I just cant get over how every one of these cars is designed to be difficult and overly complex, but then use 1960s era stuff in other places. I just could not justify the tool costs to work on them. Also, the baffling ordeal that is StarTek.

Cheap ass owners too. every one.


The service position IS a very nice feature though.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1602262926.jpg

This shows the hood in service position. You remove the bolt holding hinge to hood, then move the hood so the hinge lines up with other hole. Repeat on other side.

To each his own experiences I guess. JR is a huge fan of the D2 S8, and while it’s a great car I still find my MB products to be better made and engineered. All sorts of stupid associated with how Audi designs their cars, and I had far more issues with my two S8s including a transmission.

As far as the Chevy/GMC service position, I’m not sure I count unbolting the hood hinge as a service position. By that measure every car could have a service position.;)

Damn, I own two of these trucks, and probably work on 4 or more every week, and never knew this.
Learn something new every day

Btw Yasin I freaking love your R129. I still want one. Wish I had more garage space.

Having worked on both many times, I wish Audi was built more like a GM truck.

Audi service position you ask?

Remove whole front of car. No joke.

The guys that used to service my Audis could do that in an hour, no big deal. I’m going to be doing my S8, this fall, maybe over the winter.

Make sure you get one that has no issues with the Eleventyseven hydraulic bits that are in the convertible top.

They all do that if you don't latch it properly and drive fast enough :D

To be fair, if you’re paying a mechanic for much of your work you don’t have much perspective on this topic.

Eh, the top isn't that big of a deal-like 800 for parts and 10 hrs or so work. Gotta be careful with the switches etc.

As to StarTek, yeah, its a cluster but there are $400 clones out there now that make it affordable and usable.

I still love the cars. Its just the oddball stuff. I get the power inside mirror was so that everything synched with the memory. But really, just cause you can do stuff doesn't mean you should. All that said, my 2 m120s have been mechanically bulletproof. The suspension eats rubber parts, but that's what happens when you combine isolation with performance and weight.

But don't get me started on ads...

True, but there's also weak fasteners that break when you look at them wrong, almost always broken under panels, Cheap ass third world country made plastic everything..

two words...

Alabama Trashcan

I make good money fixing Audis :D

My daily is a E46 wagon, btw. Along with the E39, the last really well built BMWs. All I do is change the oil.

No, what I was saying was that the convertible top mechanisms on those cars are controlled by hydraulics. Lots and lots of hydraulic actuators. I seem to recall there being 12 of them. And they all have to work in a very specific order.

Thanks Matt, its been a great car.

In the upcoming weeks, I plan to do some exhaust work to it, to give the M119 a little more flow and get that V8 to bark a bit.

Appreciate the info thanks .

Agreed but they aren’t known for being super problematic. Also there are multiple companies that rebuild the cylinders for very reasonable prices.

Btw I still have those D2 S8 timing tools and a few extra parts like good used coil packs, lug bolts, and cabin air filter set. Yours if you can use them.

I did a resonator delete on my SL63 and freaking love it. Perfect sound, just the right noise level, and no drone. $150 very well spent.

Well, actually, they are known to be problamatic. They all fail at some point. The cylinders are available for around $800 exchange, and its 10-16 hrs to diy it. But its not easy-there are microswitches subject to damage, and it can be a giant pain if it doesn't communicate properly with the control module. Also, there are a bunch of e clips that hold stuff together that have a habit of flying off into the bowels of the car.
The good news is that you can operate the top manually-its not easy and not a long term situation, but if caught with an immobile top it can be opened or closed.

Well by that measure every system on every car ever made can be considered problematic.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm still settling into the new digs, I'll get started on the S8 at some point this fall. I had the headliner out to recover it when I moved, I need to get that back in first. I'll probably do all the hoses (at least those that I can still buy) and all the other little crap that will be exposed when doing the cam belts. I don't want to be back in there again. Much like what you did with your last one... Still undecided about the trans fluid change...

I'm just trying to point out one of the things on those cars that you need to be careful of... It's not like a relatively simple system that just has a couple manual latches and electric motors. Something you definitely need to examine on any car you consider.

I used to wince when I operated the top and all of the popping and banging started. If you've never sat in one and operated the top, your first time it will get your attention.

Have always loved this feature on all of my W124s

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1602351541.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1602351541.jpg

I always liked the looks of the W124. One of Bruno Sacco’s finest designs...

I liked that color when they came out with it, too.

well go ahead and change the headlight unit on that modern Merc . Have fun with it cause the benefit of that fancy hood won't help you do that job, at all.

Maybe a coincidence but the transmission on my 90k D2 S8 failed about 1,000 miles after I changed the transmission fluid and filter. Pretty sure it had never been changed.

Yeah, that is what concerns me. What exactly failed inside your transmission?

I don’t remember exactly it’s been a few years. I seem to recall a fluid pump and failure related to the throttle body.

Valve body?

Doh! Yes valve body.

I loved my A8, but what sent it to the donation yard was, believe it or not, a starter. Was like a 1500 job, on top of control arms (unrelated) and a bunch of sensors that lit the dash up but meant nothing. It was a great car until 180k, and then it imploded all at once.

I am sad to see this one go. The navy was a great combination, loved my wagon. If I could find this red, I'd get one in a heartbeat.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1602380272.jpg



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1602380272.jpg

I think the W124 is a timeless design. I wish I had bought a 500E when they could be had for under $20k.

You and me both. I’d love to have a 92 model. I’m a bigger fan of the pre-face lift cars, I think.

I’ve been researching the failure points on these transmissions and I’ve got a question for you. If you can remember back that far, can you list the symptoms you had when you first noticed a problem with the transmission? Bonus points if you can be specific as to which gears, transmission hot or transmission cold, that sort of thing.

Flare and then bang into gear, particularly bad from a start. The worst was starting on an incline where the car might roll backwards slightly, when I applied throttle it would slip and then bang into gear. It also did that on a stop on an incline. It also would flare shifts but that was intermittent. I believe it was worse when hot. In tiptronic mode it was far better behaved, far worse when driving in automatic.

Just ‘cause you did t know about it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there..,

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1606069030.jpg

Mercedes makes it easy when doing a motor swap! this is my 84' 280CE that I pulled the seized M110 motor and swapped in a turbo diesel OM617a in to.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1606070114.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1606070114.JPG