rl_77

Hello all - new person here.

I am considering a 1992 S400 sedan that appears in good shape. Just FYI, I'm not a newbe to European cars, having owned an early '80's Saab 900 Turbo, two BMW 325i's, and a '95 Volvo 850 turbo. The general reason for considering this car is to put on a fair number of highway miles over the next few years.

So, the car itself has an "indicated" 97,900 miles (more on this soon) and accoring to CarFax, three designated owners. It had only 33,000 miles as of late 2000, and late 2005 it had just over 76k miles. Presently, the speedometer, odometer and MPG gauge are inoperative. So the actual mileage is unknown, but I'll estiamate under 110,000.

It's a nice, smooth drive, handles well, starts, runs, shifts nicely. The ABS light is on. The temperature gauge on a 90F day with the A/C on stayed just above the 80C mark. The body has no rust, the interior is clean, the seats are nice and everything except the gauges work well. I did note it took 5-6 seconds of cranking to start initially. I also noted that one of the control arms may be making a bit of rattling in the front, on occasion. The wierd thing I observed was a definate vibration or resonance at an estimated 40mph. It seemed to go away above that. The tires on this car ar Yokohoma's and nearly new.

Now knowing this what are things to look for? What tends to go out on these cars? I know that electrical issues can be a bottomless pit, so I want to avoid that entirely. What sort of fuel economy could one expect out of this car on a trip? I know it won't be all that great, but let me know real-world what people manage out there.

Last, what would you pay for a car such as this one? This one is priced right at $5k, and it's firm. Deal or really not one? Thanks for any help..

Peter Guenther

$5, is not a good deal, first of all it is a short wheelbase car, you can find 500SEL s all over the place with no evidence of issues. The early 140s suffered from vibration issues which can be minimised by replacement of lower control arms, and sway bar links. The tires need to be round so they should be balaced on a "roadforce balancer" which actually puts a roller on the tire as it spins. If you dont have full documentation, the A/C has been known to develop leaks which requires the dash to come out. The electronics are another issue since only a few can diagnose the isues. You have to remember it was a new model intro in 92, minor things like window regulators, wiring harness deteriation, door assist issues.
I would immagine 17 in the city with a little over 20 on the road. I would go back one year 126 they were pretty bulletproof, or take a chance, keep looking.

rl_77

Peter,

Thanks - that was sort of my impression as well. I would actually prefer a short-wheelbase car, likely and E320 would be a better choice. This just happened to be avabile locally, but it's not really what I am looking for.

I was shocked looking at this car as to just how small the trunk really is for such a large car. Is the fuel tank between the rear seat and the truck? Thanks for the help, I'm going to pass on this car...

Peter Guenther

The "E" is a pretty good car and it is our travel car (wagon), the S is a luxury cruiser but expensive. I have had my 92 since 94 my wife loves it, I hate it every time MB gets thru with me.