1999 E300 Gremlin - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#16 06-30-2006, 09:02 AM

I ordered the K40 relay yesterday and it sounds like I can not get it soon enough. My wife just called to inform me that when she left this morning she started the car and it would stall. She said on the fifth try it started and continued to run. She continued to say that it ran fine on the way. This was with a warm engine this morning because I had taken the car out for a drive to get it warmed up and pass throught its 1.5-2.0 mile point of power loss.

This car is really beginning to made me ill.

I have never had a car of any age or mileage that has required as much repair in 15 months of ownership as this car. My W123 is 10 times the quality and dependability of my E300. I really like diesels and after purchasing my 300D I expected that any Mercedes would be as good so I purchased the E300. It is a decision that I greatly regret. I have had only one 'Big Three' car that would compete with this E300 in the number of problems and repairs. I have had numberous GM products that were vastly more dependable than this car. I can not picture purchasing another Mercedes that is built after 1985.

aklim · #17 06-30-2006, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StefanoDimera72

The EGR is connected right to/below the intake, easier to just take the intake off. I don't think there's room to slip the egr out if the intake was left in place anyway...not to mention how difficult it is to get at the nuts holding the egr to the intake.

This was the 1st time I've taken it apart, and I think I could've made life easier by leaving the egr and intake connected when taking it off. I think there's a way to do that, otherwise you gotta work blind on several nuts, plus the reach isn't pleasant.

Why do that? I go below. I took off the middle belly pan and got to stick my rachet with extensions to a hex tip and took the bolt out. Took 2 hoses off and take out the 12 or 13 bolts holding the intake and it pops out.

aklim · #18 06-30-2006, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncof300d

I ordered the K40 relay yesterday and it sounds like I can not get it soon enough. My wife just called to inform me that when she left this morning she started the car and it would stall. She said on the fifth try it started and continued to run. She continued to say that it ran fine on the way. This was with a warm engine this morning because I had taken the car out for a drive to get it warmed up and pass throught its 1.5-2.0 mile point of power loss.

This car is really beginning to made me ill.

I have never had a car of any age or mileage that has required as much repair in 15 months of ownership as this car. My W123 is 10 times the quality and dependability of my E300. I really like diesels and after purchasing my 300D I expected that any Mercedes would be as good so I purchased the E300. It is a decision that I greatly regret. I have had only one 'Big Three' car that would compete with this E300 in the number of problems and repairs. I have had numberous GM products that were vastly more dependable than this car. I can not picture purchasing another Mercedes that is built after 1985.

Other than my AC and GP sticking, I think my car has been pretty good to me. I have seen others who have all kinds of problems with their GMs, Fords, Chryslers. Know a guy with the top of the line Town and Country. Traded it in after 8 months. Why? Officially, the wife wanted a new ride. Unofficially, they have replaced this that and the other till he got tired of it. As cars grow in complexity, they have more issues. My 01 Powerstroked Ford just crapped a trans. Why? Because the tranny that worked for years before was re-engineered to have a mechanical diode. 8 days later, they decided it wasn;t the thing to do. However, molds had been destroyed and had to be rebuilt. After they went back to the old way, life was good again.

#19 06-30-2006, 11:48 AM

I work with chassis component developement for automotive chassis components and I am dissapointed by how complex man is making contraptions with four wheels to move people.

My wife asked me this morning about a new C Class. I told her that I am afraid of current Mercedes quality and service. Plus the C Class is only avaiable in gas in the US....yuck. I purchased this E300 rather than a VW Jetta TDI because of what I had read about VW quality and service. Now I question my decision.

DieselAddict · #20 06-30-2006, 12:54 PM

For me it's always been a close call between a W210 diesel and a TDI Jetta, and as you can see I eventually got both, in addition to a W123 diesel which I just have to have. It's somewhat of an unfair comparison since the Jetta is much newer and has fewer miles on it, but my gut feeling tells me the Jetta will be a more reliable car even in the long run, if only because it's simpler. I have heard bad things about VW service too, but I've never had to deal with it and I do all work myself. The only thing the Jetta needed so far, outside of routine fluid & filter changes, is a new brake light switch. I've also stuffed a pool noodle strip behind one of the climate control vents to stop a rattle (I keep finding new uses for those pool noodles

). The E300, on the other hand, needed a ton of stuff, but amazingly now I finally have it at the point where it doesn't really need anything. When these cars work as they should, they're nice.

#21 06-30-2006, 01:04 PM

My wife just called. She could barely get the car started at noon.

aklim · #22 06-30-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncof300d

I work with chassis component developement for automotive chassis components and I am dissapointed by how complex man is making contraptions with four wheels to move people.

My wife asked me this morning about a new C Class. I told her that I am afraid of current Mercedes quality and service. Plus the C Class is only avaiable in gas in the US....yuck. I purchased this E300 rather than a VW Jetta TDI because of what I had read about VW quality and service. Now I question my decision.

Well, man wants all the creature comforts. You want the heated seats? OK. Be prepared to fix it when it breaks. You want the swivel mirror when you reverse? OK. You want the emissions to be good? Sure. You want it to last forever AND be affordable? You want fries with that?

I had a 99 C280 that was good except for the tire and break wear but I suspect that was because I was doing naughty things with it. I have had good service and not as much trouble as with my GM and Fords I have owned. As you noted, VW has had people like you ***** about the quality and service too. Service is all about who you know and what position are they in to help you. This notion of great customer service and great customer loyalty are both gone. I don't expect either. I buy from who has the best price and I don't expect them to treat me like a loyal customer either.

#23 06-30-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Well, man wants all the creature comforts. You want the heated seats? OK. Be prepared to fix it when it breaks. You want the swivel mirror when you reverse? OK. You want the emissions to be good? Sure. You want it to last forever AND be affordable? You want fries with that?

For me I prefer a very pain car. However, for my wife.........if she drove a new S Class it would make my life miserable.

aklim · #24 06-30-2006, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncof300d

For me I prefer a very pain car. However, for my wife.........if she drove a new S Class it would make my life miserable.

Sounds like you need to hire a dominatrix.

#25 06-30-2006, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Sounds like you need to hire a dominatrix.

I am in the automotive supply business.....lots of alcohol required.

aklim · #26 06-30-2006, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncof300d

I am in the automotive supply business.....lots of alcohol required.

I don't follow. You said you want a pain car. I suggested a dominatrix. She, assuming that is your preference, or he, could give you the pain you are looking for.

#27 07-02-2006, 08:34 AM

Well, now I am waiting for parts that I am not usre will arrive in time due to the holiday. We are to be on the road for two days next weekend to go to a wedding and am I am not sure about taking the E300. Yesteray, I drove it for 50 miles. After 5 miles of 'hiccups' it ran fine the rest of the way. I have also noticed that I have a very, very tiny fuel leak. The leak appears to be the same leak that I fixed last November which was the o-ring on the fuel shut off.

I may need to drive the 300D next weekend. It does not have A/C. I do not mind taking it as it is the car I can count on, but my wife does not like it; she thinks it is

aklim · #28 07-02-2006, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncof300d

Well, now I am waiting for parts that I am not usre will arrive in time due to the holiday. We are to be on the road for two days next weekend to go to a wedding and am I am not sure about taking the E300. Yesteray, I drove it for 50 miles. After 5 miles of 'hiccups' it ran fine the rest of the way. I have also noticed that I have a very, very tiny fuel leak. The leak appears to be the same leak that I fixed last November which was the o-ring on the fuel shut off.

I may need to drive the 300D next weekend. It does not have A/C. I do not mind taking it as it is the car I can count on, but my wife does not like it; she thinks it is

A. Is it leaking out of the same hose you fixed?
B. If not, did you replace ALL the hoses there?
C. Could your B100 be responsible for the leak because it affected the rubber?

Note to Biodiesel Users.

michakaveli · #29 07-02-2006, 02:44 PM

Hate to be the burden of bad news, but I've got a feeling somewhere the the issue could be related to the B100. B100 is known for eating certain types of rubers, etc... I've been running B20 for at least 3/4 of a year since I moved to SC and have not had an issue, other than approx. 2 tanks of bad fuel where it would run funny, but no hesitation like you have. The re-leaking of the pre-filter is not a good sign...

I would double check all of the fuel connections, take off the manifold and trace every one. At least @ that point you'll have a baseline and can secure if you have additional fuel leaks...

#30 07-02-2006, 10:50 PM

I was done using B100 at the beginning October of 2005. I did the repair for the leaks in mid-Novermber. A few months ago ran less than 40 gallons of B20 in the E300. If I replace the o-rings it will be with Viton which I can get from McMaster-Carr. Looking bad I should have used Viton in the first place, biodiesel or no biodiesel. Viton is that much better and well worth a few bucks for one o-ring.

The rubber hoses under the hood of my 1985 300D have been replaced with Viton tubing because the rubber went soft as I expected. The hoses at the tank are the original rubber and that car ran last year on B100 for 7K miles. I believe that rubber can handle high percentages of biodiesel IF it is not exposed to extreme heat cycling such as the case with the o-rings on my E300 which are under the hood. I question the quality of the seven month old o-rings and/or the material since the leak last year was a while after running 7K miles on B100. Now I have a problem a month after running less than 40 gallons of B20.

P.S. Tonight a friend gave me a lead on a 1981 300D. I am looking forward to this one.