Panzerknacker

I am looking to buy a used car in the near future. There are a couple of possibilities, one of the major ones is an E55. I have been a member of this board for quite some time and I am a previous owner of a 2002 C32. Ive been lurking the E55 section and searched and haven't really found any type of comprehensive buyer's guide or major problems to look for yourself. Most of them just say something about extended warranty something something. I realize that it is a complex vehicle and that parts are costly. I will probably look into one. Check.

I also consider myself pretty good with a wrench and I am not afraid to get under the hood. So what can I do myself to make sure I get a good one. What are deal breakers when buying? What can I get in there and look for possibly to use as negotiating points when purchasing? What should I keep an extra close eye on, or even just replace as preventative measures (IC pump comes to mind)?

saltydizzle

Before you get roasted, because there are 1000+ threads on this topic, I'll try and save you some trouble.

https://mbworld.org/forums/search.php?searchid=6700179

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...e55-buyer.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...-purchase.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...pted-sell.html

johnnyblaze

Really its virtually the same as buying any used car. Just dont be surprised if it does cost you a bit right from the get go. Even with a warranty you will still shell out some bucks, not as much as if you did not have a warranty, but you will definitely be spending money. Best bet would be to find a dealer with a Certified Pre-owned and make them show you as much history about the car as possible.

My own experience

My car has been on a flatbed twice 1 time due to a fried wiring harness and bad alternator (completely unique, had to do with rats while I was on my honeymoon) it was completely covered by warranty but if I didnt have a warranty the cost would have been into the 6-8k range. Another time was with the crank positioning sensor (this happens to a lot of people) covered under warranty also. Because of these experiences I purchased a warranty when mine was up ($4750 2 years 25,000 miles with 100 dollar deductable). My car was purchased with 28k on the odometer with a clean carfax and was meticulously cared for by the previous owner.

Deal Breakers:

Salvage Title
Lemon Buy Back
No Warranty

Maybe Deal Breakers:

Extensive modding
High Mileage
Short Warranty (1 Year or less left)


Either way the car still makes me smile every day and the torque is addicting.

Panzerknacker

Yeah I searched "buyers guide" and found some of those threads but like they dont tell me what I want to know.

I am looking for like inspection points and symptoms to recognize.

Faast

I am pretty sure " emoving" would love to educate you about purchasing a used E55

chawkins2001

Make sure you have a good neck brace, my wife sells them for a living so hit me up when your head lashes the back window from all the tq and your teeth are on the trunk lid

emoving

Looks like salty used the search button for him!

Hellzno

i just purchased mine recently.

look at valve covers for leaks. and under car.

look in trunk where spare tire is make sure you do not see any thing unusual

check the tires for uneven wear.

check rims for cracks. ( i found a tire leak due to previous cracked rim)

check brake pads for wear( i bought mine with 60k miles and week after i bought it...i needed to change the pads) I think it still had the original pads on it.

make sure all buttons and accessories work.

if you can get it scanned with the STARS diagnostic tool and get print out.

Just some experience with my purchase. Good luck.

saltydizzle

LOL yeah I figured I would save you and everyone some time and post the entire search as well as some threads that he might find interesting. Took me all of about 30 seconds and I was bored.

Panzerknacker

Maybe people arent working on the E55s enough themselves yet. Again I searched and didnt find anything that was enough of a help. A lot of OMG it costs $$$ to fix... and get a warranty get a warranty threads.

A lot of car forums I have been a part of contain threads that go something like this. "Check XXXX if it looks like XXXX or is having XXXX symptom then you need to replace XXXX" maybe after a few more years when the aftermarket warranty companies wont warranty them and people start doing upkeep on their own there will be more.

tgoss

If when you test drive it, and your pant legs don't go from "normal" to "where's the flood?".... That's a deal breaker.

saltydizzle

Sry, I cannot be of much help then....but even if my car wasn't warrantied, I would still take it into my wrench for maintenance. I dont have the time nor the space to work on the car on my own and I understood prior to purchasing the car that the maintenance would be expensive and if something broke I could be out some cash. You've had a few bites on this thread but I would suggest finding a good indy to help you inspect the car prior to purchase. Good Luck with your car search.

Panzerknacker

I know it gets old hearing people ask the same questions, I did search. I didnt take it as anyone flaming me.

I guess its actually a good thing there isn't a lot of subject matter. Mechanically they seem to be holding up pretty well I guess. Most of the problems are electronic gremlins, welcome to any european luxury brand. And of course without warranty they charge a ton to fix them. I just prefer to do my own work, too many shops (dealer and indy) that do mediocre work on easy things and charge a lot for it.

nanayaw6

I'd sa motor and tranny mounts, check for leaks(ie rear main seal), check if tranny service was done, air struts holding air, keyless go door handles, TSBs and recalls performed (SBC) and the basics as others have mentioned above. If its an 03, look into the glycol contamination in radiator..blah blah.......to see if that's been replaced. Hope that helps.
BTW what kind of threads were you looking for in terms of DIY?

Panzerknacker

Was glycol contamination an issue on these too? I know that the '02-'03 C32s had some issues. Ill probably try to stay away from an '03 E55. Does the air suspension have a history of leaking in certain places other than the springs? If so, where? What about the compressor? I have an Land Rover LR3 and that rides on air springs too, one guys' compressor went kaput on an offroad trail we were riding. Bad day for him.

I saw the DIY threads thats a pretty good compilation. Brakes and pulleys/belts, etc...