Seth Cormier

Hello MBWorld community. My name is Seth, this is my first time posting here and I apologise if I am in the wrong area or if my question is out of line. What I would like to know is if anyone in the Ct area has a STAR diagnostics scan tool and would be willing to scan a vehicle for me at the vehicles location.

Here is the situation, I am a past Mercedes Benz owner. I owned two 1992 300E 4matic Mercedes and one 2001 E320 which I only had for a few months. I am now looking to purchase another Mercedes, this time a 2004 E500. The vehicle has 160k miles on the odometer and appears to be fairly well maintained. The current owner is the second owner and he has owned the car for 8 years. When I went to look at the vehicle I could see that the front Air springs have been replaced as well as the water pump and I believe the belt tensioner. Overall the vehicle is in pretty good condition, especially the exterior. However there is one thing that makes me nervous, there is a brake warning in the gauge cluster. The warning is not red, and I forget the exact context of the message. There is also a warning that says low battery in the key but I imagine that is just a matter of replacing the battery in the key.

My biggest concern is the SBC pump exceeding its maximum cycles, with 160k miles (and assuming it was never replaced) this component could make a big difference in the negotiation of price. What I would like to ask is if anyone in my area has the STAR diagnostics system and if they would be willing to scan the vehicle for me at the current owners home for an agreed upon fee. Of course I would be there with the car as well, and I could even provide a ride if needed. If anyone does have star diag in my area and would be willing to scan this vehicle for me it would be highly appreciated. I would much rather have the peace of mind before buying the car rather than dissappintment after.

I am located in Branford Ct, and the vehicle is about 30 minutes from me up rt91.

In case anyone is interested, the seller has agreed to sell the car for $4k, it has the Harmon Kardon speakers, avant-garde package with the 5 spoke 17" wheels and different bumper/side skirts, and my favorite option which is working keyless go. The owner is pretty firm on $4k, and since its been a while since I have been in the market I can only assume this is a reasonable price. The only downside of this vehicle (aside from the warning light) is that it needs tires and the interior is not quite as nice as the exterior, still in decent condition though. Feel free to voice any opinions you may have on the price as well, as I am really having a hard time making a decision on this one.

Thank you everyone for your time, if I have posted this on the wrong section please let me know and I can move it to the proper location.