By the time I finish the paint job(this week or nest) I will have about 8k in it.

Sometimes I get frustrated, but WTF?


No that my dad has been incapcitated, it looks like I'll inheret his 240D.

I could make that thing "mint" no bs, for appox 500.00 all cosmetics, mechanically perfect with only 105 original K.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

I have had the opposite experience from the high maintenance issues. I bought my car cheap but well maintained from a man who owned it for 21 years. I had to pass an extensive interview to be allowed to buy it. His wife was quite impressed that he finally found a buyer who met with his approval. The car shows its age and is nothing to brag about.

I have driven it in most of the states east of the rockies and have really only had problems that I created myself with alternative fuel experiments. The "to do" list is probably getting pretty long but all of that is subjective, there are no reliability issues. Worst being low compression in #1.

Preventive maintenance is the key. I really pissed someone off last time I mentioned this here. Most people are not good at preventive maintenance if they even understand what it is. The pissed off person went into a spiel about how much money they had thrown at the car and that is missing the point.

All of that having been said, you guys in the salt belt need to learn when to throw in the towel.

Don't worry, we know when that is - when the center of the vehicle sags so much that the headlights can no longer be adjusted to stay shining forward on the road

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

When you hit a pothole and the front suspension falls off???

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1982 300DT 190K (Diesel Purge + synthetic oil=smoothness at last!!!)
2004 Ford E-350 6.0 L PSD 227K
2006 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW HO Cummins 4X4 48RE 42K (brute force tow vehicle)
2005 Scion xB wife's rolling pop can
1993 GMC Sierra C3500 6.2 142K

I definately agree. Anyone who would buy one of these 25 year old cars and going buzzing around with what might be original grease in the bearings is asking for trouble. Every older used car I have ever bought has gone through at least a basic safety routine where I check and replace brakes, suspension bushings, steering rods, and bearings before putting any serious mileage on the car.

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Bill Reimels
Now down to one:
1972 300SE 3.5 W109 (Euro delivery)

i have owned one car in my life that was virtually maintenance free. I bought a 1984 BMW 528E with 157,000 miles as a donation car at a local salvage auction, with the oil light on. I put in a can of motor flush, never saw the oil light on again. Changed the oil at 3,000 mile intervals, replaced the tires and brakes several times, one timing belt, that's it. Sold the car at 258,000. No suspension work, no airconditioning work, nothing at all everything was operational at the time I resold it. Don't consider this a promotion for BMW cars however, the same year i bought a 1988 750iL, total spent in 12 months $9,000. Biggest bill replacing intake manifold gaskets at 88,000 miles $1,500. Some cars just are lest problematic than others, that's all there is to it. If the problems with your car seem greater than they should be just sell the car. Chances are some point in your life you'll hit one of those maintenace free vehicles, like i did. I think everybody has a had a stinker, hopefully everybody will have a gem. Reminds me how when i was child how many adults would claim that a Rolls Royce was so maintenace free they had their hoods welded shut.

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jcciem
'94 SL5000 60,000
'91 350SDL 545,000
'91 350SD 197,000
'00 E55 AMG 77,000

I strongly disagree with the premise of the aforementioned post, although I accept the fact that no maintenance was done on the vehicle for 100K miles.

All of the working components on the vehicle age with mileage and time. There are items that the above vehicle will require, due to wear, and there is no way to avoid these repairs. Now, its possible, as was the case here, that the various components on the vehicle performed for 100K miles without any obvious failures. However, all the components that typically require replacement at this mileage level have become that much closer to failure.

It is highly likely that this vehicle, when purchased by the new buyer, will "catch up" with its repairs and present the new owner with a lengthy "to do" list that we all have.

An example is the front suspension. Is there any possibility that a vehicle with 258K on the clock does not require any front suspension work?

If you can drive one of these vehicles 100K without doing any repairs to it, whatsoever, then you are exceptionally lucky, or, you accept a small "to do" list and ignore it. I am using a M/B as a reference. I have never owned a BMW.

I am looking forward to getting another car, then I can forget about the SDL from December to April every year. I plan on going to a dealer auction with my Uncle and getting a nice clean late 90's something with just under 100k on it. I will need to do a bit of work in the first few weeks but after that I can tick off the miles. I won't have to worry about someone hitting it, salt, something expensive breaking ect. A 20 year old car will need some work either way you look at it, some people can live with a few annoying problems, I can't.

A nice clean 5 year old Maxima, Camry, or Accord will run for many many years before you have to spend a weekend rebuilding the suspension. I can change a timing belt in a morning on a 4cy Camry, and the new ones last close to 100k miles. I would sudjest spending some time away from the 300D, throw a car cover over the thing and come back to it in a few months.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The most maintenance free car I have ever bought new, is my Camry(sister uses it, I pay for repairs. Long story)

Today I took it to the shop to get the external oil pump replaced as it was leaking. Other than that, timing belts and water pump every 60k as per manual, brakes and batteries.

It runs like a clock. Oh, I had the valves adjusted at 145K with the timing belt.

Great car. Original ac, alt, etc....

Has 154 on the odo today.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

I don't know. I think the one sure way to make sure a car goes to hell is to park it for a while, especally under a damp cover. All the original problems are still going to be there plus possibly new ones from it's protracted rest.

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Bill Reimels
Now down to one:
1972 300SE 3.5 W109 (Euro delivery)

If you store the car properly and use a very high quality cover that breaths you should have no problems. A garage is ideal but we all don't have one.

Plantman I know I am kicking myself, my Aunt has only had to replace the coil this year on my 93. She rolled on 10k more miles with only a $70 coil and 3 oil changes.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm sure everybody has heard the story of the old 1920's refrigerator with the condenser coil on top operating flawlessly for 60 years in the garage, or perhaps the light bulb, in the kitchen that hasn't needed replacing since 1972, even though it's used frequently. Or maybe it's the car battery that lasted 12 years without replacement. How about the calculator operating on the same battery for 25 years. The telephone from 1944 still operational and in use, without repair. The list is seemingly endless. Then there's the other side , with direct opposite occurances and experiences. The refrigerator that breaks after two days, the light bulb after ten minutes, car battery in two days, calculator dead when purchased. Automobiles are no different whether they're a Mercedes or a Kia. Some are built with components that are just superior to others, and on the opposite side we have states who have enacted an Automobile Lemon Law. Because there are automobiles that are just simply built with inferior components. If your vehicle is a source of irritation, or a distraction, sell it. This is America, we are not Cubans, still fixing Pontiacs from the 1950's. If the vehicle appears to be needing what you believe to be an excess amount or repairs, again just sell it, donate it, get it out of your sight. I have owned a good number of Mercedes Benz automobiles probably more than most(see list below). One of them was a car similar to yours my 1987 560SEL, for the first two months i owned it it was perfect, then the never ending nightmare began.

1981 380SL 77,000 to 130,000 replaced starter
1985 380SE 78,000 to 123,000 air conditionoing, front end, exhaust repairs
1988 560SEC 45,000 to 78,000 replaced radio
1987 560SEL 123,000 to 144,000 replaced air conditioning components, steeriing box, paint, front end components, rear shocks, nitrogen balls,hole in exhaust, interior blower motor, window switches,interior vacuum motors, fuel injectors, fuel distributor, pushbuttom controller, air conditioning compressor, rear bushings, the list is endless, this car was horrible, i could go on and on.
1987 560 SL 92,000 to 144,000 convertible top, upper radiator hose
1983 300D 178,000 to 225,000 replaced vacuum hose to turbo unit, some kind of $7.00 hose on turbo unit?
1986 300SDL 150,000 to 202,000 water pump, fuel leak not fixed car caught fire destroyed, my fault
1985 500 SEL 113,000 to 136,000 nothing whatsoever
1988 420SEL 92,000 to 133,000 nothing whatsoever
1976 300D 157,000 to 199,000 nothing whatsoever found $20.00 under the seat.
1994 SL500 22,000 to present instrument cluster failed
1991 560 SEL 87,000 to present water pump
Other than the one stinker (1987 560 SEL) I really have no complaints whatsoever.

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jcciem
'94 SL5000 60,000
'91 350SDL 545,000
'91 350SD 197,000
'00 E55 AMG 77,000

Porsche 911

Porsche parts are cheap?

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

How come I've read two posts that stated a 2000 Honda Accord and then a 1998 Toyota Camry needed valve adjustments? Is this all accurate? When old MBs didn't need valve adjustments is it taking everyone else so long to catch up?

Anyway, Brian, I don't think your 300SDL depreciates as you stated. I'm confident that these are cars you can resell for almost what you paid for them new - as long as most components are in working order.

I too have a long "to do list." Very long actually. The good thing is that the car runs well (not really, that jerky transmission is getting on my nerves) with the stuff needing attention. Just yesterday the passenger's side of the front axle started making clunking noises. Another addition to the list. This one is probably major as the car sounds like it needs a front end overhaul. Oh well. I'm actually overdue for my valve adjustment but since I'm still getting 23mpg and the car doesn't smoke any more than it used to, that too will just have to wait.

Ok... so Larry Bible. How is it possible that the reliability of Hondas and some other cars are a myth? When people get surveyed to report the problems they've had with their cars, these cars consistently get the fewest complaints. How do you explain that?

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver