E-Class (W211) 2003-2009

E550 FANS Need some advice!

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Old Jul 21, 2022 | 01:09 PM
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E550 FANS Need some advice!

Yea another one of these threads.

Im looking at a 2007 E550 this weekend with 120k miles , good service history. I already own a 2004 E500 so I am familiar with this chassis. I do know it will need rear bags at some point , no big deal did my own on the 500. And apparently it has a clunk at low speeds which i was told was a u joint , this makes me a little leary ..if its a u joint or Flex disc or carrier bearing no big deal but if its a transmission issue then obviously a big deal.. The owner says it is fine when driving and only a issues at low speeds ...Im bringing my scanner but I need the 550 experts to give me some wisdom on what to look for in regards to this clunk and across the board in general.
Thanks!
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Old Jul 22, 2022 | 11:25 AM
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I forgot that this site doesnt really have alot of interaction between members, that really sucks. I get my questions and answers are readily available online but its nice to hear from people who might have more to add from experience.
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Old Jul 22, 2022 | 01:15 PM
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Is it a 4Matic, or RWD only?

A failure of the U-joint in the front shaft can break the transmission casing, and other components around that area. It is something to be addressed ASAP. For the rear U-Joint, you can imagine how bad it can be as well. So watchful eye for that.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...eplacement.htm
https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...eplacement.htm
https://www.benzworld.org/threads/ho...s-bad.2638817/




Last edited by JCM_MB; Jul 22, 2022 at 01:23 PM.
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Old Jul 24, 2022 | 08:16 AM
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Car purchased thread closed.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 12:26 PM
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So did you get the car up on a lift to figure out what the clunk was?

The usual stuff applies, motor mounts, intake manifold, oil separator/oil breather cover, tensioner/pulleys, thermostat, oil cooler/coolant gasket, etc. Also check for fuel tank leak, only covered for 15 years so you may already be out of extended warranty, fill tank and sniff for gas in the back seat. You should be out of the timing chain issue with the engine but you should decode the vin to make sure the serial number on the engine is out of range.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 01:01 PM
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Beware the M278 in the 550 is not the same animal as the M273 in the 500. The twin turbo M278 does not seem to do well past 100k miles, or even earlier. Read the site for plentiful examples.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by chassis
Beware the M278 in the 550 is not the same animal as the M273 in the 500. The twin turbo M278 does not seem to do well past 100k miles, or even earlier. Read the site for plentiful examples.
Ummm , my E500 has the M113 and the E550 I just got has the M273....?
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 01:20 PM
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Originally Posted by chassis
Beware the M278 in the 550 is not the same animal as the M273 in the 500. The twin turbo M278 does not seem to do well past 100k miles, or even earlier. Read the site for plentiful examples.
You're getting your engines mixed up. M273 was the E550 from 2007-2011. M278 was the engine in 2012-2014 W212 E550.

To be fair, probably the W212 is more reliable than the W211 but I prefer the W211 styling.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 01:29 PM
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Originally Posted by cetialpha5
So did you get the car up on a lift to figure out what the clunk was?

The usual stuff applies, motor mounts, intake manifold, oil separator/oil breather cover, tensioner/pulleys, thermostat, oil cooler/coolant gasket, etc. Also check for fuel tank leak, only covered for 15 years so you may already be out of extended warranty, fill tank and sniff for gas in the back seat. You should be out of the timing chain issue with the engine but you should decode the vin to make sure the serial number on the engine is out of range.
So the car was at too good of price to pass up. Like I said gonna need new rear bags...no big deal. The previous owner had the car straight piped and there is a exhaust mount broke along with a coupling that is broken so that will be fixed monday. Gonna need brakes and rotors by spring The drive line is MESSED up , I have no idea what it is but my guess is U-joints , carrier bearing and probably the flex disc's, so yea, all the above. The reason I bought it despite the clunking is because my credit union was nice enough to sell me a 3 year 36k warranty that includes coverage of aforementioned components as far as I can tell. I actually couldn't believe I could get one and it cost was only $48 more a month . It is going to pay for itself on this cars first visit to the shop for sure.
I love the car so far , haven't launched it because of the issues but can definitely notice the extra HP compared to the E500.
The carfax showed a repair at 40k that required the motor was pulled ...not positive what that was about but the service history was great and it has never missed an oil change in its life.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 01:53 PM
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My motor mounts were shot at 60k and I actually ended up doing them twice, first time I just had an indy shop do it so there was no warranty after a couple of years. Second time I wised up and got the mounts from FCPEuro so at least I have a lifetime warranty on them. At least the transmission mount is easy to change. Be careful with those warranties sometimes they don't cover pre-existing stuff so sometimes you have to wait 30-60 days before making a claim, read the fine print. Oh I did the rear brakes on my E350, forgot it had the rear drums in the disc brakes for the parking brake so if you do the rears, make sure to get the hardware kit and the brake shoes, one of the brake shoes just fell apart when replacing the rear shoes so it made a clunking sound until I order the brake hardware/springs/kit for the rears.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by cetialpha5
You're getting your engines mixed up. M273 was the E550 from 2007-2011. M278 was the engine in 2012-2014 W212 E550.

To be fair, probably the W212 is more reliable than the W211 but I prefer the W211 styling.
I purchased a 2007 E550
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 02:16 PM
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Originally Posted by cetialpha5
My motor mounts were shot at 60k and I actually ended up doing them twice, first time I just had an indy shop do it so there was no warranty after a couple of years. Second time I wised up and got the mounts from FCPEuro so at least I have a lifetime warranty on them. At least the transmission mount is easy to change. Be careful with those warranties sometimes they don't cover pre-existing stuff so sometimes you have to wait 30-60 days before making a claim, read the fine print. Oh I did the rear brakes on my E350, forgot it had the rear drums in the disc brakes for the parking brake so if you do the rears, make sure to get the hardware kit and the brake shoes, one of the brake shoes just fell apart when replacing the rear shoes so it made a clunking sound until I order the brake hardware/springs/kit for the rears.
I used this same warranty company when i purchased a used prius , 2 days later I got a code for replace battery pack... warranty paid.. I was surprised. As far as I can tell I am covered but I guess we will see i a couple of weeks.
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 02:22 PM
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Originally Posted by dreib
I used this same warranty company when i purchased a used prius , 2 days later I got a code for replace battery pack... warranty paid.. I was surprised. As far as I can tell I am covered but I guess we will see i a couple of weeks.
Mind sharing the name of the warranty company?
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Old Jul 26, 2022 | 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by cetialpha5
You're getting your engines mixed up. M273 was the E550 from 2007-2011. M278 was the engine in 2012-2014 W212 E550.

To be fair, probably the W212 is more reliable than the W211 but I prefer the W211 styling.
True, my bad.
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