Thank you guys so much for coming on the first (of many to come) journey on this channel! Your viewership and support means the world to me ❤ For those wondering, some mechanical info on the cars: Both of us had AC installed (Andrew's was aftermarket however) but neither worked. In Greece before setting off we had both systems examined by a mechanic, and again in Thessaloniki. We didn't have time to troubleshoot and order parts to fix it along the way sadly. As for Joe's fan, after the trip we determined that the issue was due to a faulty temperature sensor on the top of the engine that's only present on the 200 E. It wasn't reading properly, thus not kicking in the fan clutch, which turned out to work fine! Both cars are back in Thessaloniki now being worked on, and Joe is undergoing a full restoration! We hope to be able to show you guys Joe all fixed up and factory fresh :)
Next time you need to drive an overheating car: The trick is to leave the cooling system unpressurized by leaving the filler-cap loosely in the decompression-position. Then just refill as it evaporates, and all the old hoses have a better chance without pressure. It will guarantee it never gets over 100C. And the fan should just have a screw or 3 in the gap between the clutch and fan, more reliable than tape in the long run. And the most reliable W124 are the diesels, my own did a 710000km before I sold it.
Romanian here! And a proud owner of a '94 e200! If i had the time and money i would have loved to join your crazy trip! I may not have to bother with breakdowns as my car is perfect in that regard, but i would have for sure ruined your x2 blue car combo, as mine is purple! Good luck with the trip, and take care! Those cars are tanks, but they need a bit of attention. I've always said that they will take care of you as good as you take care of them! P.S. i'm proud that you experienced the hospitality of romanian people while in the capital city, Bucharest, and that you could continue the the trip without much inconvenience!
@@alexstromberg7696 well, if you are a fan of stereotypes i am here to say that we will be happy when all of swedish people will perform suicide, because you all are depresive,no? If this isn t true maybe you can also make your small brain understand that only a small percent of romanians(most of them gipsies) are beggers or thieves, the rest of us are very nice people that will always help and be kind with everyone.
Great video. You must have had a blast filming this. As a Brit, and an editor that cut my teeth in the 00s on UK TV shows, there are many Top Gear/Grand Tour vibes going on; it's a fun watch, albeit a format that has been flogged to death. Do more of this, find your own format and style, think less about what Clarkson and Andy Wilman would do (and say) and be confident in your own creative direction. Looking forward to the next one.
I still drive my 1998 w210 e200 Kompressor and travelling in that car is just something else. Mercedes-Benz really put some effort into the seats and ergonomics. I always get out of the car quite well rested. I've done 900km at once in it and felt alright. In other cars I usually get lower back pain, shoulder pain etc.
dude im daily driving 1986 w124 300e automatic. its incredibly durable. longest road trip Ankara, Turkey to St. Petersburg, Russia and back. Its 8000 km and no problem.
That thing you encountered with the random help is exactly why many central/eastern europeans don't like westen europe as much as the westerners think. Yes, it's objectively better in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark or whatnot than it is in Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, you name it. But there's a creativity to the people that you just don't have in the west, because in the west the systems just 'work'. In the east, you have to go through loopholes and be a little cheeky sometimes to get to what you need. And that has a value too.
What is ''objective better '' in FraNce OR gERMANY then the Croatia or Serbia , or Turkey ? its worst at least 20 times , regards such a trips and simmilar Adventures .
watched the last epsiode of TGT today and although that show is over, I'm grateful for youtube creators that keeps the spirit alive with amazing fresh content!
10:10 The only reason mechanics said you might not make it is because they totally forgot that this is how people used to travel 30 years ago, these cars are the far precedessors and grandpas of todays vehicles so ofcourse they don't mind the lengthy distances! I know this cause my parents have owned a Golf mk3 1.9 SDI since 2007 and have had absolutely no serious issues over the years till this day, the car has about 600000km by now surely and still fires up on the turn of the key. Cars back then were just built different especially the W124 and W123s, I've heard nothing but good things about them. Also I love how well edited this series is, you guys did a stunning job with everything! Safe trips ❤
The real reason is that cars rot with age, all the rubber components and wear items on a 35 year old car are going to be shot. Compound this with the fact that they’ve probably been sitting before the trip without being driven, bearings and bushing wear out even faster without regular use. Cars in museums may seem shiny and new but the reality is that they’re in need of a full mechanical rebuild from sitting so long without being used.
I'd drive my 94 passat across Europe in a heartbeat given the opportunity. It's done 525k km with it's little 1.8 8v. People don't realize less sensors, computers and emissions control -> higher reliability.
to keep the fan running all the time, unplug the sensor (on the front of the engine ) and ground it to the engine block. that keeps the fan running all the time. Boiling the guts out of the 200 shows how good the engnines are as it kept running.
I bought a $1500 '91 300SE several years ago as a college/beater car, and to this day has been wonderful. The car has a soul, it has quirks, but it just keeps running and driving. Over the past 3 years I've put about 20k miles on the working odometer with around $500 in maintenance and repair items along the way. Genuinely an excellent car from an excellent manufacturer in arguably the best era of automotive engineering.
That would be nice to know. As bad as they are, they probably won't pass inspection in germany without lots of money, so they'll probably end up in the junkyard, scrap, or sold for nothing and sent back to more forgiving countries.
Great series, but crazy that you guys did this with no tools. Fan clutch repair would have only taken an hour and you could have probably fixed the AC! For the next trip I think it would make good content to try and fix whatever goes wrong yourselves
As inspiration, I suggest you watch some old Roadkill videos and pay particular attention to the tools they bring and the common repairs they need to make in the road. Anyone can do it, it just takes a bit of knowledge and the proper materials
We did have tools, and it turned out that the fan clutch wasn't the problem, it was a temperature sensor. We looked at buying parts for AC, for cooling system etc, but nobody we could find had locally available parts and the main issue was the timing
Ah my mistake for assuming then lol. I’m sure you had reasons for cutting it but it would have been cool to see some more of the diagnostic process and the problem solving related to that
@@themiddlelanelm The plug to the coolant temperature sensor could have just been latched, and then the clutch would have been on all the time. :) A bit worse on the I6 2,6l and 3l as they have a viscose clutch
Good job boys - you really captured the spirit of the TG road trips while also adding your own twist. I’m looking forward to the next adventure. Cheers!
Why not just fix the fan? While I understand the original part may not be available anymore, there are a lot of aftermarket universal electrical fans with temperature sensor you stick in the radiator and it will be a good option.
I bought a 2001 E430 a few years ago before the used car market went nuts after Covid. I paid $4k for a really clean 2 owner car sight unseen off of Autotrader with 148k miles on it and had it shipped about 1000 miles. I have put about 25000 miles on it in 3 years and have driven it almost coast to coast.
Had exactly the same issue 3 weeks ago in Munich with our 200TE. The issue was the temperature sensor, they break and the fan (which is electrically switched on) was not coming on. You can short the sensor, kicking the fan in. But your solution is far more elegant! :-) I'm now carrying duct tape everywhere! Keep up the good work, love the channel! edit; these engines love to drink oil. When the light comes on, you just fill it up.
That was a great watch. Definitely worthy of another part in the... series? I do recommend gathering some basic old car knowledge though, would have helped a lot. Also, pumping the gas does not help to start your car. Slowly depressing it up until halfway will. Time to take that Merc to the US!
"My brakes won't work for the downhill". Andrew, if you were planning to use your brakes downhill rather than shifting down, they definitely wouldn't work by the end of the hill :D
Thanks so much! I really enjoyed both part 1 & 2 of your fabulous trip. As a W124 200E owner myself (2nd owner 200.000Km dealer maintained) I could relate to the issues you guys encountered.
Great roadtrip guys, and great video! I'm so impressed by the honesty and authenticity of the mini-series, which is perfectly judged in my opinion. I didn't feel rushed or confused by constant jump cuts, and faux quirky jokes, like on so many channels these days, and i enjoyed every last second. The banter and "sabotage" was kept at a perfect level, where i wasn't in doubt of your genuine friendship and enjoyment of both the trip and the company. If i have one criticism, it's that you're making me regret buying a Volvo V70 instead of the 1993 W124 320TE i was looking at 😂 Keep being such great guys and I'll be looking forward to the next video 👌👌
Great video! It felt a lot like a Top Gear/Grand Tour special, there were so many connections. I find it amusing that this was released on the same day as the last Grand Tour special.
great roadtrip guys! i have done this roadtrip from Berlin to Athens in 24 hours including 2 hours break with a Mercedes.Those machines are beasts!The older the better!!Greetings to Greece from Berlin!!!🟣💡💺🤭💬
I had the same problem with the fan on my W126 one day. I threaded a couple of screws between the fan and the coupling - ran it like that for a good week or so until I could replace the coupling. Love the W124 and to road trip in two of them with some good friends is like a bucket list item - hope you had a blast and we enjoyed watching!
Here in Singapore w124s were very popular but are mostly scrapped due to our 10 year permits that currently costs 82000 USD. The remaining ones are going very very strong. Most of us have 200e because of our expensive road tax. It might be underpowered up to 80 but with that short final drive we can cruise along at 150kmph just fine! Fuel delivery systems are the most fragile in these cars which can contribute to poor fuel economy and bad cold starts. To tackle the cooling issues we convert our w124s to electric fan. You will never get past 88 degrees c over an hours jam at 36 degrees with the AC on. Plus the clutch fan takes away some power from the engine so you get slightly better performance, an added bonus!
Fun fact, the entire fuel system in my car was replaced before the start of this journey, it had completely rotted away before that Good idea on converting the fan to an electric one! Thank you for watching!
Excellent...just found you on recommended...I live in a Spain and very pleased to do so 🙄...two cars...an elderly VW Polo 1.4 16 valve and an even older chassis 124 Litre auto...( there is something very friendly about being on first name terms with the fuel garage attendant 😢)...both did come with full dealer history...( get your wallet out....).... More of your stuff please....it's sooo good 😂
@@AnDrEw17876 I am looking to buy a w124 200e for a week now and you guys have confirmed my decision :) I am from Berlin too so everything adds up well.
i have a w124 for 3 years now (230E) , best car ever... i sold my other american muscle cars ... convert it to fully efi system with adjustable ecu and its now 170 hp, awesome
Welcome to Europe, hope you enjoyed our small roads and quirky villages, i did those roads years ago while crossing from Romania to Portugal hehe Only thing is you should had bought the diesel versions , they are better in fuel . And spend a little of cash and change the fan clutch, they are not expensive
You'd be surprised on how much an extra $500 would have made it easier for you guys also going with a diesel turbo 5 Cylinder I bought one in Florida and drove it back to Ohio.
@@themiddlelanelm Too bad. Thanks for the great videos though. I really enjoyed watching your roadtrip. And when you went to Prague where I'm from, I was like: oh that's nice! :)
yeah the terrible fuel economy is one of the reasons those mechanical fans aren't engaged 100% of the time from factory lol. Crazy that it has a sensor. Old Toyota's just have a viscous coupler that works off the heat in the engine bay, I've had to refill a couple over the years.
Great video guys! The w124 is truely a great car! Joe was a pure trooper! I had a `94 E200 st.wagon 10 years. ago. I bought it with 185.000 miles on the clock. Had to scrap it after my ex crashed it... It had close to 237.000 by then. If it wasn`t for the crash, I`m sure it would still be alive today! I also had a `93 E220 a few years. Unfortunately it had rust in the construction revealed by a work shop, so I had to sell it. But it`s still around waiting to be restored i hope:) Love w124!
Albania is like a heaven for old MB cars, it's where these cars live a second life. And because their quality, MB is the most sold brand on used market. These cars are amazing. My dad has one (w124 E300) as a 2nd car, with 320 tkm, bought 20 years ago with 150 tkm. Still driving like a 🏆. But in you're case I think that the cars were not well taken care of in the past. I've seen W124 with a lot higher mileage than these and in better shape. Nevertheless, great video and adventure 👏
Luke should track down a nice Hammer spec Merc to try next Was also going to ask why they kept flirting with disaster when on several occasions they were literally in shops that could have got them sorted, but the end explained it nicely. Total $ was a factor. Enjoyed this!
What happend to the cars? I would taken home the automatic car, it behaved so well, I couldn't let it go after this, forever friendship! I drive daily a 1998 1.4 Liter A class with 300.000km, never left me stranded, if I had a problem, it still ran, travelled to germany, austria, italy, czechia, croatia etc. many times. Love it even if its not the real thing. I have to get a w124 beside it. Great content! Greethings from Hungary!
So inspiring … now I’m obsessed driving my 1990 w124 230E. Of the three Mercs I own - w210 240E and w204 C200K, I love driving my 230E the most. Truly #thebestornothing ❤️
27:45 This is not a recommended speed limit but a recommended speed. This means that if there is no other speed limit, e.g. 100 km/h, then you should drive at 130 km/h.
The secret to better fuel consumption with these cars is to always change the OVP relay , 5 minutes and 50 euros. These kicks in the engine management system and ensures smoother running
You guys only had to put a wire on the sensor plug and the fan would stay on all the time. That is, if the problem was with the sensor and not the fan clutch! It's usually the sensor!
@@wg7996 narrator: it was indeed the sensor trouble is we only found out it was the sensor a few days after we finished our roadtrip, so we had no idea
I loved this documentary, good to see the truth about the cars. thanks for the nice comments. Maybe a wintertrip from Sweden to Athens in 2 25 year old Saabs is a nice journey. ( I have a 2000 9-5 aero station and a w213 220D)
@@themiddlelanelm no one mentioned attempting to do so but if you did that then great. I was scratching my head as to why no one tried that. Plus from the timeline I gathered on the video the fan issue first happened on a Friday so I figured you had to wait until Monday to get one, but then it was always mentioned about the fan but not trying to source one and finally when the brakes were addressed again no mention of trying to fix the fan.
Luke the editing of this project is incredible. Would love to see more videos like this, maybe some electric car road trips?? Merge the tech and car interests.
Epic adventure in probably one of the best and most recognisable car models of our times, absolutely loved the video and I hope this channel will give us many more videos like this, thank you very much
Had the same problem with the fan..... just placed a single weld point and drove for another 3 years.... without fixing it.... had about 1,7 million kilometers on it when I put it to the scraper.... yeah its a good car, and it's definitely worth the money.....
You guys should of used zip ties for the radiator fan ,trust me, those are super strong and would hold perfectly fine 😉 not tape 😅 Coming from a Romanian guy 🫡👉🧠👌
I traveled with a Golf 2 1.6 TD from Kosovo, through Albania, was in Greece, than back Albania- Montenegro- Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slowakei, Chez RP, Poland and finally in Berlin. With no Problems at all. Last Summer 2024 😃✌🏻
Thank you guys so much for coming on the first (of many to come) journey on this channel! Your viewership and support means the world to me ❤
For those wondering, some mechanical info on the cars: Both of us had AC installed (Andrew's was aftermarket however) but neither worked. In Greece before setting off we had both systems examined by a mechanic, and again in Thessaloniki. We didn't have time to troubleshoot and order parts to fix it along the way sadly. As for Joe's fan, after the trip we determined that the issue was due to a faulty temperature sensor on the top of the engine that's only present on the 200 E. It wasn't reading properly, thus not kicking in the fan clutch, which turned out to work fine! Both cars are back in Thessaloniki now being worked on, and Joe is undergoing a full restoration! We hope to be able to show you guys Joe all fixed up and factory fresh :)
How they returned to Thessaloniki? Again traveling or by lorry?
Obviously Joe won.
Because Σταυρος was over budget.
Τερμα τα ψεματα :P
@@Coen80Ευχαριστώ! Joe was obviously the better car ;)
Next time you need to drive an overheating car: The trick is to leave the cooling system unpressurized by leaving the filler-cap loosely in the decompression-position. Then just refill as it evaporates, and all the old hoses have a better chance without pressure. It will guarantee it never gets over 100C.
And the fan should just have a screw or 3 in the gap between the clutch and fan, more reliable than tape in the long run.
And the most reliable W124 are the diesels, my own did a 710000km before I sold it.
Loving the content! Keep up the fun video's. I don't subscribe that fast to a channel, but this is the good stuff!
Those hubcaps look a lot better then the alloy wheels in my opinion. Great adventure!
*than
@@SantiagoCh01 Bedankt voor het verbeteren van mijn spelfout in het Engels. Hopelijk hebben de andere lezers hier ook heel veel aan.
@@GeppyZ ha ha .
They are actually designed to suck air through the rims to keep the brakes cool .
As someone who has one of these in the same colour as Andrew's with the same hubcaps this pleases me!
Romanian here! And a proud owner of a '94 e200! If i had the time and money i would have loved to join your crazy trip! I may not have to bother with breakdowns as my car is perfect in that regard, but i would have for sure ruined your x2 blue car combo, as mine is purple!
Good luck with the trip, and take care! Those cars are tanks, but they need a bit of attention. I've always said that they will take care of you as good as you take care of them!
P.S. i'm proud that you experienced the hospitality of romanian people while in the capital city, Bucharest, and that you could continue the the trip without much inconvenience!
have you stolen anything outside of LIDL in sweden yet? or are you just begging for change?
@@alexstromberg7696 well, if you are a fan of stereotypes i am here to say that we will be happy when all of swedish people will perform suicide, because you all are depresive,no? If this isn t true maybe you can also make your small brain understand that only a small percent of romanians(most of them gipsies) are beggers or thieves, the rest of us are very nice people that will always help and be kind with everyone.
@@alexstromberg7696awww that's cute!! Did you come with that one yourself?
Stop being such a bigot, not every Romanian is a begger
@@alexstromberg7696 What the fuck is wrong with you
Great video. You must have had a blast filming this. As a Brit, and an editor that cut my teeth in the 00s on UK TV shows, there are many Top Gear/Grand Tour vibes going on; it's a fun watch, albeit a format that has been flogged to death. Do more of this, find your own format and style, think less about what Clarkson and Andy Wilman would do (and say) and be confident in your own creative direction. Looking forward to the next one.
This was an excellent comment to read, thank you so so much for your feedback! (and yes it really was very good to fun to film!)
I still drive my 1998 w210 e200 Kompressor and travelling in that car is just something else. Mercedes-Benz really put some effort into the seats and ergonomics. I always get out of the car quite well rested. I've done 900km at once in it and felt alright. In other cars I usually get lower back pain, shoulder pain etc.
dude im daily driving 1986 w124 300e automatic. its incredibly durable. longest road trip Ankara, Turkey to St. Petersburg, Russia and back. Its 8000 km and no problem.
Absolutely loved the adventure, looking forward to more adventures in classic Mercedes! This had some serious classic Top Gear vibes :D
That thing you encountered with the random help is exactly why many central/eastern europeans don't like westen europe as much as the westerners think.
Yes, it's objectively better in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark or whatnot than it is in Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, you name it. But there's a creativity to the people that you just don't have in the west, because in the west the systems just 'work'. In the east, you have to go through loopholes and be a little cheeky sometimes to get to what you need. And that has a value too.
What is ''objective better '' in FraNce OR gERMANY then the Croatia or Serbia , or Turkey ? its worst at least 20 times , regards such a trips and simmilar Adventures .
@@bartsimpson8616 I wish I understood what you are trying to say :D
watched the last epsiode of TGT today and although that show is over, I'm grateful for youtube creators that keeps the spirit alive with amazing fresh content!
10:10 The only reason mechanics said you might not make it is because they totally forgot that this is how people used to travel 30 years ago, these cars are the far precedessors and grandpas of todays vehicles so ofcourse they don't mind the lengthy distances! I know this cause my parents have owned a Golf mk3 1.9 SDI since 2007 and have had absolutely no serious issues over the years till this day, the car has about 600000km by now surely and still fires up on the turn of the key. Cars back then were just built different especially the W124 and W123s, I've heard nothing but good things about them. Also I love how well edited this series is, you guys did a stunning job with everything! Safe trips ❤
The real reason is that cars rot with age, all the rubber components and wear items on a 35 year old car are going to be shot. Compound this with the fact that they’ve probably been sitting before the trip without being driven, bearings and bushing wear out even faster without regular use. Cars in museums may seem shiny and new but the reality is that they’re in need of a full mechanical rebuild from sitting so long without being used.
I'd drive my 94 passat across Europe in a heartbeat given the opportunity. It's done 525k km with it's little 1.8 8v. People don't realize less sensors, computers and emissions control -> higher reliability.
to keep the fan running all the time, unplug the sensor (on the front of the engine ) and ground it to the engine block. that keeps the fan running all the time. Boiling the guts out of the 200 shows how good the engnines are as it kept running.
Thats the right way to do this.
Its an elektrik clutch .
There us no oil or something.
All 4 Zyl 102 Engines had this System .
love this duo - the humor and how they interact with eachother
I bought a $1500 '91 300SE several years ago as a college/beater car, and to this day has been wonderful. The car has a soul, it has quirks, but it just keeps running and driving. Over the past 3 years I've put about 20k miles on the working odometer with around $500 in maintenance and repair items along the way. Genuinely an excellent car from an excellent manufacturer in arguably the best era of automotive engineering.
What happened to the cars at the end?
That would be nice to know. As bad as they are, they probably won't pass inspection in germany without lots of money, so they'll probably end up in the junkyard, scrap, or sold for nothing and sent back to more forgiving countries.
Ive said this already but the old top gear vibe is really appreciated especially since the last goodbye of the three guys..
Great series, but crazy that you guys did this with no tools. Fan clutch repair would have only taken an hour and you could have probably fixed the AC! For the next trip I think it would make good content to try and fix whatever goes wrong yourselves
As inspiration, I suggest you watch some old Roadkill videos and pay particular attention to the tools they bring and the common repairs they need to make in the road. Anyone can do it, it just takes a bit of knowledge and the proper materials
We did have tools, and it turned out that the fan clutch wasn't the problem, it was a temperature sensor. We looked at buying parts for AC, for cooling system etc, but nobody we could find had locally available parts and the main issue was the timing
Ah my mistake for assuming then lol. I’m sure you had reasons for cutting it but it would have been cool to see some more of the diagnostic process and the problem solving related to that
@@themiddlelanelm The plug to the coolant temperature sensor could have just been latched, and then the clutch would have been on all the time. :) A bit worse on the I6 2,6l and 3l as they have a viscose clutch
Good job boys - you really captured the spirit of the TG road trips while also adding your own twist. I’m looking forward to the next adventure. Cheers!
Being a 380SL, 450Se and soon to be 200 (carb), really appreciate part 1 and 2. Well done gents!!!
only 16k subscribers is crazy
I loved this journey, please make another series of this
Those W124s are beautiful tanks
That was a great route. Pity there was no time to dwell in smaller cities and see the difference between the countries. All the best from Prague !
Amazing journey! I feel like original top gear legacy is living on
Why not just fix the fan? While I understand the original part may not be available anymore, there are a lot of aftermarket universal electrical fans with temperature sensor you stick in the radiator and it will be a good option.
You Guys are the LUCKIEST HUMANS EVER!! Good for you guys! Glad you were able to get going!! Great watching your journey!
I did a similar route with my parents in 1977. Only then there were no cameras and UA-cam. Adventures for a few episodes.
I bought a 2001 E430 a few years ago before the used car market went nuts after Covid. I paid $4k for a really clean 2 owner car sight unseen off of Autotrader with 148k miles on it and had it shipped about 1000 miles. I have put about 25000 miles on it in 3 years and have driven it almost coast to coast.
Had exactly the same issue 3 weeks ago in Munich with our 200TE. The issue was the temperature sensor, they break and the fan (which is electrically switched on) was not coming on. You can short the sensor, kicking the fan in. But your solution is far more elegant! :-) I'm now carrying duct tape everywhere! Keep up the good work, love the channel!
edit; these engines love to drink oil. When the light comes on, you just fill it up.
That was a great watch. Definitely worthy of another part in the... series?
I do recommend gathering some basic old car knowledge though, would have helped a lot.
Also, pumping the gas does not help to start your car. Slowly depressing it up until halfway will.
Time to take that Merc to the US!
"My brakes won't work for the downhill".
Andrew, if you were planning to use your brakes downhill rather than shifting down, they definitely wouldn't work by the end of the hill :D
that is actually a good point
yes
ill do that next time hahaha
Thanks so much! I really enjoyed both part 1 & 2 of your fabulous trip. As a W124 200E owner myself (2nd owner 200.000Km dealer maintained) I could relate to the issues you guys encountered.
Great roadtrip guys, and great video! I'm so impressed by the honesty and authenticity of the mini-series, which is perfectly judged in my opinion. I didn't feel rushed or confused by constant jump cuts, and faux quirky jokes, like on so many channels these days, and i enjoyed every last second. The banter and "sabotage" was kept at a perfect level, where i wasn't in doubt of your genuine friendship and enjoyment of both the trip and the company. If i have one criticism, it's that you're making me regret buying a Volvo V70 instead of the 1993 W124 320TE i was looking at 😂 Keep being such great guys and I'll be looking forward to the next video 👌👌
Thanks for the review, I’m glad you enjoyed!
Don't hate the Volvo my friend, Volvo for life 🧱🧱🧱
Tuning in for the victory dance alone. Way to go guys! Lol
Great video! It felt a lot like a Top Gear/Grand Tour special, there were so many connections. I find it amusing that this was released on the same day as the last Grand Tour special.
great roadtrip guys! i have done this roadtrip from Berlin to Athens in 24 hours including 2 hours break with a Mercedes.Those machines are beasts!The older the better!!Greetings to Greece from Berlin!!!🟣💡💺🤭💬
You can engage the fan clutch if you just connect the two wires going to the fan temperature switch on the top of the engine. Great adventure!
where were you when we needed you hahahah we came to that realisation right after we shot that last scene!
@@AnDrEw17876I had the same problem on my 190e, always driving with full heat in the city 😂.
99% it’s always the sensor on the m102 engines
I need more road trip videos like this
Great! Since Grand Tour said his last goodbye i hope you guys will continue this type of videos!
It feels like im watching. Top gear/Grand tour.
Just like Jeremy said our children will take over.
I had the same problem with the fan on my W126 one day. I threaded a couple of screws between the fan and the coupling - ran it like that for a good week or so until I could replace the coupling. Love the W124 and to road trip in two of them with some good friends is like a bucket list item - hope you had a blast and we enjoyed watching!
Here in Singapore w124s were very popular but are mostly scrapped due to our 10 year permits that currently costs 82000 USD. The remaining ones are going very very strong. Most of us have 200e because of our expensive road tax. It might be underpowered up to 80 but with that short final drive we can cruise along at 150kmph just fine! Fuel delivery systems are the most fragile in these cars which can contribute to poor fuel economy and bad cold starts.
To tackle the cooling issues we convert our w124s to electric fan. You will never get past 88 degrees c over an hours jam at 36 degrees with the AC on. Plus the clutch fan takes away some power from the engine so you get slightly better performance, an added bonus!
Fun fact, the entire fuel system in my car was replaced before the start of this journey, it had completely rotted away before that
Good idea on converting the fan to an electric one! Thank you for watching!
Sorry just to clarify, in Singapore, does a citizen need to pay $82k to be able to keep this w124 car on the road?
This is brilliant. I love the GT/Top Gear style presentation! :)
Excellent...just found you on recommended...I live in a Spain and very pleased to do so 🙄...two cars...an elderly VW Polo 1.4 16 valve and an even older chassis 124 Litre auto...( there is something very friendly about being on first name terms with the fuel garage attendant 😢)...both did come with full dealer history...( get your wallet out....)....
More of your stuff please....it's sooo good 😂
thank you so much for watching! we will definitely do more in the future!
I currently have two W124’s they never cease to amaze me with their reliability
I love you guys really. So glad I’ve found your videos! I hope you do another series soon.
we will!! thank you for watching!
@@AnDrEw17876 I am looking to buy a w124 200e for a week now and you guys have confirmed my decision :) I am from Berlin too so everything adds up well.
i have a w124 for 3 years now (230E) , best car ever... i sold my other american muscle cars ... convert it to fully efi system with adjustable ecu and its now 170 hp, awesome
Proper power, and good reliability I guess. It’s a great weekend car
@@ktulumen yes but it's my daily car , i drift it to my office and drift it back to home
Welcome to Europe, hope you enjoyed our small roads and quirky villages, i did those roads years ago while crossing from Romania to Portugal hehe
Only thing is you should had bought the diesel versions , they are better in fuel .
And spend a little of cash and change the fan clutch, they are not expensive
They wanted uncertainty & drama for a better adventure video, also comfort and class, so they chose w124
I am loving the video's and humor! You guys definately need to grow the channel! I see a million subs happening fast with this kinda fun content.
You'd be surprised on how much an extra $500 would have made it easier for you guys also going with a diesel turbo 5 Cylinder I bought one in Florida and drove it back to Ohio.
2 days in Vienna, you could have had that fan welded. Also I think both cars have the AC, it's just broken. Could be as easy fix as refilling it.
It was a weekend, we tried several mechanics. Also had both AC systems examined before we left and along the way, there wasn't time to order parts
@@themiddlelanelm
Too bad. Thanks for the great videos though. I really enjoyed watching your roadtrip. And when you went to Prague where I'm from, I was like: oh that's nice! :)
yeah the terrible fuel economy is one of the reasons those mechanical fans aren't engaged 100% of the time from factory lol. Crazy that it has a sensor. Old Toyota's just have a viscous coupler that works off the heat in the engine bay, I've had to refill a couple over the years.
These two videos were the most entertaining thing I have watched on UA-cam in years
Great video guys! The w124 is truely a great car! Joe was a pure trooper! I had a `94 E200 st.wagon 10 years. ago. I bought it with 185.000 miles on the clock. Had to scrap it after my ex crashed it... It had close to 237.000 by then. If it wasn`t for the crash, I`m sure it would still be alive today! I also had a `93 E220 a few years. Unfortunately it had rust in the construction revealed by a work shop, so I had to sell it. But it`s still around waiting to be restored i hope:) Love w124!
Albania is like a heaven for old MB cars, it's where these cars live a second life. And because their quality, MB is the most sold brand on used market. These cars are amazing. My dad has one (w124 E300) as a 2nd car, with 320 tkm, bought 20 years ago with 150 tkm. Still driving like a 🏆. But in you're case I think that the cars were not well taken care of in the past. I've seen W124 with a lot higher mileage than these and in better shape. Nevertheless, great video and adventure 👏
Luke should track down a nice Hammer spec Merc to try next
Was also going to ask why they kept flirting with disaster when on several occasions they were literally in shops that could have got them sorted, but the end explained it nicely. Total $ was a factor.
Enjoyed this!
So, what happened to the cars after the video is done?
trash.
My guess is they either sold them, scrapped them or they are being fixed.
What happend to the cars? I would taken home the automatic car, it behaved so well, I couldn't let it go after this, forever friendship! I drive daily a 1998 1.4 Liter A class with 300.000km, never left me stranded, if I had a problem, it still ran, travelled to germany, austria, italy, czechia, croatia etc. many times. Love it even if its not the real thing. I have to get a w124 beside it. Great content! Greethings from Hungary!
Eyy, you went past my home town lessgoo
So inspiring … now I’m obsessed driving my 1990 w124 230E. Of the three Mercs I own - w210 240E and w204 C200K, I love driving my 230E the most. Truly #thebestornothing ❤️
27:45 This is not a recommended speed limit but a recommended speed. This means that if there is no other speed limit, e.g. 100 km/h, then you should drive at 130 km/h.
Whether the word "limit" is used, the use of the word "recommended" implies that these phrases have little to no difference.
This is fantastic. I'm from Thessaloniki and my name is Stavros 🤣
awesome video. Thanks for making it I enjoyed it very much. Very nice.
The secret to better fuel consumption with these cars is to always change the OVP relay , 5 minutes and 50 euros. These kicks in the engine management system and ensures smoother running
What's that exactly?
Great video and trip, just finish part 1 and love Mercedes, have a few my self😀🇧🇻
Love this a lot. Getting old top gear vibes in the videos. Keep it up!
Thanks! Will do!
As a fellow W124 owner this was very enjoyable to watch. 👍🏻
You guys only had to put a wire on the sensor plug and the fan would stay on all the time. That is, if the problem was with the sensor and not the fan clutch! It's usually the sensor!
Its always the Sensor 👍
@@wg7996 narrator: it was indeed the sensor
trouble is we only found out it was the sensor a few days after we finished our roadtrip, so we had no idea
cool trip. those cars are gold
Enjoyable video. I think many would like to see more of the same in the future.
Too bad you did not visit Timisoara more thoroughly! It is a very beautiful city! Also known as "The Little Vienna".
Nice, this is like Top Gear for youtube! Would be cool if you had any street side mechanic skills.
Bulgarian owner for well over 20 years of an E200-16valve W`124 manual
this gives me top gear vibes i love it.
I loved this documentary, good to see the truth about the cars. thanks for the nice comments. Maybe a wintertrip from Sweden to Athens in 2 25 year old Saabs is a nice journey. ( I have a 2000 9-5 aero station and a w213 220D)
34:20 where did you park Joe.. LMAO
This is view from Reichstag.
This was some great content! Don't change the format ^^
Such a fantastic series
Let’s go new video right as I made myself popcorn 😊
Great job guys. Loved the top gear vibe.
this was such an awesome journey, pls keep making more series like these!!
Question: why didn't anyone try to source a replacement fan clutch?
Question: why assume we didn't?
@@themiddlelanelm no one mentioned attempting to do so but if you did that then great. I was scratching my head as to why no one tried that. Plus from the timeline I gathered on the video the fan issue first happened on a Friday so I figured you had to wait until Monday to get one, but then it was always mentioned about the fan but not trying to source one and finally when the brakes were addressed again no mention of trying to fix the fan.
Either way I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure
Truly loved every second of this journey! Keep it up 👏
Broke down with my parents in like 2002 or so because of that fan, it's a common issue.
Luke the editing of this project is incredible. Would love to see more videos like this, maybe some electric car road trips?? Merge the tech and car interests.
Thanks .I enjoyed both parts
Epic adventure in probably one of the best and most recognisable car models of our times, absolutely loved the video and I hope this channel will give us many more videos like this, thank you very much
Great video Luke 😄
Epic trip in my favorite cars. Thanks for sharing!
Had the same problem with the fan..... just placed a single weld point and drove for another 3 years.... without fixing it.... had about 1,7 million kilometers on it when I put it to the scraper.... yeah its a good car, and it's definitely worth the money.....
Nice trip! NEXT trip from Lisbon to Warsaw 😅
If they come to Lisbon, I'll join them with my W124 😂
I hope you enjoyed the stay in Prague, my home town!
It was absolutely lovely :)
Great video! I just love roadtrips! Can’t wait for your next roadtrip video!
Love the video series and plus you named my favorite car ever after my name Stavros 😊
guys you are amazing 🤗
You guys should of used zip ties for the radiator fan ,trust me, those are super strong and would hold perfectly fine 😉 not tape 😅 Coming from a Romanian guy 🫡👉🧠👌
Great roadtrip boys. Next time it would be nice and polite to at least introduce the rest of your group. Where are Joe and Stavros now?
This was awesome!
do twingos through france next
Noo , some classic Peugeot
W124....the best. Than W201, W126, W123. Well, just any Merc before the bean counters in the mid-1990's came.
Insta subscribe after this one, you guys rock!
Great video guys, so much fun to watch! So what happened to the cars after you flew home from Berlin?
I traveled with a Golf 2 1.6 TD from Kosovo, through Albania, was in Greece, than back Albania- Montenegro- Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slowakei, Chez RP, Poland and finally in Berlin.
With no Problems at all.
Last Summer 2024 😃✌🏻
Amazing video! What a trip. Excellent production, you guys are naturals. At the same level or even better than the Auto Alex videos. Keep it up!