haoz129

, Thanks Malahhaor for sharing your experience.

I guess you enjoy purchasing cars all the time.
Some time I really like spend money. But as a smart buyer waiting must be the most successfuly strategy like hunters did.
Spend few months looking and enjoy them many years, worth the waiting for sure.

Yes, S600 is a bit different which makes me admire it.

Best regards and wish you get a perfect one.

Howard

haoz129

, Jealous am I every time seeing your black beauty in the signature.
Bruce did great jobs, . Will ask him for favor when chances come.

Enjoy your weekend.

Howard

haoz129

, Thanks ClassyS.

Yes, this TTV12 is something, it sounds so nice. Can't wait to hug it.
Wife definitely has difficulty to understand especially why I always stare at other's wheels when out for shopping.

And I'm with you as I am a mainframe guy. We maintain those huge computers which can be used for weather forecast and rocket control. Reliability and security are our top priority. I seldom drive fast but I do enjoy watching niddle in my trubo gauge swirling from vacuum to pressure.

I wish and believe Bruce will get you a great machine.

Best regarts.

Howard

AH1W-COBRA

the only thing keeping me from buying one of these models is the financial reality of paying to maintaine it! RUN away from this car, save your wife and daughter the financial burden that your dream car is about to flog every future dollar that you earn. these cars were never meant to wind up in the garages of suberbia and if this one winds up in yours dont dare utter a word of spite about Benz warranties, repair costs, reliability!. i love MB!. if you want to drive the S600 than go to your MB dealer and get a cpo car, dont stress over the cost, this will be the "true" feeling of owning the car along with the $800 per month payment!

Becks Imports

Unfortunately he can not get a CPO car. He's looking at 2003, 2004, etc and they will not CPO those cars any more. So it's Benz + extended warranty.

Bruce

Sgt. Schultz

Yeah... but TRUER WORDS have never been spoke. I lol'd when I read that pp.

WELL SAID

Heck MB should be required to stamp their titles with that phrase, or include it in their VIN.

too furkin funny

theme also plays well w/ that other fave gem of 'the most $ thing you can buy is a cheap S600'... hahahaaa

Buy the right one, step up for it if you have to. Pay otherwise. Pay one way or the other. Not a bet I'd hedge tho, not worth the time / frustration.

haoz129

Hi guys,

Today, this beauty was taken to a MB dealer for the inspection.
A Star Certified inspection should be thoroughly enough.

Like Bruce said, more issues uncovered:
- Front brake pad need replace
- Left ball joint has slightly play
- Transmission leaking from a electric plug

Now the used car dealer has a list of whole bunch issues. I'll wait with patient to see how to move forward, .

Howard

haoz129

, That's true Cobra.

Like Fraser said I made a bad financial decision. But don't worry, finally I will straight it out.

I love MB too and trust me, ruin a great name is not my interest.
Plus I'm not kind of person used to complain. People who is good at complaining will be kicked out from my team as it is poison and will infect the team work.

This forum encourage people doing good stuff hence will I share my knowledge and experience if there is any.

Best regards.

Howard

Becks Imports

Those issues are nothing, all normal for an S600 of this age. Make sure the trans connector leak has not already traveled up the harness into the conductor plate and TCU. YOU MUST CHECK FOR THIS.

I'm more concerned about the issues you mentioned originally.

Bruce

haoz129

, Thanks Bruce for pointing out the Trans leak which will lead to a TCU issue. It's critical and I'll bare it in mind.

And It's true Bruce.

I won't be able to buy a CPO for a 2007 MY onward.
I still think 2003-2006 will be my best bet. Unfortunately there is not much to choose.

As most of the members suggested: looking for a better S600. I won't refuse any good opportunity.
And I do believe in the words you said: For this thing, buy a best one that you can afford.
Doing so will help lowering the future risk and cost.

Could you do me a favor:
- Educate me how the import works from States to Canada. Do you have any Canadian customer worked out importing a MB into Canada. So I may able to follow the same path in case I had a chance.
- What's the cost for importing car to Canada. I think Tax is needed. Maybe the green levy, no idea how much for a S600. Plus the modification by a Canada MB authorized dealer plus a further inspection.

Thanks.

Howard

haoz129

, It's very true Sgt. Schultz.

Build something on sand is not a good idea. Growing my enthusiasm on a solid base is the only way that will work. Otherwise frustration will be the final result for harvesting.

That's why I tried my best to understand the details from every aspects of this car.

Thanks.

Howard

SFBIGBODY415

Have you bought the car yet?

haoz129

No, not yet.

Will see how the seller handles all the repairs. Further negotiation is going on.
If all the issues can be remediated then it's good to go. Otherwise I will be taking too much risk, honestly speaking.

All advices from the forum plus suggestions from my friends make me more cautious about this deal.
And as you mentioned I'm trying to convince myself this is not the only S600 in the world. But it'll be very hard to give her up. Hope you understand.

Thanks.

Howard

e500slr

...wait is this the TT V12 600 or the NA one? The NA one may not have alot of power but the soundddddd


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PbSJ65RJrc

haoz129

Yes, this is the TTV12 which puts out 493 hp.

From MY 2003 the new engine was introduced with reinforced structure. Althought in 2007 S-Class stepped into a whole new generation which is still using M275 for top models, tuned with slightly more power & torque.

It's a master piece indeed and I enjoy the sound everytime this engine fires up, .

Thanks.

Howard

tusabes

Is there a thread on how to fix the trans connector ? How much is the repair if a shop does it?

Quadcammer

why why why are you still moving forward with this car?

I just don't get it. There has GOT to be other options here.

If the dealer fixed all of the problems, they would be giving the car away at a massive loss.

haoz129

Thanks, Oliverk.

Cause I'm hoping they could fix it or I get compensation for future risk.
That's the hard part for further negotiation.

If they don't fix the problems, yes, they get decent profit. But that means I will be facing lost very soon. I'm already cooling down and should say no.
Seems for this car there is no easy way out.

I believe this car is bought by the dealer as a trade in. That explains why they, as a MB specialist, bought a problematic car. No one, especially a dealer who know cars better than we do, should buy a car in this condition.
They already made profit when they sell the other car which traded this in. I also believe the trade in price wasn't much. From a business point of view they need get rid of this car to aviod risk and keep cash flowing. Making big profit from a 9 years old car is not the top priority, IMO.

Plus for them to fix the car is not as expensive as we imagine. My only hope is they won't put after market parts in which will definitely hurt this car's value even more and which is not acceptable.

Best regards.

Howard

jackasswhy

As a dealer I.would never try to sell a car to anyone with so many problems without fixing it first... Id b wary

Becks Imports

The trans connector is a sub-$100 part, and takes an hour or so to do. It's easy.

But in many cases, by the time the trans leak is found, the oil has gone up the harness into other places. If it goes to the conductor plate, that's another $900 or so at a Benz dealer, and if it hits the TCU that's another $800.

Bruce

Becks Imports

I have been asking myself that as well. It seems like he is a really nice guy, feels like he committed to the deal so he should follow through if the dealer remedies problems, etc. He's honorable.

Bruce

Becks Imports

Here are some answers:

1. Importing a 2003-2006 S600 is easy. All of the usual stuff needed, like DRLs, instrument cluster in KMs, etc can be programmed by any Benz dealer. Then you need a letter from MB stating that there are no open recalls, and all paperwork sent to border crossing station at least 72 hours in advance. I do all those things for my clients.

You choose the border crossing, and paperwork gets delivered there along with car slightly afterwards. All border crossings have storage and other shops nearby that can accept delivery of car for small fee. Then you come down, get car, complete paperwork, and drive home (I provide temp tag good for 20 days of driving to get you home, with plenty of time to do safety inspection/registration certificate once you're back in Canada).

If you email me at brucem105@comcast.net, I can put you in touch with one of my Canadian clients that can give you more info.

2. I do not know what Canada will charge you for tax and duty. It may be different depending on the province. You'd need to ask locally to find out the answer. All inspections will be done by me (assuming you get the car from me) before delivery to border crossing, so all you'd need to do is safety inspection once back in Canada.

3. Although I have not seen the car you describe, the information you've provided so far does not fill me with confidence. You found rust and a few other problems. The car was inspected but I am not 100% confident that the inspection was extremely thorough. Quite honestly, there should be a bigger list on an S600 unless it's been HIGHLY maintained, and if it's been highly maintained you should have paperwork proving it. At $22K+ with those miles on a 2003, it makes me nervous.

4. Don't commit to a bad deal, no matter how honorable you are. If the car is not right, walk away. I say this because the S600 is possibly the worst car in the world, short of a Lamborghini, to buy if it's not the right car. It can get VERY expensive VERY fast if it's not a good example.

5. There is a very nice silver over black S600 running at the dealer auction tomorrow. It has 18" AMG wheels (although not the AMG sport package). It has parking sensors and front/rear heated seats and front dynamic/cooled seats. Side shades too. Only things missing are keyless go and AMG body kit (but it does have the wheels). It has 69K miles, and it's also a 2005 which means some updates like DVD navigation.

I am getting it inspected pre-sale today. and if I buy it I will have two post-sale inspections done. It is a clean, non-smoker, no-accident, southern car with no winter weather. Best of all, it has an extensive documented service history and regular maintenance through its entire life.

With 69K miles, it also qualifies for an extended warranty, as it's just below the 70K mile cutoff.

If you are interested in this car please contact me ASAP, and if you unwind your current deal we can pursue this car for you. I can't predict the price, but I can go over all costs and fees and estimated pricing with you. Then you tell me what you want the maximum bid to be knowing in advance where you will end up after all fees.

Bruce
brucem105@comcast.net
856-912-2600

Chris250

Haoz,

I hope I'm not breaking any forum rules here or hope I didn't miss something but if you decide to bail on that one mine is on the block. 74K miles and just coming out of the shop after having ABC issues fixed. Earlier this year it got new water pump, radiator and idler pulleys. In excellent condition both inside and out.

I'm doing this to fulfull my need for an M6. 18K and it's all yours.

If I've broken rules I apologize up front. Please remove this post and I'll send OP a private message.

haoz129

Don't worry, Chris.
Appreciate your offer.

But it will be almost impractical for me to buy a car from States.
I will provide more details very soon on my reply for Bruce.

Thanks any way, .

Howard

haoz129

, Thanks Bruce for the complete information.

I have checked about the charges from Canada side:
1) Green Levy (Excise Tax): for importing a S600 into Canada, government will charge $3000. In general gas guzzler will be charged from $1000 - $4000 base on each model's MPG which reflect the fuel inefficiency.
2) A Mercedes, only a MB will be enforced to do a modification/localization by MB authorized dealer. I got a quote for $2500, I believe it will be different case by case.
3) Tax for sure.

Seems they put enough road blocks there, .
Consider the overhead cost, it's impractical to import a car around $25k. It hurts less if import new cars or even a new MY CPO though.

I'm not able to consider the car which will be run on tomorrow's auction.

Really appreciate!

Howard