Good evening gents, I’m looking at buying a second “weekend“ car. I’m looking at a 2012 to 2013 E550 with about 125,000 miles on it. The Carfax comes back clean with some of the maintenance consistently done. I haven’t seen the car in person yet but the pictures look like things are well taken care of.What should I be looking for when I test drive this car? I have heard of the wire harness oil leak to look for. In general from when I read, these cars are consistently reliable, even with high mileage, would you agree with that?
This is only going to be my secondary car so I might put a couple thousand miles on it a year.

Best,

 

I love the same era you do. You can look me up and check my previous posts on the E550 and fun I’ve had having the vehicle. I also sent you a private message please be sure to check that as well.

 

Need some info guys,
I found a 2013 550c with 92k for $13500. It has impeccable maintenance records and appears to be in great shape. I’m thinking of test driving it this weekend, what should I be looking for when I’m there?
Side note: is it accurate that the coupes run a mid 12 in the quarter and if so what modifications need to be done to get it in the 11’s?

TIA

 

Easy there bud...if you buy it FIRST get all the maintenance up to date and a full inspection of the car. Full fluid changes , batteries etc. At 92k the struts shocks will need evaluating. And the most important part...renew the brakes and tires........Only then think about making it go faster....

 

For the records, was any replacement done of coolant system parts? That has always been the thing that surprised me is how many of the coolant components are plastic or hoses that didn't last. Also was any replacement of the control arms, sway bar links, shocks, struts, brakes, rotors, radiator, air blower motor, engine mounts, or other parts probably needed at the mileage and age of vehicle? Even with great vehicle maintenance it is still likely you would need some or all of these parts replaced. When taking the test drive turn it hard and check that vehicle stability is good or it's likely control arms, sway bar links, engine mounts, shocks, etc may need to be checked. I recommend getting a pre-purchase inspection done at a reputable mechanic, it's common to do that prior to buying a car so you can identify some of the issues the vehicle has prior to making the decision to buy. It should cost $200-$400 to get one done.

The coupe is fast and 12s quarter mile is not far fetched, tuning is usually the most improvement to the speed and acceleration. I don't have any experience in any performance mods, I've enjoyed the vehicle as is. I've done a couple aesthetic minor touches but that's it. There is a few things to keep mind of to keep the finely tune Merc at a healthy state so doing mods isn't a priority for me, longevity of the vehicle is important and ensuring all the vehicle systems are working properly.

 

AFTER test drive (including a few hard pulls), check the codes with a Mercedes-specific code reader. Make certain you do not see low boost pressure condition reported. It would not immediately throw a CEL, but code will be there. There are other things to look for too, but this one is very important in my experience. I have a ‘14 e550 coupe since 2020. Bought w 56k mi, now 135k mi. Fun car, weak turbos. Tuned and pretty quick but not measured

 

Well said. I attached the Carfax for reference. Looks like the cooling system was last checked at 70k.
When you say 12s are you meaning stock or after a tune? With that said, what would be needed to get one into the 11’s?

 

The coupe can do 12s stock. Here was a YouTuber who took his stock sedan E550 and was pulling low 13s with terrible launches but given that the coupe E550 is lighter it’s going to do 12s stock if launching correctly.

 

Easy 12s stock, high 11s with tune, downpipes and drag radials.

 

OK that’s good to know. I’ve been comparing these to E 55’s I’m interested in which seem to be very easy to get into the mid to low 11s, (assuming there’s traction). What level of work would need to be done to get the same speed out of n E550?

 

Adding some basic intakes, full exhaust and methanol injection will get you there with a good tune. And of course weight reduction helps, but isn't for everyone.

 

Thanks Siegmann, that’s plenty fast for most people but I like to look at the potential of the car. It sounds like the E55 as much easier time breaking into the 11’s than the 550.

 

So I'm looking as well and wanted to know if you ever pulled the trigger on a 550 and how that went since?
Thanks!

 

Get a PPI. I assume this is a coupe? If so good because so awful rag top to worry about. Once the PPI comes back clean. Get caught up on all the fluid changes and upkeep that may need to be done. Then head to Renntech and with a tune alone you can put out of major power. MB really left a lot of power on the table with this engine.

 

This may help:
https://dragtimes.com/Mercedes-Benz-...ag-Racing.html
I've never taken it to a track, and I can't hook up on the street, but here is the one and only pass I was able to make, per Dragy; 12.16 @ 121.46
Only mods are self tune using HP Tuners, K&N filters and 50% Ethanol fuel.

And this site which has a ton of specs for the cars. This link is for my 2016 but you can find whatever year in there. When sorting for the car pay attention to the Euro vs US versions because the US are slower thanks to a bunch of weight of added for safety bs:
https://automobile-catalog.com/car/2...7g-tronic.html

 

Normandy, PM wouldn't let me send this, plus it's much easier to continue our chat here because that PM function sucks in general.

No dyno, too expensive imo. Instead, using the HP Tuners program to record, I measure acceleration. How much it accelerates from x speed in one second. So 60 + 1 sec = x mph, 70, 80, etc. I also measure time it takes to go from x speed to x speed, like 60-70, 70-80, 80-90, etc.
Very few Benz owners have HP Tuners, but many have Dragy, so most use Dragy to compare before/after changes. It isn't as good for that but it's something. One problem, imo, is the boost, fuel, spark, shift rpm, shift times etc are all computer controlled and they are not consistent because the ECU and hardware is simply too slow. So if you make one before run and one after run, you're wasting your time, imo. The lower the speed the worse it is, so if you compare data it's best to do it from 60+mph. I think ideally start at 90. That way things are happening much slower and the ECU can keep up and be more consistent. Then do multiple runs over different days to get a feel for it. Plus the air temp is a factor and I doubt you'll get the same temp on your before/after test, so you need many runs. Plus there's the eng temp, which I have under control, but the oem temp can be quite different on two runs and the ECU will steadily pull power as temps rise. I think it starts pulling power around 150F and pulls the most power ~260F? So to compare you'd really need to have all this crap virtually identical. Btw, I prevent that temp power loss in HP Tuners by setting the same power level from cold up to 225F, which I will never hit.
To get my temps under control I did two things: One is adjust the fan to kick on at a much lower temp, and two is manually control the thermostat to run much cooler. It's not hard to do and I can explain if you want.. I do not suggest buying that aftermarket dealie that removes the stat, because it will take forever to get up to temp, if you ever do. My stat mod also allows me to manually fully open the stat, and I can attest it will never warm up if somewhat cool out.

I run my daily street tires, but they are wider and stickier than stock. Falken Azenis RT615+ 275/35ZR18. $520 installed and out the door for the pair. They don't last long because they are soft, and I'm rather hard on them so they hit the wear indicators ~6k miles. I regroove them which buys another 2k miles or so. So per mile they are very expensive.
I used to run Continental Extreme Contact Sport which cost more and last about 50% longer? The problem is the traction is good when new, but it degrades as they wear. By the time they're half way worn they are basically useless for drag racing. I can be going 45mph, floor it, and they break free. Trying to do a 0-60 run is a waste of time. So when it comes to a usable tire with traction, the Falken are far better.
I also tried Federal 595RS-RR ($360/pr). They are very cool looking and probably work as well as the Falken but are not DOT legal, and they are very loud for some reason. Too loud to buy them again.
Even though the Falkens are sticky, they still don't always hook up. The street surface is very important, so you need test each surface for traction.
Then there's the biggest problem; the ECU and hardware is not able to keep up because things are happening too fast. So I may launch from a stop and boost lags because the ECU can't keep up, then by the time it tries to make boost, it's time to shift. Then repeat for 2nd gear. So the entire 0-60 run could easily be stock levels of boost and power because the ECU is retarded. Inversely it could create too much boost and the tires break free and traction control kicks in and your run is ruined. Turn traction control off and if you make too much boost you could spin too much and again the run is ruined. Ideally you'd want boost that is just below the point the tires break free, but this is basically impossible with all the variables. Even if you did, you have two gears in a 0-60 run and you'll never get lucky in both gears. This is why the AWD cars do much better (on avg) at launching, because they don't have to worry about losing traction. Otherwise AWD is slower, and less fun (imo).

I really believe the oem intake is perfectly fine, and note it's the same as the M157 that makes a lot more power. I think they just need higher flowing filters, and if you want, wrap the tubes. Optionally they sell a kit to raise the filter in the box because the corner of the filter is partially blocking flow. Here's an example: https://ebay.com/itm/225738970349
I have no doubt they photoshopped that picture because it doesn't move the filter that much, but it no doubt does help flow. The question is, do you need that flow? My guess is no.
I do have the gold heat tape to wrap my intakes, but I haven't used it because I was concerned about the glue on the tape. So I tested some on a piece of metal, heated it like it would see in the eng, then tried to remove the tape. The tape left glue and many fiberglass strands behind and was basically impossible to remove with Alcohol or Acetone. Since the tape will eventually look like hell, I guess your only option would be to put a new wrap over the old? Maybe it's not a big deal and I'm just being paranoid, but it doesn't change the fact I'm paranoid about it :p So I've been keeping an eye out for something with no adhesive, like header wrap but thinner.
I'd imagine you could wrap them with an old T-shirt and a Mylar blanket, which would no doubt work better than the tape, but might not look so good? Or the layer of T-shirt with the special tape over that. My guess is I could use a zip tie(s) to hold it as I wrap it, then once done cut them off and it would just kinda stay in place like an arm cast?
Enter problem #2; I'm too lazy... So I guess that would be my suggestion to you; wrap two, or all four intake tubes, however you want. To see the difference you'd need to record your IAT (intake air temp) for a while before and after. I'm sure it'll reduce the temps a lot when putting around, but that doesn't do anything for you. The temps at full throttle are what count.

There doesn't seem to be many kinds of down pipes available. I just want a pipe that goes from the turbo to Cat, but I've never seen one. Instead they sell kits that goes halfway down the car. I'm in California and they check for Cats at smog time, and sometimes if you get pulled over. The punishment does not comply with the 8th Amendment and they can basically destroy your life if they want. So as tempting as it might be, I'll keep the cats. Or maybe gut the cats, but they need to at least look like they're there. Then I'd need a second exhaust that is oem to pass smog. Too much work...
Be wary because many "down pipes" sold are not down pipes at all, but instead exclude the actual down pipe and are really just a pipe to remove the Cats. The down pipe is the part that bolts to the turbo and extends past the motor mount and down towards the Cat. In this pix you can see a comparo of the oem down pipe and exhaust half way down the car vs aftermarket: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...fPTpGkhf_TRw&s
The down pipe (close up view: https:/ebay.com/itm/155930634213) is a disaster, and it's double layer in the middle between the weld marks, so the inside is even smaller and worse that it looks. So I'd like the nice aftermarket one, but hacked off and connected to the oem cats, then throw the rest of the pipes away. VRP has a nice looking set; https://vrpspeed.com/product/blcgedps
The problem is VRP has a bad rap, for a reason, and I can attest to it because I got F-ed on a pair of motor mounts from them. It was a nightmare they never made right, so I had to mod them myself to fit. But that doesn't matter because the mounts are horrible and make the car vibrate so bad I couldn't stand it. So >$500 and a LOT of hassle down the drain.
I'm certain VRP does not make those pipes, so maybe one day I'll find out who does and buy from them. I'm also not looking fwd to cutting and welding the cat to match the larger pipe. I'm sure it's either illegal, or looks illegal to do this, so I doubt a shop would weld it. Even if they did they'd want too much $ and probably do a crappy job. This is the gist of why mine is still stock.
Bigger turbos are interesting, but very expensive and a nightmare to swap out. Basically that will only happen if/when my turbos die.

 

Update: I found a 2012 E550 coupe with only 77K on It still owned by the first owner. Something I noticed about the build sheet he sent me was that the car doesn't come with aromatic. That all of the five fifties came with AirMatic whether they were coupe or sedan..? If that wasn't always the case, up in parentheses maybe with the coups?), what kind of ride difference can I expect out of the car?

 

With the right fragrance, any E550 can be aromatic.

I assume you mean 4MATIC - it wasn't available on E550 coupes.

 

HA! Good catch. I meant Air Matic **

 

Okay, got it - I think the same applies for Airmatic.

 

Can you speak to the ride comfort without the air ride? Why would they remove it from the coupes but leave it on the sedans?

 

Maybe I'm just old school but I would not buy a car with Airmatic. Imo it's stupid, guaranteed to fail and cost you $. Odds of being stranded? Odds of it failing while driving? Will the car let you drive when it fails?
If they lose the rubber bags and delicate line then maybe I'd consider it, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.
I actually have a semi-air suspension (still has leaf springs) on the front of my truck, that I made myself which involves no bags or lines. I believe it's also more adjustable than any oem air setup because I can also adjust the spring rate.

 

if what you saying is true, it sounds like it’s a good thing then that the 2012 coupe I found doesn’t have the air Matic suspension.
does anyone else have a coupe that they could chime in?