MrStoner

I just got the best deal in North America by 20% or more on a GLE 43 AMG with 130K miles on it!
So - What's wrong with it? I haven't even taken it to my mechanic yet, but I can tell a few things on why I got such a great deal. But first - its an AMG, and the depreciation on these is just awesome. The car depreciated on average at something like $0.50/mile! I'm really hoping this post continues to scare folks away from these glorious machines*... so now, on to...

what's wrong with it:

1. The front grilles were broken - likely from hail is my guess as a window was also cracked. $25 for the front grilles (the OEM fell apart like crackers so not paying $250 for another pair of those!). And the cracked passenger window is under $400 with tint and installation at my home.
   • (1668800105 1668800205 Pair Front Hood Vent Air Grille Cover for Mercedes Benz W166 ML GL GLE Class GL350 GL450 GL550 GL63 AMG 2013-2016 ML350 ML550 ML63 2012-2015 Left and Right) Took less than 30 min to install both.
   • you can purchase the chrome bits separately - but my gf was able to pop them off (or break them off rather) from the old grilles. So I'm going to glue them back on to the new set!
   • and no - I couldn't find another touch of hail damage or water damage anywhere on the car... I looked with a light. Good enough for me tbh.
2. There's a rattling sound! I listened closely and joked that it needs an anti-rattling device... indeed it does! Missing a Brake Anti Rattle Clip.
   • (Mercedes-Benz Disc Brake Anti-Rattle Clip - 0009937207)
3. Wheels have a bit of curb rash and considering having a mobile mechanic come out to see what they can do (@ $125/wheel I'm not sure if its worth it) - anyone try this before? Maybe sandpaper and/or a Dremel would do better? I used to take my wheels long ago to a machine shop whenever I hit a curb... the Dad in me says it ain't worth it... the kid in me says MAKE IT LOOK SHINY, LIKE NEW!
4. And... well... let's see what my mechanic has to say next week! I'm nervous about the transmission obviously but there car has undergone regular maintenance so fingers and toes crossed. I'll get some pictures posted soon as well.

MrStoner

So a quick update. Promise photos coming soon.

I called the Mercedes dealership where I saw in the carfax report it was typically serviced at and asked for the Service Records - they didn't send the full details as it has personal information... but I got screenshots of the last recommended maintenance that was skipped.

And tomorrow - headed to the shop for a once over... meanwhile here's the list of recommended maintenance that was delayed by the prior owner:
1- Cylinder Head Front Cover - they said it was leaking oil
2- Boots Right Front CV Boot leaking oil
3- Brake Flush
4- Transmission Service
5- Front Differential Service
6- Rear Differential Service
7- Transfer Case Service
8- Spark Plug Replacement - looks like they were changed back at 75K but likely need a new set.

I'm about to put some miles on this so expecting to get most of it done tomorrow ... and that's just one reason this was a good deal I imagine. I'm okay with paying maintenance though - we'll see if they find anything else.

Meanwhile - the folks that came to my house to replace the passenger window are planning on coming back - as they showed up with the wrong window. Not sure how given the VIN number was used... but we'll see what they come back with! Thinking I should have just taken it somewhere for the window...

Chefcct

Maybe you’ll let us know the price for all these services. My guess is $7,000.
Be well

MrStoner

And you sir, just gave me a mini heart attack... hope its less than half that number! We shall see soon enough.

Meanwhile the shop had to pull in a beautiful blue Lamborghini Huracan to work on first... bet maintenance on that is $$$$... nice looking car though.



You can just make out the cracked passenger window above.

I got this cargo liner which is made to fit - they claim material is leather but its definitely pleather... still looks good and should help prevent some of the dog hair from sticking to ... everything. Cargo Mat Compatible with 2016-2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE ＆ 2012-2015 Benz ML Trunk Mat Benz GLE350 ML350 GLE43 GLE63 ML550 ML63 Cargo Liners - $90 only problem I can see is that it covers the subwoofer. It has a Velcro like backing so it naturally sticks to the carpet and comes with adhesive too.

BlownV8

Probably more than that but I'd say it is a close estimate.

amusa

Some of these service you can do it yourself if you need to save cost on labor but depends on if your incline to do the work.

MrStoner

Oh yes, I'm planning on doing most all of the maintenance - ordered the parts from FCP Euro and hopefully arrives tomorrow. I'm hoping to cover numbers 3-8 on the list above but still need to get the brake fluid ordered. The nice thing about changing all my fluids at home is the city has a program going right now in my neighborhood where they will come to your house to pickup old used oil or other hazardous waste for free.
- Mercedes Spark Plug Kit - Bosch 0041597203 Price: $187.68
- Mercedes Transmission Service Kit - Liqui Moly 22034KT Price: $283.97
- Mercedes Differential Drain and Fill Plug - Genuine Mercedes 0009977932 Qty: 4 Price: $ 27.16
- 75W90 Fully Synthetic Hypoid Gear Oil (1 Liter) - Liqui Moly LM22090 Qty: 3 Price: $ 58.17

Total with $10 in slightly faster shipping... was $585. I still need to buy brake fluid though.

In other news - I just drove to Houston, then Dallas, then back to AUS so got a bit of a feel for the new car. Hard to compare it to the ML63AMG, but I am, and its definitely not as fast but still gets going. The roll is real so sport mode is nearly always engaged and helps (which is a selection after starting the car... always as the default is comfort mode). I'm not crazy about the ESP - its engaging wayyy too often it seems - but then again my ESP has been disabled on the ML63AMG for over a year. Anyway I don't like losing power suddenly - and I think its the ESP and not the lane assist (which is off). The driving assistance options it includes were all turned on by default. I turned them all off as it was fighting me. For instance, a car drifted into my lane slightly as I was passing them at a decent pace. So I moved to the left slightly (as there was nobody on my left, and we have big wide open roads in TX)... but the car saw me starting to cross the line and pushed me to the right - toward the car that was drifting into my lane! So I pull left, just as it sees its own mistake supposedly and also brakes left back wheel - and now we're overcorrecting... and doing a little swerving at none too slow speeds. Not cool. I pulled over and turned all the driving assistance off. But I still feel like its watching me, just waiting to try and take over control. The other options it has are pretty cool - ever get sore while driving long distance? Well, maybe you need a massage option! HA, its not great, but not bad either! The driving pilot - this took some getting used to but is super cool. The car doesn't have cruise control - it has driving pilot! It actually will lock onto the car in front of you - speed up to the point you select, and also slow down AND apply brakes if needed. So during long drives you can set the distance safely and just steer, letting your foot off the gas and brakes to rest.

Chefcct

MrStoner, I hope you are successful with the spark plugs as everyone has said that a few of them are an absolute bear to replace!

thammel

I've done all my auto maintenance and repairs for decades. I tried to do the spark plugs on my 2017 GLE350 and was not able to pull the plug wires off the plugs....well I could get #1 off, but that was it. I'd studied all the on-line hints and ways to get it done. I ended up taking it to an independent MB shop and asked how in the world did they get it done. They said the key is to run the car to get it hot and then you can pull them. Well, that sounds like you'd better wear insulating gloves! This is a tough job! I've done all filters and oil/filter and brake fluid flush and replaced rear rotors and pads but the darn plugs got me!!

BlownV8

Yes, the plug boots were terrible to pull off. Make sure you liberally coat the inside of the boot with a good synthetic dielectric grease so it won't be as hard to remove next time.

chassis

Yes, warm engine (warm ignition coil boots) is mandatory to replace spark plugs after the first plug change. The assembly grease used by the factory is water based and dries into a glue. As @BlownV8 stated, a liberal amount of dielectric is needed to make subsequent coil replacements easier. Replace the coils every other spark plug change. It makes a difference in smoothness. Coils are consumable components.

MrStoner

So a quick update. Also TBH I'm horrid at keeping track of service and timing so this post helps me a bit!

I finally received an invoice from the shop but well after I had begun the work myself. TBH I had set aside about $3K I was going to spend with the shop immediately but I did not hear back after some days - ordered all the fluids, service kits and spark plugs and began to work before hearing back. So it wasn't 7K but close.. just under 6K but they also suggested new motor mounts on top of my prior list.. totaling to nearly 8K in service/maintenance costs. Ouch. I spent just under 20K on the car so that's like another 40%! The next best deal I saw was a similar make/model/year/mileage in FL but was 6K more or 24K (I wonder if it was perfectly maintained).

So I just finished up with the spark plugs, and yes - getting the coil boots off was not easy. Thanks for the head's up! I did forget to warm the engine but its pretty darn hot here in Austin so maybe that helped. I also was not gentle, used both hands on each to pull it out - and in one case (back right) I used a tool along with my hands and it came out suddenly and in pieces...got it out though!

I'm about to go out for a test drive and hoping... really hoping, that the hesitation is gone and the car gets moving a bit faster. I feel like its been a bit slow to respond - similar to driving a jet ski or motorcycle that you've been pushing hard for days on end... and slowly see the response dwindle... changing spark plugs makes all the difference. Anyway here's to hoping.

So on that topic for a second. I started cruising around the innerwebs wondering about performance chips and or ecu tuning for the GLE... I mean it has a turbo so... Long story short I woke up the next morning and realized I purchased a "Race Chip". It was under $300 for their entry level model if I recall so - looking forward to installing that later tonight and seeing what it does. I want to test drive with the new plugs first! Will let you know asap. Really hoping the only thing I blow up this weekend are fireworks (insert finger-crossing emoji).

So for the other - all general maintenance but here's a few photos of the journey - some of this is maintenance I am performing for the first or second time in my life:

1st - Differentials - Front and Back - This was the easiest bit of maintenance and only requires removing 4 bolts, draining, filling... tightening to spec. I also replaced the rear bolts but the front were a smaller size and reused the existing after a nice clean.
- Mercedes Differential Drain and Fill Plug - Genuine Mercedes 0009977932 Qty: 2Price: $ 14 (note: rear only - the front are smaller)
- 75W90 Fully Synthetic Hypoid Gear Oil (1 Liter) - Liqui Moly LM22090 Qty: 3 Price: $ 58.17

2nd - Brake fluid flush - and managed to create a brake fluid squirt bottle in the process (note to self, put in a breather hole in the bottle before pumping full of brake fluid under pressure...). Also for next time I bought a hand vacuum. I think it was $20 for the brake fluid. I went with Liqui Moly.

3rd - Transfer Case - had to get a bottle of Liqui Moly 1800 (MB 236.12) from NAPA as its not the same as the fluid used in the transmission.

4th - Automatic Transfer Fluid and Filters - this had me a bit nervous as the procedure is a bit lengthy. I read that the transmission fluid can rise 40mm between 20-80C and that's why the procedure is necessary. I was not able to find a torque converter drain plug unfortunately. I could not manually turn the crank (couldn't manage to find a spot to get in there). And I tried starting and stopping the car quickly with a wireless camera on the open port - but never saw it. Saw some etched in writing though. Nonetheless the fluid was nasty and I will likely change it again sooner than necessary. The filter was not horrible to get out - but I have some tiny socket driver that helped out - as the bolts near the rear are very hard to reach given the support bars.
- Mercedes Transmission Service Kit - Liqui Moly 22034KT Price: $283.97
- Wifi Mini Camera with magnetic mount
- Manual ATF Pump - JoyFans - tbh it was a lot of pumping in the hot sun

5th - Front tires - the car came with a new set in the rear, but the ones in front were worn a bit. And I want them to match in size as its a 4matic... so, new pair of Yokohama Geolandar 275/45 R21 were slapped on by Discount tire for only 337/each or 900 total... yea that math includes the certificates + tax.

6th - Spark Plugs - Not super hard but did manage a few hours. I was glad I bought a few additional tools for the job and why not replace the boots at the same time. The old plugs looked a bit nasty and came out super easy - like I didn't even need a tool. Just finger tight. Except for the back right - pretty sure it was stripped but maybe not - just very difficult and the position of the oil dipstick doesn't help.
- Mercedes Spark Plug Kit - Bosch 0041597203 Price: $187.68
Torque spec for Spark Plug is 23 nm or 17 ft-lbs. 5 of 6 were super loose on mine. Don't forget to blow out dirt with compressed air BEFORE removing them. And run your car to get it hot before removing the ignition coils and boots. Plan on using a lot of upward force.
Also bought the following tools:
- - -
7th - Evaporator and Heater Foam Cleaner - I read about this and also noticed a musty mildew smell when first starting the car. I pumped a bottle of Kool-it into the front middle vent and a stream of liquid quickly trickled out of the car. It helped a lot but I think I'm going to try another bottle of it and while the car is hot - I ran it last time soon after running the AC and I think it
- Kool-it Foam Cleaner ~$20

I still have a few more things to do from the list but its already feeling better. I took it for a quick spin to get the kids - and in traffic so nothing fun - but did notice it is more responsive! Which is a great sign.

Oh let's get off this so I can install the Race Chip before my drive to Galveston. Hoping - really hoping - that I don't blow up anything other than fireworks this fourth. Happy Fourth of July! Be safe out there!


Needed a better Car Jack - out with the old, in with the new! New Jack has a lower profile and can reach over 2 ft - more than the stands.

Check out the old fluid. And you can see my anti-siphon device turned into a squirt gun first try because it was missing a hole for air to escape. Btw 16NM for the Bleeder Screw in front, 11NM in back.

For Transfer Case - Liqui Moly 1800 meets the spec. (MB 236.12)

I think this meets the spec but did not see the MB 331.0 designation so curious what you have to say. I may do this again here soon. The new fluid makes a difference though - not noticing the spongy brakes anymore.

JoyFans 7.5 Liter Manual Transmission Fluid Pump, ATF Refill Fill System Dispenser Kit, Portable Automatic Oil Transfer Change Filling Tool with 15PCS ATF Adapters on Most Vehicles Cars This worked well once it was tightened up but was a lot of pumping nonetheless!

Yuesstloo Metal Transmission Oil Filling Tool, Compatible with Mercedes Benz 725.0 9-Speed Oil Change, Transmission Oil Filling Tool Adapter Kit with Case & Gloves This worked well and was metal. The long tools is used to turn the filter drain position. The drain has multiple positions for both filling, draining and draining after filling.

Transmission with cover removed

Must get the transmission oil temp to 59C while in position 3 on the filter.

Kool-it helped get rid of the mildew smell when I first start the car

Old front tire

New front tire - tires need to match in size is my understanding for 4matic as the tire circumference matters.

That back right spark plug was the hardest to remove. Both the plug was a bear to unscrew and the boot was stuck in there.

New vs Old spark plug.

Some of the tools used to remove the spark plug. T25 and Torq E8 and E10.


Here you can see they appear a bit burnt and you can see the white dried glue on the top which makes them horrible to remove.

Avoid Stuck Boots! TBH I tried to remove a boot just after sticking it on - and quickly gave up. They really are made to hang on tight.

Old boots and an old plug.

This is one spot I think may be where its leaking - tbh those screws were pretty loose so I tighted them a bit.

About to install Race Chip which claims an additional 45 HP which will take my GLE43 AMG to just over 405 HP which means my car will still have more HP than my sister's new Lincoln Aviator. It's not a competition. But it sorta is.

MrStoner

New Race Chip is installed - took very little time (approx. 30 min) - longest bit was removing the grey tab in the two connectors which were: A - the Turbo Boost Pressure Sensor and B - the Manifold absolute Pressure connector. You must wait at least 10 minutes with the car shut off, locked and key 10M or 32ft away from the car. I left the car alone for over an hour before the install. I also placed the Race Chip on the left side of the car as that's where there were nice holes such as in the photo - the photo in the instruction is not an exact match to my GLE 43 AMG.
It has settings 1-5 to adjust the map and the strength of the tune so to speak. It comes set at 3. I set the car to ignition - no warnings... I then started it up and let it idle for a bit. No warnings, sounds okay. Will get to test it out tomorrow - fingers crossed. And I'm bringing the tiny screw driver it came with in case I need to change the setting.

Race Chip Highlighted on the left and the two connection points on the right. A (turbo boost sensor) is down below that bundle of wires while B (manifold pressure) is in the top right of the photo.