Latifah

Hello All,

This is my first time to post here but I have been following the forum for quite a while.

I am currently looking for a 1992-1995 S600 to purchase. Previousely, I have been a die hard Cadillac driver but want a V12 Mercedes this time. I have read on the forum of the problems they have. It is a little discouraging but probably not any worse than paying repair bills on a Northstar Cadillac.

I have had a 1991 DeVille, an 1993 STS, a 1994 STS, and a 1998 STS. The most costly of the three was the 1994. I only had it for about 6 months and paid approx. $6,000 in repairs and it was not running when I disposed of it.

What I am wondering is....What are the average repair costs of a 1992-1995 S600 per year if I purchase one with maybe about 70,000 miles and drive it 15-20,000 miles per year? I have read about the A/C evap problems as well as some others. Are there any problems which are common with the 6.0L V12 or is it a pretty reliable engine? How about the transmission?

One other thing I am wondering is, why did the 1992 V12 have 402 HP and the 1993 drop to 389 HP? Emissions perhaps?

Sorry to ask so many questions but I would like to know what I am getting into before making a purchase. Thanks in advance!

Latifah

Snowman

I can't give you any specific repair costs but besides the AC evap, all the electrical components seem to be rather fragile. Things such as climate control, windows, and all the other stuff on there.

The engine and transmission seem to be pretty reliable. Of course since it's a V12, the maintanance will cost more but not because the engine is more prone to failure or anything.

Good luck in your purchase, but it's too bad that the models you're looking at would not qualify for an extended warranty. That warranty would make things much easier.

Latifah

Thanks for the reply Snowman.

I did check WarrantyByNet and you are right....they won't waranty a Mercedes with over 50,000 miles. Perhaps a dealer could sell a warranty when I do purchase a car.

I will say that I enjoy powerful cars and I drive them hard. But!....I maintain them well. I have always had a fascination with cars and I spend a lot of my free time tinkering with them and doing things like removing and cleaning certain parts like throttle bodies etc.

I guess I am used to electrical problems as they are pretty common with Cadillacs.

I could afford to purchase a newer S600 but seem to have a little problem spending a huge sum of money on a car. If that wasn't an issue, I would just buy my dream car....a 1995 Rolls Royce Flying Spur.

Can any S600 owners share their experiences with me?

mbtech208

If you want an S600, go with at least a '96 or newer model. The '96 model received the much more reliable 722.6 transmission versus the old 722.3 version which had it's share of problems.

stephane

Be careful of doing about 15.000 or more a year with a Flying Spur...

Maintenance costs are still expensive even if there are no problems.

Heavy cars (W140, RR...) are very expensive when hard driven.

zindallas

I'd agree with others who are steering you to later model S's. These cars, especially the 600s, are chock full of MB latest doo-dads and it takes them a while to work out all the kinks.

As far as price, late 90's versions can be had for $35-45K depending on mileage, condition etc... which may seem like a lot of $, but when you consider they originally sold for $135K (before luxury and gas guzzler taxes!) it's a relatively good deal.

Good luck with your search!

Z

bigintruder

I purchased a 1995 S600 coupe last year. Prior to it I also was a Cadillac person (1992 Eldorado) When I sold my caddy it had 278,000 miles on it and the engine ran like a new one. Personally I've owned the northstar as well but I believe that the 4.9 liter is a much more reliable engine than the 4.6 northstar even though it has fewer ponies. I did find an extended warranty for the S600 with a company named Platinum Warranty. Their website is www.warrantywizard.com I just had the blower motor replaced on my S600 ($960.00) at the dealership but the warranty picked up all but $200.00 of the damage. However this warranty does not cover fuel injection or suspension problems such as accumulators and shocks. But it does cover major components, i.e. engine, tranny, starter, alternator, etc. Coverage is listed on their website. Pretty good warranty for the money. $1,574.00 which you can pay in 12 monthly installments. They just paid to replace the transmission in my wife's 1995 S500 sedan. So I can't complain. My car had approximately 72K miles on it when purchased and the warranty covers me for another 50k miles so I guess it's worth it. Good luck.

Lev

Does anyone else have anything ot say about V12 reliability? I am currently a Cadillac driver, but S600s always fascinated me with their aura of exclusivity. I am afraid, though, that the engine repairs will send me to a poor house. I will get one in the future, but I really want to know views of it from Mercedes enthisiasts here.

zindallas

My experience so far has been great on engine reliability. The 12 is basically 2 6's mated together and MB has lots of experience building solid 6's. I've had more trouble with all the bell and whistle gadgets they put on the 600's. That's where they tend to roll out the latest greatest stuff and it may not always be fully debugged. I also bought an extended warranty and can't imagine having this car without it - I can't seem to get out of the dealer without a repair bill of at least a grand, and it's nice to only have to pay my $50 deductible!

If reliability is a primary concern, I'd steer more towards the 6 and 8 cylinder models where MB has much more experience and a good track record.

Z

MB AMG

The 600SEL/S600 is a reliable car (big bills though). Yes, the HP was reduced due to emissions. Mbtech208, are you talking about the 4 speed vs. 5 speed auto? The older 4 speeds were more reliable than the new 5 speed (not the current).
Good luck in your search.

OMOYANGHEDE

have one with 159k. runs like a champ. this car is in the same class as rolls roys. interested, visit the auto trader.

1999 S500

I also wanted the V-12 but opted for the S500 instead. The suspension work will be comparable to the 500 in that such a heavy car sported around is tough on the suspension. Front end work has cost around $1500 and the rear on mine has been done twice at around $1500 as well. I do not have the hydraulic shocks on the corners, just the rears. The self leveling hydraulic shocks will leak at around 100 to 120k miles and are about $6k for all 4 corners for rebuilt ones. This applies to any W140 with that option so be aware of what suspension options a potentail car has. I am not sure if you have an option with a S600. You may get the full monty no matter what and it is pricey.

The pneumatic locking system on all of these cars are a major source of pain and agony and even when it is fixed, you still have to reset the fuse every few days. Figure $2500 for a system refresh on all doors and the pump. That does not include the trunk pump or assemblies.

I have been spying the autotrader for some time now on W140 cars and most 70k mileage S600 are going for $8k to $20k depending on condition and the mind altering substance the current may or may not be participating in with regard to pricing. You see some listing for cars with 120k miles and the owner is asking for something way out of line with the other similiar listings.

Visual inspection by you and a PPI are a must. I have logged all repair bills on an excell spreadsheet with all my cost recorded along with mileage when it occured. Let me now if you want a copy and I can email it to you.

Good luck,

Mark

steelers6nj

I honestly haven't heard ANY horror stories about those engines or transmissions,before you purchase i would ask the salesmen if i could take it to Mercedes-Benz for a thorough inspection,it might cost you $200 but its money well spent and if thats not possible bring a mechanic who specifically knows and has worked on Mercedes-Benz's before,GREATGREAT vehicle the S600 V12...You might also want to check out an extended warranty and ask specifically "WHAT ISNT COVERED"You definitely wanna ask about AIR SUSPENSION if your gonna get a 96 or newer,dont think AIR SUSPENSION was on the 95s or older,which are also GREAT years,Good luck...Oh yeah definitely have the WIRING HARNESS looked at,a lot of them are worn out...Inspect the THERMOSTAT too,wiring harness and thermostat are pretty simple to replace...

steelers6nj

You can get an extended warranty on the 1995 vehicle you just gotta search around,BUT EXTENDED WARRANTIES ARE OUT THERE FOR 1995 and above,ive already did the research....

steelers6nj

How's the S600 been running and any major repairs yet???

vee12

I have a 1995 S600 German market car with 155k on it. Great car, sublime ride and wonderful power. Maintence has been typical Mercedes. The engine wiring harness was made from bio-degradable plastics back then and can suffer cracks due to the high heat in the enine bay of the very stuffed engine compartment of the V12....about $1100 if needed. This can be the source of many ghost electrical problems on these models. The motor in these cars is easily a 250k motor. Maintence on the 600 is a bit more because there are two of everything, unlike the 500. Tranny will last over 200k if it has regular (every 50k) fluid/filter changes. The 4-speed vs 5-speed issues are overstated....Most tranny issues are from lack of regular service. These cars are heavy and go through front end bushings/components and motor mounts fairly regularly. The Vaccuum pump for the central locking, etc can be problematic, but most issues are remedied by fixing the time-out on the pump itself (which is covered in an excellent write up on the forum). Overall, the quality of materials and workmanship on my W140 S600 is better than my 2007 S65 AMG. It is more roomy inside, has a larger trunk, and is more comfortable on a road trip....MB really built this car without regard to price. In addition, these cars are fairly easy to work on for the shade tree mechanic, most service items are easy to get to and well thought out in the old school German way....unlike my current S-class.

steelers6nj

Before i buy this vehicle what are the main things i should look at as far as potential problems???? Thanks in advance....

idsk

I have a problem with the PSE vacuum pump on my Mercedes S320 1995, the one on the right side on the floor of the passenger seats.

When i put the car in reverse, the trunk lid pop out, but the reverse assistant antennas dont come out.

when i put the car in drive the trunk lid go inside again.

i never replace this pump, so the hoses are in the right places.

This start to happen after the battery died.