I got back late last night and I didn't buy anything even though I was expecting to. Both vehicles looked nice cosmetically, just some minor scrapes and chips, but the main thing that discouraged me from buying was the engine knock. I thought the OM606 was supposed to sound totally soft. One car had a moderate knock when partially warmed up and a very subtle one when fully warmed up and it had a leak from at least one of the IP delivery valves which could be related but I couldn't be sure. The other car had more significant knocking when partially warmed up but it was so quiet when fully warmed up, that even at idle while standing outside I could barely tell it's a diesel. I don't know what's normal for a 606 engine. Is it supposed to have some knock before it's fully warmed up? Both cars were quiet right after a start because the glow plugs were still working. The salesman was nice and told me he could take care of the leaking IP seal and also replace the belt shock on one car and front suspension bushing on the other, things he disclosed to me before I even found out. One of the cars is a '98 with 89K miles, asking price 20,900 and the other '99 with 92K miles asking price 21,900.

Right now I'm totally undecided as to what to do and I'm not even talking about these specific cars, just W210 diesels in general. I still love the W123's, probably more than any other chassis, but I'm also tempted by the newer diesels. I will definitely keep at least one W123, the question is do I want to replace the other with a W124 or W210. Tough decision.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I wouldn't be so concerned with the injector knock. Mine had a strong knock from one of the injectors when I bought it, but I could tell it was an injector. It still knocks in freezing temperatures today. I regularly been using the RedLine Diesel additive and it has helped a bunch. Give it some time and it will clear up. During the winter I add a full bottle and it helps a ton.

If he will take care of the leak you were talking about you should be all set. Although it's an OM606, it's still a diesel. Feed it right and she will start to purrr like a kitten.

__________________
#dieselFLEET
---------------
'97 E300
'99 E300

My friends had a nice little knock and I think 1 injector had a poor spray pattern. It cost him under $100 to have them all checked and the injector fixed. Like $70 I think.

They should be very quite, but they are still diesels and will leak and knock from time to time.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm still in the market for a 606 and tomorrow or this weekend I'm gonna take a look at another 98 turbo and also a 96. I know the 96 is the first year of the W210 chassis. Is it a big no no or is it a decent year? Hopefully these cars will also give me a better idea of what's normal as far as the sound of the 606 is concerned.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I would have to disagree with the above statement if you intend to use the car in a damp climate. The forums are full of W210 rust problems and I have been shown them by first hand by friends (just lift the rubbers on the door tops for example). One friend has had both front wings replaced under warranty and is about to have all four doors done the same way. Once when he took it for service it came back with wax oozing out of the door handles (clearly MB had a preventative programme happening at the dealers but wasnt telling him). Probably not an issue in a dry climate but certainly one over here. I would always head for a W124 given the choice.

Ok then.... I recommend the w210 to no one .

__________________
#dieselFLEET
---------------
'97 E300
'99 E300

My 210 had rust spots because the PO had yanked out the licence plates and ripped the bolts out and tore some sheet metal. Also he had some stuff done that wasn't the greatest as far as body work when he had some scratches. Other than that, it has been decent. Just fixed the compressor because it siezed up. So far, nothing that cannot be traced back to the PO and the lack of competent techs working on it. Had a bunch of diesel leaks becasue they replaced the Shutoff valve but didn't change the O-ring or hoses. Once they did it under my supervision, it is fine.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I have seen posts on rust on these message boards as well as the Mercedes lemon gripe boards. I suspect you will find that areas like the northeast where they salt the road in the winter and have acid rain in the summer. Any area where water does not drain from the body and the bottom is not cleaned after driving. The moral of the story is garage, clean completely several times during winter and be vigilant with body repairs. I suspect there are points that collect stagnant water that will cause rust on anything short of aluminum or galvanized. Find a clean car and keep it clean. I don't think rust should be a problem with some TLC.

__________________
My Daily : 96 E-300 Diesel with 195,000 miles
Retired: 92 300D 2.5 T 345K miles and for sale
Retired: 95 E320 157K miles and currently parked with blown engine

Both retired cars are for sale as is my w124 shop inventory

The 96 will steer differently then other W210's. The steering was lighter the first year and MB changed it afterwards.

People always bash the new cars. My friends 98 has been a New England car since day one and their isn't a speck of rust on it. I even checked behind the door gaskets everything is clean.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

As Hattie has said, my car has been in New England its whole life, and acuired 146k miles before it came into my hands. Not a spec of rust except for the inevitable old stone chips and the front cross member, which the dealer will fix at no charge. It seems that some W210s are very rust prone while some are solid. As every generation progresses there are always improvements, it all comes down to your preference. For me, i'd recomend a turbo 210.

__________________
2002 G500 74K
1998 E300 200K and rising
1995 S600 73k


"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering
if they've made a difference. The Marines don't
have that problem."-Ronald Reagan

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them
what to do and they will surprise you with their
ingenuity."-General George S. Patton

I have a 99 W210 Turbo with just under 100k and there are a couple of minor rust bubbles near the bottom of the doors. I keep a close eye on these, and make sure I keep them covered with t/u paint. My primary rust concern is with the spring perches. So far they are ok though.

I guess it can go both ways.. I've seen 210's with 100k and 200k miles with rust bubbles forming around the trunk button, door handles, etc. I'm really glad my car is a southern car and doesn't have one drop of rust anywhere (not even on the underside bolts).. We'll see what happens this winter.

What's MB's corrosion warranty on the 210 cars? Does it apply to any owner or just the original owner?

Well I need to update this thread. First of all, I bought a car! It's a 96 and tomorrow it's getting dropped off at a terminal to be shipped to me from the east coast. I bought it on Ebay from a private owner who unlike most dealers gave me detailed answers to all my questions. Later I found out he's also a member of this board though he doesn't come here very often. I'll post pictures when I get the car, probably in a new thread.

Anyway, last time I went to CA I didn't get to see that 98 car that I had mentioned here as it was already sold. Instead I test drove two 96's from two different dealers. One had horrible leaks from the IP and a hard shifting transmission and the other was nice but overpriced. Neither one had any knocking this time and overall I had a very good impression of the W210 diesels in general.

I do have one question. Do the non-turbo models get better real-life fuel economy than the turbos? I know their EPA ratings are about the same.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL