new to forum and need help with an 18 year old w124

[Guest angela]

I got handed down a w124 made in may 1991 from my grandpa last August.

since then i've had to change the exhaust due to it burning out and dropping off, new air-con compressor and valve, brake pads and calipers and even fixing three doors.

but lately the car seem to be unable to change from the 4th gear to the 5th or it just cannot go any faster than 130km/h. it used to go pretty fast. i've hit 180km/h with it before. its a 2.0 litre.

anyone knows whats wrong with it? is 1000 rpm idling speed normal? i step it abit too hard, the rpm will go super high ard 4k to 4.5k but the speed is just very slow, ard 40km/h.. please advise?

thank you so much.

[Guest 9339]

:welcome: xphenos

Sorry i am not too good in W124, our old schoo; bro will reply to you shortly.

Calling Keltanky, g8crasher.....

[Guest calp]

I got handed down a w124 made in may 1991 from my grandpa last August.

but lately the car seem to be unable to change from the 4th gear to the 5th or it just cannot go any faster than 130km/h. it used to go pretty fast. i've hit 180km/h with it before. its a 2.0 litre.

anyone knows whats wrong with it? is 1000 rpm idling speed normal? i step it abit too hard, the rpm will go super high ard 4k to 4.5k but the speed is just very slow, ard 40km/h.. please advise?

thank you so much.

I believe our "experts" will give a better insight, but as far as I know, w124s (e200 probably?) don't have the 5th gear ratio. The gearbox is a 4-speed type...

My car's idling rpm is ard 800.

And according to your description, it looks like something is wrong with the transmission; because there is thunder (4000 rpm), but there isn't any rain (only 40 km/h) :tongue1:

[g8crasher]

Hi Xphenos,

calp is right. W124 is equipped with a 4 speed transmission.

If it doesn't shift right, it could be due to your valve body which needs to get swapped out. Last time I got stuck on 3rd and it refused to upshift. $400 will buy you a used valve body excluding labour charges.

1,000rpm idle is too high. Sounds like there is a possible vacuum leak somewhere in the system ? Can be anything from a worn seal at the throttle body, idle control valve...

Shouldn't be an expensive fix.

[Guest angela]

hey thanks all for the quick replies!

any shops to recommend? is it better to get the parts from a stockist and then repair or just go to the shop?

[keltanky]

:welcome: Xphenos

our W124's gearbox is only 4 forward speed!

by the way, our cars are TANKS, have to let gather speed before you can get loads of the power., believe you do see iD show, if you remember what the older bro teach the younger bro on the pedal, you will know what i mean..

for your idling rpm, is it with air-con "ON"?? or w/o? if ON, its considered high, you will get HIGH FC, better go to workshop ask them adjust your CO.

your 05/91 is a 8V. CO is very impt to 8Vs cars.

for your high rev, its due to car slowly picking up, and your eagerness so you could have depress the pedal again, causing it to try drop gears again, hence causing it to high rev.

if all else fails, like what g8crasher, its your valve body issue.., best its go for a gearbox overhaul, sure you will like it!!

do come for our activities!!! :thumbsup:

[Guest clarkewan]

i would send my car to get my gear box checked if i am u...

:D

[Guest angela]

alright. i'm sending it for a check up on wednesday will see how it goes.

thanks for the invite! do u guys meet at the kallang car park or something?

its with the aircon on btw.

i think something must have gone wrong.

cos it happened on my way back from KL. the car suddenly couldn't go any faster than 90km/h

but i parked it when i got back and the next day evening i drove it. it had abit more power. just that now its abi weird.

is 3.5k rpm normal for ard 100 to 110km/h?

[g8crasher]

3.5k rpm sounds normal :thumbsup:

[Guest sy69u]

alright. i'm sending it for a check up on wednesday will see how it goes.

thanks for the invite! do u guys meet at the kallang car park or something?

its with the aircon on btw.

i think something must have gone wrong.

cos it happened on my way back from KL. the car suddenly couldn't go any faster than 90km/h

but i parked it when i got back and the next day evening i drove it. it had abit more power. just that now its abi weird.

is 3.5k rpm normal for ard 100 to 110km/h?

yes, we do meet up on every last sunday of the month at kallang leisure dome open air carpark. do join us for it or better still, our 'little' mini meet-up during the other days.... not too many cars but more than 10 but less than 20 cars.......

[keltanky]

alright. i'm sending it for a check up on wednesday will see how it goes.

thanks for the invite! do u guys meet at the kallang car park or something?

its with the aircon on btw.

i think something must have gone wrong.

cos it happened on my way back from KL. the car suddenly couldn't go any faster than 90km/h

but i parked it when i got back and the next day evening i drove it. it had abit more power. just that now its abi weird.

is 3.5k rpm normal for ard 100 to 110km/h?

3.5k rpm its a bit whiskers high but ok for a normal 8V engine w/o changing a 16V axle!, (still need to check CO!!)

if 8V w a 16V axle, can get 3K to 3.25K for spd ard 100 to 110km/h.

hmmm more power after clearing carbon?? hehehehe

when the car can't go any faster than 90km/h, what's was the rpm??

[Guest angela]

whats CO? Carbon? haha! erm/ it was high. ard 90km/h i was looking at abt 4k rpm. i was so afraid of having to tow the car home as it was like 8pm near malaaca then.

its normal to hear loud engine sounds? like when going up slope in a mcp.

[Guest angela]

oh and i heard that a gear box overhaul costs abt 2.3k! whoa. im pretty broke after i changed the axles for abt 3.7k

[Guest angela]

oh btw when are the mini meet ups? its so nice to talk to people who understand the beauty of the OVER ENGINEERED w124s. HAHA!

[keltanky]

done mine $1.8K!, its abt $1.7K to $2K max, I think...

you changed your axles, to which type? 8V types or 16Vs??

wow, 90km at 4k rpm, NO GOOD NO GOOD!!!!! better do what clarkwan said go for gearbox overhaul.

when hear the sounds when going up slop in mcp, is it exhaust note or clicking sounds??

mine is exhaust note... hehehehe :censored: :censored:

[Guest angela]

not sure which type. its the wheel axles. the double axles if im not wrong. cos the axles were changed by my uncle. haha! i also changed the rims and tires to the apparently lighter sport rims. and im using michelin energy tires.

like engine bubbling sound. like as if the engine is working super hard. haha! its got like 333,400km on it.

wow. gear box over haul.

sounds tempting.

however the car seems to be normal now leh just abit noisy. maybe i send for check up and servicing and then see how.

[Guest jameslhm]

Xphenos, bro check whether the previsous owner have chnger the gear box

[Guest Mike]

might be a valve body problem. does ur gear change slip? if it slips den its the auto gear clutch problem.