for me the fun is just beginning with the drifting and everything.
128k Miles on 2005 E55 - Worried about things failing soon. Any Ideas?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 93
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From: Philadelphia, PA
2005 Silver E55
128k Miles on 2005 E55 - Worried about things failing soon. Any Ideas?
Have 128k on my 2005 E55. It is running well, but things have been TOO QUIET for too long...
I am on the edge of my seat now wondering when the next thing might break, and was hoping some of the experts on this forum might chime in and give me a heads up on things I should maintain preemptively that I may expect to fail soon.
Thank you for all of your responses. I am sure it will save me some expensive surprises...
I am on the edge of my seat now wondering when the next thing might break, and was hoping some of the experts on this forum might chime in and give me a heads up on things I should maintain preemptively that I may expect to fail soon.Thank you for all of your responses. I am sure it will save me some expensive surprises...
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 499
Likes: 66
From: N.Y. L.I.
04 E55 AMG BLK/BLK(MyDD), 06 CLK 500 (wife's) 07 ML500, 2012 C300(son's)
I'm no W211 E55 Expert but here's my $.02 I'll assume your doing ALL your fluid maintenance (that includes SC oil every 30k at least). I will speak from experience..... Fuel filter (say it three times). You should either build a BBirdwell current monitor or IMO, just change it (every 20k-30k ,like any other car) Also check fuel pump relay and socket. . Replace crank position and cam position sensor. (all 3 of my MB's have over 100k and all have a new CPS) Inspect/ replace all the vac lines same for cooling circuit.
Hpoefully that keeps you from a no-go on the side of the road.
Hpoefully that keeps you from a no-go on the side of the road.
Have 128k on my 2005 E55. It is running well, but things have been TOO QUIET for too long... I am on the edge of my seat now wondering when the next thing might break, and was hoping some of the experts on this forum might chime in and give me a heads up on things I should maintain preemptively that I may expect to fail soon.
Thank you for all of your responses. I am sure it will save me some expensive surprises...
I am on the edge of my seat now wondering when the next thing might break, and was hoping some of the experts on this forum might chime in and give me a heads up on things I should maintain preemptively that I may expect to fail soon.Thank you for all of your responses. I am sure it will save me some expensive surprises...
Last edited by Pmarino; Oct 6, 2017 at 10:24 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 430
Likes: 33
From: Sandy Eggo
2006 CLS55
Get in there and pull / regrease wheel bearings. Not too terrible of a process (just messy) and helps keep things rolling along (literally). With all the weight, speed, and age these things are exposed to the grease is just cooking.
It's on my soon to be done list.
It's on my soon to be done list.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 1,315
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Flex discs and the driveshaft center support bracket and bearing. (Bracket has a rubber insert that distorts with age. Don't try to re-use it.). If you crawl under the car and inspect the flex discs, look for cracks in the discs. (Pelican Parts has a nice writeup on this, BTW.)
Serpentine belts, all pulleys and tensioners on the engine. Buy a new supercharger idler pulley for $540 or rebuild it for $27; the DIYs are out there.
If you've never done ball joints, bushings, and tie-rod ends, now is the time to look into it.
If you're not replacing the fuel filter, pumps,and relay regularly, you're asking to be stuck on the side of the road (or blocking a bridge over a river). No more than 60,000 miles between changes and I recommend you pre-emptively replace the fuel pump relay with a larger capacity relay and socket (Unless you have a 2006 which has dual relays, not a single relay.)
Buy a Solar BA-5 battery tester and check your batteries; if at half-strength or less, replace now before they fail.
Consider pre-emptively replacing the alternator's voltage regulator; the brushes are a wear item. You may still have an alternator failure due to a bad bearing later but this is cheap and easy to perform. Be sure to disconnect the battery first! Do NOT have your key fob in the ignition when disconnecting or connecting the battery cables or jumper cables!!!
Be advised after reconnecting the battery every module in your car will have a stored code for power and communications failure. Everything will work but the first time you run a quick diagnostic you're going to see a massive amount of stored codes. So long as they are stored and not current, you can just erase them.
Serpentine belts, all pulleys and tensioners on the engine. Buy a new supercharger idler pulley for $540 or rebuild it for $27; the DIYs are out there.
If you've never done ball joints, bushings, and tie-rod ends, now is the time to look into it.
If you're not replacing the fuel filter, pumps,and relay regularly, you're asking to be stuck on the side of the road (or blocking a bridge over a river). No more than 60,000 miles between changes and I recommend you pre-emptively replace the fuel pump relay with a larger capacity relay and socket (Unless you have a 2006 which has dual relays, not a single relay.)
Buy a Solar BA-5 battery tester and check your batteries; if at half-strength or less, replace now before they fail.
Consider pre-emptively replacing the alternator's voltage regulator; the brushes are a wear item. You may still have an alternator failure due to a bad bearing later but this is cheap and easy to perform. Be sure to disconnect the battery first! Do NOT have your key fob in the ignition when disconnecting or connecting the battery cables or jumper cables!!!
Be advised after reconnecting the battery every module in your car will have a stored code for power and communications failure. Everything will work but the first time you run a quick diagnostic you're going to see a massive amount of stored codes. So long as they are stored and not current, you can just erase them.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 692
Likes: 73
From: Houston, TX
2003 E55 AMG; 2013 GL550 4Matic; 2003 CL600
I'm ~60k miles further down the road, here are some things I had to replace because they failed:
Ignition coils, spark plugs, spark plug cables
Shifter connector bushing (you'll hear metal clanking when shifting)
All pulleys and tensioners
Oil filter housing gaskets (there are 3)
Alarm module (drains main battery once it's internal one dies)
Heater valve
Crankshaft position sensor
Airmatic struts
Airmatic pump
SBC Pressure Accumulator
Secondary Air Pump
Ignition coils, spark plugs, spark plug cables
Shifter connector bushing (you'll hear metal clanking when shifting)
All pulleys and tensioners
Oil filter housing gaskets (there are 3)
Alarm module (drains main battery once it's internal one dies)
Heater valve
Crankshaft position sensor
Airmatic struts
Airmatic pump
SBC Pressure Accumulator
Secondary Air Pump
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 69
From: Socal, Chino
E55 2006 / CLS55 / S450 / Jag XKR2011
I'm ~60k miles further down the road, here are some things I had to replace because they failed:
Ignition coils, spark plugs, spark plug cables
Shifter connector bushing (you'll hear metal clanking when shifting)
All pulleys and tensioners
Oil filter housing gaskets (there are 3)
Alarm module (drains main battery once it's internal one dies)
Heater valve
Crankshaft position sensor
Airmatic struts
Airmatic pump
SBC Pressure Accumulator
Secondary Air Pump
Ignition coils, spark plugs, spark plug cables
Shifter connector bushing (you'll hear metal clanking when shifting)
All pulleys and tensioners
Oil filter housing gaskets (there are 3)
Alarm module (drains main battery once it's internal one dies)
Heater valve
Crankshaft position sensor
Airmatic struts
Airmatic pump
SBC Pressure Accumulator
Secondary Air Pump
I think not much prevention you can do... just do fluid change, CPS, coil, spark plugs/cable. The rest just wait until happen. IMO.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,120
Likes: 80
From: Tampa Bay, FL
05 E55, 98 CLK320
I'm no W211 E55 Expert but here's my $.02 I'll assume your doing ALL your fluid maintenance (that includes SC oil every 30k at least). I will speak from experience..... Fuel filter (say it three times). You should either build a BBirdwell current monitor or IMO, just change it (every 20k-30k ,like any other car) Also check fuel pump relay and socket. . Replace crank position and cam position sensor. (all 3 of my MB's have over 100k and all have a new CPS) Inspect/ replace all the vac lines same for cooling circuit.
Hpoefully that keeps you from a no-go on the side of the road.
Hpoefully that keeps you from a no-go on the side of the road.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,966
Likes: 1,315
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
When you disconnect the old fuel pumps, tie a 6'-8' length of paracord around the ends of the lines; when you pull the fuel filter out the paracord will come with it. You want enough line so the other end of the paracord is still hanging out of the hole where the fuel pumps install on the other side of the tank. Now untie the paracord from the old filter's lines, tie the paracord to the new filter's lines, and you can now pull the new lines over the saddle in the tank and to the new fuel pumps. Much easier than having your arm in the tank trying to push flexible lines over the saddle.
Remember, the newest fuel filter requires the newest fuel pumps due to new fuel line connectors. Both filter and pumps will require adapter cables to connect to the original harness.
Last edited by bbirdwell; Oct 12, 2017 at 11:02 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 499
Likes: 66
From: N.Y. L.I.
04 E55 AMG BLK/BLK(MyDD), 06 CLK 500 (wife's) 07 ML500, 2012 C300(son's)
fuel tank, plastic locking ring removal
There is a cheap tool that works
A large blunted standard screw driver placed against the plastic wing and struck with a hammer, works. A small block of wood could also be used. CAUTION: I would not attempt to open tanks, that are more than 3/4 full.
FWIW...My fuel gauge read roughly 3/4 full and the fuel was right up to the lip of the hole
FWIW...My fuel gauge read roughly 3/4 full and the fuel was right up to the lip of the hole
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 692
Likes: 73
From: Houston, TX
2003 E55 AMG; 2013 GL550 4Matic; 2003 CL600
I do my own work, so everything was pretty cheap, most of these parts are in the $50-70 range, some I bought used like my alarm module from a CLS.
