Hello, looking to buy a e550 after much searching for the right daily driver. Ive had many old bmw's but never a benz.
So i am ok with doing up to 4 wrench difficulty repairs. What i am not wanting is timing issues. Which i just found out these engines have off youtube. Searching for more info i have not found much more though.
Was it just the 2007 MY?
Im looking at a 2009.
vin WDBUF90X69B396761
110k miles
White on white, which i love!
Sport package, parktronic.

I would love to get a PPI but its about 2 hours away and in a small town so that really isnt feasible. I plan on checking on all fluids, doing a thorough test drive, checking for codes etc.
It has been sitting for about 4 months but he jumped it today and confirmed it runs and drives still so thats good i guess.

ANy info or where to look fo more would be greatly appreciated in a timely fashion cause i am going to go this weekend.
TIA!

 

Timing issues basically affected 2006/2007 models. Although it can happen in later years but not common at all. Sometimes it's just the sensors that are bad. Get a scanner that can do MB specific codes like the Autel AP200, scans 40+ MB subsystems. Basic issues would be the airmatic and the intake manifold which is covered in many posts. Then the usual stuff like the motor mounts and regular suspension issues like ball joints, tie rods, upper/lower control arms etc. Pano roof should open and close fine, sometimes the cover gets jammed too. No button for the headlamp washers but with the headlights on and the wipers on, after 5 presses, the headlamp washers should kick in. The keyless go door handles also go bad, make sure that each one locks/unlocks each door. Door handle in the trunk is also keyless, should be able to open with the handle and the keyfob nearby, same with the gas cap, handles are in the $300 range each. Other stuff to look at would be the cv joint inner/outer boots, they can rip. And check for oil leaks from the oil cooler by the oil filter, the 3 plugs in the back of the engine and the breather cover covering the oil separator on the left side. The breather cover and oil separator on the passenger side should be changed to extend the life of the intake manifold.

 

A few other notes. You can't actually check the transmission fluid unless you buy a special dipstick which doesn't even go fully into the dipstick hole, it's a little too long but good enough to check the fluid level. You also have the 5 speed transmission which is decent, only issue there is the connector which you should change when doing the transmission fluid every 39k. It tends to wick up transmission fluid which can lead to weird shifting. If the transmission is sluggish, there's a reset procedure which wakes it up. When they go bad, it's usually just the conductor plate and having to replace a transmission isn't that common. The 5 speed is considered more reliable than the 7. Also the gas tank can leak, but that's covered by a 15 year extended warranty, no mileage limit as that car is a regular gas engine, not PZEV which was just 15 years/150k. You fill up the tank and smell gas in the back seat. Not something you can test on a test drive unless they're willing to fill up the tank for you. Your 15 years would be up sometime after September based on the build date, but it's really the in service date which could be a few months later, you'd have to find that in the carfax which if you search around for a cheap carfax, you can find in the $4-$6 range.

Standard stuff also applies, read the brochure to see what options it had. Go to Motor Trend to see the price of the options, change the URL for different years. You might also want to consider the 2010-2014 E550, they went to a 7 speed transmission in 2010 and they were a bit more reliable than the previous generation. Also gas mileage went up with the 7 vs the 5. And in 2012-2014, they went to a turbo v8 which gave you 402hp instead of 382hp in the older M273 engine. Also in the later years, airmatic was an option and not standard, The rear air springs are about $350 each and the fronts are about $350-$700. There's also the 2012-2016 E350 which had 302hp instead of the 268hp in the older models.

https://www.auto-brochures.com/mercedes-benz.html

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/merc.../e-class/2009/

 

hello i’m also interested into getting an e550 as a daily but here are the issues. The car has a rough idle and start. The engine cover also vibrates and moves making this weird sound. There’s a leak from the front right of the engine bay, leaks at the bottom and by a pump. I just want to know if it falls between balance shift issue i believe it goes till engine number 88xxx which this one exceeded but 2 opinions is better than one. they are asking 6000 but the car faxs says it’s worth about 4500 somone please help. i have video of idle and start as well but it cranks for a while before starts.

VIN WDBUF72X87B075156

 

It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay. You can check nadaguide, kbb, edmunds, black book etc., they'll all probably have slightly different numbers. It's out of the timing chain range. Rough idle could be anything, intake manifold, spark plugs, some of the various sensors like camshaft/crankshaft, fuel injectors, motor mounts, etc. Maybe spend about $55 on an Autel AP200 and scan for any mb specific codes. Sometimes if the intake manifold is about to go, you'll get pending codes about the intake runners which won't trigger a CEL. As for the leak, can't really see anything. Common spots would be the oil cooler gasket by the oil filter.