r/W124

Picked this up last night. ‘88 300 E with 73K Carfax-verified original miles.

It has been driven 12,000miles in the last 15 years and almost none in the last 5.

Some cosmetic issues, but all the panels are straight and drives like a dream.

I’m working through new tires, changing fluids, belts, hoses, etc…, but one question. The gas cap is missing and gas sloshes out of the filler. Any suggestions on a replacement?

Also, I usually get a Haynes manual when I get a new older/used car, any suggestions for a better manual to pick up?

Thanks! And please pre-excuse the questions to come as I get this thing up to daily driver status.

Im changing my ignition cables and distributor cap, i just disassembled everything at once, could someone tell me where i should place the cables? I know its 1-3-4-2 but i dont know where 1 is (picture is before i removed it, but i dont know which is which)

W124 :)

I’ve been looking through all the W124 posts here for quite a while, so I thought it was finally time to share mine as well.
This is actually my second W124 – a 1991 E230. I bought it with around 126,000 km (78,000 miles) on the clock, and it’s now approaching 160,000 km (99,000 miles). It’s my daily driver and I use it all year round, summer and winter.
And honestly, I couldn’t be happier with it. It’s probably the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. It has never let me down and simply does exactly what it’s supposed to do. At the same time, I absolutely love the timeless and elegant design. In my opinion, it still looks incredibly good more than 30 years later.
I’m also part of a few W124 and car groups and regularly get positive feedback about the car, so I thought I’d finally share it here as well. I’ve included a few pictures for you to check out.
There is one thing that tends to be a little controversial though: the aftermarket CarPlay system I installed in the interior. 😄 I know a lot of W124 enthusiasts aren’t fans of something like this – you either like it or you don’t. Personally, I love it. I’m a bit of a tech nerd and having full Apple CarPlay functionality is a huge benefit for me, especially since this is my daily driver.
For me, it gives the car the best of both worlds: the classic, timeless Mercedes design combined with a little bit of modern technology for everyday use.
Curious to hear what you guys think of my W124!

My work reallocated me and subsequently my daily commute has increased from 30km to 80km. Finally some highway driving. I imagine it’ll be more economical to drive on the highway than constant urban driving!

(Sorry for the repost) Hi everyone, I’d like to talk about an issue I’ve had with my car (M104.980) ever since I bought it. It has always suffered from starting problems, hesitation during acceleration at low speeds (both hot and cold), and a lack of power when cold. The car had massive vacuum leaks coming from the injectors, the KE-Jetronic boot, and the air hoses. Everything has been replaced, and the system is now completely airtight. The ECU was replaced, along with the temperature sensor, potentiometer, idle control valve, fuel accumulator, and check valve (which was causing extremely long, 10-second crank times). The duty cycle is set to 45–50%. Before replacing all these parts, the power loss and hesitation were much worse. When cold, it starts immediately but either stalls or runs very roughly (stuttering) for 3–4 seconds. Also rarely if it doesn't fire up instantly but takes 2–3 seconds of cranking, it starts perfectly. When cold, there is significant hesitation, sometimes dead spots (no response), and very low power. These symptoms disappear as the engine warms up (to 80°C); once hot, it regains full power. However, I still experience random stuttering under load at low speeds or in neutral, as shown in the video—sometimes it's mild, sometimes intense; it's unpredictable. Hot starts are much better, though if I let the car sit for about 10–15 minutes before starting it again, it stutters for 1–2 seconds.

This is my 1989 300D S124 I bought 2 months ago, had been sitting for 10+ years. All maintenance made, new alternator and battery. Looking to fix the odometer which currently doesn’t work.

I want to turn this vehicle into a overland-like tourer, what mods would you recommend that are both useful and look cool, like adventurous.

I've been working on a manual transmission swap for my 95 E320. Parts gathering started around February of 2026, car went down for wrenching around middle of July 2026, and I just finished last night.

Sourced a 717.412 transmission from a 1987 190E 2.3. Rebuilt the shifter, clutch pedals, cleaned the transmission casing, custom aluminum flywheel, custom driveshaft, all new quality parts.

Took the car out for a quick drive last night and everything works! I am finding my 5th gear to be completely useless under 50 MPH. I am running around 1300 RPM at 50 MPH in 5th. I will likely change out the differential to a higher ratio once I can figure out what I have today, and what the W124 manual vehicles typically come equipped with.

I’ve driven Ferraris, Porsche’s BMWs and so much more…but nothing has come close to the feeling my C124 E320 gives me.

Hi all. My exhaust is leaking. The previous owner went ham with some welds but apparently it isn't holding up. How would you go about it to repair this? It is just after the middle exhaust damper. Thanks!