Hello everyone, I'm just checking in to announce my arrival. I've been reading threads for the past couple of weeks to find out about the ins and outs of this car. I'm a big DIY guy so I'm hoping This car is DIY friendly. I'm looking forward to enjoying this car for a long time since I generally keep vehicles until the end of their usable life. To me that's at least 200-300k. There are a couple of things that I want to look into to see if they are potential problems on this car.

1. Fuel door - Mines was not aligned properly but I read a couple of threads and related fixes but I saw a video that showed me how to slide the cover off and put it back on. It seems that the top front had somehow came out of the tab that locks it in place.

2. Turbo coolant lines - I've read several threads on this potential issue but I don't know if my car is one of the affected models. Is there a particular area under the hood that I would be able to confirm whether the leak is present?

3. Timing chain leak - This is a major concern so I want to stay on top of this in the event a problem arises.

There are other things but for now those are my major concerns. I rarely go to dealerships for anything unless it's absolutely necessary and I already ordered a repair manual on USB and have plans to get a STAR DIAGNOSTIC setup at some point. I've been reading lots of threads and trying to figure out EXACTLY what I need. I'm coming over from Lexus and I've been driving an LS (2 400s, 1 430 and 1 460L) since 1996. Techstream and a repair manual was all I ever needed to get things sorted out. Plus a forum with a wealth of info. This is my first German car and I understand that there is a learning curve but I'm a quick learner if that makes any difference.

That was a little long winded but I hope everyone gets the gist of what I'm saying. I've only had this car for a week and I have to admit that it's on a different level then my most recent 460L. I'm happy and look forward to many years of pleasure.

 

2. This is likely referring to the M278 V8 engine that was in the pre-facelift cars (2014-17 if you're in the states). The S560 has the M176 V8. Haven't heard of this issue on the M176 yet. Welcome to the forum. I came from Lexus LS products prior as well. These cars are definitely more temperamental and will require more maintenance and repair but the tradeoff is a driving experience and feeling that the Lexus can't compete with. You'll love it!

 

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Guy is a DIY'er. I'm going to doubt he'll want or need to use the dealer for anything aside from warranty work.

 

Thanks for replying. I have not been able to differentiate which engine has the known issues but thanks for the clarification. I know the 14-17 are 4.7L twin turbo with a 7 speed transmission and the 18-21/22 are 4.0L with the 9 speed transmission. From what I have read these cars are in fact more temperamental. I just want to make sure I'm knowledgeable and prepared for the known issues so that if/when an unknown issue arises I wont be chasing my tail.

 

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I appreciate the heads up and will def.check out your threads. I'm not even a big tech guy. As long as my waze and music are set right I don't require much else. This car has WAY more tech than I'm used to and while I like to have ALL the bells and whistles I rarely use any of those things.
Your correct as far as getting to know the dealership. I have one that's close but I don't see myself visiting them often. I've never visited the Lexus dealer for anything except ordering and picking up parts. For the last couple of years I've been using Amayama.com for OEM parts so that minimizes the visits further.

 

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The tech would be the one area that I would utilize the dealer. I despise dealers for the way they operate but they do serve a purpose. The Lexus dealer used to be much better years ago but in the last decade I find that they are always trying to upsell and they are just as expensive as all the other luxury car outfits. No one actually tries to diagnose issues anymore. They just read the code and suggest changing the part without even gauranteeing the issue will be resolved. Thanks for the advice.

 

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moved to W222 forum...

 

I have a 2019 S63 so the motor is a little different but a lot of the same maintenance. I do all of my own oil changes, brakes and other routine stuff. I have heard random stories of rear main seal leaks on this motor due to overpressurization of the crankcase due to clogged catch can devices that cost a few hundred bucks but are a major pain to swap. Not sure if the M176 motors have this issue but a few M177 owners have reported this at random miles. Other than that I am at 28K miles on my 2019 and it has been flawless with the exception of a few little things like a wheel bearing and a sensor, both covered under warranty. I will probably keep mine another 3-4 years and sell it at the 60K mark but I may not. It has been one of my all time favorite cars based on it's ability to morph from a luxo cruiser to a sports sedan with the push of a button.

 

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Congrats,
M278 is a complex engine . It have not driven long enough to tell about its reliability but to me any engine could have problems .All Mercedes-Benz engines , however, common maintenance items : Engine and Transmission Mounts . I have talked to a few mechanics some say M278 is a marvelous engine some say a very complex and prefer to work on M273 .
From my standpoint it's my fave engine by far

 

Welcome! I also purchased a 2019 S560 a few months back. Truly love the car. I drove mostly Audi before that, so was already used to temperamental cars. One thing I do love, is my Mercedes dealer. Seems like it’s pretty hit or miss. So I feel lucky. Anyway, think you’re going to love the car. This forum is a wealth of knowledge.

 

Hello fellow DIY er!
welcome to the form.
1) find an xentry set up
2) find benz ninja
3) change out fluids
3) if you maintain this car they are rewarding.
I have a 2019 s560 and its my 2nd s class.
i love it.
diy on this car is not a big deal.

 

I bought a 2017 S550 CPO car from a MB dealer last November. They gave it to me with a full tank. Good thing they did becasuse I couldn't open the fuel door when I got the car home. Took it to my local dealer and they fixed the fuel door. I have never had a problem with a fuel door on the 20+ cars I've ever owned. luckily it seem sto be an easy fix. Congratulations and welcome to the W222 family!

 

The fuel door on my '18 560 has occasionally stuck - the most I've had to do was restart and turn off the engine. Nearly every time, I find that pushing the door more firmly, even giving it a pop, opens it up. It hasn't happened now in quite a while.

 

I'm confused, what engine are you talking about? I've done engine and tranny mounts on my previous vehicles so it should not be a problem when the time comes for this vehicle as long as there's space to work.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I"m liking this car more and more each day. I hope there are very detailed How Tos whenever the need arises.

It's comforting to hear that from a fellow DIYer. I been slightly programmed to believe that MBs and BMWs engines need to come out just to change simple things lol. Got my first flat tire today leaving work which lets me know that I still need a spare whether I have run flats or not. I had a slight moment of panic but I found a shop to plug the tire and was on my way.

I seriously contemplated buying a 17 but was swayed by the HUD, 9 speed and Android auto.

I'm used to having a physical switch inside the car to open the fuel door. I pulled into a gas station and before I pulled up to the pump I had to google how to open it. My car did not have a owners manual but I purchased one on Ebay very quickly. I figured out later in the settings that there's one in the computer lol.

 

Great job doing your homework before buying. I traded my 2017 for a 2018 a little over a month ago. I loved the 17 but wound up keeping it less than a year and less than 7K miles before getting the 2018, for a lot of the same reasons you mentioned.

 

Hey,
I'm talking about bi turbo V8 engines that was introduced in 2012 . S Class has an enormous hood but it doesn't offer as much space as American V8 engines

 

Ok, I see what you mean. My LS had ample space under the hood to work on things.

 

There is no space in the motor to work on anything.
having said that, the only way to work on this car is to carefully remove 5,000 things to get to what you want, but if you follow the instructions you will be fine.

 

That's kind of disheartening to hear.

 

FWIW he has an M176 not a M278