atraudes

I bought a 2011 E350 wagon in Tanzanite Blue with black and tan interior about 2 months ago but life has been keeping things interesting lately so I haven't had a chance to say hi until now. It's got around 115k miles but still feels really solid! I live in the Seattle area but pickings were slim to say the least so I ended up flying down to El Paso TX to grab this one. Other than a wheel with a slow leak and having to take the long way home thanks to weather it was an uneventful trip. I've been slowly doing a stage 0 on it since it got home: fluid changes (oil, transmission), plugs, filters, tailgate and hood struts, PCV, and the front sway bar. Coolant, thermostat, diff fluids, and steering fluid are next.

Overall it's in great shape but there's been a few things that needed attention:

• Creaking going over bumps. 80% fixed with the new sway bar. Strut mounts are next.
• Leaking wheel. I bought a new tire but the leak persisted. The wheels were pretty beat up anyway so after finding someone on CL who was selling a good wheel/tire combo for a good price, I snatched them up. The wheels only have one scratch on the edge, otherwise they're immaculate. They're a little big for my taste but they look amazing.
• Engine vibrates quite a bit at idle. I'm guessing it just needs new mounts but Carfax showed new ones put on about 30k miles ago. Maybe they used poor-quality off-brand mounts. I guess we'll see.
• Engine tick on the front passenger side. It seems to be a very common issue, even on lower mileage cars. I'm trying not to worry about it and will run some Liqui Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush through it before the next oil change to see if that helps at all. If not maybe I'll look into replacing the cam magnets.
• Tailgate collecting water. Still need to tear into the tailgate to see what's going on. I'm guessing it's letting water in around the taillights but who knows.
• Roof rack had no key. I love that it came with an OEM rack but they hummed pretty bad over 30mph and weren't doing the fuel economy any favors. I took a chance and bought a replacement "Thule and Sportrack" key from etrailer.com and it worked great!
• Faded wood trim: no surprise there. They'll be getting vinyl wrapped as soon as I decide on one.
• No bluetooth music. I got it paired and phone calls work great but it just sort of freezes up when I try music. I'm hoping a firmware update at the dealer will fix that.
• Driver's seat base is slightly torn. It's not on the seam so I'm guessing someone with a key on their belt sat down and punched a hole in it. Since it's a cosmetic problem it'll wait.
• The cup holder cover is fubar. It was reluctant to open and close before but after spraying the wrong lubricant on the tracks it got way worse. I'll just replace the whole thing with a used unit someday.

I probably won't do much in terms of mods since everything is pretty much to my liking, with the exception of the steering wheel. I'm planning on replacing it with the facelifted version once I get the more critical things taken care of.

I'm really happy with this thing. I still look forward to driving it and always look back whenever I'm walking away which is a nice feeling. The transmission isn't quite as aggressive as I'd like even in sport mode but when you punch the gas pedal just right it's eternally gratifying. The transmission fluid change helped the mushiness and indecisiveness quite a bit.

My last car was an 04 Volvo XC90 which had some pretty great torque waves but I missed the nimbleness of a car. The wagon was a natural choice for the cargo room and it's already come in handy more than a few times.

I look forward to talking more with you fine folks as I become more familiar with these cars! Any suggestions or recommendations are welcome.

Mud

Looks nice, I'm like you in that I like to establish baseline service on anything I buy.
I'm doubtful of any sort of engine flush, but just personal opinion. If you do the flush it would be interesting to hear if it helped anything.
Good luck, lots of info on this site.

atraudes

Thanks! I always stick to the mantra that its easier to plan preventative maintenance than deal with unexpected repairs. I love having the peace of mind that I can drive to the next state over without giving it a second thought.

Normally I'm really hesitant to use any sort of flush too but I saw a couple of reports that it helped in this case, and this Liqui Moly flush looks to be pretty reputable. From what I saw of the engine with the PCV components off the engine looks to be pretty clean so I don't think there's an terrific chance of something breaking loose and clogging an oil galley. I'll report back on how it goes, regardless.

The color of the wheels and grille on your car look great, btw. I've always been a huge fan of the hue of black chrome and it's always surprised me it hasn't caught on more.

Mud

Thank you, rims powdercoated , all trim/grille 3M brushed titanium wrap. Something you might be interested in is installatiom of led interior lighting to replace the stock halogen, easy change if you like led lighting. Mine had the stock halogen projector low beams, I installed a Morimoto 35w HID CANBUS kit several years ago and never looked back. Big improvement with a nice cutoff as well.

Something that came to mind about the pcv, I assume you replaced the collector/cap assembly on the back of the cylinder head? That's great PM to avoid possibility of oil fouling the MAF, and the intake air flow flaps. Related to those, it's good to check the vacuum canister operation at the front of the intake. There's a primary control connected by plastic lever that in turn controls left and right intake flaps with connecting rods. Any of the plastic stuff can break -by applying vacuum to the primary canister you can see if everything moves freely. Also, if you ever get an "untraceable" vacuum leak, check the seals at the front shafts of those intake flaps.

Oda112

Congratulations, that's a nice car! I'm looking for one for my wife too. The most interesting thing about the wagons is that they sell for 30 to 40% more than their sedan counterparts.

pb39374

good luck with the new car. I got the 2010 e350 4matic. Awesome car. You mentioned the lack of aggression in the tranny. Try resetting the ECU. It really works. We have adaptive transmissions so they adapt overtime to your driving style. Check out this link.

http://www.mercedesmedic.com/reset-m...-instructions/

cetialpha5

I have the same color and year, but it's a sedan.

Let me know how you make out on the front struts. I was just going to replace all of mine, spring, strut and mount. I already did the rear spring and shocks, not sure if you have airmatic in the rear or not. I think I've gotten as far as MB springs as no one sells aftermarket and Bilstein struts. My front springs have sagged a bit at a bit over 120k so if you're going to do the mounts, you should just do it all at the same time.

For motor mounts, FCPeuro sells aftermarket ones that are supposed to be the OEM maker and they're lifetime warranty for around $100 each. Maybe they didn't do the transmission mount which is an easy 20 minute job. The motor mounts are a project as there's a few very involved threads on here. I've never been a fan of any flush, they actually do more damage as they're not a lubricant and you get more wear on the engine. I'd rather just change the oil a bit more frequently.

As for the cup holder cover, I followed a video on youtube that shows you how to take the whole thing apart and I was just able to fix mine. If the clips aren't broken, you could just put it together again. The springs may have jumped a turn and be weak. Rewound it and it was fine and as good as new afterwards. Not too hard to take apart, just have the right plastic pry tools so you don't damage the trim. The video below shows how to repair the broken control knob but part of that is taking out the cup holder cover.

C280 Sport

Looks very nice!

rdwalker

Hi, atraudes,
Funny enough, last week I picked up a silver 2011 wagon with 115k miles. Kind of a twin to yours.

I just started driving it, but my initial comments are similar. Mechanically, very sound except for squeaking in the rear on initial movement. I figure that the "airbags" in rear suspension are leaking - will have this checked out.
Beyond routine maintenance (tires, fluids, front brakes) no real issues, the car is nice and solid.
Cosmetically, the fake wood in console is faded, but I'll live with it for a while. The video linked in post above was very useful for opening the ashtray/cupholder section (I tapped the cigarette lighter for accessory power). One wheel is badly scratched, but I already received a replacement from eBay. The driver seat was ripped in the center seam, I'm told "they all do it"; I had the cover and faulty heatpad replaced.
I am enjoying the car already. My wife has a 2013 sedan, so I am quite familiar with the vehicle and so far do not see major issues. Minor annoyance: the spare wheel and tools/jack were missing. eBay to the rescue.
Good luck with your wagon! Robert

Bdevil82

Here's my 2011, 65k miles.

Salem Black River Presbyterian Church Mayesville, SC

ChrisB

The first car seems to be a 2010 and the second a 2011 ... based on this description of the running light styling cues;

2010 P1 - Round - two of the lights are fog ... and two are DRL's, halogen headlights
2010 P2 - Hockey stick LED DRL's, HID headlights and LED turnsignals

2011 P1 - Hockey stick LED DRL's, halogen headlights
2011 P2 - Hockey stick LED DRL's, HID headlights and LED turnsignals

2012, 2013 P1 - Straight LED DRL's, halogen headlights
2012, 2013 P2 - Straight LED DRL's, HID headlights and LED turnsignals

or is there something missing in this list of ques?

2011E350

I do like that Blue. Looks very clean for almost 10 years old. Must be fun trying to keep that clean in the PACNW winters.

atraudes

Sorry for the late reply! TIL that you don't get email notifications of new posts if you visit any page on the site.

Oda112: Thanks! I did notice they were going for more which makes sense given their scarcity. They're harder to sell but the right buyer will be very motivated. It felt like there were a lot more W211 wagons out there than the W212s, but maybe it's coincidence given their age and mileage.
pb39374: Good call, I'll have to give that a try. I frequently don't ease onto the gas quick enough and it stays in the same gear and lugs, only slowly gathering speed. Right now it's my biggest gripe with the car but I figured that's just the way it was. Getting a feel for finessing the go pedal has helped a lot too.

cetialpha5: Normally I'd do the struts and coils as well while I'm in there but they still feel good enough for now and if there is any sag it's not noticeable yet. I'll probably replace them along with the rusty rotors in a year or so once finances settle down a bit. If anyone thinks a writeup on swapping out the strut mounts would be beneficial I'll do that. I pulled the covers off the other day and one of them had a pretty big tear so even if they're not the actual cause of the squeaking, they're due. I saw the motor mounts on FCP but I was either going to go OEM or Lemforder from Amazon or something. I remember reading here that the Corteco mounts didn't hold up very well.


As far as the cupholder goes, I actually screwed the pooch while it was already out. The tracks were pretty gummy with whatever food or drink had been spilled in there so while trying to get it cleaned out I sprayed something like carb cleaner in there. I knew it was a stupid thing to do but like most stupid people do, I did it anyway. Judging by how hard it is to drag back and forth I'm sure I melted the rubber/plastic. I tried tensioning it but no dice. I'm just going to have to pay the moron tax on this one and not make the same mistake next time.
C280 Sport: Thanks!

rdwalker: Before you replace anything in rear, I'd highly recommend you disconnect the end links from the sway bar and move it up and down by hand. The bushings on mine looked perfectly fine but it was pretty obvious it was the culprit after disconnecting the links. It's not too hard to do and won't cost you anything The mounts could certainly do it too though. How much did the seat cover replacement run you, and did you do it yourself?

Bdevil82: Dang, those wheels look every bit as good as I thought they would! Is yours the same blue, or is it black?

ChrisB: It's a 2011 as best I can tell; even Carfax lists it as such. The VIN is WDDHH8HB1BA169351 if anyone wants to dig any deeper.

2011E350: Clean, ha! Yeah the back especially attracts dirt like nobody's business. There's definitely a low pressure zone back there. When I accelerate in the morning it's pretty funny to see the whole back window fog up from the exhaust. The paint is awesome! In low light it looks black, in the light it's blue, and in the full sun it's purple.

hyperion667

Wish I would have gotten a wagon

Nice ride and welcome.

cetialpha5

There's was a few other threads where Corteco were the OEM mounts, at least for this year. They may make them for other models and aren't oem, but they are for this particular year/make. Plus FCP has the lifetime warranty so when they go again, you just get another set for free. MB has a good rep for motor mounts that don't last long, mine were gone on my W211 at 60k so I'm not sure a complaint of a motor mount not holding up well is valid because they never hold up well. Just the nature of liquid filled motor mounts which MB likes to use.

As for doing the springs again, I guess it's no big deal if you don't mind doing them again. They were just fine one year and shot the next.

pb39374

Atraudes: Also, I did 4 things at the same time which improved the way the car drove a great deal: 1) cleaned the mass airflow sensor ($8 spray can). 2) changed the two air filters to OEM ($50). 3) the transmission reset I previously mentioned (free) 4) brand new battery ($200). Car is smooth, responsive, and much better on gas by about 5 mpg. Going to get new spark plugs next week.

atraudes

hyperion667: Thanks! With how many times I've filled the back already I'm even more convinced a wagon was the right choice. I just wish there were more offerings out there. A CLS wagon would be quite a thing.
cetialpha5: Dang, that's kinda disappointing. The mounts were replaced at around 60k so I guess they're just due again. Considering they're OEM and half the price it does make a lot of sense to go with Corteco. I just don't want to have to redo them in another year.

pb39374: Great advice, I've taken care of those already, sans the reset. People frequently overlook the MAF sensor but it's a good idea to give it a spritz every other oil change or so. It's pretty impressive that your mileage improved that much!


If you haven't already, it's worth replacing the PCV components as well. The seal on the two pieces that bolt to the engine had started degrading and I noticed some dust collecting in the engine and hose. In addition to letting contaminants into the engine they were also causing minor vacuum leaks. I did the hoses too since I had replacements in hand, but they were still in pretty good shape.

pb39374

[QUOTE=atraudes;7705524]hyperion667: Thanks! With how many times I've filled the back already I'm even more convinced a wagon was the right choice. I just wish there were more offerings out there. A CLS wagon would be quite a thing.
cetialpha5: Dang, that's kinda disappointing. The mounts were replaced at around 60k so I guess they're just due again. Considering they're OEM and half the price it does make a lot of sense to go with Corteco. I just don't want to have to redo them in another year.

pb39374: Great advice, I've taken care of those already, sans the reset. People frequently overlook the MAF sensor but it's a good idea to give it a spritz every other oil change or so. It's pretty impressive that your mileage improved that much!


If you haven't already, it's worth replacing the PCV components as well. The seal on the two pieces that bolt to the engine had started degrading and I noticed some dust collecting in the engine and hose. In addition to letting contaminants into the engine they were also causing minor vacuum leaks. I did the hoses too since I had replacements in hand, but they were still in pretty good shape.[/QUOTE

Is the PCV replacement an easy DIY? Should it be replaced even though I don’t notice any leaks? I am at 43,000 miles.

atraudes

I'm not sure what the mileage intervals are for them, but given their age and how relatively inexpensive it is, I'd say go for it. If it's not leaking it's probably not critical but it's good preventative maintenance. Mine were only showing very minor oil seepage but they were definitely not sealing properly. There's one near the front of the driver's side valve cover on the top and another on the back of the passenger head. Once you pull off the air cleaner they're pretty easy to see and access. One of the bolts on the passenger rear one is a bit tricky to get to but I got it out using an 8mm or so wrench. I think some years use Torx bolts and some use e-torx so your mileage may vary. I'd say scope them out and make sure you can get a wrench or socket on them. The driver's side is dead simple. If you replace the hoses too, plan on taking the MAF sensor housing out. It's probably not necessary but will make your life easier. The driver side hose is more challenging because it's snaking through so many other things but very doable.

I wouldn't bother replacing the passenger side separator (2730100162), just the cover (2720100631). I tried removing mine but the bolt holding it in place wasn't going anywhere and I wasn't satisfied I could get it out without stripping it. Given that the engine wasn't exhibiting any symptoms of having clogged PCV (oil leaking out of engine seals or excessive oil in intake) I decided to not tempt fate.

End to end I think it took maybe two hours because I had to figure out how to snake the hose through, safely remove the MAF tube, etc.

hyperion667

Hmm, the CLS shooting brake looks to odd even for me.......I and I like odd

atraudes

I dunno, I could see the new ones looking good with a long roof. Ah well, nothing wrong with an E63S being my "one day" car.

pb39374

ok thanks - I ordered the kit from FCP Euro for $70. Inincludes rhe PCV valve and 3 cam covers. I saw a bunch of videos on how to do the valve. Should be easy. Though I don’t have a leak, the car is 9+ years old so I will change them out as preventative maintenance. Thanks again

atraudes

If you bought the kit I suspect you did, it doesn't include the driver's side separator (2720160134). I didn't use the bolts included in the kit, but you can always send them back for a refund if you don't need them. Shoot me a PM if you run into any problems!

pb39374

Right, I just bought 2720100631K. Thanks again. I’ll let you know if I have any issues.

atraudes

I flushed my power steering yesterday (super easy, btw) and not only is the steering whine gone, but the engine is idling really smoothly now! It went from massage chair to barely perceptible. The fluid smelled pretty burnt but still had a pretty healthy color. However, the old fluid was red so I'm guessing it wasn't filled with the proper stuff. Considering the spark plugs I pulled out were Champion and the coolant is the generic Mountain Dew green it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Fingers crossed the vibrations really are gone and it wasn't a fluke!