Tommy, you're way more capable than you give yourself credit for. I've been watching you on TFL for a long time man and you have come a long way. Keep kickin ass and taking names bro. LOVE TFL so much. Y'all are like my family. Thanks for all you guys do for us
I bought my own 82 300D as well. Never worked on my own car. I have replaced the condenser, the engine mounts, lubed the sunroof, fixed the power antenna, changed all the filters, replaced all the radiator hoses, belts and flushed the radiator. Replaced the power steering fluid. The 300d is a great car to work on. Have fun. If you get stuck call Pierre Hedary. He is a great guy and always very helpful.
You were lucky this time. It is usually the fan motor (under glovebox). The CCU can do strange things for sure; therefore, money not wasted! Love the W123. I have 4 including the wagon & coupe...been working on them for 30 years! Awesome a young kid like yourself is into them!!!
Great job! I purchased a white 300D just 2 weeks ago with original 110.000km on the odometer from spain, the car looks like new, no rost and the interior is a dream, I found my dream car!
roxbery25 Because on this Cars you still have place or room for it. It is not cramped. Under the hood there is place for another kid and you drive away and won,t notice it. There,s no plastic and just bolts. Anybody can change parts on it. And you dont find the obd. No electronics. The european version are even better. No aircon, no automatic, less vacuüm lines. A manual bulletproof 4speed or an optional 5speed. And it runs on vegetable oil. Don,t go the waste department with your french Fries oil. Put it in the Benz , you won,t notice the difference.
The alternator is amazingly difficult to remove in these cars since almost no room to get a wrench on the 3 bolts/nuts needed. More commonly, one just needs to tighten the fan belts (or replace), making that quite a chore. The EGR valve and AC tube they stupidly ran up that side of the engine are in the way. I removed both, so getting a wrench in is easier, though still a pain. The tensioning bracket was designed by a drunk German. The 1985 CA cars have a heat shield rigged onto the rear of the alternator which also blocks a wrench. In contrast, an alternator swap on my Chrysler engines (1964 to 2002) is simple. But, if the alternator failed, it might just need the brush/regulator module replaced ($10) which you can do with the alternator in place. It is the Motorola-style, used on many GM's.
Yes, it is SO nice these days to have the internet and TH-cam for information sources! I'm 56, and working on my early Datsun/Nissan cars (that's what it said in the Owner's Manual!) was ... "interesting" at times. Some of the old shop manuals were often incomplete, and would not list an important step, so we had to figure things out ourselves. Fortunately I built a LOT of plastic models, so I have a good knack for looking at things and figuring out how they fit together. Also, my Dad was an electrical engineer, so we solved a lot of electrical issues ourselves, too. :)
Traditionally in a Mercedes, the two vents in the centre of the fascia blow air straight from outside. The two on either side will blow the air that has been diverted and heated/cooled. This was a fail-safe that Mercedes employed so that even if there was a fault with the air coming from the A/C or heater on non-A/C cars then you would still be able to get air to circulate.
they built unreliable crap they know breaks often...the only reason these cars are still running is the fact they were expensive yet cheap to drive so people were inclined to fix them every time they broke down and they were so under-powered (which im fine with) that the drive train is nearly bullet proof but they have strange things like a steering stabilizer like trucks have that wears out. front end components wear out quickly, strut and control arm bushings wear out on these along with tie rod ends and they have a truck like drag link that fails often...these cars were 12k when a new car cost like 6k back then so not many could afford these cars
@@philtripe Had you realize that the younger of those cars are like 35 years old? And all those parts that you said you have to replace overtime, must done it almost every 10 years, wich is normal... Find a car who doesn't need to replace similar components with daily use that often.
@@philtripeYour first sentence is about one of the most ignorant comments about these cars ever written. The kind of people who bought these new didn't tolerate stuff breaking the way detroit garbage broke. Or Nipshit fell apart.
A/C is a much more important HVAC consideration here in the fiery low deserts of So. Cal. Glad you did some of your own wrenching and were able to fix your system. Wow, that clanky old Mercedes diesel sounds glorious. Wow
I’m doing the same thing to my 89 Suburban. I’ve never worked on cars before, either. So far I’ve replaced a transfer case seal, changed the oil, replaced some lights, and last night I put on a cat back exhaust. Keep it up Tommy! If I can do it you can too
Great work, Tommy. This is why I’ve never owned a German luxury car, the maintenance costs just kill you. It’s not the price of the car so much as it is that. I’m encouraged by your success to do try minor repairs when needed on my 2015.5 Volvo S60 sedan, which is my pride and joy. Keep up the good work.
I have a 1985, it's a fun project. Just finished replacing the whole front end suspension. They made millions of these cars new parts are not hard to find. FCP Euro and Autohauz are your friend.
can't go wring with working on your cars, you'll ALWAYS learn something. the feeling of having been successful is amazing, and if you break something, that's just another thing you can work on, it's a win-win-win
Beautiful car. I had a 1986 wagon that i imported from overseas when i was stationed there. In 2003 i traded it for a ford windstar minivan........OMG if i could only go back in time lol
As the old saying goes- "Ain't nothing to but to do it!" That the best way to learn- jump right in and figure it out. We live in a wonderful time with social media and TH-cam in general. Someone has probably run into your concern, and put a video up about it!
So proud of you Tommy, all mechanic work is easy once you can underatand it. These little projects are great to start with, cant wait to see you do more stuff! Maybe LS swap next?😉
@@Viperin98 Buy a set of metric ratcheting box wrenches, to make that and many other tasks simpler (ex. removing the "stop valve" at rear of injection pump). 8 mm for the electrical nut and 10 mm for the glow-plug body, as I recall. Use a small magnet-on-stick to get the nut in there with 2 fingers without losing it.
Yeah ,but I dropped a wrench while in the engine bay. I cringed ,but then I heard it hit the concrete. Haven't had that happen in a while on any of the wife's cars when I work on those 😬
These cars are surprisingly easy to work on. Having mainly worked on VW Beetles myself I expected to struggle a bit with a Mercedes but when I started wrenching I was pleasantly surprised. The Mercedes is obviously more complex than the Beetle but it is put together very logically. And there is so much more space.
I restore Volvo 240's and maybe a word of advice I was given by a fellow restorer might now be in order and that is that the electrical harness under the hood is biodegradable and makes for some really interesting troubleshooting. Check the body grounds sooner rather than later. Nice W123- the best car Daimler ever built in my experience as I had a 1983 version. Don't stop! Fix it and drive it!
Congratulations on your climate control fix! I am not mechanically inclined at all and know next to nothing about automobile repair, but I purchased a 1976 450SEL a month ago and knew I would need to do a lot of the restoration myself, so I did the same thing you did...lots of Google, lots of TH-cam videos, and I have learned SO much in the process and the satisfaction of fixing something yourself brings you to a whole new level of "friendship" with your vehicle. Keep the videos coming; they are encouraging to others!
Honestly this is one of the best videos on classic car ownership I’ve seen! Everyone who owns a classic should be like you. Take a chance and get out of your comfort zone and get properly involved in their cars like you. As you get better you get less paranoid with the ownership expertise too. Now you need to tackle an oil and filter change for the engine or. Maybe changing brake pads and fluid??
Fantastic and wonderful! Yes, jump in and wrench away - the only way to learn is to jump in and the best way is just as you are doing...with your own car : ) I wanted, also, to learn. And so, when I purchased my first car, I also purchased my first set of mechanic tools - a 1990, high mileage Ford Taurus wagon and Sears Craftsman sockets, pliers, drivers... Many years later and I can jump in on about any car stuff and often help friends and family, too : )
Ah, when it was simple to work on a car without a mechanical/computer engineering degree. You own an amazing example of a timeless classic and thus have a responsibility to preserve it! Tread lightly and everything will be OK. Cheers to your accomplishment. And thank you, and the crew, for keeping us entertained.
Wow kid! You just graduated sandbox of wrenching. You have a long way to go to get to college on one of these. I did just about all my own work on an 85 123 and they can be a real pain. However, every time you fix something you get a real sense of satisfaction you have made a major achievement. Keep the valves set on the engine (something for a professional) and the oil changed and it will last you a long time. If you see any rust on it don't let it go because it will just grow. These are fairly simple to work on but some things can be a real pain to fix.
Good Job Tommy. I thing a lot of folks are simply afraid to touch a job like that. It was so simple if you think about that. If you took it to a shop they would charge for at least an hour of labor even though it’s doesn’t take an hour and then they want to make money on the part too. The shop wouldn’t tell you about the core charge and they would make money on that too. You saved $250 bucks probably by doing it yourself.🏁
The Arrows Up and Arrows Down button (2nd from the left) should still deliver air to the windshield because in Full Defrost mode the fan only spins at maximum speed and forces maximum heat which is great for short blasts but quite annoying for a long drive. Also every mode but the 'EC' mode will run the AC Compressor (assuming it works). This pulls moisture from the cabin and accelerates the defrost / defogging. EC stands for Economy, and disables the compressor for an increase in mileage.
Start on small jobs and work your way up to bigger ones. As the Chinese say “a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step”. I really enjoy watching TFL in its various forms and try to never miss a show especially when you do something with Land rovers, I’ve had mine for 43yrs now, my first car and she’s still rolling. Saying that I do like a little comfort and I am now on my fourth American car. 1stEl Camino, 2nd was aMercury grand marquis, 3rd Lincoln Navigator, very nice but petrol was $7 gallon, now on a Lincoln mkc, much better on UK and European roads. All the best for the future guys.
Tommy, you have good instincts. You just need opportunities to gain experience. And right now, you and many of us have time to learn new skills. Best thing is, you have lots of fans who are willing to give you a helping hand even virtual.
I've always wanted to be one of three people! :D This wasn't quite how I envisioned it..... :P Thanks for the awesome content! This is basically how I learned, too: forums, videos, and something to fix/diagnose. A few years later and my hobby has grown nicely! This is a long journey of growth, frustration, and learning. If you want to make your evolution into a gearhead AND invite us along to learn and grow with you, please do! I only got into hobby mechanic work because of a friend of mine that raced and worked on his project car. In exchange for an extra pair of hands and some company, I helped with suspension work, brake work, an engine swap, and more. Now I do most of my own work and my car is all the better for it. I am only here because someone reached out and showed me that it wasn't impossible, intimidating, complicated, or mysterious. I was given an introduction into the world of machinery and what once seemed daunting now seems like a baby project. You could use this platform to do the same for many, and watching you tackle this was inspiring! You will always find headaches, you will always wish you had more tools, and you will always feel incredible when something is better or fixed because you figured it out and made it happen. Good luck! :D
I believe you solved the riddle of why my center vents don't blow since my compressor is not belted up and I always got nothing out of the two middle buttons.Since I live in WA we rarely turn it on, where here you simply open the windows for AC. Where as heat is a different story. Glad my heat works fine. '85 300D
I have always tried to work on my vehicles over the years.. But now with you tube and the internet it is a lot easier to do. I have fixed everything on my latests one by watching 50s kid and Nathans BMW garage.Have fun and keep making the videos
The automatic-climate-control systems on the 300D are a *very* common failure. Same with the cruise-control "amplifier" (really it's an electronic controller, but they call it an amplifier for some reason.) And the vacuum system is so complicated that it can fool you into thinking you have transmission issues -- when all you really have is a vacuum leak that's causing the transmission to shift weirdly. Those 4-speed automatic transmissions almost never break -- they're amazingly reliable if you do the maintenance regularly.
Applaud you in trying this along with being upfront with the viewers too! Did you illumination aof it at the same time? Learning to work on your on vehicle is beneficial especially if you decide to do more 4x4 trails.
Your W123 is in really nice shape. It's a classic, and nice ones are getting harder to find. I've owned two W123s and loved them. I regret selling my 81 240D. I currently own a W116 300SD. It's a work in progress to restore it. If you don't already know Mercedessource, I highly recommend checking them out. They are dedicated and specialize in these old Mercedes. They have tons of kits and manuals.
Haha I replaced my CCU on my 84’ 300D about a year ago and it came in the same box. It was my first car back when I turned 16, (I’m 21 now so it wasn’t THAT long ago) but it’s still my daily and I’ve learned so much about my old diesel. Don’t worry because they’re not too difficult to work on.
Congratulations dude, I'm sure your a lot more handy than you think, I mean you fixed that problem without a hitch! Job well done and your old ride there, she's a real beauty.... Wanna check out more of your DIY projects, keep up the confidence bigdog!
I had an '81 and an '89. Both had their control panels replaced UNDER WARRANTY because they were defective. That's yet another example of the true "quality" of so-called German "engineering". As you know, there is a great deal of info. available on the maintenance and repair of these vehicles. Best of luck and have fun.
On my w126 the a/c didn't work because the plug for the compressor clutch was bad. These w123s have a completely different compressor that is much easier to deal with than on the w126. Best of luck when you're trying to get the a/c going. The climate control also works better on automatic mode when the a/c is working. I didn't know that until the a/c worked on mine. I love it when you make videos on this car. It is in fantastic shape and that 5 cylinder diesel sounds fantastic.
These are wonderfully designed cars. Engineered to be worked on. All you need are a couple of special wrench for doing the valve adjustments an a vacuum tool. Kent at Mercedes Source is awesome Pierre Hedary Classics is terrific
Nice work Tommy. So 265.00 for the part. It would be interesting for you to have included an estimate from a shop for the repair. Not only what they would have charged for the part with their mark up but the labor estimate as well seeing that it took you less than an hour to complete it. I am guessing 400 to 500???? Are you curious enough to make the call and see how much your handy work saved you? I think beginning wrenchers would be curious.
Tommy, I have three of these beauties (two CD Coupes and a wagon). Best thing you can do for these cars is to just use them... and keep the door check straps, sunroof, electric antenna, and window regulators lubricated. (and of course stay up with oil changes!) You WILL lose a belt tensioner at about every 110,000 miles, same for the water pump if you don't use a quality lube impregnated water. However, the water pump will give warnings before failure. Keep an eye on motor mounts (every 100k or so check them) and you will have to rebuild the transmission at about 250,000 miles. Other than that, all WAY cheaper than buying a new piece of junk every 5 years, losing thousands in the process, and missing the joy of riding behind the 3-pointed star.... Dennis, Golden, CO
You learning how to work on an old car is more important than you realize. Fewer and fewer people are being taught this skill these days, despite what we see on HOTROD TV etc..... recommend diving in head first, getting greasy, getting frustrated to no end, etc.... There is a ton of experience to obtain. One of these days, there will not be anyone around who knows anything about this stuff and these old machines will just rot away in museums. All JMO of course. Think long term. Really long.
I know this model as i used to have one. The ac blows in all 4 vents but center is also for fresh air. Put the ac in auto mode and see if the compressor clutch is being activated ( this is the metal plate on the front of the compressor) if not engaging the compressor is possibly dead. Also out of freon. After you get the AC running keep it in automatic mode so the compressor doesn't dry out. (Bearings go bad from not using.
Luckily Tommy, (imo) this is probably the most reliable vehicle ever built save for the electrical gremlins like you just conquered. I had faith you could do it. Beautiful car btw.
I can see a lot of new things come because if the Coronavirus. Learning new things, trying different ways to make money, and possibly market segments disappearing and created. The healthcare system has had some amazing improvements and new ideas.
I had an 84 that looked exactly like yours and sold it last week. I loved it for 7 years but last year the vacuum system basically crashed. Then a lot of little things started going wrong and Iit became a money pit.Good luck! I enjoyed it when it ran great.
Tommy this car is awesome!!!! i'm jealous!! keep doing these type of creative content videos whilst corona is about! more vids please! great job many ever since you and the others joined your dad and nathan in presenting for TFL the channel has grown in such an amazing direction. Without TFL, i would be in a miserable place in quarantine and life! keep up the good work loved the video.(i love 300d's)
just stumbled on this channel, amazing work Tommy! Pride and joy. I am also tidying up a W126 280SE, featured in my channel :) Big love for the Mercedes built in that era.
im also a fan of the old mercedes, i got a 96 e290 turbo diesel which runs great but i want one from the 80's for those bottle cap wheels. love your review of it from last year and im glad you are taking good care of it.
Tommy, nice change of content and still interesting. Suggest you invest in a compact camping ‘headlight’ for all your wrenching in future, thus freeing up both hands and given line-of-sight vision.
You don’t need natural “mechanical ability” to work on a car. I decided years ago that if someone else can do it, I can learn to as well. Just be patient, pay attention to what you are doing and as you get into bigger jobs....labels are your friend. The difference between a mechanic and a regular joe is having the patience and confidence to fix the little issues that arise when a job doesn’t go as planned. When you get stumped just talk things through, go back to basics of how the thing works. GOOD LUCK, post a comment if you need advice.
Thanx . I , friends and family have owned many w123. I don’t currently own one but I would get one again if the opportunity arises. Again thank u for taking the time to make these videos.
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“Three people will care”? We all care Tommy, you’re amazing!!
Tommy, you're way more capable than you give yourself credit for. I've been watching you on TFL for a long time man and you have come a long way. Keep kickin ass and taking names bro. LOVE TFL so much. Y'all are like my family. Thanks for all you guys do for us
I bought my own 82 300D as well. Never worked on my own car. I have replaced the condenser, the engine mounts, lubed the sunroof, fixed the power antenna, changed all the filters, replaced all the radiator hoses, belts and flushed the radiator. Replaced the power steering fluid. The 300d is a great car to work on. Have fun. If you get stuck call Pierre Hedary. He is a great guy and always very helpful.
Wow, I can see why it’s your baby, it’s beautiful, well made and classy.
He dumped the car shortly after.
You were lucky this time. It is usually the fan motor (under glovebox). The CCU can do strange things for sure; therefore, money not wasted! Love the W123. I have 4 including the wagon & coupe...been working on them for 30 years! Awesome a young kid like yourself is into them!!!
Great job! I purchased a white 300D just 2 weeks ago with original 110.000km on the odometer from spain, the car looks like new, no rost and the interior is a dream, I found my dream car!
Been waiting for the 300D to come back on the channel! I'm using this time at home to learn and work on my own 300D too.
So satisfying to fix an annoying inconvenience like this so much more easily than you expect! Great job!
How can you not love a good ol W123...after 40+ years it is still relevant, it is still great, it is still on the road. Amazing! I've had 3 of them.
You changed an alternator in a parking lot - your more mechanically inclined than I am
roxbery25 Because on this Cars you still have place or room for it. It is not cramped. Under the hood there is place for another kid and you drive away and won,t notice it. There,s no plastic and just bolts. Anybody can change parts on it. And you dont find the obd. No electronics. The european version are even better. No aircon, no automatic, less vacuüm lines. A manual bulletproof 4speed or an optional 5speed. And it runs on vegetable oil. Don,t go the waste department with your french Fries oil. Put it in the Benz , you won,t notice the difference.
The alternator is amazingly difficult to remove in these cars since almost no room to get a wrench on the 3 bolts/nuts needed. More commonly, one just needs to tighten the fan belts (or replace), making that quite a chore. The EGR valve and AC tube they stupidly ran up that side of the engine are in the way. I removed both, so getting a wrench in is easier, though still a pain. The tensioning bracket was designed by a drunk German. The 1985 CA cars have a heat shield rigged onto the rear of the alternator which also blocks a wrench. In contrast, an alternator swap on my Chrysler engines (1964 to 2002) is simple. But, if the alternator failed, it might just need the brush/regulator module replaced ($10) which you can do with the alternator in place. It is the Motorola-style, used on many GM's.
Ridiculously clean for an 82 and in Colorado! Beautiful car!
Yes, it is SO nice these days to have the internet and TH-cam for information sources! I'm 56, and working on my early Datsun/Nissan cars (that's what it said in the Owner's Manual!) was ... "interesting" at times. Some of the old shop manuals were often incomplete, and would not list an important step, so we had to figure things out ourselves. Fortunately I built a LOT of plastic models, so I have a good knack for looking at things and figuring out how they fit together. Also, my Dad was an electrical engineer, so we solved a lot of electrical issues ourselves, too. :)
Traditionally in a Mercedes, the two vents in the centre of the fascia blow air straight from outside. The two on either side will blow the air that has been diverted and heated/cooled. This was a fail-safe that Mercedes employed so that even if there was a fault with the air coming from the A/C or heater on non-A/C cars then you would still be able to get air to circulate.
they built unreliable crap they know breaks often...the only reason these cars are still running is the fact they were expensive yet cheap to drive so people were inclined to fix them every time they broke down and they were so under-powered (which im fine with) that the drive train is nearly bullet proof but they have strange things like a steering stabilizer like trucks have that wears out. front end components wear out quickly, strut and control arm bushings wear out on these along with tie rod ends and they have a truck like drag link that fails often...these cars were 12k when a new car cost like 6k back then so not many could afford these cars
@@philtripe Had you realize that the younger of those cars are like 35 years old? And all those parts that you said you have to replace overtime, must done it almost every 10 years, wich is normal... Find a car who doesn't need to replace similar components with daily use that often.
@@philtripeYour first sentence is about one of the most ignorant comments about these cars ever written. The kind of people who bought these new didn't tolerate stuff breaking the way detroit garbage broke. Or Nipshit fell apart.
A/C is a much more important HVAC consideration here in the fiery low deserts of So. Cal. Glad you did some of your own wrenching and were able to fix your system. Wow, that clanky old Mercedes diesel sounds glorious. Wow
I’m doing the same thing to my 89 Suburban. I’ve never worked on cars before, either. So far I’ve replaced a transfer case seal, changed the oil, replaced some lights, and last night I put on a cat back exhaust. Keep it up Tommy! If I can do it you can too
Great work, Tommy. This is why I’ve never owned a German luxury car, the maintenance costs just kill you. It’s not the price of the car so much as it is that. I’m encouraged by your success to do try minor repairs when needed on my 2015.5 Volvo S60 sedan, which is my pride and joy. Keep up the good work.
I have a 1985, it's a fun project. Just finished replacing the whole front end suspension. They made millions of these cars new parts are not hard to find. FCP Euro and Autohauz are your friend.
can't go wring with working on your cars, you'll ALWAYS learn something. the feeling of having been successful is amazing, and if you break something, that's just another thing you can work on, it's a win-win-win
Beautiful car. I had a 1986 wagon that i imported from overseas when i was stationed there. In 2003 i traded it for a ford windstar minivan........OMG if i could only go back in time lol
Oh so you have regrets. Yeah
As the old saying goes- "Ain't nothing to but to do it!" That the best way to learn- jump right in and figure it out. We live in a wonderful time with social media and TH-cam in general. Someone has probably run into your concern, and put a video up about it!
So proud of you Tommy, all mechanic work is easy once you can underatand it. These little projects are great to start with, cant wait to see you do more stuff! Maybe LS swap next?😉
That Mercedes is like if it's new. Awesome car Tommy.
From my experience working on my w123 the hardest part of working on them is the tightness of some areas. Have fun Working on it!
Agreed. I replaced my glow plugs and didn’t want to take off the hard injector lines, let’s just say getting to cylinder 5 took a lot of wiggling
@@Viperin98
Buy a set of metric ratcheting box wrenches, to make that and many other tasks simpler (ex. removing the "stop valve" at rear of injection pump). 8 mm for the electrical nut and 10 mm for the glow-plug body, as I recall. Use a small magnet-on-stick to get the nut in there with 2 fingers without losing it.
Yeah ,but I dropped a wrench while in the engine bay.
I cringed ,but then I heard it hit the concrete.
Haven't had that happen in a while on any of the wife's cars when I work on those 😬
These cars are surprisingly easy to work on. Having mainly worked on VW Beetles myself I expected to struggle a bit with a Mercedes but when I started wrenching I was pleasantly surprised. The Mercedes is obviously more complex than the Beetle but it is put together very logically. And there is so much more space.
I restore Volvo 240's and maybe a word of advice I was given by a fellow restorer might now be in order and that is that the electrical harness under the hood is biodegradable and makes for some really interesting troubleshooting. Check the body grounds sooner rather than later.
Nice W123- the best car Daimler ever built in my experience as I had a 1983 version.
Don't stop! Fix it and drive it!
Congratulations on your climate control fix! I am not mechanically inclined at all and know next to nothing about automobile repair, but I purchased a 1976 450SEL a month ago and knew I would need to do a lot of the restoration myself, so I did the same thing you did...lots of Google, lots of TH-cam videos, and I have learned SO much in the process and the satisfaction of fixing something yourself brings you to a whole new level of "friendship" with your vehicle. Keep the videos coming; they are encouraging to others!
That's really a very nice car, but keeping it running well can be very challenging.
Honestly this is one of the best videos on classic car ownership I’ve seen! Everyone who owns a classic should be like you. Take a chance and get out of your comfort zone and get properly involved in their cars like you. As you get better you get less paranoid with the ownership expertise too. Now you need to tackle an oil and filter change for the engine or. Maybe changing brake pads and fluid??
Fantastic and wonderful! Yes, jump in and wrench away - the only way to learn is to jump in and the best way is just as you are doing...with your own car : ) I wanted, also, to learn. And so, when I purchased my first car, I also purchased my first set of mechanic tools - a 1990, high mileage Ford Taurus wagon and Sears Craftsman sockets, pliers, drivers... Many years later and I can jump in on about any car stuff and often help friends and family, too : )
Ah, when it was simple to work on a car without a mechanical/computer engineering degree. You own an amazing example of a timeless classic and thus have a responsibility to preserve it! Tread lightly and everything will be OK. Cheers to your accomplishment.
And thank you, and the crew, for keeping us entertained.
Nicely done. That wood panel is so much easier to get off versus what we have with the 126 series.
Watching you fix your W123 , makes me miss my 240D. Thank you for reminding me what a great car the W123s are. I pray I find a clean one to buy soon😊
Always nice to see someone taking care of their old benz. They don't make them like that anymore.
Good job. TH-cam has become my new best friend for doing maintenance on my Tacoma.
Wow kid! You just graduated sandbox of wrenching. You have a long way to go to get to college on one of these. I did just about all my own work on an 85 123 and they can be a real pain. However, every time you fix something you get a real sense of satisfaction you have made a major achievement. Keep the valves set on the engine (something for a professional) and the oil changed and it will last you a long time. If you see any rust on it don't let it go because it will just grow.
These are fairly simple to work on but some things can be a real pain to fix.
This is when Mercedes had style. The current models look like every other sedan.
Agree, I own a new MB and it's nothing compared to the old W123 or 126.
Classic car has style, Morden new car looks like gangster with big golden chain show half ass on the street
Older cars like that are easy to work on, don't be intimidated. If you can take it apart, you can put it back together. Well done
Good job Tommy! I was more worried about that 40 year old wood cover exploding than anything else! 😀👍🔥
Best way to learn, just get out in the garage and start doing.
The car you learn to wrench on, will be the one you love forever. congrats on this decision.
Good Job Tommy. I thing a lot of folks are simply afraid to touch a job like that. It was so simple if you think about that. If you took it to a shop they would charge for at least an hour of labor even though it’s doesn’t take an hour and then they want to make money on the part too. The shop wouldn’t tell you about the core charge and they would make money on that too. You saved $250 bucks probably by doing it yourself.🏁
I love old Mercedes!! This was awesome keep them coming !!! Big big fan !!!
Working on your own car is one of the most satisfying hobbies. Getting it fixed is priceless 😉.
Keep them coming Tommy!
I love the sound if these cars. Makes me smile every time!
The Arrows Up and Arrows Down button (2nd from the left) should still deliver air to the windshield because in Full Defrost mode the fan only spins at maximum speed and forces maximum heat which is great for short blasts but quite annoying for a long drive. Also every mode but the 'EC' mode will run the AC Compressor (assuming it works). This pulls moisture from the cabin and accelerates the defrost / defogging. EC stands for Economy, and disables the compressor for an increase in mileage.
Start on small jobs and work your way up to bigger ones. As the Chinese say “a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step”. I really enjoy watching TFL in its various forms and try to never miss a show especially when you do something with Land rovers, I’ve had mine for 43yrs now, my first car and she’s still rolling. Saying that I do like a little comfort and I am now on my fourth American car. 1stEl Camino, 2nd was aMercury grand marquis, 3rd Lincoln Navigator, very nice but petrol was $7 gallon, now on a Lincoln mkc, much better on UK and European roads. All the best for the future guys.
Tommy, you have good instincts. You just need opportunities to gain experience. And right now, you and many of us have time to learn new skills. Best thing is, you have lots of fans who are willing to give you a helping hand even virtual.
If it's just cold solder joints, you might have been able to reflow them yourself, but at least you have working heat now.
i love watching videos here. old cars like that need some tlc. one thing at a time i was told by my dad when i got in-to working on cars.
I've always wanted to be one of three people! :D
This wasn't quite how I envisioned it..... :P
Thanks for the awesome content! This is basically how I learned, too: forums, videos, and something to fix/diagnose. A few years later and my hobby has grown nicely! This is a long journey of growth, frustration, and learning. If you want to make your evolution into a gearhead AND invite us along to learn and grow with you, please do! I only got into hobby mechanic work because of a friend of mine that raced and worked on his project car. In exchange for an extra pair of hands and some company, I helped with suspension work, brake work, an engine swap, and more. Now I do most of my own work and my car is all the better for it.
I am only here because someone reached out and showed me that it wasn't impossible, intimidating, complicated, or mysterious. I was given an introduction into the world of machinery and what once seemed daunting now seems like a baby project. You could use this platform to do the same for many, and watching you tackle this was inspiring! You will always find headaches, you will always wish you had more tools, and you will always feel incredible when something is better or fixed because you figured it out and made it happen. Good luck! :D
I actually love this car. Everything about it is just so nice looking.
Good work, Tom
I believe you solved the riddle of why my center vents don't blow since my compressor is not belted up and I always got nothing out of the two middle buttons.Since I live in WA we rarely turn it on, where here you simply open the windows for AC. Where as heat is a different story. Glad my heat works fine. '85 300D
Tommy This will be the best made car you will ever drive. Enjoy the classic 300D I had the wagon version of this car for many happy years.
I've got a 79 300 d. Can't wait to see more videos on your w123
I have always tried to work on my vehicles over the years.. But now with you tube and the internet it is a lot easier to do. I have fixed everything on my latests one by watching 50s kid and Nathans BMW garage.Have fun and keep making the videos
The automatic-climate-control systems on the 300D are a *very* common failure. Same with the cruise-control "amplifier" (really it's an electronic controller, but they call it an amplifier for some reason.) And the vacuum system is so complicated that it can fool you into thinking you have transmission issues -- when all you really have is a vacuum leak that's causing the transmission to shift weirdly. Those 4-speed automatic transmissions almost never break -- they're amazingly reliable if you do the maintenance regularly.
Wow beginners luck. It’s that feeling that you get from fixing it yourself that is addictive and makes you want to keep doing more.
Applaud you in trying this along with being upfront with the viewers too! Did you illumination aof it at the same time? Learning to work on your on vehicle is beneficial especially if you decide to do more 4x4 trails.
Illumination works on one side lol!
*Way* more than 3 people will care, for sure! Glad you got this fixed!
This is my absolute favorite style of Mercedes Benz. You can tell these cars were built to last and not to a price point.
Small fixes are sometimes the most rewarding 💪
Your W123 is in really nice shape. It's a classic, and nice ones are getting harder to find.
I've owned two W123s and loved them. I regret selling my 81 240D. I currently own a W116 300SD. It's a work in progress to restore it.
If you don't already know Mercedessource, I highly recommend checking them out. They are dedicated and specialize in these old Mercedes. They have tons of kits and manuals.
Awesome video. Many childhood memories with my father in our 1983 300D Turbo Diesel.
Haha I replaced my CCU on my 84’ 300D about a year ago and it came in the same box. It was my first car back when I turned 16, (I’m 21 now so it wasn’t THAT long ago) but it’s still my daily and I’ve learned so much about my old diesel. Don’t worry because they’re not too difficult to work on.
Great job Tommy. There are few things more satisfying that fixing something yourself. I hope you and the TFL family keep safe and healthy
Congratulations dude, I'm sure your a lot more handy than you think, I mean you fixed that problem without a hitch! Job well done and your old ride there, she's a real beauty....
Wanna check out more of your DIY projects, keep up the confidence bigdog!
I had an '81 and an '89. Both had their control panels replaced UNDER WARRANTY because they were defective. That's yet another example of the true "quality" of so-called German "engineering". As you know, there is a great deal of info. available on the maintenance and repair of these vehicles. Best of luck and have fun.
On my w126 the a/c didn't work because the plug for the compressor clutch was bad. These w123s have a completely different compressor that is much easier to deal with than on the w126. Best of luck when you're trying to get the a/c going. The climate control also works better on automatic mode when the a/c is working. I didn't know that until the a/c worked on mine. I love it when you make videos on this car. It is in fantastic shape and that 5 cylinder diesel sounds fantastic.
These are wonderfully designed cars. Engineered to be worked on. All you need are a couple of special wrench for doing the valve adjustments an a vacuum tool. Kent at Mercedes Source is awesome Pierre Hedary Classics is terrific
I had an 84 in Black, loved that car!
Nice work Tommy. So 265.00 for the part. It would be interesting for you to have included an estimate from a shop for the repair. Not only what they would have charged for the part with their mark up but the labor estimate as well seeing that it took you less than an hour to complete it. I am guessing 400 to 500???? Are you curious enough to make the call and see how much your handy work saved you? I think beginning wrenchers would be curious.
Tommy, I have three of these beauties (two CD Coupes and a wagon). Best thing you can do for these cars is to just use them... and keep the door check straps, sunroof, electric antenna, and window regulators lubricated. (and of course stay up with oil changes!) You WILL lose a belt tensioner at about every 110,000 miles, same for the water pump if you don't use a quality lube impregnated water. However, the water pump will give warnings before failure. Keep an eye on motor mounts (every 100k or so check them) and you will have to rebuild the transmission at about 250,000 miles. Other than that, all WAY cheaper than buying a new piece of junk every 5 years, losing thousands in the process, and missing the joy of riding behind the 3-pointed star.... Dennis, Golden, CO
You learning how to work on an old car is more important than you realize. Fewer and fewer people are being taught this skill these days, despite what we see on HOTROD TV etc..... recommend diving in head first, getting greasy, getting frustrated to no end, etc.... There is a ton of experience to obtain. One of these days, there will not be anyone around who knows anything about this stuff and these old machines will just rot away in museums. All JMO of course. Think long term. Really long.
Beautiful! I am seeing you from Madeira Island, Portugal! I have a W123 300D, too! Have fun!
I'm 16 right now, and no matter what the new generation says, I don't care, this Mercedes is just a dream! Always wanted one
I know this model as i used to have one. The ac blows in all 4 vents but center is also for fresh air. Put the ac in auto mode and see if the compressor clutch is being activated ( this is the metal plate on the front of the compressor) if not engaging the compressor is possibly dead. Also out of freon. After you get the AC running keep it in automatic mode so the compressor doesn't dry out. (Bearings go bad from not using.
Luckily Tommy, (imo) this is probably the most reliable vehicle ever built save for the electrical gremlins like you just conquered. I had faith you could do it. Beautiful car btw.
Great job, nothing like the satisfaction of fixing something yourself!
This made me so happy. YES! IT WORKED!
I can see a lot of new things come because if the Coronavirus. Learning new things, trying different ways to make money, and possibly market segments disappearing and created. The healthcare system has had some amazing improvements and new ideas.
I absolutely LOVE the sound of the engine 😍
I'd love to see more videos like this Tommy. Love your old 300D too.
I have a 79 and absolutely love the car! Great video!
Found one of these sitting in a field. Am trying to start it. I have wanted one for sooooo long
Those plastic pry tools in a set....are a god send to those of us who for decades had to bend and flatten an old screwdriver and hope for the best.
I had an 84 that looked exactly like yours and sold it last week. I loved it for 7 years but last year the vacuum system basically crashed. Then a lot of little things started going wrong and Iit became a money pit.Good luck! I enjoyed it when it ran great.
Welcome to the reality of MB.
Tommy this car is awesome!!!! i'm jealous!! keep doing these type of creative content videos whilst corona is about! more vids please! great job many ever since you and the others joined your dad and nathan in presenting for TFL the channel has grown in such an amazing direction. Without TFL, i would be in a miserable place in quarantine and life! keep up the good work loved the video.(i love 300d's)
Thanks for the kind words!
Great job man! You’re awesome, love your videos
just stumbled on this channel, amazing work Tommy! Pride and joy.
I am also tidying up a W126 280SE, featured in my channel :)
Big love for the Mercedes built in that era.
Nicely done Tommy!
Love these old car’s!
Learned to drive on one of those. Would love to have one
im also a fan of the old mercedes, i got a 96 e290 turbo diesel which runs great but i want one from the 80's for those bottle cap wheels. love your review of it from last year and im glad you are taking good care of it.
Tommy, nice change of content and still interesting. Suggest you invest in a compact camping ‘headlight’ for all your wrenching in future, thus freeing up both hands and given line-of-sight vision.
You don’t need natural “mechanical ability” to work on a car. I decided years ago that if someone else can do it, I can learn to as well. Just be patient, pay attention to what you are doing and as you get into bigger jobs....labels are your friend. The difference between a mechanic and a regular joe is having the patience and confidence to fix the little issues that arise when a job doesn’t go as planned. When you get stumped just talk things through, go back to basics of how the thing works.
GOOD LUCK, post a comment if you need advice.
Why working on a car in first place when there are other people who can do the job better?
@@ldmtag My truck has too many problems to pay a mechanic to fix them all. 😃
Василий Мельник for the satisfaction of learning something and fixing it yourself.
Stay healthy - beautiful Benz bro!
You should try opening up your unit and fixing the solder joints. If you get it fixed, return the unit you bought.
Great job, Tommy!
Congrats
Thanx . I , friends and family have owned many w123. I don’t currently own one but I would get one again if the opportunity arises. Again thank u for taking the time to make these videos.
Great taste in classic cars! one of my favorites! Looking forward to more fix it videos! Thanks for doing this one!!