2005 E55 question
What sort of things should I look for before buying this car? I currently have E60 M5, before this, I was owner of C63 AMG. I am looking to return to the AMG family as I miss the torque...
Any feedback and advice is appreciated.
Check whether the sbc pump has been replaced. Make sure airmatic works and doesn't drop overnight. A few back to back pulls will tell you if the intercooler pump is working. Check for accident damage, interior condition and get a warranty if you can, pre-purchase check is also a good idea.
the car has 32k miles... very low... interior and exterior is in excellent condition... but that is also to be determined after it goes on the lift and have the dealership check it
The e55 specific items I can think of include oil leaks at the valve cover gaskets, rear main seal oil leaks, and transmission fluid leaks at the electrical connector. Check the supercharger pulley and serpentine belt pulleys for wobble and noise at idle. Listen for knocking from the front suspension over small, uneven bumps - dried out sway bar bushings can cause this. The entire bar has to be replaced, and the subframe must be dropped to replace the bar. Check to see if the fuel pumps/tank work has been done. Listen for a squeaky/chirping climate fan.
These are all common E55/w211 issues. None of them are show stoppers, but if the car needs a bunch of them addressed, you'll want to negotiate the price accordingly.
Trending Topics
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
What is your suspension concern? Yes it can crap out on you anytime if you get a leak in the system or the compressor takes a dump. From what I have read, most problems will give you a warning but there are plenty of threads which start with "I went out to my car and it was slammed".
The e55 specific items I can think of include oil leaks at the valve cover gaskets, rear main seal oil leaks, and transmission fluid leaks at the electrical connector. Check the supercharger pulley and serpentine belt pulleys for wobble and noise at idle. Listen for knocking from the front suspension over small, uneven bumps - dried out sway bar bushings can cause this. The entire bar has to be replaced, and the subframe must be dropped to replace the bar. Check to see if the fuel pumps/tank work has been done. Listen for a squeaky/chirping climate fan.
These are all common E55/w211 issues. None of them are show stoppers, but if the car needs a bunch of them addressed, you'll want to negotiate the price accordingly.




I got reminded of another thing to check. Some cars have had the bolts which mount the rear subframe to the chassis ripped out by all the power. So check that too. If there is a problem, you'll get a "dead body in the trunk" kind of a thump over speed bumps and such. If the car is solid and tight, that's good.



