HardHitter

Hi All,

I'm interested in doing some research on the E55 so that I can figure out pricing right. Right now, I have a 2012 Mazdaspeed3 and a Porsche Turbo as my setup. I'm thinking about switching out the Mazdaspeed3 for a E55. I'm one that likes to "price out" everything and since I'm not too familiar with what is the "dream mods" for the E55, I'd like to hear from you all what your ideal setup would be and what each part costs so that if I find a car with certain mods, I can understand if I'm getting a deal or not.

I'm looking for the "basics" which seems to be tunes, headers, exhaust, pulley, core exchanges. Anything else I'm missing?

If you want to "exceed" the basics, what is next? Whole new supercharger?

Hulk

Maintenance first then move to mods

Hotsauce55

1. Maintenance
2. Maintenance
3. Headers
4. Throttle body and tune
5. Additional cooling

plenty fast and you can save the rest of your cash for when the suspension and sbc fails and tires lasting 12k miles

HardHitter

What are going to be your "must" maintenance items on higher mileage cars (60-90K). My guess is:

Suspension
Spark plugs
Plug wires
Injectors
Tires
Brake pads
Fluid flush

GM_Lover

I'm a newbie (just got my 05 the other day), but leaking air suspension seems to be the big pattern failure on these cars. Also stock intercooler pump and CPS, but that's small potatoes in terms of cost and easy to DIY.

Also when you start modding north of typical mods (500+ whp?), seems like the #8 cylinder can be a weak link. Also my first mod will be a scattershield as insurance in case the SC pulley falls apart and tears apart my engine bay/hood.

Also interior electronics can fail which is always big $$$.

Just my 2 cents, but if you plan to daily a high-miles E55 (I'm assuming your MS3 is your current daily), it probably won't be cheap. I've heard numerous people say they spend $2k-$3k in yearly maintenance on 100k+ miles examples. Hardly exorbitant considering what you get in return, but there's a reason so many E55's out there are in such junky condition (I'd say 75% of them based on the last 6 months of me searching for one). The low price of entry means anyone can get into one, but the financial burden to keep them in great condition can be like financing a Hyundai Elantra.

I was able to get one in amazing condition with 112k miles, but it won't be my daily (I have 3 other cars). Mine will probably see 5k miles per year at most, and I still expect to spend decent chunks of change here and there to keep her in tip-top shape.

tw2

Transmission flush, oil change, coolant change with new intercooler pump and heat exchanger, brake fluid, air filters. Just beware none of this stuff is as easy as other cars. The brakes are electronic, you can't just bleed them. Brake pads are supposed to only be changed with new rotors which are typically $1k+.... the list goes on. I would do cooling, 83mm pulley, tune and maybe headers, reliable, fast and nothing crazy. Get a scattershield too, mine is in the mail.

bbirdwell

And...here I go again! Someone stop me before I post this even more!

Do you have all maintenance records? Go through them carefully.
-If you do not own internal and external Torx bits and sockets, buy a full set (and I mean a full set).
-Mercedes installed standard metric hex-head bolts in sizes not normally used by Oriental car makers; i.e. 15mm, 18mm, 19mm.
-Purchase a quality diagnostic system. Star equivalent. Do *not* cheap out on this.
-If your car has more than 60,000 miles, you'd better have evidence the fuel pumps/filters/relay were replaced via a service or the Mercedes repair (many posts on this subject). If no proof, cough up the $1000 for the parts (labor not included!) and replace immediately. There is a MB repair on the fuel tanks if the smell of gasoline is present; search for the posts with the warranty extension notice.
-Remove the belts; spin all pulleys and ensure smooth operation. Any roughness or noise, ruthlessly replace them. Rebuild the supercharger idler pulley for $27 or buy a new one for $540. Remember I said, "full set of Torx bits"? The tensioner pulley on the bottom of the engine uses an odd-size Torx bit that is usually not included in the standard sets. Very easy to strip the Torx bolt and it is in a *bad* location to remove if stripped. (No need to ask me how I learned this one.)
-Inspect the supercharger clutch springs for cracks. If cracked, replace immediately!!! If one of the springs lets go, it will buzz saw right through the oil line next to it. Purchase and install a supercharger clutch scatter shield from LM21 here on the forum. Beautifully made and worth every penny.
-If you are near 100,000 miles, spark plugs and wires. You'll need the Mercedes spark plug boot removal tool to make this easy. The wires are multiple part numbers and sizes so remove and place in order on the floor so you can match the new ones to the old. Use the Bosch plugs.
-Inspect the motor mounts and transmission mount. The motor mounts take some maneuvering; I believe AeroBoosted (or was it Seanol?) created a great DIY that explains how to slide the driver’s side mount across the front of the car to fit the mount into place. Yes, the motor is crammed into the engine bay; it is a tight fit in there. (If not attributed correctly, please let me know!)
-Inspect the flex discs on the driveshaft and the center support bracket and bearing. Any cracks in the flex discs you should replace. As long as the driveshaft is out, replace the support bracket (it has a rubber support in it that sags over time) and the bearing.
-Take a look at how the tires are wearing; if both inside and outside of a tire are "chunking" or "peeling", it is a good bet you need bushings and ball joints. Don't let a static alignment fool you into thinking all is well. With the car on the rack it will align into spec but once you get it on the road the dynamics of the suspension will have the wheels and tires moving back and forth (thus the undue wear on both inside and outside simultaneously on the tires). By 90K to 100K miles, you can bet your lower ball joints are bad. Another clue to bad ball joints is the car will be very unstable in the rain; if you get apprehensive in the rain anytime you drive over 55 mph, your suspension needs a rebuild.
-You can only easily adjust the toe on these cars. Front camber can be adjusted in a single +0.3 or -0.3 degree using slotted bolts. Otherwise, to adjust camber you need to raise/lower your car by calibrating the suspension. Front camber aftermarket option is KMac bushings. I’m happy with mine. Rear camber adjustments, I have not found anything that I like and have no recommendations. YMMV.
-Keep an eye on the SBC brake actuation count using Star. Plan on the expense of replacing the SBC rather than just resetting the counter. i.e. don't be a "Cheap Charlie". I appreciate the fact the airlines pull engines and rebuild at a set interval rather than running them until they quit in the air with me on board.
-The Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) can crush your fingers if you work on the brake system without following the proper procedures. It activates automatically whether or not you have the key in the ignition. Disable it with Star before endangering yourself.
-Purchase a Solar BA-5 battery tester and monitor the health of your batteries. When down to 50% of capacity, replace. Again, don't wait for failure! Preventive maintenance. If the main electrical system fails, all you have is that little tiny motorcycle battery under the hood providing the power to your brake system. It won't last long so be prepared to hit the parking brake with your foot while standing on the brake pedal.
-Do NOT confuse the relay/fuse diagrams of the non-AMG W211 with your AMG W211! Non-AMG fuel pump fuse/relay are actually the AMG heat exchanger coolant pump fuse/relay. The non-AMG air pump fuse/relay are actually the AMG oil cooler radiator fan fuse/relay. In all model years E55, the fuel pump relay(s) is hidden behind the paneling on the passenger side of the trunk. E55s built on or after 1 June 2005 have two fuel pump relays in the trunk. There is no access port so you have to pull the whole panel. This $4 part will put you on the side of the road and it throws no error codes! NOTE: this is one of the more problematic areas of the E55s.
- You will find a model year 2003 and 2004 air pump relay over the auxiliary battery under the hood; in a 2005/06 the air pump relay is next to the fuel pump relay in the trunk.
-Be prepared to buy the tools and test equipment if you are going to work on it yourself. If not, have deep pockets. FWIW, I went over my car front to rear between 90,000 and 100,000 miles to rebuild major systems and spent over $5000 just in parts. Yes, you can replace one bad piece at a time but that just means you are going to go back into that same sub-system in a few months or so to replace another worn part. If you are in there, just do it all in one shot.
-If an air spring fails, just do the entire set at one time. Arnott makes a great replacement set. And yes, there is a specific procedure to follow when re-inflating the air springs. Some folks swap over to coil-overs but I prefer the Airmatic suspension. Use Star to properly inflate the new air springs. (notice how many times I’ve mentioned this diagnostic system? It is also invaluable in monitoring the health of your transmission.)
-Nice to add items are the UPD heat exchanger in the front and a set of UPD toe arms in the rear; allowing for the time to drop the exhaust to reach the adjustment bolts, the UPD toe arms turn a one-hour job into a 10-minute job. Both are available from Shardul here on the forum.
-Get the car into tip-top shape and then begin adding power. Remember, when this car first came out, it was the quickest 4-door sedan in the world. It is still impressive.
-The Chrysler 300 shares many parts with the W211 (transmission, rear suspension, some of the front suspension, differential, electronic modules). You can sometimes buy a Chrysler part cheaper than the Mercedes part and they are exactly the same.

BoostedAero

Ummmmmm, again I say.....


Nominate this post for a "I just bought my E55, what to do first?" sticky....


Moderators pretty please?

seanol

Just to piggy back on that, you can not underestimate how valuable STAR is on this car. It will cover all the things you need to repair the car, solve any issues, reset random codes, and figure out how to take it apart and work on it.

You can piece it together and spend less or you can get it from Shardul (send him a PM) and have a US contact that can help you through any issues and it will work out of the box. Many have done either set up and both work.

For me it was what my time was worth and what my skill level was working with computers to get around the security protocols that MB used to limit use.

Which ever way you go get one. That tool is the most indispensable tool you will own for this car.

tw2

+1 on getting STAR. There is also the icarsoft MBii which is a halfway alternative, small, much cheaper and handheld. You can check and clear all codes plus do the brake deactivation but you will still need to visit the dealer occasionally so it is definitely not a STAR substitute.