Buying and Maintaining a 126 S-Class Mercedes E-Book

Nik Greene

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

The Mercedes 126 S-Class of 1979-91 remains the most successful premium class saloon in the company's history and is considered by many to be one of the best cars in the world. More than quarter of a century after the last one left the factory, close to a quarter of all 126s remain registered throughout the world. This book will enable you to avoid the most common pitfalls and faults that otherwise can ruin the ownership of a 'Sonderklasse'. Packed with the sort of advice only normally obtainable from years of experience, it will act as your own personal marque expert. Specifications and valuations are included along with a detailed guide to buying the best car at the right price, and finally, how to keep your 126 fresh and reliable. This practical and instructional manual will be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone owning, or aspiring to own, a 126, and is fully illustrated with 250 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

BUYING ANDMAINTAINING A

126 S-CLASSMERCEDES

NIK GREENE

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2017 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2017

© Nicholas Greene 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 245 8

Disclaimer

Safety is of the utmost importance in every aspect of an automotive workshop. The practical procedures and the tools and equipment used in automotive workshops are potentially dangerous. Tools should used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and current health and safety regulations. The author and publisher cannot accept responsibility for any accident or injury caused by following the advice given in this book.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTIONS

SAFETY FIRST

PART ONE: INTRODUCING THE 126 S-CLASS

PART TWO: BUYING A 126 S-CLASS

1 OPTIONS

2 GETTING STARTED: CHOOSING A CAR

3 GETTING STARTED: BUYING A CAR

4 GETTING SERIOUS

PART THREE: LIVING WITH A 126

5 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR

6 CORROSION

7 INTERIOR

8 EXTERIOR

9 UNDER THE BONNET

10 THE DRIVE TRAIN

PART FOUR: MAINTAINING A 126

11 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES

12 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE INFORMATION

13 INTERIOR MAINTENANCE

14 EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE

15 PUTTING IT AWAY

APPENDIX I: DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

APPENDIX II: SERVICE PARTS SPECIFICATIONS

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

One of the most exciting things about classic-car ownership is being able to share the passion with others, so first and foremost I would like to thank The Crowood Press for having faith in my enthusiasm for a car that is not quite yet a full-blown ‘classic’.

In the preparation of this book I have badgered many people for information and photographs. It would be impossible to name everyone in the space provided but I do thank you all wholeheartedly for your support.

I also wish to thank the following for going the extra mile, as well as those who allowed me to use the images of their own 126s for technical clarity: Ian Luscombe, Ian Hunter, Charlie Deycon, Josh Mayo, Michael Pillay, Norman von Kraus, Bert van de Bovenkamp, Michael Clare, John Prins, Ken Davis, Sam Ng, Steven de Coninck and Roland Muller.

I would also like to thank the various people I have spoken to at the ‘classic’ department of Daimler Germany.

Lastly I would like to thank my dear wife Trudy, who has had to put up with me staring at a screen for hours on end and mumbling to myself. She has tolerated my ‘eureka’ moments in the middle of the night, which usually entailed me dashing off to the workshop to go and photograph something before I forgot, and has supplied me with copious amounts of tea.

INTRODUCTIONS

As a youngster my fascination for beautiful cars was always a bit askew when compared to my peers. While they were generally more interested in 0 to 60 figures and top speeds, I always felt much more comfortable immersing myself in a car’s design, history and function; this inevitably led to me dismantling things to see how they worked. Back in those days, car parts were not as readily available as they are today, so we used to have to trawl greasy scrapyards, where vehicles were often stacked four high, to find, clean and rebuild parts that were better than the ones we already had.

As the years rolled by, even though I had no kind of formal engineering qualifications I built up the courage to tackle anything, dismantling, restoring and recommissioning all sorts of cars, from V12 Jaguars to Citroen 2CVs.

Meet Brunhilde, my 1990 560SE.

This has nothing directly to do with the Mercedes 126, except that it might help to explain my approach in writing this book. Apart from a brief affair with a buy-to-sell 280TE, my first real Mercedes was in the guise of the G-Wagen, which I have owned now for fifteen years. My first 126 came along by complete accident, when I was not even looking for one. A dear friend lost her father and did not have the heart to sell his big Mercedes, which remained untouched on the driveway for eight years. I hate to see a majestic car going to rack and ruin for no reason and I did ask my friend more than once to sell it to me. One day out of the blue, she called me to say that they needed the driveway again. The scrap man had offered them £300 and if I could match the price, the car was mine – as long as I could move it in four days. I did not need to be told twice.

That Mercedes was an Astral Silver 420SE and, even though it had only 90,000 miles on the clock, it needed completely recommissioning just to get it back on the road. The project turned into a six-year running restoration to get it perfect and that was the beginning of my love affair with the 126 S-Class Mercedes. Having bought, restored and recommissioned four examples to date, I now own the rarest model of all; the short-wheelbase 560SE, of which only 1252 were made, on special order.

For many years, I have wittered on about there being too few books or TV programmes for the real classic-car enthusiast. There is always a place for a glossy coffee-table car book – I have shelves full of them – but ownership of a classic car is about more than just a line of immaculate examples at a show. The real value comes from what it takes to get cars into that condition. The true passion lies with the person standing in front of the shiny car on display, who has most likely given blood, sweat and tears to get it there.

Some people buy a car because they love the look and style of it, but they may have no interest in maintaining it themselves. However, I am assuming that the reader of this book has some inclination towards a deeper understanding of one of the finest Mercedes ever built. I have nothing at all against using mechanics or garages; I have a ‘go-to guy’ who is not only marque-trained but also an old-school engineer, and he is invaluable. The main problem for me is that commercial enterprises are often limited by time constraints and profit margins, which will dictate what they do and when they need to move on to the next job. This may be fine for a daily runner and for general mechanical repair, but a classic car needs something different.

I have endeavoured not to sound pretentious in this book and wish only to share my own enthusiasm as well as the benefit of my forty years’ experience of classic-car ownership, ten years of which have been around the 126 S-Class. Hopefully, the reader will gain some insight as to what to expect, but he or she must be aware that this is not an official workshop manual; it is an informal manual based on nothing more than my own meandering experience. It cannot cover everything, as space is limited, but it should give you plenty of information about the little things (and some of the big things) that you will need to know when buying, owning and maintaining one of the world’s greatest-ever vehicles.

SAFETY FIRST

For want of a bolt the bracket was lost;

For want of a bracket the pipe was lost;

For want of the pipe the brakes were lost;

For the failure of the brakes a life was lost…

All for the want of a bolt in a bracket.

The original quote referred to nails and horseshoes, but the principles are the same: there is more to safety than just being safe. Safety is about having the right frame of mind, attitude, and awareness and, even more importantly, self-awareness. Accidents do happen but they are usually the result of a subtle accumulation of circumstances that, with a bit of thought and care, could have been avoided.

GENERAL POINTS

There are a number of points to consider before you start working on your vehicle:

Never drop your guard: it is very easy to get lazy and slapdash when you get used to your surroundings and tools; remaining alert and sharp will limit any potential for accidents.

A ‘that-will-do’ attitude has no place in a garage: there is only one way to do a job and that is the right way.

Take your time and never rush a job to finish it: working on a car will nearly always take you longer than you estimate, so do not try to squeeze the work in between other deadlines. Remember the old adage, ‘More haste less speed’. Rushing a job is probably the number-one cause of accidents.

Be self-aware: trips, falls and spills happen when you bumble about without thought, so remain observant and methodical at all times.

Be methodical and be prepared: think about the tools you need and have a couple of pots handy for nuts, bolts and parts.

Be tidy and orderly: find a clean spot and prepare a convenient work area. Set out your equipment, laying out the tools you need so that they are easily reachable.

A workshop is no place for alcohol: leave it at home or in the man cave.

Use eye protection: have a clean pair of eye protectors readily available. If they are packed away in a box or a drawer somewhere, you might not bother to pick them up when you need them. Hang them from the bench grinder so that you cannot use it without moving them.

Wear gloves and/or barrier creams: mechanics’ gloves are popular now due to advancements in fine strong mesh materials. Have a box of Nitrile and rubber gloves for the wet jobs; they not only keep oil from ingraining but also protect from chemical toxins.

Keep loose clothing and long hair tucked away: running engines, power tools or machines such as grinders and wire wheels will easily trap anything loose, with dangerous outcomes.

Remove all jewellery: not only loose necklaces or bracelets, but also rings.

Always use the correct tool for the job: never force a tool to fit or use a loose-fitting tool. Slipping with an ill-fitting screwdriver in your hand carries a surprising amount of force.

Get someone to check on you at regular intervals: let people know what you are up to if you plan to do something that you recognize as potentially hazardous.

GENERAL HAZARDS

Scalding/burning: coolant, engine oil, exhaust manifolds, engines, brakes, metal burs, nut and bolts can all burn you badly.

Crushing: always have something to support heavy objects you are removing – a starter motor can knock you out, a gearbox can break bones. Never get under a car that is being supported only by a jack. Never support a vehicle on blocks or bricks, which can crumble or roll over.

Fire: fuel leaks and spills are bad, but it is the volatile vapour that is the most dangerous; it can be easily ignited by a spark from something as simple as a heater igniter or a spark from a battery terminal. Electrical overloads may creep along wires and ignite something flammable. The propellant used in aerosols can ignite in a flash with the smallest of sparks in a confined space. Always keep a fire extinguisher near by.

Electric shocks: an ignition high-tension circuit can be dangerous for someone with heart problems or a pacemaker. All electrically powered tools should have a breaker (RCD). Dropping a heavy object on to a cable could cut it or at the very least expose wiring.

Fumes: battery fumes can be explosive and breathing in fumes from paint thinner can be very quickly disorienting. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer; never run a vehicle in an enclosed garage. Petrol fumes are heavier than air and will sink to the floor or down a pit.

Poisonous and irritant substances: battery acid will burn as bad, if not worse than fire, vehicle fluids can be an irritant with prolonged use, Strong cleaners and paint thinners can cause skin problems.

Air bags: take care when removing items with air bags attached, as they can cause injury if they go off inadvertently.

WORKING SAFELY UNDER A CAR

Follow these tips and stay safe when working under a vehicle:

Park the vehicle on a hard level surface such as a concrete driveway.

Before you raise the vehicle, chock the unlifted wheels and engage the handbrake/parking brake.

Refer to the car’s workshop manual to locate the lifting point to position the jack under the vehicle. If the incorrect lifting point is used, the jack could slip or tip.

Watch carefully while raising the vehicle. Check that the lift plate of the trolley jack is sitting squarely on the point you are lifting.

A trolley jack does not lift vertically, but in an arc. Make sure the jack is able to roll slightly to allow for the change of angle as the vehicle is raised, otherwise you will be trying to drag the car sideways.

If you are planning on working under a vehicle, always use support stands or ramps. When using support stands, ensure you locate the correct position for them before slowly lowering the jack so the vehicle is resting on the stands. Ensure the vehicle is secure on the stands before getting under it.

Never work under a car on the street or in a car park.

Never allow a person or pet to remain in the vehicle while it is being jacked.

Never exceed the weight capacity of the jack.

TIP: If you are removing a road wheel to work on a car, slide it under the chassis rail. It keeps it out of the way but could also save you if the car becomes unstable on its jack or stands.

PART I

INTRODUCING THE 126 S-CLASS

Although there have been ‘S’ classifications for Mercedes cars since the early 1950s, the first official flagship Sonderklasse – the German term for ‘special class’ – was officially introduced as late as 1972, with the 116.

The 126 premiered at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (International Motor Show, or IAA) in Frankfurt in September 1979 with an initial line-up of eight models: the 280S, 280SE, 280SEL, 380SE, 380SEL, 500SE and the 500SEL, and a diesel version 300SD for the US/Canada only.

Generally, the term ‘126’ has been used throughout the book, even though the car has become widely known as the W126. For the sake of accuracy, though, it is necessary to distinguish between the models. The standard-wheelbase or ‘SE’ model was so named by abbreviating the German words Sonderklasse Einspritzmotor for petrol-injected engines; ‘SD’ indicated the diesel version. The factory codename of these cars was W126. The long-wheelbase models – the ‘SEL’ (for Sonderklasse Einspritzmotor-Lang) and ‘SDL’ (diesel) – were codenamed V126. In 1981, a two-door sports coupé version C126 (Sport Einspritzmotor-Coupé, or SEC) was premiered at the IAA.

Four years after the introduction of the first generation of 126 models the range was further reworked and presented at the IAA in Frankfurt. There had been visual changes to the bumpers, side covers and alloys, but more significant were the engine variants that were now offered. Two newly constructed six-cylinder engines and two reworked V8s were added, and other engines were further upgraded. The 260 had the new Mercedes M103 2.6-litre straight-six engine and a new 3.0-litre petrol engine was also introduced. The 420 (4.2-litre) replaced the 380 3.8-litre V8 engine. The 500 remained and an upgraded 560 with a sportier 5.6-litre V8 engine joined the family.