1993 500 SEC...what kind of maintence am i getting myself into???
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1993 500 SEC...what kind of maintence am i getting myself into???
i have the opportunity to purchase a 1993 500 SEC with 90k miles at a very reasonable price...but i am very worried about maintenance costs...
can some of you shed some light on what i am getting myself into with this car...previous owner has maintenance records up to 40k miles and from what i can tell the car runs fine...
any help is greatly appreciated...thank you in advance...
-Charlie
can some of you shed some light on what i am getting myself into with this car...previous owner has maintenance records up to 40k miles and from what i can tell the car runs fine...
any help is greatly appreciated...thank you in advance...
-Charlie
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 170
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From: Richmond, VA
1998 cl 600
Keep in mind that this is year 2 of this body style and it takes MB a few years to work out the kinks, especially on the gadget laden S classes. You should poke around this forum a bit and you'll find that most folks would recommend you get late 90's W140's (97 or newer) if you can to minimize maintenance issues. Also, I think you may have a hard time getting a warranty with the age and mileage of this car. I have gotten good use from mine already with my 98. They are great cars and the coupes are quite rare, but the older ones are more problem prone.
If a late 90's model is not in your budget, you should also consider a 90/91 SEC. They are great cars and at the end of the model run, so most likely more solid than the 93 you're lookin' at.
Good luck!
Z
If a late 90's model is not in your budget, you should also consider a 90/91 SEC. They are great cars and at the end of the model run, so most likely more solid than the 93 you're lookin' at.
Good luck!
Z
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 21
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From: Toronto, Canada
93 500 SEL, 92 MR2, 90 Eclipse
i have a 93, and its been a trooper.
people always say 92-93 is the least reliable, this and that... the only issues i can think of is the a/c, and vacuum assist doors.
look at any japanese 10 yr old car and tell me how many of them have the a/c working? in Toronto, on average, i would say 20% of 10 yr old japanese cars have their a/c's in tip top shape.
people complain that vacuum assist pump doesnt work, so stay away from this car. What i tell those guys is simple: sissies - just close the damn door by hand what are you? some gariatric patient who doesnt have enough of a muscle strength to close the door? if thats the case the vac assist should be the least of your concerns right now.
these cars are bullet proof, have excellent engine/ trannies, feel like tanks, like nothing else on the road,... gas milage isn't too bad... its the same as my 12 second eclipse,... a modified 4 cyl turbocharged car gets the same MPG as this car so its acceptable.
It pulls very very strong on the highway and pretty much walks away from an Acura 3.2TL Type S ..
any car that you buy will have issues, ... Lexus has sludge issues in the engine, Audi's have electrical/ mas air flow/ window issues, Acura V6's have massive tranny failure issues,... BMW 4.0's have Nikasil block issues (same as Jaguars), any car has issues,... more expensive issues than the W140.
Only car that I can think of that doesnt have issues/ or would be cheap to fix in the event of an issue is a Civic. Cheap/ flimsy, and in case of a bad accident .. well lets not even think about that.
people always say 92-93 is the least reliable, this and that... the only issues i can think of is the a/c, and vacuum assist doors.
look at any japanese 10 yr old car and tell me how many of them have the a/c working? in Toronto, on average, i would say 20% of 10 yr old japanese cars have their a/c's in tip top shape.
people complain that vacuum assist pump doesnt work, so stay away from this car. What i tell those guys is simple: sissies - just close the damn door by hand what are you? some gariatric patient who doesnt have enough of a muscle strength to close the door? if thats the case the vac assist should be the least of your concerns right now.
these cars are bullet proof, have excellent engine/ trannies, feel like tanks, like nothing else on the road,... gas milage isn't too bad... its the same as my 12 second eclipse,... a modified 4 cyl turbocharged car gets the same MPG as this car so its acceptable.
It pulls very very strong on the highway and pretty much walks away from an Acura 3.2TL Type S ..
any car that you buy will have issues, ... Lexus has sludge issues in the engine, Audi's have electrical/ mas air flow/ window issues, Acura V6's have massive tranny failure issues,... BMW 4.0's have Nikasil block issues (same as Jaguars), any car has issues,... more expensive issues than the W140.
Only car that I can think of that doesnt have issues/ or would be cheap to fix in the event of an issue is a Civic. Cheap/ flimsy, and in case of a bad accident .. well lets not even think about that.
Last edited by s_nik; Jul 10, 2003 at 05:30 PM.
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thanks for the great reply s_nick...i understand that every car will have it's problems...but i'm just worried that when this car has problems it will cost an arm and a leg to fix...that's all
thanks again for the great feedback and i'd love to hear more
thanks again for the great feedback and i'd love to hear more
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 57
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none
lotsa $$$$$$$$
These cars are very dependable but you must keep up on the maintenance.
The entrance fee to most Merc dealer service departments is about $500, but you are rarely allowed to leave for under $1,000
LOL
The entrance fee to most Merc dealer service departments is about $500, but you are rarely allowed to leave for under $1,000
LOL
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 455
Likes: 1
From: Fl
92 500sel/01 320e wag
140 issues
Vibration, new bushings lower control arm and sway bar and will remedy.
The closing assist, $800
The Bose amp $600
Suspension "spheres" $300
The A/C most go bad $3000
Plugs, wires, caps&rotors(ouch)
GREAT CAR
The closing assist, $800
The Bose amp $600
Suspension "spheres" $300
The A/C most go bad $3000
Plugs, wires, caps&rotors(ouch)
GREAT CAR
