Hi guys

I'm Josh from the UK and I recently bought a 03 S600 for £3,200/$4600USD unseen from eBay .

It turns out that this wasn't actually as bad an idea as it sounded. The car is in surprisingly good condition with no major faults. Having a battle with a intermittent SAI related fault pining a EML well after the car has warmed up, but that's about it.

The car is approaching 160,000 miles and the previous service history isn't very detailed (just stamps) so I want to give the car a big service.

I am planning
Oil and Filter
Air Filters (Are the K&N drop ins worth a try or go OEM?)
Trans Fluid and Filter change
ABC Filter and Fluid flush
Coolant change
Intercooler pump upgrade (any advice?)
Is there anything I could check/change for preventive maintenance?

I'm not sure if I should do the spark Plugs - I have no misfire codes logged and I want to keep it this way! I'm hesitant to remove the coils in case they get damaged due to the sheer cost of them...

Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks Guys

 

Add power steering fluid and filter change
Transmission electrical plug replacement
Brake fluid change

I agree don't touch the plugs if it's running good

 

Congratulations - sounds like a good gamble!

I much prefer OEM air filters over K&N. I also strongly prefer fluids from the Mercedes approval list.Add the HVAC filters in the dash.

Check air pressure and condition on the spare.
Check/clean the battery connections.
Inspect: Brake pads; All rubber boots and joints on the suspension; Engine, transmission and suspension mounts; Drive-line flex disks, Tires for even wear.
Rotate and balance tires, treat all leather with Nevia, clean all windows inside and out with Invisible Glass.

If you have not done so, read the owner's manual. It will amaze you on how many things that the car will do that you never knew...

 

Absolutely essential to clean the rainwater drain in the bottom of the heater inlet plenum. Otherwise water gets under the carpet and rusts all the wiring, writing the car off.

Other thing is to inspect all the ABC hydraulic suspension hoses in the engine compartment. They survive the heat and pressure for about ten years, then start bursting at inopportune moments. Causes lots of people all sort of problems. If you keep the car for a reasonable time, you're almost guaranteed to suffer a catastrophic failure. There's an easy solution though: replace any hose that's seeping at the crimped joints at the end of each hose.

Got any pictures yet? Hell of a buy you got there. Whereabouts in the UK are you? I'm in Welwyn, obviously.

Nick

 

Well Nick, after all this time I finally got to figure out your nick!

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I've added those items to the list and will get on it next week.

Here's a couple of pics I took a couple of weeks ago while in monster truck mode, I'll get some better more detailed ones next week or so.







The bodywork is pretty good. The front bumper could do with a touch up and there is a dent in the OSR door.

Everything works on the inside (does the auto boot/trunk ever get boring? ), no major codes according to my Chinese STAR unit, pulls like a maglev train and rides better than a Bentley for far less than the downpayment on a diesel S320 lease .

Biggest issues along with the intermittent SAI fault is a RPM dependent whirling noise in the left side of the cabin. I thought it was the ABC pump but It cannot heard in the engine bay + pump pressure is good. Going to change the Aux belt so will do some investigating once that's off. And there's a knock under hard acceleration from the left side . Hope its an arm (it feels like it) rather than a engine mount.

I utterly adore this car though, and the price I paid for it means that I'm more than happy to spend money on servicing, renovation, modification and of course & fixing the odd "catastrophic failure". I intend on keeping it for a long time. Nothing comes close for the money as a complete package IMO.

Nick I'm in South London so not far from you at all (I actually bought my XJ6 from there). I've been reading some of your posts and found them incredibility informative and helpful. Absolutely loved the full sized Radiator as a Heat Exchanger, definitely think I'll be copying that idea in the future.

 

That looks familiar. Is that the car that sold on 17 Jan?

Sounds like you might need a new ABC accumulator. Nothing to worry about. Don't forget the heater inlet drain.

Nick

 

It was on eBay and Autotrader just before Christmas.

ABC accumulator = Pulsation Damper? That was my initial thought, but then I wondered if it would be so RPM dependent? I will it change anyway.

Is there anywhere in the UK you can recommend for parts? Are the dealers parts departments worth bothering with directly?

I bought a couple of bits from 'Genuine Auto Parts' who seemed good, if not a little slow.

 

There are four generic ABC nitrogen spheres that have similar but slightly different roles and names, and terminology is a bit vague. They're located at:

Front valve block
Pressure regulator
Rear valve block
Under fuel tank

There is also the pulsation damper, which is a long U-shaped double flexible hose on the pump output, which doesn't go anywhere, and is just to damp hydraulic noise. If its fails, it will leak very fast, and you can count on that happening at some time.

The accumulator on the pressure regulator is the one that's often responsible for an obscure RPM dependant whining sound. It's not too expensive or difficult to fit, and it's a really worthwhile job. You can usually isolate that as a cause (with a cold engine) by removing the poly-V auxiliary belt (not as difficult as it looks). Start the engine for a few seconds with the doors closed, and if the noise goes away, it was probably the accumulator.

If you're serious about keeping the car, its worth replacing all the accumulators (unless they've been recently replaced).

Mercedes dealers aren't too bad on price when pressed, and they're significantly more reliable than online retailers, but I still buy a lot of consumables from ebay Germany.

Nick

 

Thanks for that Nick. I've ordered all 4 accumulators but as you say, online suppliers have been far from reliable but should hopefully be here next week.

Regarding Oil changes, has anyone tried using an extractor via the dipstick tube? I purchased one on hearing its how its done in the MB Workshop but seem to be hitting a 'blockage'. I am wondering if they is a 'valve' and that to have it open I need to have complete suction around the tube?

Needless to say I will be buying a sump plug/washer and doing it the old fashion way tomorrow .

 

I thought about using an extractor, but never got round to it. Seems like a good idea. People will argue forever about what gets the bottom of the sump clean, but hey, this is the internet.

I'm not aware of any valve or restriction. The dipstick tube has to allow the dipstick all the way to the bottom. Only thing is the extraction tube is necessarily quite small.

Careful with the sump plug. It's difficult to access with a socket because of the proximity of the subframe (unless your engine mounts are shot!), and being a UK car that may well have been serviced using extractors, the plug may be old and seized. It seems like it's a 13mm, but you really need a good 1/2" ring spanner to be sure of getting it off.

Be ready to catch 9 litres of oil, of course.

Nick

 

1. Oil drain. I have been using a small pump driven by an electric drill to empty oil for many years on all my cars. It is fantastic. Pump can be purchased at a marine supply store or harbor freight or similar. they are real cheap maybe 25 - 35 $.
2. SAI fault - I had same issue and the fault apparently can be many issues. Mine was a broken vacuum line on the top of the engine in front. the plastic vacuum lines are covered by a rubber sleeve and you cannot see the break unless you pull on the line. changed the plastic to a rubber hose and faults gone 2 years now. Hoses go under air cleaner so look all over for similar lines.

 

How do yo attach the extraction hose to the dipstick tube? Mine has a narrow diameter tube that slides down the tube, but isn't thin enough to slip through the sealing gasket into the sump. Shat I suspect you need is a hose larger than the tube that sits over it, rather than actually going Into the sump?

Regarding the SAI I cheated and turned it off via STAR. I've got other things that I want to take a look at before chasing a fault in an entirely emissions system. At 8MPG average I'm ruining the environment anyway!

 

There is no seal or gasket on the bottom of the dipstick tube. Use a 1/4" or 6mm clear rubber (try for a stiffer rubber rather than very pliable). the pump will probably come with a reducer. This is a common way to de-oil a boat engine which is typically low in the boat with no drain plug. It is easier and faster if the oil is warm, not hot.
The vacuum lines are easy to get to under the plastic covers on top of the engine. Like most German plastic they are brittle and break if looked at with any contempt. Easy fix for an annoying light and may help idle, mileage, general performance.