A friend of mine is looking at a 320CE that had done about 90K, one owner from new...unfortunately despite regular servicing, some (important IMHO) items had been neglected:

1. ATF change. There is no record of auto tranny oil change at all. The gearbox sometimes shifts a bit hard - it's not as smooth as it should be.

2. Rear diff oil change. Again, no record of that ever being changed. There is no noise from the diff, it seems all in order.

3. No record of coolant change for the last 5 years

4. No record of brake fluid change at all!

He likes the car and asked me for advice. I'm worried about the auto box. it doesn't slip, goes into all four gears but there is a chance it's got 15 year old ATF in there!
What do you guys think? And if he were to buy it, would you change the ATF (obviously including a filter change and draining the torque converter) or leave it as it is because the ATF change may now cause more problems? I have no idea what to tell him!!! HELP!!!

 

Basically, that's an 'urban myth' about letting sleeping dawgs lie, i.e., 'if the transmission/differential fluid has never been changed, don't do it'. That's ridiculous...always change ATF and diff fluid-especially if it's NEVER been changed. Nothing good can come of burnt, used-up ATF floating around in a transmission. Diff fluid can last longer, but still needs to be changed at the recommended intervals. One way to stretch the intervals is to go synthetic.

But be wary about that in the transmission, however (synthetic) If the 300 CE was designed around synthetic, use it! The W124's were not, so make sure the synthetic has all the MB spec numbers required. Even then, many say to stay with mineral based ATF because the older transmission brake/ clutch packs were designed for the 'buildup' of harmless gunk in mineral based ATF and that the brake /clutch packs work at their best with the gunk 'packs' in there.

If it were me, since I tend to gamble at times, I'd use the lack of fluid changes as a HUGE bargaining chip in negotiating the final price. Even then it's a gamble because by definition, it's NOT been a well maintained car...those are essential service requirements and they've been ignored. Don't let someone's stupidity or arrogance carry into the next owner, unless they reduce the price because of it. For example, conventional brake fluid after five yrs (depending upon the climate/region), can play hell with rust, as it tends to draw in moisture. Unless the coolant was five yr coolant to start with, it can actually go acidic and eat away at the radiator, water pump, heater core and cooling system innards. You can test the coolant with test kits and prove it's acidic.

I guess what I'm saying is that; if they don't acknowledge that the car was neglected in maintenance and adjust the price accordingly...pass on this one, unless your friend truly wants a 'gamble'.

Kevin

 

(Quote)
But be wary about that in the transmission, however (synthetic) If the 300 CE was designed around synthetic, use it! The W124's were not, so make sure the synthetic has all the MB spec numbers required. Even then, many say to stay with mineral based ATF because the older transmission brake/ clutch packs were designed for the 'buildup' of harmless gunk in mineral based ATF and that the brake /clutch packs work at their best with the gunk 'packs' in there. (Quote)

Kevin is right.
My tranny, with 43K miles: PO had the wrong, modern, long-life MB fluid put in by the dealer. It sat for a year after that, but already started to each the clutches. I discovered that when I had ALL the fluids changed after purchase, as a precaution.

 

Kevin,
I explained to my friend that the car should have had all that work done. I've had a chat with the current owner that's had the car from new, the first few services were done by a Mercedes main dealer, then he started using an independent 'specialist'. The receipts clearly state 'Full service' but the items I mentioned are missing on the invoice. The guy that has had the car from new didn't have a clue what needed doing. Unfortunately the independent garage had no clue of that needed doing so they were replacing the oil, filters and spark plugs; that was it.
Looking at the invoices, he never tried to save money, tyres were always premium brands and so on.... shame about the garage (which by the way had a good reputation in the area) that had no clue what was required and couldn't be bothered to check with Mercedes or a Haynes manual what was needed on each service!
Looks like my friend will buy the car, I'll help him go over it and change all the fluids (and filters just in case).

 

It's very much akin to, if as a plumber, I go into a home, install a fancy faucet and leave off the handles. Handles didn't come with the faucet and I didn't use the good sense to find out where they were or how to get them. If you're a competent mechanic, in a way you are liable for doing the basic necessities of a car's maintenance...especially if it came in for said work. Obviously the owner was clueless....which is a whole other can of worms in and of itself. You only become a target for others if you don't educate yourself about these things. Some people who have more money than brains, 'don't want to be bothered' with such trivialities....again, that only makes them victims in our society.

I don't know why he strayed from the dealer, other than to save a buck or two...it's obvious the indie would rather not have had the car or his business-that or they are completely unmotivated to build loyal clientele. In any event, tell your friend good luck and that maybe the build quality of the MB itself will save him in the long run.

Kevin

 

The guy gave up using the main dealer after they damaged his car during service and instead of being honest and booking it in to repaint the wing (fender) they scratched, tried to disguise the damage!
The said dealer is no longer in business by the way.
The 'specialist' garage worries me though, there are no excuses for their lack of professionalism.
The reason my friend is very tempted to go for the 320CE is the condition of the bodywork and the interior, pretty much immaculate. I told him he can have my car as a donor for the tranny and other bits if required once I'm finished with redecorating the house and doing up the garden so he will be OK.
Thanks for your advice!
We'll do all the filters and fluids and see what happens on the CE.