Red Ryder

Ok so the V8 has no balance shaft, but what is the issue you are talking about removing the front cover for? Were you just referring to changing the water pump or something, or is there a coming big issue with the V8? Sorry I didn't follow.

What are the most common issues for the V8 to watch out for? I thought there was something about seals behind the water pump going out and water leaking into coolant and destroying the engine?

I guess I meant since the V8 has full Airmatic it has front airbags too, whereas the E350 just has them in the rear, which is just more air components to go out. Then again I hear about front springs breaking so I guess pick your poison?

Is that the most common issue people experience with SBC, the number of brake pedal presses being exceeded? I thought it was an actual failure somewhere or something. Jeez people in Atlanta must be replacing SBC's every year with all the stop n go traffic there haha.

Alright so say I was to consider an E500, what is the year(s) I should look for and avoid? I've only found a 2005 and 2006 so far. I love the thought of having cooled seats and the other nice things that come with one (mostly the V8), but more trinkets to go wrong concerns me. I have it in my head that for my first MB ownership experience I should keep it simpler and cheaper to get the feel for it...prove me wrong haha.

amosfella

I'm going to take a stab at answering your questions. Hope I get all the ones I know the answers too.

The gear that you have to remove the timing cover for is the same problem as the balance shaft issue in the M272. But there's no balance shaft, it's just a gear.

The seal behind the water pump was a problem in the M113 and m112 engine as I recall. However, I don't recall it being a massive problem. As for the V8 problems, the M113 has problems with valve cover seals drying out and leaking. Not a big fix. The AMG55 engine had a few extras to worry about. Not so sure about the M273.

That's the way I looked at it. I like it and would sink the money into fixing it rather than replacing with steel like others have done. Mind you I do almost all my own work. Steel springs are a little bit cheaper. So, there is that.

From what I understand, yes. Once the number of motor starts has been achieved, the dash gives you a warning. Even the dealership resets the system in many cases I'm told. It had to do with safe wearing of the brushes for the motor that pressured up the brake system. You can replace the brushes in the motor too. There's a guy with a video on youtube how to do it with part numbers, etc. SBC is very interesting as a break system. I think it improves the car dramatically.

I have a 2004 that's salvage rebuild. I live in a rougher rural area, so the salvage idea doesn't bother me. It gets used as a farm truck at times. The wagons came from the same plant as what made the G wagon, and they seem to have very good quality control there. A lot of people say to avoid the first year model, but here I am owning one. I put a few parts into it when I got it, and I had an electrical issue that I fixed. I have to replace a bunch of suspension bushings right now, but that's par for the course of living where I do. No bushings last well here. Other than that, it's been pretty trouble free. And the weight distribution in the wagon with 4matic make it a great car to drive in a blizzard.

I hope that covers everything. A comment that I have is that I think that the M113 engine is the most reliable mercedes engine in that era without being needlessly complicated. When I was looking for a different project a while back, M113 engines with 100k on them were selling for $400-600 with free shipping. The wagons are rare enough that it's a find them where you get them proposition, but the market for them isn't that hot either. That being said, I love having a car that I can do 80% of what I'd use a pickup to do. Still can't make it pull a gooseneck trailer though.

E55Greasemonkey

Overpaid! Northern undercarriage rust, accident, missing cargo cover. One key. Plus fees.. Crazy.

Red Ryder

Thanks a lot for your info and perspective. Btw did Mercedes make an E500 wagon from 2007 - 2009?

Jeez, yea no thanks. What are these people thinking.

We have pretty much decided to wait at this point, not about to pay more than I need to for one of these when they were thousands cheaper just a year ago or whatever. This market is stressful to shop in as well, I don't need that in my life. From what I've read things are supposed to start normalizing after October 2022 into 2023, we'll start looking again then, perhaps. Of course new car production has to normalize as well, I guess we'll see. Until that time, I'll keep reading and learning about these.

Jays72T

Funny, I won that ebay car, it's great!! Looks like it spent most of it's life in a garage.

Jay
08 E350 wagon

Sleeper Benz

Done the water pump replacement on our E500 Wagon, relatively easy & cheap in-the-driveway job.

E55Greasemonkey

This is just crazy:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...atic-wagon-12/
Scuffed bumpers, broken seat handles, no history of the fuel tank being replaced, possible blown front CV axles? Florida car with likely rotted quarter window seals, note the lack of detail pics on this one. Just another shady dealer flipping an auction car on BaT.
Makes me wonder if the buyer will actually follow through with payment.... Almost $24k with fees.
I've been seeing cars re-listed there due to non-paying bidders lately. The big secret is...how many of these over-priced auctions actually fund?

cetialpha5

That's a really awful wagon too, hardly any options and it doesn't look like there were that many options available for that year to begin with, basically just the P2 option which was keyless go and bixenons. Nada says retail for a regular sedan is 11.5k with that kind of mileage so yeah the premium is way too high. They claim that the book for a wagon is 11.8k.

I'm just surprised that it claims my 2008 is worth 11.5k and it doesn't even value any of the options I have like P2, parktronic, pano, real leather etc. I only paid 18.5k for it 7 years ago so I guess a 1k depreciation per year isn't bad. Of course it will probably drop in value by half in a year or two once this crazy market is over.

tjts1

2MERKS

My take would be the miles!
R,
2Merks

Red Ryder

Good. Lord. Just insanity to pay that for one of these, even if it was in great condition with that mileage. Which this one isn't.

andorra

I have 1 2004 e500 4matic wagon I bought from original owner (friend) with 113K miles. It now has 240K. Find yourself a good mechanic! The dealer will cost you $$$$!. I love this car. My current headache is I had to replace the coolant overflow reservoir due to a pinhole leak on the seam. Now the "Coolant! Visit workshop" light comes on periodically for no reason - coolant not leaking and fluid level is where it should be.

juanmor40

Coolant reservoir

Unfortunately, the plastic parts under the hood of these cars decompose over time. Budget to change the reservoir, the coolant hose from the reservoir, and the supporting pins as well. Once they age, everything will crumble when you get the reservoir out .. Been there, and seen it twice.

Red Ryder

Bump from the dead. I am considering an '06 E500 wagon with ~140k miles for under $6k. Seller says it has been well maintained and reliable, and that he has maintenance records dating back several years when he acquired the car as the 2nd owner. What I really like about it is the airmatic has been replaced by shock/springs at all 4 corners, which previously had me shying away from E500's. So that's a few major areas (motor, trans, suspension) I feel I won't ever have to shell out big money on for this car since they're all reliable (ideally). Except for maybe the SBC unit but that still has the 25yr replacement warranty. So my only real worry left with this car planning to keep it long term is the "iffy" early W211 electronics.

Unfortunately it is not local. Looks very nice inside and out in pics, though there is a crack in the back right corner of the rear bumper cover. Has Continental tires less than 2yrs old. He also said there is a dash light on since the computer is looking for air suspension and there isn't any. Also, he says there is a dash light on for one of the brake sensors. There are ABS sensors on SBC cars?

Thoughts? Would you buy it?

2MERKS

If the wtr pump, front axles, brakes, rotors, diff trans fluids have been changed in the last year or two by all means buy, but if your feeling "iffy" move on. Just my humble opinion.
R,
2Merks

Red Ryder

I have been trying to find this online but no clear answer, does the V8 require 93 octane to run safely? Can it run on 87 or 91 but just won't deliver the full performance, or is that harmful? My ATS requires 93 octane so I'm already living that life, just curious.

Also is replacing spark plugs easy enough to DIY? Not sure how accessible all 16 are.

juanmor40

Changing spark plugs on the M272/M273 engines is a walk in the park compared to the more recent M276/M278. Steps:
1 - Take the air box out (2 pieces)
2 - Disconnect the ignition coils, and be careful the locks may be brittle by now
3 - Take the ignition coils out
4 - Using a magnetic 14 mm socket go ahead, and take the plugs out. If you find them a bit tight coming out, it is best to alternate between counter-clockwise, and clockwise until the thread is clean; otherwise, you risk damaging the thread.

Here is a video for the V8

tjts1

The M113 and M112 run on 87 octane without issue. M272 not so much. the rear most spark plugs are a pain but theres a tool for that. Theres a special tool for the spark plug wires.