XJ40 free to good home.

Not too sure about the 190E, but if they're hewn from the same block
of granite as the W124 shape E class then the diff can gradually get
noisier and noisier prior to it letting go completely at higher miles,
and given it tends to afflict all W124s in the end coupled with the
fact people tend to bother to repair them rather than scrap them, a
replacement diff tends to be a tad expensive.

I looked at a mint L reg E280 a few months ago... test drove it and it
drove superb.

Had just agreed a price as we bimbled along some country lanes as part
of the test drive, and then hit a local dual carriageway - within 2
minutes of getting it up to motorway speeds, what sounded like a very
loud and getting louder wheel bearing kicked in.

Moral of the story is... always give them a decent test drive before
parting with any cash, and make sure you get the diff nice and hot by
way of a run like the above.

I believe the gearboxes can give grief later in life as well, together
with failing leccy window motors etc.

Other than that and a tendency to sprout a few scabs of rot, they're
very solid and *very* nice to drive.

 

Righto. Honest John mentions the rear axle too, I've just found.

Bugger. The diff, I assume, otherwise not really a problem if it was a wheel
bearing?

There's always a good choice on eBay so I'll look out for "the one". Ta.

 

Aye, the diff.

If in doubt, once you're driving along and the drone has kicked in,
sway the car from side to side - a wheel bearing will get louder and
softer depending on how much of the cars bulk is pushing against it,
whereas as the drone from a diff will stay relatively constant, with
it only varied by the speed at which you're travelling and how hot
it's become.

Bear in mind they're not the most frugal of cars as well.

An old Audi 100 / A6 2.5 TDI is probably a better choice, but then the
price reflects and they have their own particular brand of expensive
mechanical failures.

 

In

Head gasket popped.

Best one to go for is a 300E.

This 190E is nice spec but I just can't be bothered fixing it at the moment.

--
Pete M - Using the Scouse Side of the Force -
Golf GTi (Dead),
Mercedes 190E Auto (also dead)
OMF#9

Currently listening to the 747s "Zampano"

 

In

I'm a bit of a perv like that.


--
Pete M - Using the Scouse Side of the Force -
Golf GTi (Dead),
Mercedes 190E Auto (also dead)
OMF#9

Currently listening to the 747s "Zampano"

 

Pah! Is that all?

Especially if you like watching the fuel gauge move down before your eyes.
When I had a 2.3l Volvo I told myself I'd drive it sensibly but it just
seemed rude not to make the most of all those ccs. 18mpg, I think. Oops.

Nearly summer though. When it will be much too hot to change head gaskets,
of course.

 

In

The 300E /should/ get somewhere between 22 and 30 mpg driven semi sensibly..

I've stripped half the head down but just not got round to finishing it.
I'll do it once I've rebuilt the Golf..

--
Pete M - Using the Scouse Side of the Force -
Golf GTi (Dead),
Mercedes 190E Auto (also dead)
OMF#9

Currently listening to the 747s "Zampano"

 

OK, it's now on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140104716086

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Falling apart) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer