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First Post - Help on inspecting an E350. Pictures inside.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the ad and great to be here. Tomorrow I am doing a 5 hour round trip to look at a 2007 E350 with only 57,000 miles. The car body, paint, and interior is mint. (As far as I can tell by pictures -Will see it in person first time tomorrow).
Issue and question - the seller inherited the car from a sick relative. The car sat completely unused in a heated garage for 5 years. This the reason for low mileage. It has never been driven in winter. Upon receiving car the seller brought it to an independent garage for full inspection and I assume fluid updates and fixes ( I will see all the invoices tomorrow). New battery and new front brakes were installed. The car has since been driven recently on one 140 mile trip with no incidence or warning lights. Garage have given clean bill of health.
I asked seller to remove front engine cover and send me pics before I drive down. There seems to be a lot of calcium build up on the metals. A little bit of oil near oil filter but could just be normal wear for sitting so long.
1. Can you guys please look at the following engine bay pictures and tell me if you see any red flags? This is my first MB purchase. I do all my own mechanics and would like opinions from the other knowlegable DIY on here.
2. After sitting 5 years, what MB specific things should the garage have done?
Pics below and thank you so much in advance for any help. Cheers. John
Weeping from oil cooler seal I can see, cheap fix just a little time consuming.
since you can DIY yourself the ONLY thing I’d be checking is that it’s not within the bad balance shaft range. IF it is - walk away and forget about it.
Weeping from oil cooler seal I can see, cheap fix just a little time consuming.
since you can DIY yourself the ONLY thing I’d be checking is that it’s not within the bad balance shaft range. IF it is - walk away and forget about it.
Thanks. I just watched a vid on the oil cooler seal so thank you. Much appreciated.
Yes. Already ran the VIN number for engine number. I am well out of range and safe.
The corrosion indicates that the car has NOT been in a heated garage, or the relative lived near by the ocean. Get the car on a lift or a ramp, and inspect it underneath. Take off the plastic guards, it is simply done with an 8mm snap on tool, with a short extension. Look for corrosion on all linkage in the suspension, most of them are aluminum. Furher look for corrosion on the aircon tubes, as well as the radiator. All these things can be expensive to change. Look for corrosion at the wheel arches, and underneath the car. These cars are prone to rust.
The corrosion indicates that the car has NOT been in a heated garage, or the relative lived near by the ocean. Get the car on a lift or a ramp, and inspect it underneath. Take off the plastic guards, it is simply done with an 8mm snap on tool, with a short extension. Look for corrosion on all linkage in the suspension, most of them are aluminum. Furher look for corrosion on the aircon tubes, as well as the radiator. All these things can be expensive to change. Look for corrosion at the wheel arches, and underneath the car. These cars are prone to rust.
Thanks. He lives in Quebec City not near any salt water bodies. What do the MB guys use remove the corrosion on the aluminum engine parts?
Yeah, the oil cooler was the only thing I noticed. But I would also probably do thermostat while doing oil cooler gaskets, both idler pulleys/tensioner and belt while doing that. Idler has to come off when doing thermostat anyway. Also check motor mounts.
Yeah, the oil cooler was the only thing I noticed. But I would also probably do thermostat while doing oil cooler gaskets, both idler pulleys/tensioner and belt while doing that. Idler has to come off when doing thermostat anyway. Also check motor mounts.
My big issue right now is do the engine metals simply need a cleaning or is the condition indicative of more serious future problems. Am I looking at a cosmetic issue or something more serious?
Actually looks pretty decent considering it is a 12 yr old car. The minor oil cooler leak, as mentioned above, is easily fixed. The car is known to go through engine mounts quickly. I would imagine that the fluid filled rubber engine mount is well past it's prime. As it is fairly inexpensive and easy to replace, might as well do them. Don't forget the rubber transmission mount as well.
Tires have to be at least 5 years old if not older. While they may have a lot of tread life left, it is possible the rubber has gotten much harder. You might consider replacing these in the future.
Normally at this age, you'll start to have worn suspension components, especially in the front. I would wait until the parts start making noises or fail. Common components are the control arms (there are several up front), ball joints (upper and lower), sway bar links.
I wouldn't worry about the minor cosmetic rusting of the engine parts. Those parts look normal for the age. The rust looks like surface rust (easily removed if needed). Honestly it looks like the engine needs a good cleaning and that's it. How is the interior? I would be worried about some mold growth if the car sat there for a long time.
Another thing that is often overlooked is the rear differential fluid. I would recommend a drain and refill as soon as you can.
Actually looks pretty decent considering it is a 12 yr old car. The minor oil cooler leak, as mentioned above, is easily fixed. The car is known to go through engine mounts quickly. I would imagine that the fluid filled rubber engine mount is well past it's prime. As it is fairly inexpensive and easy to replace, might as well do them. Don't forget the rubber transmission mount as well.
Tires have to be at least 5 years old if not older. While they may have a lot of tread life left, it is possible the rubber has gotten much harder. You might consider replacing these in the future.
Normally at this age, you'll start to have worn suspension components, especially in the front. I would wait until the parts start making noises or fail. Common components are the control arms (there are several up front), ball joints (upper and lower), sway bar links.
I wouldn't worry about the minor cosmetic rusting of the engine parts. Those parts look normal for the age. The rust looks like surface rust (easily removed if needed). Honestly it looks like the engine needs a good cleaning and that's it. How is the interior? I would be worried about some mold growth if the car sat there for a long time.
Another thing that is often overlooked is the rear differential fluid. I would recommend a drain and refill as soon as you can.
Thank you F1Fan. That is good feedback. Much appreciated.
My apologies in advance here as I am going to ask a newbie question. (Normally I would research the board first but I'm pressed for time and have to leave early tomorrow morning to inspect the car).
1.What do you guys suggest for shop manuals, where and what to buy. Paper or digital services.
2. OEM parts - Dealership or are there better sources. I.e. I see that Mann filters can be sold without the MB logo. Is there a main place all you guys shop and source stuff?
Emanualonline If you are running Windows, this works great. I will say it was a very significant download size. Cost was reasonable, but you are getting the factory manual. It does take a bit to learn how to navigate MB's manual. It will run on a Mac, but will need to download additional software.
As for parts, I like FCPEuro because they have a lifetime warranty. Having said that, there are other vendors as well. ECSTuning, AutohausAZ, RockAuto, Amazon. You are correct, Mann filters are one of the OEM suppliers for MB. For example, their oil filter for M112 engine would be HU718/5x. As you can see in the photo, the only thing missing is the MB Star logo printed on the filter. In this example, be sure to use the HU718/5x fleece filter. It is white. Do not use HU718/4x paper filter. It is not the same and may cause a leak around the filter housing. I am not familiar with the specific engine oil filter for the 3.5l v6 so you might want to confirm with various sources for the correct filter.
For parts I mostly use fcpeuro, but sometimes I shop around depending on the part. For instance rockauto has the kit for the tensioner/idler pulleys and belt. FCPeuro has it for a little bit more. Not sure if I'd really need the lifetime warranty on those parts. For brakes though, you'd be hard pressed to find someone else giving you a lifetime warranty on rotors and pads. I just get the Mann filters from Rockauto although you can also get them from fcpeuro and have a lifetime warranty. I just don't want to abuse them that badly.
For manuals, the real MB manual is the WIS which you can buy a knock off version on eBay for $6.60.
Also check the back of the engine for oil leaks from the crankcase vent valve. If you had a scanner, I'd tell you to use one that can check for MB specific codes.
Also once you have the MB part numbers you just google it and usually a bunch of MB dealers selling parts come up. My favorite one shut down but normally you can find 25-30% off list price online. Always include your VIN when ordering parts because that's how they make sure it's the right part. EPC is used to look up parts. That car looks like the luxury model. You can use a vin decoder to see what options it has. I'm wondering if you have the bixenons, looks like you have the headlamp washers. That was a no cost option on the sports option but I don't think you have that so maybe you have the P2 package which would be the bixenons and keyless go. If you have keyless go, make sure all the door handles lock and unlock the car, the handles are close to $300 each.
For parts I mostly use fcpeuro, but sometimes I shop around depending on the part. For instance rockauto has the kit for the tensioner/idler pulleys and belt. FCPeuro has it for a little bit more. Not sure if I'd really need the lifetime warranty on those parts. For brakes though, you'd be hard pressed to find someone else giving you a lifetime warranty on rotors and pads. I just get the Mann filters from Rockauto although you can also get them from fcpeuro and have a lifetime warranty. I just don't want to abuse them that badly.
For manuals, the real MB manual is the WIS which you can buy a knock off version on eBay for $6.60.
Also check the back of the engine for oil leaks from the crankcase vent valve. If you had a scanner, I'd tell you to use one that can check for MB specific codes.
Also once you have the MB part numbers you just google it and usually a bunch of MB dealers selling parts come up. My favorite one shut down but normally you can find 25-30% off list price online. Always include your VIN when ordering parts because that's how they make sure it's the right part. EPC is used to look up parts. That car looks like the luxury model. You can use a vin decoder to see what options it has. I'm wondering if you have the bixenons, looks like you have the headlamp washers. That was a no cost option on the sports option but I don't think you have that so maybe you have the P2 package which would be the bixenons and keyless go. If you have keyless go, make sure all the door handles lock and unlock the car, the handles are close to $300 each.
My big issue right now is do the engine metals simply need a cleaning or is the condition indicative of more serious future problems. Am I looking at a cosmetic issue or something more serious?
I wouldnt worry at all about that to be honest. And I disagree with the above poster about not being in a heated garage. One cannot tell that from the oxidization present. Heated garages dont keep humidity in check when heat isnt needed... Balance shafts are the number one concern IMO, and since you are outside of that range and do your on work, give it a go if its priced right.
As the others have mentioned, motor/trans mounts, suspension components (ball joints, bushings, etc) are the common issues that seem to appear.
I wouldnt worry at all about that to be honest. And I disagree with the above poster about not being in a heated garage. One cannot tell that from the oxidization present. Heated garages dont keep humidity in check when heat isnt needed... Balance shafts are the number one concern IMO, and since you are outside of that range and do your on work, give it a go if its priced right.
As the others have mentioned, motor/trans mounts, suspension components (ball joints, bushings, etc) are the common issues that seem to appear.
I wouldnt worry at all about that to be honest. And I disagree with the above poster about not being in a heated garage. One cannot tell that from the oxidization present. Heated garages dont keep humidity in check when heat isnt needed... Balance shafts are the number one concern IMO, and since you are outside of that range and do your on work, give it a go if its priced right.
As the others have mentioned, motor/trans mounts, suspension components (ball joints, bushings, etc) are the common issues that seem to appear.
Motor mounts can go early which is why you might want to budget for them, mine went at the 60k mark. Sway bar links early too. But other things like ball joints, control arms, tie rods, springs, struts, etc went when the car had over 100k.
I wouldnt worry at all about that to be honest. And I disagree with the above poster about not being in a heated garage. One cannot tell that from the oxidization present. Heated garages dont keep humidity in check when heat isnt needed... Balance shafts are the number one concern IMO, and since you are outside of that range and do your on work, give it a go if its priced right.
As the others have mentioned, motor/trans mounts, suspension components (ball joints, bushings, etc) are the common issues that seem to appear.
With only 57000 miles on the clock, all those issues you mention are probably not an issue. Miles are more of a problem, than age.
I would suggest that you borrow a MB scanner and plug it in, this way you would be able to know if this car has any logged errors when it was not in use and if there are any engine or transmission related issues. Take it on a test drive and you'll have more confidence in your decision making process.
Good Luck.
I would suggest that you borrow a MB scanner and plug it in, this way you would be able to know if this car has any logged errors when it was not in use and if there are any engine or transmission related issues. Take it on a test drive and you'll have more confidence in your decision making process.
Good Luck.
Probably too late to get one. I was just using mine. Got an alignment and while driving home, the ESP inoperative message came on. I had already replaced the steering angle sensor so I figured maybe it was a wheel speed sensor as I had just changed ball joints and tie rods, but it didn't show up when I went to scan it and it just had some error messages related to low voltage. I'm hoping it was just one of those weird things where you get error messages when the battery is low, they probably left the car on when doing the alignment and ran down the battery a little.
My apologies in advance here as I am going to ask a newbie question. (Normally I would research the board first but I'm pressed for time and have to leave early tomorrow morning to inspect the car).
1.What do you guys suggest for shop manuals, where and what to buy. Paper or digital services.
2. OEM parts - Dealership or are there better sources. I.e. I see that Mann filters can be sold without the MB logo. Is there a main place all you guys shop and source stuff?
Rock Auto also carries those Mann filters at a good price, and yes, Mann is the OE for M-B. Mahle and Hengst (both also made in Germany) apparently are also OE's for this filter; I've also used them with good success. Actually, if you know what you're looking for, Rock Auto often carries the actual OE part and can save some bucks.
Other places I shop: I typically buy from either MBOemParts.com (Mercedes-Benz of Naperville, IL), OEMercedesBenzParts.com, and FCPEuro. The former two, actual dealerships, give nice discounts for online orders. The latter is already well known for their good service as well. All three have gotten plenty of money from me. :-)
With only 57000 miles on the clock, all those issues you mention are probably not an issue. Miles are more of a problem, than age.
Condition is far more important than age or mileage. This thing hasn't been maintained in years. There's rust everywhere on that engine. Everything rubber is perished. The fuel in the injection and pump has turned to varnish. I would take a 200,000 mile well maintained example over this basket case. Hard pass.
So I completed the 5 hour trip and finished inspecting the car. For those of you that helped me with the information above...a big thank you.
If you are curious about what I found....read on.
First impression when I pulled into the seller's driveway was the car looked new! Barely a mark on the body and interior was mint...I was really excited. I was relieved I hadn't wasted a trip and had finally found my E series car!
Then I started asking questions, went for a test drive....and it all went to s***!
As mentioned above, the car had sat for 5 years unused. I was told on the phone it had been taken to 2 garages for inspection and fixes. All paperwork and bills provided.
I was reviewing the paperwork from the garage that included new brakes, battery etc. But one thing was strange...I couldn't find any information on all the extensive fluids that must have been changed or flushed.
When I asked the seller about the missing info his answer floored me...no fluids had been changed!! The oil in the car was over 5 years old (oh...the car is running while were having this discussion). When I asked why it hadn't been changed, he said the oil only has 1000 miles on it so why change it. Same answer for the coolant, tranny, and diff.
Me: What about the old gas?
Seller: Oh...tank was empty so I filled it.
Me: What about the old gas still in the injectors?
Seller: Its not like this car has carburators that can get gunked up. Fuel injectors are fine with old gas.
Me: (Jaw hits ground.)
Alrighty then....time for the test drive.
Now...I drove a 80,000 mile 2006 E350 the day before this visit. It was amazing. Quietest car I have ever driven with tight accurate steering. I was expecting the same....
We get on the road and bring the car up to 30 mph and the cabin immediately fills with a loud whirling noise....yep...the rear wheel bearings are shot. I take it on the highway and the steering wheel begins to shake.
Get up to 60mph at it is shaking hard. Seller says the tires need changing and probably just an alignment issue. So I cautiously take my hands off the steering wheel and the car drives perfectly straight. Not an alignment issue. Now...I don't know Mercedes very well but I'm figuring it is either bearing or suspension issues if alignment is ok. What do you guys think it could be?
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