cmpcpro

Hey guys! It's been a very long time since I've had a MB but I've owned a 2000 S430, an 08 S550 and a 10 S550 and I actually miss my 430! Now I have the chance to buy a third car (I don't have any of the MB's anymore, my daily is a 2016 Camry Hybrid XLE) and I found this 2006 S55 for 12.9k

It has a clean title, clean Carfax, three owners, 20 service records on Carfax and drives great. It was a trade in at a large dealership nearby and now the small dealer that is selling it seems very honest. For example I asked him if it leaked oil as I know most all of them do and he was honest and said he had taken it in because one of the rear shocks needed to be replaced (didn't trigger a light or warning but was going bad he said) and the MB specialist he brought it to said there was a little engine oil seeping but nothing that was urgent. He also ran all the tests on the ABC system and it's functioning correctly.

If I decide to I'm going to test drive it tomorrow but he said it runs great and the tranny shifts great, but I'm wondering what you guys think about these cars at this age and mileage and if this is a stupid idea. If it's not completely stupid any recommendations on things to check would be appreciated!

Thanks!

sakodik

All salesmen will say it runs great and tranny shifts great, cause they want to sell it. That is what I was told and then the vehicle shipped to me had a supercharger pulley that is on the verge of breaking off. Bought it sight on unseen cause I wanted to fix everything once I had ownership.

If you are looking at the one in Van Nuys, I would say go for it. I would've bought it had I not pulled the trigger 2 weeks earlier on my current 2005 when it popped up back in November. Yes, these vehicles are old so you will run into speed bumps. I bought my 05 with 110k miles for 11k so far spending 3k on various repairs, preventative maintenance, upgrades, and still have a PSE pump issue even after I replaced pump.

The best thing to do in your case is to drive it, test all the convenience features, check for vacuum leaks (soft close door). Go for that test drive and then decide for yourself. Or you can buy mine so I can fund this vehicle

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

I love mine and it is a DD. Mine has 124k on it now and I plan on driving it two more years (40K more) before dumping it. Parts are cheap (ish) and it is a joy to own.

Welwynnick

You can't really cross your fingers and hope it will hold together with these cars.


They're good to drive, but they will go wrong, and will either be time consuming expensive to look after.


That's been my (not dissimilar) experience, but having learned things the hard way, I'm not afraid any more, and wouldn't avoid another one.


Nick

kyosuke

so i bought my 2006 with 76k miles and the first thing that went was my ball joints (800 dollar repair) labor is what kills you in these cars because ball joints were only 100 each.

Next thing that went wrong was the abc/powersteering tandem pump at 83k that was like 3k and needed the pump,serpintine belts,hydraulic fluid,flush and run the rodeo test on it.

maintaence recomended was a tranny flush (400),spark plugs (750),air filter,air cabin filter

and yes mine is leaking oil because the rear main seal has gone out so thats around a 1k service with a good indy mechanic. if the one you are going to see has that issue you need to find a mechanic that is willing to do pre inspection on it before you buy. itll cost around 130-150

im 90k on the clock now and still repairing things. next up is my trunk it doesnt close all the way untill u push it down so thats another 800 something to replace the pump for it.

i also had the exhaust done which addded around 30 more hp and its been fun as hell driving it. so keep those type of repairs in mind. my car was 13 and its quickly becoming a 20k car

cmpcpro

Thanks for your input guys! I am here right now looking at the car and so far I can see it has the keyless go option! The dealer is not here with the key so I'm sitting in the car looking at it waiting for him. From what I can tell so far the soft close on the drivers side door is dead but the rest work fine. Everything else looks good (without getting into it or firing it yet) besides a scratch on the top corner of the drivers side front fender where it meets the hood. The tires are also pretty worn. He's asking 12,995 he dropped it a grand, do you think that is a very good price or do I have any room to haggle? The paint looks good besides the scratch and a slight burn mark from a buffer on the edge of the top back of the trunk lid.

He said when he had the rear shock replaced he brought it to a MB specialist because it was more important to do it right than to save a couple hundred bucks on these cars and that the mechanic ran all the tests which I'm assuming is the rodeo test. I am going to look at the carfax and see what the 20 entries he's talking about too. Thanks for the help guys!

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

Ebay has a repair kit for the soft close.. Most little things you can live with or repair at low cost. If you like it and it shifts nice...

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

Update!

sakodik

And PICTURES!!!

cmpcpro

Hey guys! So here's the update! I drove the car and it felt great. The tranny shifts great, once in a while if I get on it just a little bit it feels like the tranny shifts into second a little quick but I think it's actually the blower kicking in. Overall I couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary and it's ridiculously fast! I brought it to my buddy who owns the best MB repair shop in town handed down from his dad. He really knows these cars. He put it on the computer and it checked out great. He looked over the car short of going under it and he found only a leaking valve cover gasket and the button on the keyless go is sticking but it's not the shifter it's the knob. He popped the knob off and it was sticking. He tested the ABC pump and it was putting out between 189-191 for pressure and he said brand new puts out about 194 so he said that was good. The only downfall is one of the tires has a slow leak and the guy filled it the other day and the tpms was working and now it just keeps saying to fill the tire and recalibrate it but it just stays there. That and the motor mounts are a little low so there is a slight vibration when cold but they aren't horrible. My mechanic said it's a bad job though. He said he had just done one and it was a thousand dollars.

Anyway the bottom line is I took the car! I'm taking delivery of it in two hours and I will post pics!! Thanks guys!

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

Sumo tires from the tire rack are great and 112/114 each!
I hope you enjoy your car as much as I enjoy mine.

Welwynnick

Motor mounts aren't so bad.

Support the engine and drop the subframe.

Nick

bill morrow

[QUOTE=cmpcpro;7008647
** major snippage here**
Anyway the bottom line is I took the car! I'm taking delivery of it in two hours and I will post pics!! Thanks guys![/QUOTE]

well, i guess it all depends on what you pay/paid for it..
i picked one up about october '15 and have added about 1000 miles to the clock so far.. total now about 137k miles..
blindingly fast when you want it to be..
mild unless sticking ones foot into it..

my only caveat is to be prepared if something goes ****-up..

maw1124

Good score. Hopefully you got it for around $10k. Do engine and tranny mounts, drain and fill the old transmission fluid, swap ABC fluid and filter (Pentosin), swap out the fuel filter and run 93 from here out, maybe do plugs when they do the gasket. If your buddy is comfortable swapping the supercharger fluid, do that too. From there, enjoy and sleep well. Not much goes wrong on these cars if properly cared for. A buddy who owns a good Indy is probably the best and only preparation you can have, which you do. I don't like the other gizmos (keyless go, trunk close, parktronic and such) because MB electronics are expensive and always break. The less of that stuff, the better to me.

Enjoy.

maw

cmpcpro

Thanks Maw! I plan on doing most all of what you mentioned. One thing I've noticed right after I bought the car is when I start it after a little bit something engages he second the motor starts and I can feel it under the drivers side floor. It's been years since I owned my S430 but I want to say I remember it but I may not. If I shut it off and right back on it doesn't do it. Does anyone know what I'm taking about? Thanks!

maw1124

Probably ABC Pulsation Damper, accompanied with a hum and vibration at low RPM (>2000). All of the parts I've mentioned so far are cheap, so DO NOT (I repeat, DO NOT) save money on them. Insist on OEM Mercedes, or you'll be doing all these jobs again, sooner than you should, and you'll be chasing issues you thought you ruled out.

Good luck,

maw

cmpcpro

Thanks for the help I get OEM parts at cost so I will never substitute. I don't notice a hum or anything, I just hear something that sounds like it's activating or something and I can feel it if I'm looking for it. Sometimes when the engine revs a little at startup it covers it and I can't hear it. Just weird how if I turn the car off and back on it doesn't do it.

maw1124

I would do the other stuff first and see if it remains. I'm wondering if that's not your ABC system straining under old, tired fluid. The lines and such run under the driver floor plan. After new fluid and filter, I'm wondering if it persists.

maw

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

I got that! Just saying there are MANY parts that are exactly the same for a third of the price. I mean you can get a 450.00 control arm or a 150.00 control arm.
Enough stuff to do on these cars that you don't have to waste money.

cmpcpro

Thanks for the help guys! It seems to be intermittent in intensity and most people probably wouldn't even notice it, I can notice noises on my brand new cars too lol. I'm even wondering if it's the mounts or something because it happens the instant the engine fires. Could it be a tranny or engine mount?

maw1124

Yes, it could be any of the things on the above list, which is why I say do those first and see if it persists. It's a crap shoot between mounts, touching or stressed ABC lines, or Pulsation dampers. When I had a similar issue, I first did engine and trans mounts -- noise still there but much more faint. Then ABC Pulsation Damper -- wrong one, noise still there. Then ABC Pulsation Damper again -- right one, noise quieter but still there. Then trans mount again, this time OEM -- problem gone

As far as OEM vs non-OEM mounts (or other parts), I have no further comment.

maw

cmpcpro

Thanks Maw! I'll have my buddy look at it on Tuesday. Going to probably end up spending a few grand but I want him to flush everything check all mounts and bushings and replace what's not good. Thanks again!

maw1124

That shouldn't be more than $2k, even with all OEM stuff. The mounts are easy and the fluid is just fluid.

Good luck.

maw

cmpcpro

Thanks Maw are you talking about the motor mounts being easy? I was told they were a hard job to do because a lot has to be removed to get them in and out? thanks!

maw1124

No, the trans mounts are easy. People will often say do the trans mounts when you do the engine mounts, since you're already there. You could do just trans mounts to save money, but I did them all. At 10yrs and over 100k miles, I'd suggest the same for your car. IIRC it was around 3 or 4 hrs labor. I'll confirm and edit this post.

maw