W211 vs W210 repairability
03-23-2015 | 05:48 AM
#1
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z50,ew350,950sm,450exe,525exc,t120,t140,98lowrider,W210E55
W211 vs W210 repairability
A little over a year ago I decided E55s looked pretty good in terms of value. I quite like working on cars, but was concerned about the reliability and repairability of Mercs. Spare time is limited. So I decided to get a (2001)W210 because they are cheaper and reportedly simpler . Over the past year its gone well and only had two majors; a seat switch and a relay module. These were fairly easily diagnosed and cheaply fixed at home using help from the internet (manly MBWorld) and parts from eBay. Shop repairs are way too expensive for me to even entertain.
The plan was if the W210 worked out OK over a year, I'd sell it and spend considerably more on a W211 E55 (2004 or 2005) for more grunt, handling and fruit. So its time and its worked out well but I'm concerned the breakdown rate might be too high and complex for me to deal with as a home hobby. If anyone has owned both cars for an extended period or has advice, I'd like to hear from you.
The plan was if the W210 worked out OK over a year, I'd sell it and spend considerably more on a W211 E55 (2004 or 2005) for more grunt, handling and fruit. So its time and its worked out well but I'm concerned the breakdown rate might be too high and complex for me to deal with as a home hobby. If anyone has owned both cars for an extended period or has advice, I'd like to hear from you.
03-23-2015 | 07:38 AM
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05 E55 AMG, E320 CDI, Turbo E46 M3,IS300 2JZGTE,VQ35 Turbo Maxima, Mercedes 300D
It's difficult to guide you without knowing your situation. if you cannot stomach shop repairs you may want to look elsewhere unless you are an avid DIYer
The W211 platform is quite a lot more sophisticated than W210 often needing (or highly recommended using) Star diagnostic system for diagnosis/maintenance.
Issues I have had:
1. Fuel pump leak - seems like Mercedes is finally taking care of this issue. It is serious and expensive for this repair ~$1000 in parts alone
2. Airmatic - $1600~$2000? (Maybe cheaper now) for parts alone.
3. Pullies worn out - I spent a few hundred on billet pullies not sure what stock ones cost
My car has been relatively trouble free besides the items I mentioned, but I also do preventative maintenance wherever possible.
These are some of the bigger ticket items .. I used the money I saved by not going to the dealer on performance mods and retrofits
... not quite balanced though :p. There are a lot of knowledgable/helpful people on the forum here that can help DIY many things but the parts themselves can be relatively expensive.
*Edit* Also time bomb waiting to happen is SBC, when the counter hits the limit of 300K? (I forget the number) anyway that'll be another $1200 for a new part. With the cars you are looking at being 10+ years old this is something that is going to become more likely to happen
The W211 platform is quite a lot more sophisticated than W210 often needing (or highly recommended using) Star diagnostic system for diagnosis/maintenance.
Issues I have had:
1. Fuel pump leak - seems like Mercedes is finally taking care of this issue. It is serious and expensive for this repair ~$1000 in parts alone
2. Airmatic - $1600~$2000? (Maybe cheaper now) for parts alone.
3. Pullies worn out - I spent a few hundred on billet pullies not sure what stock ones cost
My car has been relatively trouble free besides the items I mentioned, but I also do preventative maintenance wherever possible.
These are some of the bigger ticket items .. I used the money I saved by not going to the dealer on performance mods and retrofits
... not quite balanced though :p. There are a lot of knowledgable/helpful people on the forum here that can help DIY many things but the parts themselves can be relatively expensive.*Edit* Also time bomb waiting to happen is SBC, when the counter hits the limit of 300K? (I forget the number) anyway that'll be another $1200 for a new part. With the cars you are looking at being 10+ years old this is something that is going to become more likely to happen
Last edited by turbo97se; 03-23-2015 at 10:05 AM.
