My wife called me on the telephone earlier this week to notify me that, without warning, our W124 Mercedes sedan began making an awful noise at a red light. She pulled over and turned it off immediately to avoid further damage, and reported that the coolant temperature and oil pressure were...

If you own a W123, W124, W201, or W126 Mercedes, there is a replacement item lurking in your dashboard that can be the cause of great heart (and wallet) ache if it finally decides to give out on you. The part I'm speaking about is the ignition lock cylinder, and when it finally breaks, you will...

Discussing tires elicits different responses from different people. Some people will leap headfirst into a discussion about what brands they like the most, what tread patterns and season designs they have had the most luck with, and what places offer the best deals. Others, though, will have a...

One of the more annoying “features” of Mercedes automobiles between the 70's and 90's is the use of an external fader switch for the radio. Specifically in the W124 model, the radio only has one left and one right channel, which are split front and rear by the fader in the center console. While...

A multimeter is cheap if you need one for infrequent use Electrical problems can be extremely frustrating, especially if you have limited experience troubleshooting and chasing them. One way to save yourself a lot of time and trouble is to first verify that all of your vehicles' ground...

Often while working on our automotive suspension systems, it becomes necessary to remove coil springs from the equation. This is the case any time you need to work on components that are loaded by the coil, such as a Macpherson strut, or control arm. These coils hold up hundreds of pounds of...

  My pre-facelift W124 sedan   The W124 model Mercedes automobiles went through a few exterior design revisions throughout their history, most notably to the front and rear. My 1990 model was perfect for me, because I wanted to facelift the rear (I won't venture to make up a term for this), but...

The gas engines in early VW Rabbits and Golfs are very solid. Many of them have made their way beyond 300,000 miles (as is the case with our model for this article). They continue to work day in and day out to provide great value to their owners. Maintenance on these engines is not usually a back...

Rust is a dirty word. I've had my share of rusty automobiles, and have come to learn that it isn't necessarily a death sentence for your car. Living with a rusty car can be a pain at times, but if you are comfortable with your own repair abilities, or at least willing to know when enough is...

The tell tale coil- Rex ignition coils are easily identified and are usually mounted on the driver strut mount. I have always been a Volvo man. My first car was an 83 240 wagon, which according to the state, I still own... (always keep your plates at the time of sale). I graduated from...