well.

You also have to make sure you clean out under the fuse box under the hood ever season to get out old leaves as they tend to collect under there and there are hot relays under there which could catch fire. Not a good design, but one Mercedes overlooked I suppose.

I will say the car is no power house, but it was always good enough for me, as my Mercedes before that was a '84 190D. My Mercedes now is a '93 W140 with a V8, a much more powerful car, but more complex and has not been as trouble free despite it being a well maintained 1-owner car.

I always preferred the 6-cylinder W126, because it also seems to have less transmission problems, as well as few problems with the timing chain guides/rails. I have never heard of this problem on the 6-cylinder, but have several times seen a V8 W126 where the chain guide/rails/tensioner can break if they have not been changed and become brittle and destroy the engine. Does not seem to be the case on the I6 versions - or not as common anyway.