Past (older) E Owner Question: HOW Reliable and DIY is the R Class??
01-24-2016, 06:00 PM
#1
Past (older) E Owner Question: HOW Reliable and DIY is the R Class??
Dear MB Colleagues,
We need more seats and I have been offered a nice 2007 R Class with 190,000 km R500. Very nice man selling it, all reasons to trust him. Private sale. I can take the car to MB for a check. All of that is not a problem.
MY QUESTION: In the past I have joyfully maintained E's (older models) myself. But...
a) How is the R Class in terms of Reliability?
b) Where can I get the best Maintenance Manual for the R Class. AllData DIY.com doesn't feature it. I learned MB USA sells it for $60, but some say that repair and diagnostics resource is hard to read/use for DIY who have not been trained by Mercedes as mechanic??
c) Is there a fair-sized network of DIY R Class fans out there, with whom we can spar together and share thoughts and coaching?
d) Anything else I should think of in the context of owning AND using as a family car, and DIY maintaining the R Class?
We have a nice E Wagon in sight (7 seater) and I have zero doubts there in terms of DIY and reliability. I just know much too little of the R Class.
Would love your thoughts, based on your owner/DIY experience. I am not a hobbyist. I love Mercedes for its reliability, durability, and safety (reaped the fruits thereof). It's just that I find some negative press on non-techy review forums about the R Class by people who typically are dependent on dealerships for repairs.
Let me know what you think. Thanks so much!!
Dutch
We need more seats and I have been offered a nice 2007 R Class with 190,000 km R500. Very nice man selling it, all reasons to trust him. Private sale. I can take the car to MB for a check. All of that is not a problem.
MY QUESTION: In the past I have joyfully maintained E's (older models) myself. But...
a) How is the R Class in terms of Reliability?
b) Where can I get the best Maintenance Manual for the R Class. AllData DIY.com doesn't feature it. I learned MB USA sells it for $60, but some say that repair and diagnostics resource is hard to read/use for DIY who have not been trained by Mercedes as mechanic??
c) Is there a fair-sized network of DIY R Class fans out there, with whom we can spar together and share thoughts and coaching?
d) Anything else I should think of in the context of owning AND using as a family car, and DIY maintaining the R Class?
We have a nice E Wagon in sight (7 seater) and I have zero doubts there in terms of DIY and reliability. I just know much too little of the R Class.
Would love your thoughts, based on your owner/DIY experience. I am not a hobbyist. I love Mercedes for its reliability, durability, and safety (reaped the fruits thereof). It's just that I find some negative press on non-techy review forums about the R Class by people who typically are dependent on dealerships for repairs.
Let me know what you think. Thanks so much!!
Dutch
01-25-2016, 09:14 AM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Hi Dutch,
So far my experience with the R-class has been positive, but I know others have had negative experiences. In general, when buying a used R-class (or any Mercedes for that matter) most issues result from neglect by the previous owner.
a) There are some know issues with both the diesel and gasoline engines, and which tend to be specific to certain years. In my experience with my 08 CDI, I have had no engine issues. I have confirmed the state of the engine by sending oil samples for analysis every 5,000kms or so. The oil has shown below average contaminants, wear particles, and oil breakdown - this is an indication that it is in exceptionally good operating condition. I'm just coming up on 100,000kms.
b) Your best source of information is this forum! Find a good mechanic that you trust. One doesn't need any special training to work on a Benz. You will find a huge variety in skill and value when looking at diesel mechanics. There are some repair and maintenance procedures that will require a special OBD2 reader.
c) Again, this forum.
d) Keep up on the maintenance and watch for rust.
So far my experience with the R-class has been positive, but I know others have had negative experiences. In general, when buying a used R-class (or any Mercedes for that matter) most issues result from neglect by the previous owner.
a) There are some know issues with both the diesel and gasoline engines, and which tend to be specific to certain years. In my experience with my 08 CDI, I have had no engine issues. I have confirmed the state of the engine by sending oil samples for analysis every 5,000kms or so. The oil has shown below average contaminants, wear particles, and oil breakdown - this is an indication that it is in exceptionally good operating condition. I'm just coming up on 100,000kms.
b) Your best source of information is this forum! Find a good mechanic that you trust. One doesn't need any special training to work on a Benz. You will find a huge variety in skill and value when looking at diesel mechanics. There are some repair and maintenance procedures that will require a special OBD2 reader.
c) Again, this forum.
d) Keep up on the maintenance and watch for rust.
01-25-2016, 12:10 PM
#3
Hello Marc,
Thanks so much for writing back. In the meantime I called two Mercedes workshops in The Netherlands (where I used to live). They both confirmed your words: R is an excellent car. The 5L V8 an excellent engine. They warned for the air suspension, and some which did not do proper maintenance and end up with hydraulic clutch problems (DIY not expensive, but a bit of work to replace).
ONE MORE QUESTION which I forgot: I need to buy a code scanner which can scan/read ALL possible Mercedes codes. For a 2007 Mercedes, any recommendation? My preference would obviously be one that is affordable and maybe even bluetooth talks to my Android smartphone so I don't pay for a computer and LCD screen etc. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much, Marc. Awaiting your response,
Dutch
Thanks so much for writing back. In the meantime I called two Mercedes workshops in The Netherlands (where I used to live). They both confirmed your words: R is an excellent car. The 5L V8 an excellent engine. They warned for the air suspension, and some which did not do proper maintenance and end up with hydraulic clutch problems (DIY not expensive, but a bit of work to replace).
ONE MORE QUESTION which I forgot: I need to buy a code scanner which can scan/read ALL possible Mercedes codes. For a 2007 Mercedes, any recommendation? My preference would obviously be one that is affordable and maybe even bluetooth talks to my Android smartphone so I don't pay for a computer and LCD screen etc. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much, Marc. Awaiting your response,
Dutch
01-25-2016, 12:48 PM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
No problem. Any scanner that can read ALL codes is not going to be particularly affordable. Any legit ones require licensing fees to be paid by the manufacturer. I have a friend who has a shop and he bought one for all makes and models and paid around $10,000 for it.
That being said, you can probably pick up an MB Star diagnostic system from eBay for around $1,000 to $1,500. These systems typically require a very specific laptop computer, which is usually included in the package.
I would recommend just buying a plain old scanner for $50 and for those rare occasions when you have proprietary codes that you can't read, take it to a shop.
That being said, you can probably pick up an MB Star diagnostic system from eBay for around $1,000 to $1,500. These systems typically require a very specific laptop computer, which is usually included in the package.
I would recommend just buying a plain old scanner for $50 and for those rare occasions when you have proprietary codes that you can't read, take it to a shop.
