janson540

I recently got a used 1998 E300TD for my first car, it was in pretty good condition considering it's pushing a decade and a half old. Apart from some minor cosmetic problems(cracked bumper, some dents, and some scratches on the window), the car seemed in excellent condition. The seller is a Mercedes Mechanic from poland, and has been for 50 years, as well as a trusted friend of my grandfathers, so I trust him when he says the engine is good condition. Any way, we got it for $7,900 with 134k miles on it.

I'm 16 myself, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible about the car, and I'm petty technical so I love DIY fixes and such. So far, I've had a couple problems, all electrical. My passenger front window stops moving about halfway up, and I have to press the switch many times to get it up, it won't go automatically with the 2nd stage switch press. Also, the sunroof does not open, it seizes after 2 inches, but it's not really a problem except I'd like to replace the falling headliner on the slider but it doesn't come out unless the sun roof opens.

The major fixes were the tail lights. I had a "lamp defective" indicator on my dash, and I realized it was my passenger side break light. You're probably thinking "just a bulb or a corroded socket", nope! The fixture was blown, I tried everything, switch sockets, different bulbs, finally I switched the fixtures to opposite sides and the driver's side fixture worked when hooked up to the passenger side fixture, so I ordered aftermarket lights and they work now. Problem solved.

That's pretty much a run down of my problems with the car, and I am looking for some input from you guys, the older more experience owners! What problems should I expect from my car, what should I do to extend its longevity? I really appreciate it, and thanks for reading my laundry list of stuff!

PS: What model is the white car on the banner on the front page of the site? It looks like it says E on the side, but it looks like a C class AMG of some sort, It's bugging me.

apl175

The windows, the seats (including head restraints), and the sunroof have a "normalization" that must be done if the car has ever lost electric power. This allows the door control module to learn the maximum and minimum position.

Try running the window up all the way with the first stage press and keep it there for a few seconds after it reaches fully closed. Then do the same thing going down if it's having problems with it. The window should now auto close and open.
Try doing the same with the sunroof - although it seems that a bad motor or cable might be the cause as well.

I think it says very positive things about your character, that you're 16 years old and have chosen a diesel Mercedes to be your first car. You could have easily spent the same amount on a Honda or Toyota - and probably ended up with something newer, and less trouble. You will learn far more about mechanics, engineering and vehicle systems with this car however.

Drummajorc

Congrats on the car. The procedure above should fix the windows, as stated it is an issue that occurs if the battery was disconnected or lost charge for some reason; searching for 'window synchronization' would yield more info on the topic.

The car on the banner is a c63 black edition, the side badge is 6.3, designating the engine size.

Good luck with the car!