Southern

I am considering moving up from my 98 E320 gasser to an 08 E320 Bluetec. The thought of getting upwards to 700 miles per tank has me researching the Bluetec.

My 98 has 194K miles with a leak in the AC and signs of rust. I have done all my own maintenance except for the replacement of the spring perches.

Since I do not have any experience with Diesels, is the 08 E320 a DIY type vehicle?

I have read about issues with the 7 speed tranny, any other issues or concerns that I should be aware of?

How does the Bluetec handle in snow (Chicago winters)?

Any input is welcome.

Cran

How about having to buy a $4000 exhaust filter every 80,000 miles?

Far from it. Its a rolling computer clusterfluck.


The engine is junk.

Keep your 98, its a much better car.

Carsy

" The engine is junk."

More credible information please. Please show your source of this information. I aam very interested.

Do you mean that hundreds of thousands of drivers world wide including taxis are driving a "junk" engine ?.

Cran

.....

Carsy

I want you to tell us please.

Big statements & nothing to back them up .

Typical.

Cran

Interesting, last I checked this was Southern's thread not yours. Please stick to the OP's question or go troll someplace else.

Carsy

No logical backup & information to your very broad statements.

Your the man. ha ha ha ,240 D

Southern

Thanks for the heads up on the DPF, I didn't know they existed before now.

Some dealerships tend to be more concerned with profit then offering a "cheaper" fix.

Since I mainly due highway driving, the DPF should be cleaning itself provided the correct oil and low sulfur fuel are used.

I did notice at the Mobil stations in the Chicago suburbs they have a warning at the diesel pump that the diesel fuel is not provided by Mobil and that they had a disclaimer about the "quality" of the fuel. That would make me want to fuel up somewhere else.

There is definitely not much room to work on the engine. Does the turbo last the life of the engine? Other then fluid & filter changes, anything else that is costly?

zemun1234

I'd agree with comment (not taking any side) that inline six is better than V6 - from point of maintenance and general driving experience.

It is personal opinion (not trying to put any flame on this topic) but if I have choice to buy inline engine 2008+, I'd do it right away ...DPF is just another topic and it doesn't need any comment (save trees on expense of diesel owners)

Cran

No. The DPF is a filter, like all filters it has a limited capacity before the only option is replacement. Like wood burned in a fireplace, diesel soot leaves behind ash that cannot be removed from the filter with it in the car. Highway miles only delays the inevitable.

No, the DPF is purely a cosmetic device to make the inside of the tailpipe look pretty. It doesn't reduce emissions, in fact it increases them by increasing fuel consumption and resources to make them.
Soot isn't a pollutant its merely a nuisance the same as dust. The same group that thinks soot is considered part of emissions is the same group that gave Diesels in general such a falsely bad rating in California (CARB).

Carsy

Absolute rubbish .

http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collectio...mponents-e.htm

Cran

You're absolutely right that their research is rubbish.

3/5 of the sources they list are completely natural that humans have no control over. A single volcano eruption releases more particulate matter into the atmosphere than all of humanity has EVER released. The 2009 Los Angeles wildfires released more particulates than the city's population has ever produced.

Since volcanoes, wind erosion and forest fires contribute to pollutants and smog, why aren't people up in arms to prevent them because of their emissions? Whenever their prevention is discussed its always about avoiding property damage.

Carsy

Why did the Chinese limit the use of cars in Beijing during the Olympics?

To lessen the LOCALISED produced SMOG .

The coloured cloud hanging over major cities on windless days is not naturally produced by volcanoes . Its car & industrial polution.

Which planet do you live on ?

Obviously to do not know an anyone with a lung complaint . If you did you would know what particulate smog does to them.

DubVBenz

The engine is not really DIY, but not much is these days without SDS, autologic or something else. However, the engine is not crap, it's being used everywhere and Mercedes appears to have the utmost confidence in it. Ignore Cran, he's a well known troll who gets banned and comes back with a new name and talks garbage to everyone because he's some "master diesel tech" with an old POS 240 that's been modified to make slightly more than the 65HP it came with stock.

DPF replacement is a concern due to costs associated with it, but it's not 4K, and you're not going to be able to buy a modern diesel without one. I spoke with a fedex guy driving a huge sprinter with the same engine in it. He indicated that they were swapping out their old trucks for MB Sprinters with the bluetec after the company decided the engines would last forever and get decent mileage.

Carsy

Hello Southern,

You ask whether a 08 E 320 is a DIY type vehicle. We bought a 220CDI nearly 4 years ago. It is a modern 4cyl diesel so really there should be no real difference to maintain compared to the E 320.

I have done my normal maintenance including oil changes & oil filter changes since brand new. I dealer has not touched the car except for minor warranty work. I have not had one single problem . After all it is just a diesel engined car with lots of electronic gear.

I follow the service book to the tee , eg :- flushing brake system every 2 years, visual checks of rotors & pads, steering joints & boots, suspension including boots & inspect for any leaks damage ect.Replacing interior air filter is easy, have yet to do fuel filter & aircleaner at 4 years.My coolant is supposed to last for 15 years before changing. I think I will do a half life just in case.
My 5 speed auto box is supposedly sealed for life but all MB techs suggest flushing the GB at 60,000 km. There is a 'how to' on this forum & with planning looks to be possible for the home mechanic.

I have bought an OBD2 Scanner ( $50 to $250) in case I ever have an alarm & a code to read.

So in my opinion if you are a handy home mechanic who is interested in obtaining some information from this website ( including the petrol 2008E ) you should have no trouble handling the day to day maintenance on your car.

I bought the MB WIS Workshop Information System DVD's from E Bay for about $35 which is a HUGE bonus for the DIY bloke. You have to own a 32 bit computer to run it. The newest 64 bit Windows 7 is not compatable.

Good luck.

Carsy.

Southern

Thanks DubVbenz & Carsy for the advice.

Mercedes stated that my 98 E320 had a "sealed for life" transmission and since I don't believe in the "sealed for life" philosophy I change my trans fluid including torque converter every 60K miles and the trans is going strong approaching 200K miles. Needless to say Mercedes has changed their "sealed for life" attitude for the 722.6 transmissions and now recommends the fluid be changed at 39K miles.

I also do a brake fluid flush every 2 years and coolant change every 3 years (I'm not familiar with 15 year coolant). I replace my oil every 5 to 6K miles, I'm not a fan of the FSS system.

It appears that Diesels require more frequent fuel filter changes. Glow plug changes should be on par with spark plug changes. Based on the photos of the W211 engine it may require more time to access these items then the W210 gasser I'm use to.

Besides normal fluid and filter changes I have also replaced my harmonic balancer and catalytic converter.

I've considered the 2005-06 CDI but I'm not a fan of brake by wire.

One plus for the Mercedes is that I don't have to replace a timing belt every 80K miles like my wife's Acura.

From talking to a VW diesel co-worker, if your not afraid to get your hands dirty then the diesel will pay for itself with increased fuel economy, however if you rely on the dealer to maintain the diesel then the savings in fuel economy is compromised.

listerone

I'm fairly new to diesels so I'm no expert but what I've read suggests that diesel fuel is more of a "generic" commodity than is gasoline.Kind of "one size fits all".In the 40K miles I've driven a diesel I haven't had what I'd consider a problem with the fuel I've bought....not with the apparent quality,mechanical trouble or with poor vehicle performance.I was even able to start my BMW diesel last winter on a -31F morning with no garage,no battery charger,and no fuel additives...just a battery in good shape and a tank full of locally blended Shell fuel (locally blended fuel is important in cold weather).

listerone

Having been to many major cities/regions of the world (US,Europe,Japan *and* southern China) I can assure you that China is a *very* special case,pollution-wise...and I'll wager that includes the *entire* country.Nothing I've ever seen elsewhere comes within light years of comparing with the crap that's in the air in Hong Kong/southern China.There,a "clear" day is akin to the typical "pea-soup-fog" you see in London and is far worse than the typical day driving near the petroleum refineries of Newark,New Jersey (right across the river from New York City).