precisionmike

Hello,

I have been looking for an E55 in AZ for quite a while. I have a lead on an 03 with 140K, but I have heard to be really careful of that year. Among other things, here is what has been done to the car:

-All air ride replaced with Arnotts
-New radiator
-New alternator
-All front suspension parts replaced
-SBC replaced
-Fuel system recall

Thanks in advance, Mike

E55amg0220

Please brother while i know everyone says stay clear of the 03s really theres nothing wrong with them over the newer models other than the dreaded strawberry milkshake in the trans. All engines an trans were the same throughout all years. But some of the nice things of newer models

slightly better blower 05-06 with part number 080 or 580 ... i found one on here an swapped my 280 with a very low mileage 580.

06s got the slightly bigger blue injectors

and you got better options on the newer model


But i got my 03 basically it was an early 04 but its a solid car needed alot of basic work to get her where she was perfect but the engine is great and solid. Sounds like the things that could cause u the most pains have been checked only other thing id look into is the sbc motor

oneslow55

Chris you forgot the oil cooler,trans cooler, steering rack cluster 200 mph , center console and navi,.

E55amg0220

no i didnt forget them lol as i stated above the options an such on the newer are better such as the center console, 200mph cluster, and navi those are all things offered on the newer. He was asking bout problems of an 03 which quite frankly i havent found any their just as durable as their newer counterparts i think. The newer ones had 2 oil coolers i think where my 03 has just the big one on the side with the fan that one is plenty good for most anything unless you plan to roadrace one of these .... but i feel they werent built for that. Trans cooler .... i didnt know there was a difference. I did know the steering rack was different i plan on changing mine to the newer model suppose to make a night an day difference. But to me engine, trans ( when the rad has been changed so as not to leak ) and such are just as good as any other year .... hell the 402k E55 is a 2003 that should speak volumes on its own brother

w204_racing

👍🏼

E55amg0220

you are not one that has an experience to talk and posting up bull**** comments such as these is proof. Nothing wrong with a 2003 ... the only thing that was of any concern in the crappy 1st year as you put it is the radiator problem which caused tranny issues .... other than that all problems with e55s are the same .... sbc motors ( as you found out) air suspension, and maintance records are something that should be looked at on ALL year models. Id put my 03 up against any 06 as too looks, power, and reliablilty and i guarentee mine would do just as well or better .... as said above the highest mileage E55 thats still on stock none rebuilt motor is an 03 so check your facts before spreading BS.

Bahnstormer

Well stated response to his misinformed rant.
My 2003 E500 with M113 motor and 5-speed 722.6 tranny has been bulletproof.
SBC hydraulic unit was replaced by the previous owner under factory recall.
Amazing what garbage gets spouted in these forums from people with no clue.

bbirdwell

The infant-mortality items appear to have been resolved. That's good. Now...as TW2 says, "...Barry's standard newbie post". :-)
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ml#post7169029

It will take you awhile to go through all of this but you will have a good idea of what you are getting into. Also, check the transmission clutch/brake pack actuation times and determine the estimated life remaining on the SBC system using STAR. I have posts on how to perform these checks. Great car but somewhat costly to maintain. IMO, worth it but it depends upon your bank account. There is a recent post on a 2003 for sale out of Seattle that looks pretty good. Higher miles but well-maintained and the owner appears to know his stuff about an E55. (No affiliation with the owner.)

precisionmike

Wow, clearly there are people not liking the 2003. As mentioned in the original post, the radiator was replaced, which should eliminate the milkshake concern. As for the console, I actually much prefer the earlier ones, not too worried about 200 mph speedo and could care less about 15 year old nav. In addition, I am not sure what my bank would have to do with anything, I am paying cash. I was not aware of the steering rack, that is something I could swap later.

This car was originally owned my a local Merc Service Manager, latest owner seems very meticulous, an enthusiast.

So besides what has been mentioned, is there anything to be aware of on the 2003?

Thanks again.

E55amg0220

The simple answer is no .... since the air suspension has been replaced ur fine there and id have the sbc checked bout it.

Like i said you can google til ur blue in the face you wont find any crazy problems with the 2003s the radiator is the only one that stands out, which as you stated has been addressed already.

w204_racing

E55amg0220

young dumb and broke ^^^ as the song says .... no thin skin here just hate morons that try an talk about that which they know NOTHING about, but hey there sparky good try.

w204_racing

E55amg0220

lol oooooh now i get it .... it was a joke, and you stated as such with an lol or a haha. Yep cause everyone gets ur immature humor right?? I do take someone saying the 03 is bad serious ... why because i have one an its been nothing but amazing, and when someones nonapparent joke may stop a guy asking SERIOUSLY if an 03 is a good buy and what to look for then yes im gunna set that person straight.

w204_racing

Bahnstormer

Just a normal maintenance wear item, but motor mounts typically last anywhere from 50 to 80k miles on these vehicles. When I bought my car a year and a half ago there was a noticeable vibration at idle. I started out by changing the spark plugs and wires which helped some but didn't completely eliminate the roughness. I then changed the transmission mount (easy 45 minute job) and still had vibration. Bought two Lemforder motor mounts from eBay and had my local indie mechanic install them - car now idles smooth as butter. Over time I also changed out all of the fluids: engine oil, coolant, transmission, differential, brake and power steering. Take car of these cars and they will take care of you.

E55amg0220

this is common on ALL e55s or m113 motors for that matter. These cars have a bad tendency to destroy the drivers side. Mine was worn as well bought some new mb ones and took bout 2 hrs to install but may change to a set of the new poly ones offered by east coast euro just for the better control an longer lasting material.

Bahnstormer

Wow, two hours for motor mounts, that's fast - did you use a lift?
I thought about doing this job myself but got scared off, especially because of the whole steering rack removal.
Bought the special 16mm offset wrench, a pair of ramps, wheel chocks, etc. and read all the DIY threads, but ultimately decided to leave it to the pros.
Ended up paying my indie $325 and it took him a good three hours.
Maybe I'll give it a shot next time they're due for changing.
​​​

E55amg0220

its really not that hard ive done it a few times now ... first time was on stands and taking the steering rack down was cake. I didnt remove it just let it hang out of the way. Last 2 times used the lift an was easier due to having headers on both the cars i did it on. My car should be just as easy when i do it next since i now have headers an the MBH headers really leave u a nice amount of room. That offset 16mm is a mircle tool i will say that haha. Give it a go its not bad at all

Bahnstormer

I've got Eurocharged mid-length headers now too.
That makes the job easier?
More clearance?

E55amg0220

more clearance to get to the upper nut an u can take out an install the mount from the rear cus no cat in the way any more

Bahnstormer

So does that mean you don't need to disconnect and drop the steering rack anymore?

E55amg0220

nope if u have headers you can work them out the back side but it is easier with it up in the air lol. But i would have no worries doing it on stands.

Bahnstormer

Thanks for the input.
The way I drive my car I have a feeling I'll need new mounts again at some point - will probably give it a shot myself next time.
I'm also ntrigued by those billet poly mounts but I'm worried about them being too stiff and sacrificing ride quality.

E55amg0220

if you lock down the drivers side like hulk an many others i hear that it keeps ur mounts in tip top shape. I have a friend with the billet mounts here an his car has almost no noticable vibration maybe a very slight one at idle but its hardly noticable an if i wasnt sitting there checking it out for it i probably would nvr have noticed.