Hey guys,

Kind of new to this forum and somewhat new to the world of Mercedes. I am looking at a 2004 E320 4-matic. The car has 120k miles on it. This will be my daily driver. Don't really want to put too many milers on the BMW. What are some common issues with these cars? Or what are some things I should look out for other than obviously electronics? I am way more familiar with the BMW world. So, when looking at a used BMW you wanna look for coolant leaks and oil leaks. Not sure what to look for in a W211 E-class. Owner did say he has a folder full of records. All maintenance has been done at Mercedes. Waiting for him to respond back.

Thanks!

 

A few questions first: Are you looking at a sedan or wagon? Does this vehicle have the optional AIRMATIC air suspension? Is this vehicle optioned as a partial zero emission vehicle (PZEV)? Was this car owned and operated in a "Rust Belt" region (I just noticed that your location is indicated as Chicago, IL)? Do you have access to a scanner capable of reading all of the modules in the car? Is the car on its original alternator and/or battery control module (BCM), and was the corresponding Mercedes service campaign addressed at the dealership early on (even if this had been done early on, the original alternators and/or their voltage regulators are known to fail as the vehicles get to this age/mileage, as does the BCM located in the back of the trunk...which is highly-susceptible to water damage from leaks through failing trunk seals in the sedans, especially)?

 

I am looking at 2 right now. Both are Sedans. One is a 2004 E320 4-Matic with 115k miles on it. The other one is a 2005 E320 4-Matic with 100k miles on it. I do not think either of these are PZEV (I decoded the vins). The 2004 looks super clean. Not sure if it was operated in the rust belts since I do not have the vin (waiting for the seller to provide the vin). The 2005 was owned in New York for 1 year. Then in Florida for 15 years. I have an Autophix BMW scan tool. I am assuming I can use it on a Mercedes also. I haven't gotten the chance to look at either of these in person.

Link to the 2004:
Link to the 2005: https://www.emhmotors.com/details/us...lass/106808227

The 2005 has airmatic suspension. I know once that goes bad, you toast. I'd take either one. But, both are about $1k priced higher than the average market value from what I've researched.

 

Recently purchased a 2007 E350 4Matic, the previous owner put aftermarket CV axles in. Of course, they cause the car to vibrate. The OE axles are discontinued. What part are people using as a substitute?

 

Get your hands on the VMI and/or detailed service records for these. In the case of the 2005 E 320, there isn't much in the Carfax other than Service A (oil change) and Service B (oil & brake fluid change) records...just a "suspension level sensor replacement." There were a bunch of DTBs (TSBs) and Service Campaigns for these, as well as several extended warranties for various items, including the SBC braking system (25-year, so the '04 and '05 are still under warranty) and fuel tank (more on the issue below). You will want to know whether any or all of those items were addressed...

For the '04 MY: Find out whether the original radiator was a Valeo radiator. If it was manufactured after 9/2003, then there were no issues. Earlier ones had a flaw that could potentially result in mixing of coolant and transmission fluid... Given the age and mileage of this vehicle, I would assume that either it had been addressed by now, or the radiator didn't have that flaw.

For the '05 MY: Pay close attention to the transfer case. Some of those in the '05 through '07 MY 4MATICs were bad. Find out whether it is one that falls within the range specified in this Service Campaign. Also, go over the service records for the AIRMATIC suspension system. If none of the struts, rear air springs, compressor, and rear height sensor link arms (they become soft/rubbery and can even break easily with age...) had been replaced already, expect to replace these at some point soon. Make sure to replace the filter and intake hose of the AIRMATIC compressor.

For both:

1. Check the tops of the plastic fuel sender and fuel pump on the tank beneath the rear seat cushions for signs of fuel leaks. Usually, leaks on these cars occur, because the plastic hat of the fuel sender assembly on the left/driver's side develops cracks over time. In rarer cases, there is a plastic vent line fitting at the top of the fuel tank that is the culprit. If the fuel tank is filled with enough gasoline, it can start seeping out. You'll smell it if you fill the gas tank and/or enough fuel (say, more than 3/4 full) sloshes around to reach the aforementioned cracks or the top of the tank, and it might even leak onto the ground under the left side of the vehicle. This had been covered by a 15-year extended warranty, but that has run out for the '05 MY cars. If it's the fuel sender, the OEM part from FCP Euro is only $158 (and it also has the fuel filter built-in). Search on the forum for instructions on how to replace it. If the cause is the plastic fitting at the top of the fuel tank, then the tank would have to be replaced. If the previous owner had this addressed under warranty ~10-15 years ago, I would still keep an eye on this, since it could recur...
2. If you notice buzzing intermittently when braking upon releasing the brakes, then you might want to have the replacement service described in DTB P-B-42.46/27e performed: The single suction damper off of the SBC pump is replaced by a suction hose with integral double suction dampers (part # A 211-420-88-26). Check the forum for details.
3. Make sure that the automatic transmission's pilot bushing seal has been replaced recently (or replace it preventatively). It seals the opening in the transmission through which the external electrical connector plugs into the internal electrical components. Fluid can leak through and wick its way through the wiring and damage the electrical components...
4. Check the condition of the oil. If it's a "milkshake," it's probably not caused by a failing head gasket. In almost every case with the M112 & M113 engines, it is the failure of the seals between the front timing cover and engine block around the coolant passages behind the water pump.
5. See my earlier comments on the alternator and BCM.
6. On sedans, check for signs of water intrusion in the trunk, as the trunk seals often fail with age.
7. Check for signs of water intrusion/damage in the front footwells and the headliner. Drains from the windshield cowl near the firewall and for the sunroof often clog.
8. Front seat modules often fail (and are often a source of parasitic draws), as does the SRS passenger occupancy sensor of the front passenger seat (the insulation of the wires under the seats often fails over time due to fatigue from constant bending stress. These are expensive brand-new from the dealerships.
9. Auto-dimming and heated side mirrors always fail after time (the driver's side mirror isn't cheap...).
10. The side mirror motors commonly fail with age (might be repairable...check the forum for details). For highly-optioned cars (i.e., with heated and autodimming mirrors with memory feature), the replacement isn't cheap...
11. The side mirror gasket seals deteriorate over time, begin to crack, and then completely crumble apart... There was a guy in California on eBay who was selling replacements that matched the originals exactly. The dealerships only offer the seals as part of the entire mirror bracket assembly (not cheap).
12. The microswitches that control the lights for the vanity mirrors in the sun visors often fail (cheap and easy fix).
13. Changeover/heater control valve commonly fails by now...
14. Crank position sensor often fails by now. Make sure that it has been replaced with the latest revision.
15. It is recommended to replace the original crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer by now as a preventative measure. Inspect it. When you replace it, also replace the front main seal.
16. Breather cover ports, PCV hoses and manifold, EGR, EGR tube and hoses, and secondary air injection lines and check valves are often coked up (in the case of the hoses, they get hard/brittle and crack).
17. The retaining clips of the connectors on the wiring harness for the ignition coils usually start breaking off by now.
18. The turn signal stock/multi-switch is another common part to fail by now. Check that the wiper and washer switch functions all work properly. That part was recently discontinued and is NLA (last brand new one was at a dealership in Montana, and I may have snagged one of the last, few NOS ones for myself recently...). No Chinesium aftermarket ones are available yet for the early W211s.
19. The inside temperature sensor for the climate control system often gets flaky/fails by now (scanner will read the fault code).
20. The tabs holding the wood trim-covered switches for opening the center console storage compartments usually fail by now on the '03-'04 models.
21. The turn signal lights on the side mirrors often experience condensation or fill with water over time. The ones with the puddle lamps on the '03-early '04 models were discontinued by the OE manufacturer not long ago and are NLA from the dealership.
22. The backup battery of the alarm siren module (behind the front fender liner) eventually dies and then leaks, damaging the circuit board. This can cause a range of issues... Check for related codes with scanner.
23. Flaky audio/Tele Aid/telephony/NAV components on the MOST ring can cause it to not go to sleep, resulting in battery drain issues. I noticed that the owner of the '04 on FB marketplace claims to have just installed a new battery. Maybe it was due... Or perhaps the owner just installed it right as he listed the vehicle due to persistent charging and/or parasitic draw issues that have yet to be properly diagnosed?...
24. Make sure that the blower is functioning properly. Brand-new genuine OEM blower motor and resistor (i.e., not Chinesium) aren't cheap (if you can still find them).
25. Check the engine and transmission mounts. They might be collapsed by now. The parts are not expensive, but replacing the engine mounts is a bit involved.

 

Wow, that's a lot of stuff to look out for. I haven't agreed on a number with either one. The 2005, both front axels and air suspension struts where replaced along with wheel bearing. But, he won't move past 5300. I'm at 4400. 2004, hasn't responded yet

 

If poss buy one with extensive service documentation, piles of paper, receipts, etc.

A well-maintained W-211 is so much more fun.

 

I really like the 2005 E320 4-Matic. It seems like it might've been specially ordered from what others are saying based on its options. But the dealer said he bought the car for $3,890 and spent $1k on the car (did both front air trust, wheel bearing, front axel, and alignment). He's stuck at $5,400+TTL. I told him I'd pay him what he has in the car ($4,890+TTL). Originally I offered $4,400+TTL. He wouldn't do it. He's only had the car for 4 days. I don't think anyone will bite on the car considering it's a 20-year-old Mercedes with 100k miles. But, who knows. Vin to the 05 if anyone wants to figure out if it's a special order: WDBUF82J95X171895

 

Hold your ground! If he's not willing to budge, move on!
R,
2Merks

 

Oh I didn't budge. No way I'm paying $5400 for a 20 year old Mercedes. I think he'll realize no one is going to pay $1200~ over market value. He paid too much for the car too begin with. MMR/Auction value is $1,900~. He paid roughly $3,900 for it.

The Only reason i started looking for a Mercedes was because I got a offered more money then what I paid for the current car i daily driver. So thought I'd sell the current daily driver and buy a Mercedes (without any money taken out of my pocket). After a couple of years, I can hand the Mercedes over to my younger brother.

 

I had previous gotten CV axles from rockauto years ago can't remember the brand but I don't think they have them anymore and they vibrated but the last set of GSP axles I got were fine.

 

These are 20 year-old cars. It's not just a matter of mileage and whether the ordinary, scheduled maintenance had been performed. Age is a big factor for these and, frankly, all makes and models that are decades old (check out the YouTube channel of Chicago-area Toyota master tech Ahmed Ibraheem's Car Care Nut independent shop to get an idea of what even happens to older "reliable" Toyota and Lexus models over a similar amount of time...this is not unique to Mercedes-Benz). If you want to have such a vehicle to use as a daily driver, it's possible, but the common weak points should have been addressed, or you will end up spending the money and/or time (a big consideration, by the way, as quality genuine MB OE and aftermarket OEM parts get discontinued, resulting in much time wasted trying to hunt down acceptable replacements not subject to scarcity price gouging or wasted by continuously having to swap out cheap, problematic aftermarket parts...) to address them all yourself as you start putting the miles on the car (in addition to the stuff that typically wears out as you go over 100,000 miles).

If I wanted an older car to use as a daily driver and were given the choice between a "low[-ish] mileage (~90-100,000 miles), dealer-maintained" vehicle with only standard maintenance items addressed versus, say, a car with more miles on the odometer (e.g., ~150,000) that also had nearly all of the common trouble areas addressed and sorted with quality, new/updated OE/OEM+ parts by top-notch, certified Mercedes-Benz techs/specialty shops (you can tell the quality of the shop from inspecting both their handiwork and from the notes and recommended service suggestions on the invoices; you need to look at maintenance records...) and had also much of the preventative maintenance to preserve the vehicle already performed, I'd choose the latter any day and even wouldn't have much of a problem paying a bit more for that after a thorough pre-purchase inspection, if it is a vehicle I really want. That's my advice on used, older daily drivers...

 

^++1 above!
My observations of 10 years and 150,000 miles on my W211 E55...
- ball joints and bushings replace every 80k to 90k miles. All is good.
-ditto for serpentine belt and pulleys every 60k miles.
- Airmatic... anticipate every 100k miles. Not too difficult.
- spark plugs and wires every 100k. Two and a half hours if you do it yourself.
- E55? Whole new basket of goods. $1100 every 60k miles for fuel pumps and filter/regulator plus the electrical relay, wires, and connectors that melt because the circuit is overloaded. This doesn't apply to 2006 E55 or later E63's.
No worse than any other 20-year old car. Keep it inside if you can in an environmentally controlled environment at night to extend life-span.