stevemax

Hi everyone , I'm new here. Amazed with the amount technical discussion on MB here. Driving a, 03 E240 ( know as lazy merc in my country ) and thinking to to swap engine+transmission ( from a wrecked/ halfcut car ). Reason : wanted more HP and hopefully with will have less problem with a newer transmission ( my transmission is having problem now ).

Need some advice on how complicated is this job. The mechanical fitting
and even connecting wire harness may be straightforward since it's the same model. I foresee problms with ECU ? what sort of changes prograaming needed. Is it a better idea to also swap ECU where the engine belong to.

Considering the following options


1. E500 - 5 speed
2. E350 - 7 speed ( new facelifted )
3. S350 - 5 speed


thanks everyone

MB Fanatic

Uhmm why not just get a new car?

A for getting a good engine, the new E350 with 7 speed probably will be cheaper and ideal. The old 350 with 5 speed was really just a 320 bored out to 3.5 liters, without any extra power.

Regardless of what your choice is, you are going to need a new transmission AND ECU. The old ECU won't work with the new engine.

Diesel Benz

And the ECU from the "new" engine won't work with the rest of the DAS components in the car. I guess you could change them all.

unitfreebie

Also none of the transmission hoses to/from the radiator will fit unless you swap the radiator too.. and hopefully the lengths will all fit exactly right!

Probably more trouble than it's worth... unless you are looking for a challenge!

Good Luck..

sosh

Don't waste your time and money. Either fix and drive what you have or trade.

MB Fanatic

ESP systems have to be updated as well. Each car has different ESP characteristics.

gnma

FYI - RWD E500 has the 7 spd.

MB Fanatic

FYI - 2003 to 2004 E500 models had the 5 speed transmission. Only 2005 and later got the new 7G Tronic.

CynCarvin32

FYI the 2004 E500 was a 7g car. Only the 2003 E500 was a 5 speeder.

Benz-O-Rama

Correct. I have a 2004 with 7G.

CynCarvin32

Had one for 3.5 years. That tranny and the 5.0L motor were a great match. I think I miss that E500 more than I do my E55. It was lighter and more fun -- but no its no where near as fast. The last E550 with 19 inch wheels I drove was a great car. Right in the middle of the two!

Ali Ryan

looking to change slow E200 with 1.8 kompressor engine to a better engine, any suggestion is welcomed

homeofstone

The E500 is heavier and will require new front suspension springs to carry the weight.

AMGAffalterbach

Wait the 2004-2006 E500 had a 7G Tronic here in the US?

SBundlez

Looking to possibly upgrade the engine in my E350. What else would I need besides the engine to swap in an E63 engine successfully?

computer only?

a100steaksauce

Learned something new.

relinuca

Frankenstein luxury cars are nearly impossible to sell.


relinuca

redline_r

My 04 E500 (US, W211, wagon 4matic) is def. not 7g but 5.Maybe in different markets it was different?

Strigoi

It was introduced in Autumn of 2003 for V8 models, according to Wikipedia. What's your build date?

redline_r

with WDBUH83J64X110642 as my VIN, how can I tell?

kjb55

You can run your data card at www.datamb.com

tjts1

All 4matic E500 and E350s got the 722.6. The RWDs got the 722.9 in parallel. The only RWD 722.6 were the E320s and E55s.
​​​​​

redline_r

Datacard site is supercool...how have I never seen that before?

So yes, 722.6 it is. There weren't any E500 wagons with no 4matic, right? So all E500 wagons got the 5speed?

tjts1

In the US market that is correct.

VII

To swap an exact engine:
- Just swap
To swap an engine of the same designation but different variant:
-Swap engine
-Code current ECU and TCU (Not trivial you will need coding string)
To swap to a different engine:
-Swap engine
-Swap coolant components
-Swap oil circuit components
-Install new virgin ECU that matches new engine designation and code
-Code current TCU (transmission must be compatible, will need code string)
​​​​​As stated market value of cars modified in this way is usually severely affected and its better financially to trade.