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'05 ford f150 xlt, '08 ford focus ses coupe, '08 bmw 335xi, '15 ford f150 fx4 ecoboost
hello all! Teach me your ways
hi everyone. im about to make my first mb purchase i hope. been looking for a sporty wagon to haul my dogs about in on very frequent trips to traverse city. currently the trucks are to thirsty to make the trips and the bimmer is too small for all of us.
bimmer doesnt make a sporty wagon in 3er and a optioned 5er are going for 20k for a 3L turbo. ive already spent what i paid for the car in maintenance it feels like. turbos, cooling, fuel pump,...... so i dont want to go that route again with them.
theres an e500 4matic for sale near me and it seems to be pretty mint. only thing to hold against it is some paint chips and minor surface rust on the gate under the glass. rest of the paint is flawless. interior shows very little to no signs of wear. alloys have no rash on them, engine bay is neat and tidy. no accident damage. just a little hazing oin the headlamps which it seems all exhibit...
they are asking $8,4xx which is a bit high but im sure that is so when things are negotiated they come out ahead...
anywho, i know nothing about mb except they are as 'murican as the germans get compared to vag and bimmer.....
i havent driven it yet and only briefly looked it over. it has the active seats with cooling, both key fobs, power liftgate.....
what should i know? i know it has air ride. i dont know if it is in the front or just the rear. air suspension issues don't scare me.... i know the v6 has balancer issues but i dont know anything about the v8. tranny issues to look for on the test drive? do i need a mb scanner to talk to the car or can i get by with a generic scanner?
1. Get it scanned with a xentry das, special codes just pop with this mb scanner.
2. As to transmission mostly is the brake light swith (15$), or the 13 pin connector, which is also cheap..
3. Air suspension is on all corners, if one blows get Arnotts replacement, I've heard they have lifetime warranty.
4. As you describe the car it seems really well maintained.
5. Look out for the sbc brake system.. Its expensive and it's a pita to fix.. it can be the brake light switch or the whole sbc unit which is like 1,500$ to fix... I'm fixing mine now but it's supposedly the pressure accumulator, 120 usd on ebay plus labor.
6. Everything is change thought the xentry das, so get to know a shop with one before even buying a benz.. imho for the paddle shifters youll need this scanner etc..
Try to get a Mercedes Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) which should include the scan, fluid check, and maintenance history. Budget for the areas found and negotiate your price based on the report. The main issue with the pre facelift (320 and 500) is the SBC pump and the cost of the air suspension.
'05 ford f150 xlt, '08 ford focus ses coupe, '08 bmw 335xi, '15 ford f150 fx4 ecoboost
thanks guys for the replies. from the research i could dig up it seems like these are pretty reliable cars. leaky air shocks were the most numerous complaint that popped up. some mentions of bad radiators leaking coolant into the transmission, and smells of gas entering the cabin (that last one got nation news attention).
i plan on getting an inspection at the nearby mb dealer. anything to pay attention for on test drives that the dealer may have tried to cover up by clearing codes and such?
im interested in the 4matic and its operation. power distribution front to rear, lsd or lockup diffs, tricks to the air suspension, yadda yadda yadda.
the car is so old now that any searches just return bad hits of ppl videoing cars they are trying to sell or sites for generic stick on fender vents and led lights....
'05 ford f150 xlt, '08 ford focus ses coupe, '08 bmw 335xi, '15 ford f150 fx4 ecoboost
ok, cool thanks burgca. so it looks like a locking diff (asd) and use of the brakes (sbc) to shove power around. is it just a locking center diff or does the rear also lock? the article wasnt totally clear on that. i know the amg had limited slip....
About the gas entering the cabin, there's a couple of diy and for what I've seen it's not expensive, just change a piece... Trust me, the worst that can happen is the sbc which will drive you nuts just by finding what wrong with it, an air suspension is just a simple swap in case of failure I believe.
I wanted to take my car to the dealer for an inspection as well, but they wanted to stay with the car for 2-3 days and I could't wait.. Car seemed alright for the price. Dealer was asking 125 usd for a full inspection in my country. Don't know about mbusa.
The gasoline tank has an extended warranty from MB and is typically replaced at no charge ( you can search the forum). SBC remains the primary issue with the pre-facelift w211 because it will fail (reach count limit) and require replacement. The air suspension issues exist throughout the lineup. The following video covers the 4Matic on w220 and w211
Lol...I don't remember you telling us if it's a v6/v8, or maybe i just missed it lol. Definitely a PPI, if the dealer says no walk away he's doing you solid! As for the price you could get them down another 1 - 1.5k easy.
if you get a chance to get the VIN number and post it could be looked up. In the armrest area see if see the BT puck, and MHI connector, if not there you could buy off the interweb. very nice looking from the Picture. GL...FWIW diggin that color!!
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
hello all! Teach me your ways
