News:

The ORG - Truly Independent and Unbiased!

Main Menu

Getting my first W116 tomorrow!!

Started by Casey, 28 April 2011, 07:31 PM

Squiggle Dog

I've yet to drive another car that is as comfortable or handles as well as a W116.  I also feel very safe in them and I love the great fuel mileage I get from the diesel engine. People say diesels are slow, but the 300SD actually feels faster than many V8 cars I've driven!

I got my first 1980 300SD 7 years ago for $400 when I needed cheap transportation, and since then I've been hooked. I got discouraged when all the typical W116 problems surfaced (climate control not working, windows won't go down, etc.) and I sold it, but then I figured out that I could convert the power accessories to manual and learned to fix everything else properly when I got my next 1979 300SD for free.

I feel your pain about the seller not being totally honest and hiding things. I got badly taken on mine. But now it's becoming an awesome car (doing a transmission swap this weekend). I think you paid a lot more than you should have, BUT I think it still WORTH what you paid for it, considering how well-made it is and it's in better condition than most.

Have fun with your car! It's interesting that someone else on this forum is planning on purchasing a W124 after their W116 was damaged.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Casey

Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 30 April 2011, 10:42 AM
Have fun with your car! It's interesting that someone else on this forum is planning on purchasing a W124 after their W116 was damaged.

Thanks.  I'm definitely going to enjoy it!  The W124 gets better mileage, and the incredible amount of wear and tear mine showed attests to it's ability to run forever too.  But it's of course a smaller vehicle, which I personally would gladly sacrifice in trade for higher gas expense, and well, I just personally really dislike the more modern body styles, even if it was a little more aerodynamic.  I would not want to ever own any Mercedes newer than a W124/W126.  On one hand it was nice to have a 1986 W124 because it looked the same as a 1995 W124, but it's just not my style.  The W116 really represents the absolute pinnacle in good style to me.  To each their own.

gavin116

#17
All the best with the new car.  It looks like it was very well looked after in the past.  I am sure so much more economical to run than a 450.  If only I could drive the 116 all the time, but we have no SD's here in the UK.  I saw you mentioned you wanted an easy way to adapt your cassette player to work with your iPod, well I listen to my iPod in the car using a iPod cassette adapter. It cost less than £2.00, although the postage was almost as dear.  Here's a link:

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/10502032/Accessory-Agents-Stereo-iPod-MP3-Cassette-Adapter/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518%7Ccat:10502032%7Cprd:10502032
1979 450SE "Mrs White"
2022 Touareg-R 3.0TSi Hybrid
[url="http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/"]http://forum.w116.org/test-drive/my-first-w116-here-at-last/[/url]
[url="http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613"]http://forum.w116.org/the-org/british-near-london-meet/msg97613/#msg97613[/url]

Casey

Quote from: gavin116 on 30 April 2011, 06:39 PM
All the best with the new car.  It looks like it was very well looked after in the past.  I am sure so much more economical to run than a 450.  If only I could drive the 116 all the time, but we have no SD's here in the UK.  I saw you mentioned you wanted an easy way to adapt your cassette player to work with your iPod, well I listen to my iPod in the car using a iPod cassette adapter. It cost less than £2.00, although the postage was almost as dear.  Here's a link:

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/10502032/Accessory-Agents-Stereo-iPod-MP3-Cassette-Adapter/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518%7Ccat:10502032%7Cprd:10502032

Yeah, this is what I was thinking of using for the time being.  The problem with this approach is twofold, however:

1.  I'd like to not have wires strewn about in the car - one plugged into the ashtray lighter to keep the iPod charged and another going into the cassette deck.  I'd much rather have permanent wiring into the glove box compartment, where I can just plug in a single dock connector wire to the iPod, out of site and charged to boot.

2.  With the cassette adapter, or an aux in port, I have to control the iPod from the iPod itself.  This isn't the most ideal when driving.  I'd much rather be able to use the deck's controls on the console to change songs, etc., which is only possible with a deck that explicitly supports this sort of interfacing.

Newer Mercedes' come with this as an option, and I think it's one that makes a lot of sense.  But then, they don't have cassette tape support. :(

Big_Richard

newer mb's allow the insertion of solid state memory devices so mp3 & wma files can be accessed directly by the "command" system.

who needs a cassette deck  8)

1980sdga

Relax...  I don't think you got a screaming deal and I don't think you got ripped off.  You got a gently used Benz should (If the legend be true...) give you years of service.

I also think you have the desirable engine.

Sad that power windows were crap back then And the whole ACC thing was a debacle...

Mine has 97,000 miles and rolling.  I think...  I have one that shows 220,000 but the speedometer has been replaced. It's pretty solid but has a lot of negative camber in the rear. The alignment tech says that there is no adjustment so some bushings must be worn.

I Flew about 500 miles and drove mine home!  Is that faith or stupidity??

My AC is working for the moment. Mine was blowing cold near Miami but when I changed it to defrost it decided it liked that setting and stuck.  It was pretty hot in the car because it was still blowing hot air out the defrost ducts. My engine also decided not to turn off about this time. I ended up pulling the AC fuse to stop the blower from running.  I think I turned the AC button off and put it on hi cool (I think) before replacing the fuse. Now the engine will shut off so I believe it's a vacuum leak in the AC system. I haven't touched the AC buttons   other than the AC on/off switch. It controls the compressor and I just close the dash vents manually. The blower runs with the ignition on.

My temp gauge is also out which is my next project.

It is doing some strange things electrically...  I had no glow plug light (and possibly no glow plugs working ) until tonight.  Seems to have fixed itself.  My headlights were coming on with the ignition like daytime running lights but that stopped when the glow plug light  came on.  I'm doing some suspension work as well. Waiting on parts...

And I do enjoy driving it!  The performance seems to be getting better and better the more fuel I run through it.  I pegged the speedo today  ;D  but I don't think it'll be doing that a lot!  It felt pretty solid at those speeds and seems to "want" to cruise at about 70mph.  I'd also like to have a 120mph speedo but I'm about spent out on the car for now.  I did drop a car payment though  ;D so there will be some money for fixing other things.  Insurance dropped as well...

Casey

Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 30 April 2011, 08:29 PM
who needs a cassette deck  8)

I dunno, I never used one before.  But it sure is fun driving down the road in a 1980 car swapping cassettes!

Casey

Quote from: 1980sdga on 30 April 2011, 09:16 PM
Relax...  I don't think you got a screaming deal and I don't think you got ripped off.  You got a gently used Benz should (If the legend be true...) give you years of service.

I also think you have the desirable engine.

Oh, I'm relaxed.  8)  I figure that anything less than $8000 on a W116 means a project car, and I'm fine with that.  I got all  the desirable things I really wanted in a W116, and it doesn't matter how much it cost - I don't intend to part with this wonderful vehicle.  I'm happy to have gotten a W116 within budget while also feeling that I paid a fair price to the seller (I'm not entirely selfish ;) ).  I'll have to figure out the exact engine model, but I targeted a 1980 specifically because it had a better engine than the 1979, and it lacks the EGR, which is apparently a good thing too.

Definitely no complaints!

1980sdga

My headlights were dimming and getting brighter as I was driving just like you described and my voltage regulator went out.

I'd add it to my list as well. It was a pretty easy job on mine.  Cheap too...

Casey

Quote from: 1980sdga on 01 May 2011, 12:48 AM
My headlights were dimming and getting brighter as I was driving just like you described and my voltage regulator went out.

I'd add it to my list as well. It was a pretty easy job on mine.  Cheap too...
Do you have any pictures of where this is and a part number I could order?

1980sdga



I knew I saved that part for something  ;D  You'll need an offset screwdriver to remove the 2 phillips screws.  I cut one off because it wouldn't make a revolution because it hit the engine block.

The regulator is on the back of the alternator.  You'll have to remove the U pipe on the breather and the air intake tube.  You don't even have to remove any wires.

I got mine at Advance and it was about $30. They had to order it though...

1980sdga


koan

Quote from: 1980sdga on 01 May 2011, 10:48 PM
You don't even have to remove any wires.

Good idea to remove one big wire, the battery ground terminal.

Ken
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

1980sdga

Quote from: koan on 02 May 2011, 12:22 AM
Quote from: 1980sdga on 01 May 2011, 10:48 PM
You don't even have to remove any wires.

Good idea to remove one big wire, the battery ground terminal.

Ken

Good advise!