E320 Cabriolet
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1994 E320 Cabriolet
E320 Cabriolet
I recently purchased a 1994 E320 Cabriolet, my first MB, and discovered that the warranty booklet had an incorrect data card from a C280. Is it possible to get a replacement data card and also obtain any repair history on this vehicle? The VIN is WDBEA66E4RC083757. The local dealers and independent repair people don't seem inclined to help. Thanks
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1994 E320 Cabriolet
The seller was a used car dealer in high line vehicles. Promises to provide specific repair history has been ignored, and since the service booklet that came with the car has the wrong data card in it, I doubt the stubs in the booklet reflect the car I purchased. Since all the other vehicles I own can have their service histories for repairs done by a dealer retrieved from the manufacturer's records by VIN number, I guess I foolishly believed that Mercedes Benz would be similar. As for the data info, I've owned several Rolls Royces and can get copies of the order form, build records, and any other info pertaining to the vehicle from either RROC or RREC, which are the US and British owners clubs. Apparently this isn't possible for Mercedes Benz vehicles, either from the dealer/manufacturer or owners organizations. This is my first MB and this was my first post on this forum. Forgive my ignorance
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From: North East
04 E500, 00 SL500, 99 SL500, 94 E420, 92 500E, 92 500E, 92 300CE, 06 Lexus GX470
MBCA
The seller was a used car dealer in high line vehicles. Promises to provide specific repair history has been ignored, and since the service booklet that came with the car has the wrong data card in it, I doubt the stubs in the booklet reflect the car I purchased. Since all the other vehicles I own can have their service histories for repairs done by a dealer retrieved from the manufacturer's records by VIN number, I guess I foolishly believed that Mercedes Benz would be similar. As for the data info, I've owned several Rolls Royces and can get copies of the order form, build records, and any other info pertaining to the vehicle from either RROC or RREC, which are the US and British owners clubs. Apparently this isn't possible for Mercedes Benz vehicles, either from the dealer/manufacturer or owners organizations. This is my first MB and this was my first post on this forum. Forgive my ignorance
Also, have you gone to a dealer and asked for service history? They may be able to help as well. This is assuming the previous owners did take it to a dealer to be serviced.. after warrantee is up, many go to independent mechanics for the same services that are priced more competitively.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 203
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From: North East
04 E500, 00 SL500, 99 SL500, 94 E420, 92 500E, 92 500E, 92 300CE, 06 Lexus GX470
Mercedes EPC Data Card
Hey Frank, I'm going to attach your data card as a PDF file.
On almost all Data cards there are a few codes that come back as "no designation available". For those few in your card I filled in manually from a master sheet I downloaded elsewhere. I believe the codes are all correct.
Good luck with your cab...
On almost all Data cards there are a few codes that come back as "no designation available". For those few in your card I filled in manually from a master sheet I downloaded elsewhere. I believe the codes are all correct.
Good luck with your cab...
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1994 E320 Cabriolet
Thanks so much for your reply. It's very interesting to see changes made to the vehicle prior to my purchase. It actually came with a First Aid kit which appears as a delete, and a wind deflector, which wasn't listed as an option, and the phone was long gone.. The toolkit was present and I've been able to replace the few missing tools.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 203
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From: North East
04 E500, 00 SL500, 99 SL500, 94 E420, 92 500E, 92 500E, 92 300CE, 06 Lexus GX470
build codes
Thanks so much for your reply. It's very interesting to see changes made to the vehicle prior to my purchase. It actually came with a First Aid kit which appears as a delete, and a wind deflector, which wasn't listed as an option, and the phone was long gone.. The toolkit was present and I've been able to replace the few missing tools.
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1995 E320 Cabriolet
Another thing you can do is to run a CARFAX on your VIN. It may show the service history if it was dealer-maintained. It may also help to verify the mileage, see # of owners, accident history, etc.
Last edited by uvr708; Oct 10, 2014 at 11:58 PM. Reason: more precise
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1994 E320 Cabriolet
Thanks. I did order a Carfax and it did provide some more informatio , which doesn't match what the seller claimed - surprise, surprise. Will contact the dealers listed and see if any more info is available.
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1995 E320 Cabriolet
So what kind of inaccuracies are you seeing?
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1994 E320 Cabriolet
Among other things, seller claimed the car was a GA/FL car when according to the Carfax it was purchased in IL and was there for better that half its life. Seller also claimed hydraulics had all been replaced and wiring harness under hood also replaced. Can't be sure about the harness but have already had one top cylinder fail. Nothing in Carfax indicates these repairs had been done. As already mentioned the books and manuals aren't for this car, so the service ticket stubs will probably be for a different vehicle. It's a shame really, as the car seems to drive and ride very nicely, and once past these issues should be an enjoyable car to own. No one but me to blame, as I did the "trust" part but didn't follow up with the "verify" closely enough before purchasing.
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1995 E320 Cabriolet
Thanks for sharing this. I know it can put a cloud over a car purchase when this kind of thing rears its head. At least it's not collision damage and shoddy bodywork cropping up.
I think you can tell when the harness is old. If it's brittle, then it's likely old and about to fail. This is one of the quandaries of looking for a Cabriolet -- do you want a low-mileage car that's about to fail in several known areas or do you want a higher-mileage car that's already been through all that?
I think you can tell when the harness is old. If it's brittle, then it's likely old and about to fail. This is one of the quandaries of looking for a Cabriolet -- do you want a low-mileage car that's about to fail in several known areas or do you want a higher-mileage car that's already been through all that?
