Hello all,
I just purchased a 2008 E350 Wagon 4Matic (I keep wanting to type 4Motion, coming from VAG background) and I have a few questions.
I've ran the VIN and found the engine serial # and believe I avoided the soft cam gear issue so that's a plus. I bought the car knowing I'd be looking at servicing the trans and likely front axles / cv boots as it has been having some hard shifts when cold and there seems to be a bit of a rotational noise/feel that I believe is one of the CV joints. It has the 5 speed auto so I'm thinking that I will change the trans fluid, change the conductor plate and check the values on the solenoids to ensure that they are within spec.
As with everything, I understand that any answers I might get are subjective but I'm hoping that most of them will have some sort of consensus. My questions are:
1) What are the best online parts suppliers for MB?
2) What is the best, reasonably priced scan tool?
3) What is the best repair manual (I've always liked Bentley for Audis and VWs)?
Thanks for any info you can share,
Bryan

 

I have the 2008 4matic sedan.

I would change the fluid and the connector but not the conductor plate. The hard shifting can just be the connector which is what I had. It went away after replacing the connector which is much cheaper than the conductor plate. I would inspect the axles for rips in the boot. Front suspension noise could be lots of things, I wouldn't automatically assume the axles. You've got sway bar links, control arms, ball joints, tie rods and other bushings under there too not to mention springs/struts. I hope it's not your axles as the OEM ones are about $1000 and the cheap ones like Cardone for $100 can cause a vibration. FCPeuro sells a better aftermarket brand but those are around $300. You're better off buying an MB boot kit for $40 but that won't work if your axle is already bad and making noise.

For online parts, FCPeuro has a pretty lifetime warranty on all the parts they sell so I get most things from there. But I've gotten them from other vendors too like Autozone for the alternator as pretty much everyone has a lifetime warranty on alternators and I prefer to buy local for heavy stuff so you don't have to pay for shipping like you would to FCPeuro to take advantage of their warranty. But I did get the brake parts from them as most places don't offer lifetime warranty on rotors and the Akebono pads I like normally only come with a 30 day warranty. You normally just search for genuine Mercedes parts by punching in the part number and googling it and usually you get a bunch of OEM MB vendors that will discount anywhere from 25-30%. You are stuck with OEM for a few things like the springs as there are no aftermarket makers of them.

There are many scan tools, the Autel Diaglink is $85 but there's several others that range from $100-$150.

The best repair manual is the Mercedes WIS. You can buy a knock off DVD copy on eBay for about $8. Those are the original factory manuals the dealers use. You could also pay $65 to Mercedes for 24 hour access to Mercedes Star Tek. Your choice.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019-Mercedes-SMART-WIS-ASRA-EPC-Dealer-Service-Repair-Workshop-Download/123730293730

 

Thanks for all of that info, it's much appreciated!

 

Oh yeah for transmission fluid, you can get Shell ATF 134. You can get it from your local shell distributor. About $60 for a case of 12 quarts. Much cheaper than the dealer which is probably $20+ a quart.

https://www.shell.us/business-custom...r-locator.html

 

Cool. Thanks for that info. When you switched out the connector, did you drain the transmission fully and refill? I checked out the connector on FCP Euro and they offer a connecter change kit that comes with a quart of Pentosin. I guess I'll just order the connector and do a full drain and refill with the Shell ATF and see if matters improve.
I haven't had the wheels off the ground yet to see what the rotational noise is but it doesn't sound suspension related. The PO indicated that a boot was torn. I'm guessing that it may have flung out all of its grease but I'll have to look to be sure.
Thanks again!

 

genuinemercedesparts.com is a good source for OEM parts at reduced prices. They're affiliated with the parts department of an MB dealer in Atlanta. I've ordered a couple of things from them and they were comparable in price to other online parts sources and significantly cheaper than my local dealer.

Rotational noise from the front can be caused by tires or wheel bearings, an axle going bad is usually more evident in turns and makes a clicking noise and vibration. If there is a tear in an axle boot and it hasn't yet lost all of its grease, it should be cleaned up, packed with new grease, and sealed up with the boot repair kit from the dealer right away. Once all of the grease has been lost the axle will be destroyed in a short amount of time. These cars are also known to make noise from the front lower ball joints and sway bar end links. These should be checked for play and boot wear. The control arm bushings also dry out with age and can make noise and alter the ride quality, but these typically produce a knocking sound when going over bumps.

If you're planning on servicing the transmission yourself, you'll need to pick up a dipstick to measure the fluid level. These cars have a dipstick tube, but no dipstick. The tube is sealed with a black cap that has a red locking tab that has to be broken off. Once the transmission has been filled, the tube has to be sealed again with that cap, the dipstick can't be left in the transmission as it's too long. Kits are available on Amazon and Ebay among other places that include the dipstick and replacement locking tabs for the cap. Usually around $30? A scan tool that can read transmission fluid temperature is also a very good idea as the spec calls for fluid measurements to be taken at specific temperatures when filling.

 

Thanks Andre91 for the info.
Yeah, I need to get it up on jacks and check out that CV. Hopefully I can save it. There are no clicks on turning (that I can hear, at least). I've experienced that before so I know the sound. I was also thinking it may be a wheel bearing so I'll check that as well. As far as tires go, the car has a new set of Pirellis on it so I doubt it is that.
I'll be sure to check out the trans servicing kits and have everything on hand before opening it up. I still can't figure out why so many manufacturers don't put dipsticks in transmissions and a way to read the level when it is cold...
Thanks again!

 

The connector was replaced when changing the fluid/filter.

As for the fluid temperature, I don't think that applies to the 2008. That's for later cars that don't have a dipstick. You can check the level with the dipstick and add more if it's low. The newer models you have to add fluid when it's at a specific temperature and there's no dipstick. Although the dipstick does have hot/cold markings.

 

Nice. Thanks for that. It looks like my first order of business should be to get that WIS so I can do some more reading.