Thom99

I purchased a 2008 E320 Bluetec almost 6 months ago to replace my totaled 2005 E320 CDI. The Bluetec has about the same seat-of-the-pants acceleration feel as the CDI but has much less engine noise and no diesel exhaust smell at all. The only thing I could complain about is that the fuel mileage for the Bluetec is 32/23 mpg compared to 38/25 mpg with my old CDI.

Has anyone heard of any known issues with this vehicle? So far, the only things I've had to do to this vehicle maintenance-wise is add fluid to the windshield washer reservoir and add air to the tires.

Thanks in advance.

Thom

240D 3.0T

The biggest issue is the DPF causes high fuel consumption and will cost about $4000 to replace when it clogs with ash (and by design, it will). Second issue is the engine is a bean-counter designed throwaway.

Thom99

$4000.00... Holy crap

This is the first I've heard of a DPF. Does it need to be replaced often???? I've only got 23000 miles on the car.

Thom

240D 3.0T

Life depends on the driver. Stop-n-go driving and hard driving will significantly shorten its lifespan. However, a highway living car may never need a new one. By EPA law it has to last at least 80k miles.

There is no avoiding it. When the soot is burned it leaves behind ash and eventually plugs up the filter, the only way to solve that is a new filter. Its not some Fram filter either, its still very expensive to make one even though they've been in use around the world for over a decade.

The best option is to remove the DPF and buy a programmer that will disable the regeneration cycle and its checks.

lkchris

It's a diesel particulate filter and is required on ALL diesel vehicles sold in USA beginning 2007 (even 18-wheelers).

It's the reason for the switch to low-sulphur fuel.

It's also the reason you see no smoke, no soot on rear of vehicle and smell no diesel odor.

Perhaps you're concerned about the cost of this item, but it's simply the cost of doing business, i.e. owning a modern diesel car. With the exception--if you think so--of this cost, there's zero/zip/nada/nothing better about pre-2007 Mercedes diesels. I've owned them, and they are crap compared to these new models.

If your fancy COMAND radio breaks down, it will be expensive to fix, too. Do you think the solution is a car from the 1970s with AM only?

Just ignore the hysteric.

240D 3.0T

That is false information.

That is also false information. Low sulfur is to allow for more efficient catalysts that would otherwise be fouled.

Also VERY false information. The inline 6 engine is far better built, gets better fuel economy, is rebuildable, doesn't need balance shafts to compensate for vibration, will live much longer and doesn't have the poorly matched 7-speed problematic.
If all you're concerned about is the 25hp difference, get a tuner.

The reason the V6 "performs" better is the tiny turbo spools up quicker than the I-6's much larger and more efficient turbo and the DPF allowed more aggressive (dirty) tuning since the filter will mask it.

Thom99

In almost 50k miles I never saw smoke or had soot on the rear of my 2005 E320 CDI plus it got 6 mpg better fuel mileage than my current Bluetec. In that regard, IMO, the Bluetec engine is going in the wrong direction. On the plus side, the 2008 Bluetec is much quieter, has absolutely zero diesel smell and, best of all, it comes with an engine oil dipstick.


Dont you think it's just a tad absurd to compare the technology of a 2005 CDI or a 2008 Bluetec to that of the 1970's engines? Besides I like my FM.

Thom

Thom99

At least it's not like having to change it with every oil change. I'll either have to change it at 80k or remove it completely.

I definitely have some researching to do.

Thom

zemun1234

I used to have all MB diesel cars (E320 CDI, R320 CDI and now ML320 CDI) and I agree with you that E320 CDI is the best car - no problems, easy to maintain, great MPG ...
Do you have any link or hint where/how to disable DPF .?

Thom99

I would like that information as well.

Thom

240D 3.0T

I don't own one so I've never looked very deep into it. Programmers that remove DPF functionality are very common in the pickup world.

Thom99

Well, that sounds like a good starting point. Thanks!

Thom

Schnellfahrer

With long distance driving at around 70 mph I get routinely 38 mpg with my '08 E320 Bluetec. Having said that, I don't completely trust the instruments indicating this figure. When I use the old method of dividing the miles driven by the number of gallons I add at the next fuel stop the number is up to 2 mpg lower.

lkchris

Illegal to do that.

And, yes, all 2007-on diesel vehicles sold in USA must have them despite the hysteric's "belief" otherwise.

Thom99

It's unclear from your post if you're getting 40 mpg from the computer and 38 mpg by calculating using the old method or 38 mpg from the computer and 36 mpg using the old method. Though either way your mileage is still several mpg better than I'm getting. It could be driving style and location. I typically drive between 70-80 mph on the highway and of course city driving is always stop-and-go... mostly stop.

BTW, I neglected to mention that I always use the old-fashion method of calculating fuel mileage. I have no idea why this discrepancy occurs but calculations between old-fashioned and the computer are always different with the computer showing 34/35 mpg as opposed to 31/32 by dividing miles by # gallons.

Come to think of it, I've never acheived advertised window-sticker mileage on any vehicle I've owned in the past.

Thom

pricej01

You would have been far better off in the long run to purchase a 2006 CDI even if you had to have it shipped across the USA. The emission controls are so sophisticated on the V6 that the engine has to inject raw diesel fuel into the combustion chamber on the exhaust stroke so it can travel to the DPF and actively burn the particulate out of the filter. This is the reason for the reduction in mileage. A novel idea by the US regulatory authorities to burn more fuel to protect the environment.

240D 3.0T

That is false information.

If it were true, you'd better go put one on every 2007-2010 ML230 CDI and R320 CDI as well as nearly every semi on the road that was made from 2007-2009!

Please provide proof of your claim, lkchris. In fact you're wrong simply due to the fact the EPA cannot require specific emissions controls to be used, the EPA can only set the emissions limits. Its up to the individual manufacturers as to what methods are used to meet those limits.

Thom99

I agree, however time was an issue and we needed another vehicle. My wife was involved in a rear-end collision in which our 2005 E320 CDI was sandwiched between the car that hit her from the rear and the car in front. The damage was severe enough that our insurance company totaled the car. Thankfully my wife was not seriously injured in the accident (except her pride). Even if the insurance company had decided to repair the vehicle a Carfax would have shown the accident and the diminished value of the vehicle at trade-in time. Anyway, that's how we ended up with the 2008 model. I have no regrets as the 2008 was a CPO with remaining factory warranty left on it. The car doesn't have a scratch on it and, as I said before, the only complaint I have is the lower fuel mileage.

Thom