DoubleACR

Good afternoon,

Interested in an '06 E500 4Matic with 130K. After a test drive, I took it to the local MB dealer for an inspection and was told the transfer case and rear main seal was leaking.

Seller said the shop* he takes Euro cars to said "most of these(E500's? MB? Euro?) leak a little bit of oil and it's nothing to worry about."

This shop is a very reputable Mom & Pop Euro shop I've gone to for 10+ years with my VW. The local MB dealer on the other hand doesn't have the best reputation.

I didn't notice any oil or fluids under the car, even after it had been idling for 15 minutes.

Not being familiar w/ the MB world at all, I'm curious as to who to believe. Is this a common minor issue that's solved with a 1/2qt ever other month or cause for concern?

Thanks for your time,
Aaron

wjcandee

Not a drip under the transfer case in our 2004 E500 with approximately a hundred ten thousand miles. Just had the transfer case fluid exchanged to eliminate a grinding in the transfer case that's been going on for 9 years. Cost me about $400 at the dealer. The transfer case fluid is a small amount of a honey-like substance that you can get only from Mercedes Benz. It's not something you can just top off. It takes 0.8 liter of the stuff to fill it, & I wouldn't dare try to do it myself. My excellent local mechanic send me to the dealer with it, because he felt it was best that that part be dealer maintained in case it craps out, as there is a service campaign on some years of the W 211 regarding the transfer case.

relinuca

Such fluid seepage is not uncommon; some do, some don't. Unless it's leaving a noticeable puddle on the garage floor on a daily basis, I would not worry about it. Gasket replacements can be very expensive.


relinuca

N_Jay

General rule on drive line seals.
Dry is best, damp in no problem, wet is OK-so/s0, signs of dripping and time to replace.
The seal is keeping a very small amount of fluid in, so a few drips a day, in relative terms is a lot of fluid loss.
The seal is also keeping water and dirt out, so if fluid is coming out at a rate high enough to form a drip, it can be letting contaminants in.


Dealers will always flag damp seals as bad. (wouldn't you want them to on a PPI?)
You need to ask if it is damp, wet or dripping. (or look for yourself).

DoubleACR

Thanks for the helpful info everyone... I'll go back and take a closer look tomorrow.

Aaron