I am the 19 years old student,, I know that most of you adviced me to NOT afford the mercedes because the maintenance is way to expensive for someone like me, but I finally make up my mind and bought the car and now Ihave the mercedes s430 2002 (not so much mileage by the way 72 k miles) ,,, beautiful car i love it ,,,, but there is work to do on it ,, thats why I need you guys help to suggest me where to go and how should i expect to pay. ITS MY FIRST CAR EVER EVER

First the windshield is crack because of winter ,, its not hurry but i prefer no broken window ,, so where should i go and how much is this ?

Second , the guy sold me the car with no summer tire and the winter tires on the car are done ,,,( Just 10 % ) so i need new tires ,, I know continental are the best for this ride but i want something cheaper that can make the job ,,
Third, front brakes pads are almost done (20 %) i dont wanna pay 1000 $ to change all breaks to much !!!!!
4- the car tend to turn right ,, i dont know why but maybe the front wheel need to be alliged (wheel alignement)
5- the left back window passenger side have difficulty to get down and go up ... the dealer from where i expected the car told me that u have to tighten the screw that holds the glass,,, how much is it cost ,, if its easy to do i might do it myself but how to open the door to find that screw LOOL

6- there is an SRS LIGHT OPEN ON THE dash computer,,,, I asked the owner if he did an accident ,, the guy said never but he might lie so il asked the mecanics to scan the electric. they told me that under the passenger seat in front ,, there is a sensor that do not detected anymore if either an baby is siting or an adult ,,,wtfff !!??? thats it for now ,,, beside this, the car looks good and the engine still strong.
So please respond i will realy appreciate

 

So you went and did it huh? Well congrats on your purchase. These are such fantastic cars. You are sure to enjoy it as long as you don't go broke with it. As far as your laundry list?

1: You can go to Safelite and they will replace the glass and even the windshield wipers while they are at it. They are a bit expensive since they have the rain sensor included above the rear view mirror. Don't know exactly how much but I am thinking in the $150-$250 range.

2&4: You can find cheaper tires for the car than the Continentals. You do not need Z-rated tires if you are just driving it normally. The pull to the right is more than likely from the alignment which may be exacerbated by the worn tires. You may find that the new tires will solve the problem but many times when it has been driven around with the crappy tires it will pull the alignment off to one side. You will probably need to get the alignment straightened after you get the new tires to avoid having the poor alignment causing undue wear on the new tires. You can get GREAT deals on tires from Costco or Sam's Club. I found the Michelin Z-rated tires that were upwards of $485 each elsewhere but got them from Sam's for under $300 mounted and balanced. (had to get the Z-rated for the occasional Vegas run ) You should be able to find something that will fill the bill for under $100 each.

3: I don't know if you are mechanically inclined or not but now would be the time to get acquainted with how to handle a wrench if you do not want to spend $1K on brakes. You can probably find an indie or local shop to do it for a lot less but if you only knew how easy they are to handle by yourself you would be shocked that they could charge you so much. You can probably get the parts for under $100 total for all 4 corners and will have to take the rotors to the machine shop to be resurfaced. You can surely get through the brakes on your own labor for less than $200 total.

5: To get to the window motor/crank on the rear side window you will have to remove the door panel. It is just pressed on with clips and is easy enough to remove, just be careful not to damage the clips or pull them through the door panel itself. I have not had mine off but I understand that the space to move around inside the door is VERY limited. If you don't know what you are doing there it may not be worth your time/effort, just leave the window closed until you have a windfall that you can blast some money on that one. It will probably be ridiculously expensive to have someone finish that for you.

6: The SRS light issue in the front passenger seat is a common problem for this car. You can get the part online for under $150 or you can get a module to bypass the seat sensor for under $25 and never have to deal with that again. Just don't put a baby seat in the front and you are GTG. I haven't tackled this one yet but it is well documented on the forum and you should be able to find some instruction on that somewhere.

Congrats on your new baby. You will enjoy the hell out of driving it and it will drive you nuts with the maintenance and repairs. More good than bad though and your friends and family will be impressed with your ride.

From the pics it looks like you have your work cut out with some serious detailing. You found a pretty good deal. Only 71K in a 11 y/o car, very nice. Good luck with your new ride.

Keith

 

Dear Keith , thank you buddy for all the helping since i enter MBWORLD ,,, thank very much ,, I will make research and follow your instruction ,,, by the way ,, who the well but baby on the front ? See u soon on Mbworld

 

when i will have a good job,, i wish i can change my exhasut first , then maybe put xenon headlight in the front , teinted all four windows , then look for some rims and after will see

 

The car has several mechanical issues you need to fix before custom rims and lights . Trust us, we've seen many young guys do this exact same thing, put money into customizing but then need to sell the car due to repair costs

 

some of your prices are way off.

1. A new MB windshield is about $900. Add about $200 for install

2. Michelins are the way to go. If you absolutely need to go cheap, you could look at the General Altimax HP or the kumho Ecsta LX Platinum.

3. Brake pads will be about $200 for the set. You'll need to measure the rotor thickness to determine if you need new rotors. If you need rotors, add about $400. Either figure out how to do it yourself, or you'll pay atleast $500-$600

4. get an alignment

5. This explanation about a screw that holds the glass is likely not true. You probably have a dying window motor. Not cheap. Pulling it out requires removing the door panel, which isn't hard, but experience helps. Window motors are not hard once the panel is off.

6. Is the seat sensor. I believe you need to pull the seat cover off to change it. I think it was $800 on my car, but was covered by warranty.


Seriously kid, you've made, imho a foolish decision here. You bought what looks to be an old beat up dirty car, and this list will likely only be the start of your issues.

Good luck, but there is a reason people with more experience told you not to do this.

 

Only one additional comment. Since it looks like you are located in Canada you might want to seriously consider all season tires. Otherwise, you will need a set of summer and a set of winter tires.

 

WHats the width of the rotor that need to be change ?

 

the rotors will have a minimum thickness machined onto the outside rim. I don't know it offhand.

 

Flood car?

 

i think yes ,, it doesnt matter how much dust is on the engine ,,, i can use a engine digresaser , protect the alternator with a plastic bag and shoot water all over

 

Well congrats, I hope you got it for no more than 3.5-4K.. flood car, and i'm pretty sure the mileage is false.

Live and learn, get a star das, get some tools, do most of the work yourself. You will be the happiest chap on earth after you've tackled any and all issues that will arise from here on out.

 

get it scanned on star, change all the fluids/ filters, and check all the suspension bushings. congrats on the purchase!

 

This isn't a 1960s engine , there are sensitive electronics all over the engine bay. If you hose down the engine you'll probably never start it again

 

Take a second and look this

Many video show the same ,, if u use low water pressure i dont think u would damage the engine ,,, u dont need to remove the plastic on the engine that contain the filter

 

OMG..

Please be careful here sir. There are sensitive electronics ALL OVER the engine bay, not just the alternator. You would be better served to wipe everything down, slowly and carefully, with a damp rag. You will get a better result and become more familiar with where everything is at on the engine. Just spraying water all over the engine is ill-advised and setting you up for a big $$ repair.

Keith

 

Ok ok i wont do it ...... but i will have to wait until spring , too cold now

 

Welcome to the forum! Get all the help here you can, it'll save you a lot and the challenges might not look as formidable.

A few basics:

MB dealership is a last resort for you, their price for parts and labor hurts the wallet.

Forget the engine cosmetics, the rear window and customizing.

Focus on the essential things.

A set of good tires is a must. There are frequently tire sales here and there, look around. See tirerack.com for reference or purchase.

New tires may solve your alignment problem, if not, it must be done and it is not DIY.

Windshield: consult your insurance agent. It may be covered.

If not, get an aftermarket, OEM is way too expensive and and usually the same manufacturer produces both.

Brake pads and rotors are on close-out sale at rockauto.com right now. Though brake jobs are not particularly difficult, I do not recommend DIY for a beginner hobby mechanic with no experience. Let a cheaper shop do it and ask if you can watch how its done. Or, ask a friend who knows the way around brakes to watch you doing it.

As for parts, autohausaz.com and parts.com are good sites to be checked. Sometimes ebay can be usuful too.

If it is a flood car, lift the carpets and check the floor board. Anything wet, use a good hairdryer.

Also, check the the rainwater drain under the hood in the passenger side corner under the plastic grid. It gets clogged more often than we like, and then your car will indeed be flooded.

Don't lose your courage, and you will enjoy your car as well as fixing it.
Good luck

 

I disagree, as long as you take your precautions, washing down an engine isn't that dangerous. And even less so if you're using a low pressure hose After all, most connectors in the engine bay are waterproof or at least water resistant.
I've cleaned all my engines, old/modern, s-class, motorcycles and the lot, only one time have I experienced problems, where water got in a TP-switch that was missing a clip to hold it in properly.

And those two meguiars products in the video are really good, I have used them several times with good results

The rest of your issues I believe have been answered several times, but I have to say that changing brake pads on the S is really easy! Much easier than many of the japanese cars I've owned. Videos can be found on youtube and forget the styling, the wheels and all the other pretty stuff. This car is gonna cost you some in repairs before you get there. Be wise, enjoy your S

 

I just came back from vitroplus,, they can change my windshiel for a new one with rain sensor 710 $ include installation and taxes

 

I have a small question, i just bought windshield washer fluid because its empty in the car,in my service Booklet it said
ADD WASHER FLUID MIXED WITH MERCEDES-BENZ WINDSHIELD WASHER SOLVANT/CONCENTRATE TEST FUNCTION AND CHEK WIPER BLADES. What is that solvent needed ? is it necessary or can i just put my washer fluid without that solvant . Firts time i eard about this . I forgot to mention that half of my left rear brake light is not working (half of the lighthouse) probably have to change the light no big deal.

 

Thank u Trombone

 

regular washer fluid is fine.

If you want, add the mb concentrate:

001-986-80-71-17

Its called summer fit.

 

So now the airmatic went out?

Just sell this lemon before you pour money into it

This car will bleed you to death

 

not now it will survive iam sure , i will fix everything this summer, winter is killing every car ,, here ton of battery car are dying