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  #1  
Old 03-31-2013, 04:57 PM
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replace just belt shock tensioner or all parts?

i have read some threads on this but a lot come up in my searches that are different motors

my car is a 99 e300 turbo

i have a very slight rattle in the belt tensioner shock and we were going to replace it
it looks like it has been replaced at least once
car has 170,000 on it now

should i order all the parts or just the shock?
and if all the parts, please tell me which ones

thank you

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  #2  
Old 03-31-2013, 05:19 PM
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I would tend to recommend both related part replacements, depending on your time element involved, versus the cost of those parts.

I believe the part you are calling a 'shock' is actually a 'spring-loaded' pulley tensioner. But I may be incorrect.


Courtney,
Just wondering if your car came with complete records from it's previous owner to reference when things go out on it?

Also, wondering if you are keeping a running total of costs since buying the car. It seems like a lot of things are going out on your car, have not gone out on mine, in reading your postings since buying this '99 E300.

If your car may be a harbinger of things to come on mine, when mine gains similar mileage, is the reason why I am concerned about the costs of my car going forward. Since I plan to place this car with new owners later this year, I'd hate to have them start needing to spend large dollars and down time with it.
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Old 03-31-2013, 06:14 PM
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I took the top bolt out and wrapped a strip of aluminum from a coke can around it as a bushing and put it all back together, rattle gone for 10 months and counting.
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  #4  
Old 03-31-2013, 08:20 PM
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hmm, maybe i am referencing the wrong part

it is just a little baby shock that goes on the front of the motor?
i ask the mechanic if i needed the spring next to it and he said no

just barely a rattle when it is idling and if you put your finger on the top of the shock it stops
i just looked all the stuff over that it connects to and all of it looks fine/tight to me
but that being said i dont mind spending another 100 or whatever in parts if it is wise to do all of it


and yes i have spent some money on it but it has never broken down or quit, not started etc

but i just feel these are the kind of things that have to be done at this mileage and since i plan to drive it 500,000 miles i figure this stuff is done and wont need doing for another 150,000-175,000 miles

i am a little bit picky, some of this stuff could prob go for a while but i travel a lot and when this car rolls out of my driveway it goes 125-300 miles that day

if i drove it 10-20 miles to work and back each day in town not so big a deal, but not the way i drive

so i never take a chance on breaking down, if it might possibly need changing i do it

i also think i will eventually run out of stuff to do and then here and there it will break, etc

and there is the issue that i am trying to use mostly mercedes parts and if something breaks i have to order it, so again trying to stay ahead of everything because it will take time to get parts

in the big scheme of things not sure the money spent will balance out but when you drive 50,000 miles a year it rarely does, they all cost

if i was doing the labor myself it would be a good bit cheaper, i dont think parts prices have been too bad

and yes i have some records that were in a folder with the car but probably not all records unfortunately

overall i am happy with it and happy with the mpg soooo
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Old 03-31-2013, 08:26 PM
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606 and 603 belt tensioners are the same AFIK, I would at a minimum pull the pivot block and check it's bearing for wear, or stiffness/rough movement. and yeah, I'd change the shock. I've had a spring break on me, so I recommend changing the spring as well...
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Old 03-31-2013, 11:26 PM
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Ok so can someone tell me exactly which parts/how many parts are involved in this "assembly" and i will order them

I know i need the shock and the spring and???
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  #7  
Old 04-01-2013, 12:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by courtney View Post
hmm, maybe i am referencing the wrong part

it is just a little baby shock that goes on the front of the motor?
i ask the mechanic if i needed the spring next to it and he said no

just barely a rattle when it is idling and if you put your finger on the top of the shock it stops
i just looked all the stuff over that it connects to and all of it looks fine/tight to me
but that being said i dont mind spending another 100 or whatever in parts if it is wise to do all of it


and yes i have spent some money on it but it has never broken down or quit, not started etc

but i just feel these are the kind of things that have to be done at this mileage and since i plan to drive it 500,000 miles i figure this stuff is done and wont need doing for another 150,000-175,000 miles

i am a little bit picky, some of this stuff could prob go for a while but i travel a lot and when this car rolls out of my driveway it goes 125-300 miles that day

if i drove it 10-20 miles to work and back each day in town not so big a deal, but not the way i drive

so i never take a chance on breaking down, if it might possibly need changing i do it

i also think i will eventually run out of stuff to do and then here and there it will break, etc

and there is the issue that i am trying to use mostly mercedes parts and if something breaks i have to order it, so again trying to stay ahead of everything because it will take time to get parts

in the big scheme of things not sure the money spent will balance out but when you drive 50,000 miles a year it rarely does, they all cost

if i was doing the labor myself it would be a good bit cheaper, i dont think parts prices have been too bad

and yes i have some records that were in a folder with the car but probably not all records unfortunately

overall i am happy with it and happy with the mpg soooo
I am going to try and do a profile and accounting, hence a spreadsheet of the procedures done to your car since buying last Spring, so I can get an idea/handle of what my car potentially may or will cost the new owners going forward with the miles that your's has on it. Frankly, I'm starting to get skeptical/nervous that this car is up to the task versus the potentially high dollars for parts, labor, and of course DOWN TIME. DOWN TIME seems to get brushed aside on these old cars, in lieu of 'how great they are.......' I've BTDT (BeenThereDoneThat) time and time again trying to save a buck, trying to keep an old/decrepit car on-the-road to do 300 to 500 miles a day or 1,000 to 1,500 miles a week, and it's become a feast for both the repair shops, AND DOWN TIME. Can't make money during down time on-the-road.

Several members here are in the process of, or have dumped their W210 diesels, (with miles like your's has and above) because they are constantly in a state of broke-down, or they can't afford to keep dumping money in them - thusly I'm kind of nervous with this one getting into old age as well as high-miles. A costly combination from my personal experience on these MB diesels.

Any totals of procedures/labor/parts/down time logs would be appreciated muchly!


Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
606 and 603 belt tensioners are the same AFIK, I would at a minimum pull the pivot block and check it's bearing for wear, or stiffness/rough movement. and yeah, I'd change the shock. I've had a spring break on me, so I recommend changing the spring as well...
That's basically what I said - change both parts. It's not worth guessing when parts need to be changed, when you're 500 miles away from home when it breaks down....... Again, BTDT (BeenThereDoneThat too many times! The shock(s) as well as the belt-tensioner are getting long-in-tooth, with the miles reported on her car.
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  #8  
Old 04-01-2013, 02:46 AM
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hmm, ok i have all receipts somewhere but dont have time to collect them all etc

i think i can remember most of it

3 different shops have worked on it



got the car, think it had 151,000
has 169,900 today
this was to be my back up car and i only planned to drive it 10,000-12,000 miles a year but this year it has gotten quite a bit more

needed control arm bushings and i did the ball joints too- think this was $500?? about that
all mercedes parts
this is something i dont think i will have to do again for ??? 60,000 miles? from what i have read this tends to be done more often on these cars

did sachs shocks 300 parts and i think 100 labor??
both of those repairs were when i first got it and no one thought i needed shocks, i just was not totally happy with how it rode and replaced them- definite improvement in cornering but not a lot in the ride
everyone felt the ones i replaced were original so if i get another 100,000 miles out these i would be more than happy

1 brake caliper and rear brakes pads
1 transmission line was leaking
a power steering hose was leaking
battery
the bill for all this 500-525
these were all mercedes parts

door actuator 50-65 parts and labor?? maybe less

water pump, i cannot remember price on this, pelican shows mercedes pump to be 250 and i dont think i paid that so i must have gotten a different brand there
i know it took him about 30 minutes to swap it so labor was not much
i am thinking 200-300 total on this and leaning toward the lower number

problem is a lot of this stuff got done together, usually 2-3 things at a time


4 months later the gasket for some water component next to water pump went and we had to do that, it sucked and should have been done with the pump, we did that gasket and thermostat and new housing since it had the old housing
parts were not much, labor was more this was 300 but that seems too high so i think we did something else i just cannot remember

i changed out the air filter housing because it was warped, no one was worried about it but me
i think this cost 150.000

i now need a lower intercooler hose , fan clutch and the tensioner shock and spring , wheel bearings and grease, probably 450-475 in parts depending on brands and he told me 1.5 hours on the wheel bearings and i am guessing the other stuff wont take more than an hour??? not sure
since this wont get done until next week i dont know price yet
here is another thing, wheel bearings went 170,000 most likely and if they go another 100,000 i am happy
so much of this is stuff that should not need doing again for some time

i changed all fluids and filters including oil change 300-350???

i dont remember anything else???? but there could be

Ahh, rebuilt bottom of drivers seat 200-250??



i have a feeling the maf will need replacing this summer, pulled that code last summer i cleaned it and ran fine till now but since it is hitting 90-100 degrees here i have had 2 slight hiccups where the car misses about half a second then is fine
i think it will be the maf, may clean it one more time and see if that works but probably will replace it, i read somewhere that you can use a newer maf and it works better
i dont know if this affects it but i am in dusty areas a lot

I think the sunroof needs some work, it is functioning but acts weird about once a month, probably be 200-300 and yes it had that new plastic piece already when i bought it

most of this stuff i listed --except fluid changes and maybe brake pads-- i believe will not need doing again for 75,000-100,000 miles, this is my hope

i have not needed tires yet but will in the next few months, 2 are new but are not michelin so i will get 4 new michelin then

i am hoping to drive this car to 500,000 miles

excepting the control arm bushings which took a few hours at a different shop my down time has been nothing
my mechanic rocks , he knows what he is doing and the fastest way to repair it and the car has only been in the shop for more than 1and a half hours 1 time when we got into something and could not get a part and had to wait until the next day

i have a client near him, i work there in the morn and get him the car by 1pm and go to lunch with a friend and the car is always done when we are back in 1-2 hours
a few times i have been out in 30-45 min
so down time on this car has been nothing, that is one of the things that has impressed me so much on this car is how easy it is work on

i do have 4 cars and so when this needs something that worries me, like a water pump, i park it until the part comes in and just drive one of the others
this makes my down time different than other people i am sure


i do NOT expect to pay this much in repairs every year and i do not think i will

again i am picky and if i even think it is a little worn or maybe needs doing it gets done as soon as i can get the part
so this is just me going through a car that is new to me and getting it lined out

every single thing on my car works and works correctly


it has never broken down
this car is paid for



i have a 2008 toyota prius- financed - that i bought 3 years ago 1 owner with 13,000 miles on it, i put the toyo warranty on it to 125,000 miles for about $1200.00
it now has 107, 000 miles and has been in the dealer for warranty service 3-4 times
a couple of recalls
and i would say about 1700-2000 in warranty repairs- at the dealer
gear selecter, small battery, inverter pump, water pump and a couple of other things
the prius gets awesome mileage, they have very good reliability ratings etc but it has needed some work too and has had to be towed twice
it just had 500 in fluid changes also

prius is 4 years old and 107,000 miles vs the mercedes is 14 years old and now almost 170,000 miles

they all cost, lol, that is my theory

hope these numbers help someone else
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Last edited by courtney; 04-01-2013 at 03:27 AM.
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  #9  
Old 04-01-2013, 05:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by courtney View Post
hmm, ok i have all receipts somewhere but dont have time to collect them all etc

i think i can remember most of it

3 different shops have worked on it



got the car, think it had 151,000
has 169,900 today
this was to be my back up car and i only planned to drive it 10,000-12,000 miles a year but this year it has gotten quite a bit more

needed control arm bushings and i did the ball joints too- think this was $500?? about that
all mercedes parts
this is something i dont think i will have to do again for ??? 60,000 miles? from what i have read this tends to be done more often on these cars

did sachs shocks 300 parts and i think 100 labor??
both of those repairs were when i first got it and no one thought i needed shocks, i just was not totally happy with how it rode and replaced them- definite improvement in cornering but not a lot in the ride
everyone felt the ones i replaced were original so if i get another 100,000 miles out these i would be more than happy

1 brake caliper and rear brakes pads
1 transmission line was leaking
a power steering hose was leaking
battery
the bill for all this 500-525
these were all mercedes parts

door actuator 50-65 parts and labor?? maybe less

water pump, i cannot remember price on this, pelican shows mercedes pump to be 250 and i dont think i paid that so i must have gotten a different brand there
i know it took him about 30 minutes to swap it so labor was not much
i am thinking 200-300 total on this and leaning toward the lower number

problem is a lot of this stuff got done together, usually 2-3 things at a time


4 months later the gasket for some water component next to water pump went and we had to do that, it sucked and should have been done with the pump, we did that gasket and thermostat and new housing since it had the old housing
parts were not much, labor was more this was 300 but that seems too high so i think we did something else i just cannot remember

i changed out the air filter housing because it was warped, no one was worried about it but me
i think this cost 150.000

i now need a lower intercooler hose , fan clutch and the tensioner shock and spring , wheel bearings and grease, probably 450-475 in parts depending on brands and he told me 1.5 hours on the wheel bearings and i am guessing the other stuff wont take more than an hour??? not sure
since this wont get done until next week i dont know price yet
here is another thing, wheel bearings went 170,000 most likely and if they go another 100,000 i am happy
so much of this is stuff that should not need doing again for some time

i changed all fluids and filters including oil change 300-350???

i dont remember anything else???? but there could be

Ahh, rebuilt bottom of drivers seat 200-250??



i have a feeling the maf will need replacing this summer, pulled that code last summer i cleaned it and ran fine till now but since it is hitting 90-100 degrees here i have had 2 slight hiccups where the car misses about half a second then is fine
i think it will be the maf, may clean it one more time and see if that works but probably will replace it, i read somewhere that you can use a newer maf and it works better
i dont know if this affects it but i am in dusty areas a lot

I think the sunroof needs some work, it is functioning but acts weird about once a month, probably be 200-300 and yes it had that new plastic piece already when i bought it

most of this stuff i listed --except fluid changes and maybe brake pads-- i believe will not need doing again for 75,000-100,000 miles, this is my hope

i have not needed tires yet but will in the next few months, 2 are new but are not michelin so i will get 4 new michelin then

i am hoping to drive this car to 500,000 miles

excepting the control arm bushings which took a few hours at a different shop my down time has been nothing
my mechanic rocks , he knows what he is doing and the fastest way to repair it and the car has only been in the shop for more than 1and a half hours 1 time when we got into something and could not get a part and had to wait until the next day

i have a client near him, i work there in the morn and get him the car by 1pm and go to lunch with a friend and the car is always done when we are back in 1-2 hours
a few times i have been out in 30-45 min
so down time on this car has been nothing, that is one of the things that has impressed me so much on this car is how easy it is work on

i do have 4 cars and so when this needs something that worries me, like a water pump, i park it until the part comes in and just drive one of the others
this makes my down time different than other people i am sure


i do NOT expect to pay this much in repairs every year and i do not think i will

again i am picky and if i even think it is a little worn or maybe needs doing it gets done as soon as i can get the part
so this is just me going through a car that is new to me and getting it lined out

every single thing on my car works and works correctly


it has never broken down
this car is paid for



i have a 2008 toyota prius- financed - that i bought 3 years ago 1 owner with 13,000 miles on it, i put the toyo warranty on it to 125,000 miles for about $1200.00
it now has 107, 000 miles and has been in the dealer for warranty service 3-4 times
a couple of recalls
and i would say about 1700-2000 in warranty repairs- at the dealer
gear selecter, small battery, inverter pump, water pump and a couple of other things
the prius gets awesome mileage, they have very good reliability ratings etc but it has needed some work too and has had to be towed twice
it just had 500 in fluid changes also

prius is 4 years old and 107,000 miles vs the mercedes is 14 years old and now almost 170,000 miles

they all cost, lol, that is my theory

hope these numbers help someone else
Everything helps in the field of information on these cars as they age.

You should start a cost spent file on the car, see what it costs in parts and labor to get to 500,000 miles. I think the number would scare you with one of these if you knew.

If you have 4 cars to drive, something ought to run when you need it to. I only have one car by choice. I found that having than one is money out the window the longer you have two or more. I can only drive one at a time, so it serves no purpose unless one was in a constant state of somethin' broke on it. Even though I believe they have wonderful engines and transmissions, given it's 14 years of age, I decided to shop for something newer.

Many of the things done to your car have yet to be done to mine. I'm on my 3rd MB battery. Everything about these '99 E300s are more costly than my '83 300SD was - everything. The 300SD was a bargain to run per mile as contrasted with this high-performance car that only gets 1 or 2 mpg better on the HWY than the 300SD did. The question I have, is if a pricey E320 Bluetec will cost less over time than this pricey E300. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will cost every bit as much.

Interestingly, other than the turbo going kaput under factory warranty period, under 50K miles, the 1st thing my car needed that broke was the MAF @ about 80K miles. Ball joints @ 90K, fuel lines near the engine and glow plugs b/c 1 went, I had 'em all replaced @ about 95K. New front rotors, new brake pads all around, new front wheel bearings (these are cheap insurance over repacking them) new MB brake fluid, new transmission fluid/gasket/sending unit/filter, radiator flush, new serpentine belt, new engine mounts, ALL @ 100K miles.

The car basically in one sense of the word started falling apart, i.e. things failing one-after-another @ 90K miles / 5-years of age. Nothing new about that, it's the norm with these cars and to be expected in my experience.

A/C lost some freon, and a K40 sensor went out in Flagstaff, AZ two years ago driving back from Las Vegas. Both rear plastic window lifts have been replaced by me. Right rear tailight assy. fried and replaced. Various bulbs on the headlights/fog/running lights replaced.

Headliner failing, fuel system leaking once again. Moonroof switch acts squirrely every time I crack it upward for air ventilation, so as not to break it, I just don't use it anymore for years.

Here's a list compiled for my CL ad of what's been done to my car, in addition to anything above. Some is duplicated below:

Glow Plugs Replaced
AC serviced 5/'11
New MB turbocharger
New fan clutch
New Left/Right Engine Mounts Installed
Both Rear Door Window Lifts Replaced
Lower Ball-Joints Replaced
Front Rotors New / New Front Wheel Bearings / New 4-wheel Disc Brake Pads / Brake Fluid Flush
Radiator Flush Completed
Transmission Fluid/Filter/Gasket/Sending Unit Replaced
4-wheel alignment completed
4-year old MB battery

The biggest difference in dollars and cents between your '99 and mine is that you are getting 35%+ better fuel mileage than I am getting with mine. That's a lot of money you are saving if in fact you are getting a low of 37 mpg as you reported to be yielding out of your car, as contrasted with the 28 mpg I'm eeking out of mine average at best mixed city/highway. Think about it, same car getting 35% better mileage, day in day out. It's one for the books here is all I can say.

Last edited by Skid Row Joe; 04-02-2013 at 12:30 AM.
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  #10  
Old 04-01-2013, 06:35 AM
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blah, i just ordered all my parts and it was $520, yuck
oh well

if i did not drive 40,000-50,000 miles a year and i lived in town i would have 1 car

i live out kind of in the country and it is a big hassle for someone to pick me up, take me to a shop etc and since i drive for my work and am self employed i must stay on the road

getting the second car to use for back up has been a huge relief for me, i never worry anymore if one breaks, i just pull out the other one and keep working

2 of my vehicles are trucks for 2 different uses, i do not drive them a lot but they are there if i have to use them for work or for their intended purpose

i will say i have had way less stuff to do on my 01 ford f350 7.3 power stroke with 370,000 miles
no piddly stuff on it like i have done on the e300
it has been a great truck

i dont doubt it will cost to run it to 500,000 but does it cost more than buying a new or newer car every 3 years and trying to stay under warranty, higher insurance, etc i dont know

bottom line for me is when you drive as much as i do the car expense is huge no matter how you spin it

i am pretty sure i saw in my previous owner files that mine has already had 1 maf replaced but i think it was probably 75,000 miles ago, i know it was a while back
my glow plugs were done 30,000-40,000 ago
something expensive with the ignition stuff i think was done at mercedes to the tune of 2 grand not long before i got it, that may be when the previous owner decided to sell it because it was starting to cost

all my windows work fine so far, could be the plastic things have been done in the rears no telling, but my mechanic said it is not too big of a repair if they break

i am not getting 37 but i am getting 35-36mpg, i may see a drop to 34 running the ac all summer here in az
i am hypermiling to some extent to get that mileage but even not really paying attention and with the caliper hanging i never saw under 33

i see you live in dallas and i bet you do more stop and go than i do, i drove around dallas a bit in dec and it was not really fun and i would prefer not to do it again
also i think dallas has more hills, grades
it is flat, flat, flat here and most of where i drive, i can coast a lot
every day i drive an 18 mile flat stretch both ways at 50-52mph, i can gain 1- 1.5mpg on just that
i also totally avoid any heavy traffic
if i had a lot of hills and more stop and go i would probably get 32 maybe less, who knows

i looked at the math on buying an 06 cdi vs a 2010 prius and running it 25,000 miles a year and it is not even close, the mpg on the prius just eats up any savings on buying a cheaper cdi

but if i get my 08 prius sold i am going to buy the cdi because it is more comfortable for me to be in 4-6 hours a day, i dont really care if it costs me 800-1000 more a year , i think the trade off is worth it and again no matter how i spin it cars are just money spent to me, they all are

i dont like having 4 cars and in the next few years have some lifestyle changes that are going to allow me to get down to 2 vehicles total, i am looking forward to it

interesting that the older mercedes was so much cheaper to run, it seems a lot of these parts i have been replacing on the 99 would also be on an older one and need replacing in the 100,000 miles range also.... so parts were just cheaper?

i had an 87 300sdl that was beautiful but had vacuum leaks all the time and that was useless to me
i need to get in the car and roll and i want everything to work all the time

with the way the vacuum system is on the older ones, all in the motor, all in the dash, climate control, everywhere! i did not see how we would ever get all the leaks out of it unless i completely overhauled it in and out- and even then i doubted it could really be done- or put it in the shop every 2 weeks
i sold that and got the 99 for this very reason and that was really the only reason

the 99 has been good to me in that it always starts and goes, always functions, no issues
i have caught all the problems/repairs before hand and i am hoping that things start slowing down on the repair front, i really think they will, heck how much more can i replace????

as much money as i have in it if it is ever hit or i wreck i will be screwed.....
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Last edited by courtney; 04-01-2013 at 06:53 AM.
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  #11  
Old 04-01-2013, 09:11 AM
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the 99 uses a one way clutch pulley on the alternator so its a lot less stress on the belt tensioner system.

The arm can also wear out if its really old and the tensioner shock has been loose all along. I never could understand why MB thought that a metal on metal tensioner with no lube is a great idea but thats what is on the engine.

Its best to check the arm for wear, to do this - release the tensioner and try wobble the arm with some leverage, if you can hear it click - its gone - get a new one. Really bad ones can make the belt slide forward on the pulley.

speaking of costs of ownership

All cars cost money to run and if you are someone that cannot account for downtime or other costs - then such cars are not good, best get a lease which can also provide an instant loaner everytime you put it in the shop.

I have a regime to test the car every month, e.g. When I changed the brake pads I repacked one front wheel bearing as the grease looked compromised. Just a while at it job - similar cases exist nearly everywhere. And a good mechanic can also check those for you.
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  #12  
Old 04-02-2013, 01:04 AM
Skid Row Joe's Avatar
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Originally Posted by courtney View Post
blah, i just ordered all my parts and it was $520, yuck
oh well

if i did not drive 40,000-50,000 miles a year and i lived in town i would have 1 car

i live out kind of in the country and it is a big hassle for someone to pick me up, take me to a shop etc and since i drive for my work and am self employed i must stay on the road

getting the second car to use for back up has been a huge relief for me, i never worry anymore if one breaks, i just pull out the other one and keep working

2 of my vehicles are trucks for 2 different uses, i do not drive them a lot but they are there if i have to use them for work or for their intended purpose

i will say i have had way less stuff to do on my 01 ford f350 7.3 power stroke with 370,000 miles
no piddly stuff on it like i have done on the e300
it has been a great truck

i dont doubt it will cost to run it to 500,000 but does it cost more than buying a new or newer car every 3 years and trying to stay under warranty, higher insurance, etc i dont know

bottom line for me is when you drive as much as i do the car expense is huge no matter how you spin it

i am pretty sure i saw in my previous owner files that mine has already had 1 maf replaced but i think it was probably 75,000 miles ago, i know it was a while back
my glow plugs were done 30,000-40,000 ago
something expensive with the ignition stuff i think was done at mercedes to the tune of 2 grand not long before i got it, that may be when the previous owner decided to sell it because it was starting to cost

all my windows work fine so far, could be the plastic things have been done in the rears no telling, but my mechanic said it is not too big of a repair if they break

i am not getting 37 but i am getting 35-36mpg, i may see a drop to 34 running the ac all summer here in az
i am hypermiling to some extent to get that mileage but even not really paying attention and with the caliper hanging i never saw under 33

i see you live in dallas and i bet you do more stop and go than i do, i drove around dallas a bit in dec and it was not really fun and i would prefer not to do it again
also i think dallas has more hills, grades
it is flat, flat, flat here and most of where i drive, i can coast a lot
every day i drive an 18 mile flat stretch both ways at 50-52mph, i can gain 1- 1.5mpg on just that
i also totally avoid any heavy traffic
if i had a lot of hills and more stop and go i would probably get 32 maybe less, who knows

i looked at the math on buying an 06 cdi vs a 2010 prius and running it 25,000 miles a year and it is not even close, the mpg on the prius just eats up any savings on buying a cheaper cdi

but if i get my 08 prius sold i am going to buy the cdi because it is more comfortable for me to be in 4-6 hours a day, i dont really care if it costs me 800-1000 more a year , i think the trade off is worth it and again no matter how i spin it cars are just money spent to me, they all are

i dont like having 4 cars and in the next few years have some lifestyle changes that are going to allow me to get down to 2 vehicles total, i am looking forward to it

interesting that the older mercedes was so much cheaper to run, it seems a lot of these parts i have been replacing on the 99 would also be on an older one and need replacing in the 100,000 miles range also.... so parts were just cheaper?

i had an 87 300sdl that was beautiful but had vacuum leaks all the time and that was useless to me
i need to get in the car and roll and i want everything to work all the time

with the way the vacuum system is on the older ones, all in the motor, all in the dash, climate control, everywhere! i did not see how we would ever get all the leaks out of it unless i completely overhauled it in and out- and even then i doubted it could really be done- or put it in the shop every 2 weeks
i sold that and got the 99 for this very reason and that was really the only reason

the 99 has been good to me in that it always starts and goes, always functions, no issues
i have caught all the problems/repairs before hand and i am hoping that things start slowing down on the repair front, i really think they will, heck how much more can i replace????

as much money as i have in it if it is ever hit or i wreck i will be screwed.....
I think you've spent more money in parts/labor than I have on my like car.

I think you'd be shocked to know what it costs you per mile dividing the miles into the out of pocket you're spending annually combined to pay all the insurance/registrations/inspections/maintenance, etc. on all 4 vehicles. It's a hair-raising event on just my '99 without adding the 02 7.3 PSD into the equation.

Add up ALL your 4 vehicles expenses for one year, then divide by total miles driving all of 'em - and that's what it's costing you per mile to drive all of 'em.

It's never ending what your '99 will cost you to drive in parts/labor, once it's reached the numbers you've got, I guarantee it will never end. btdt too many times before.

Leasing is for fools, that's not even an option for me. I only have one car not 4+ - I can do math. lol However, leasing may be less for you than your 4 vehicles are costing you per year, of that I'm fairly certain. Esp. since you've been dumping large numbers into the '99 and near-new Prius. -Without even taking into account your other two vehicles.

Part of the problem is sketchy records and maintenance is where a very used car will almost always cost large parts/labor dollars - esp. if you drive it as much as you're doing. Somethin's gotta give with a car that old. I'm living it too.

Now you're going to buy a 2005/06 E320 CDI? For whatever for? A 5th car?

I don't see why you'd be "screwed" if your '99 was hit? Although I think you paid plenty for it, ($8K to $9K?) it's entering $5K +/- territory, regardless the money you're dumpoing into it. I hope you're not carrying liability on it at this age and miles, I wouldn't since it's basically a disposable car at what you paid, coupled with the high-miles on it. Besides, you have 3 back up cars to drive if it did buy the farm. Seems to me your Prius would be your best bet driving as much as you could.

I recall you stated that that your mileage was 41 mpg driving at 60 or 65 mph in your car the other week. Is that what you consider hypermiling, or is it? Until I read this forum, I've never heard the term hypermiling thrown about anywhere, so it must be a very esoteric term. I guess I'm hypermiling if I only drive 70 to 75 mph in an 80 zone in West Texas then? I've driven my car in at least 15 states, and it's never seen "34, 35, 36, 37, or 41 mpg." 32 was a fluke tank b/c of a difference in filling. 31 mpg and 30 mpg remains the best my car can do, as others' identical cars on-forum have stated as well. That includes several runs through Arizona in the wintertime. I don't know what Dallas, Texas has to do with anything as per mpg, when it's identical in ALL parts of Texas, north/south/east/west, as well as AZ/NM/OK/NV/KS/NE/MN/IA/MO/SD/TN/AL/VA/KY/IL/GA/FL/AR/LA, etc, etc.? And, no, I do not do all stop and go driving in Dallas, Texas......we have the Interstate highway system here, as well as several toll roads to drive.

As far as the older, late '70s and early '80s MB diesels go? They're the bargains on cost per mile. Since the '99 does not exceed their mpg, (excluding your '99,) the repairs are cheaper, as well as their parts are dirt cheap too. For example, I think you wrote that your water pump was $250. My 300SD's water pump was around $18 from the MB dealer, however it did have a core charge if you failed to bring the old one in in exchange. I know, I replaced two of them over the 215K miles I drove my 305K total miled SD.

Last edited by Skid Row Joe; 04-02-2013 at 01:15 AM.
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Old 04-02-2013, 04:42 AM
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no offense but you dont know me, my lifestyle, dont know why i have 4 cars, etc

i have lived all over the country and driven all over the country also and i know there IS a difference in driving in mainly flat coasting type ground and in driving in the insane traffic and construction in dallas on the interstate or not and the more hilly terrain there

i did NOT state i got 44 mpg all the time, i said babying the crap out of it running 60-65 with a tailwind i got 44mpg for around 100-125 miles that one time, it was a fluke and i said that

if you dont know what hypermiling is google it, and no driving 65 in a 75 is not hypermiling

i have not spent any money on my prius other than buying it and fluid changes, tires etc because it is under warranty still, i said it has had repairs under warranty that would have cost me around 1800 if i had to pay the dealership to do them

and i said i would replace the prius with an 05 or 06 cdi if i sell it, not get a 5th car

i understand what you are saying about the old cars and the cost to maintain them
to each his own and when you drive as much as i do for my job then i have not found any way to not pay a lot of money on either a new car every 2-3 years or repairing an old one
how many miles do you put on your 1 car each year? and where do you drive it mostly?
in town 20-25 miles one way and back? mostly highway? 6 miles down gravel roads once every week? up and down a dirt road 7 days a week?
there are a million different ways to use vehicles

my mother lives 6 miles from work and drives less than 10,000 a year, i spend 4-6 hours a day in a car, but i love my job and dont want to do anything else

i am not saying you are wrong or right, i think there is no right answer, everyone is different and uses their vehicles differently

a $1000- $1500 difference more or less each year over time just wont matter to me, my greatest expense for my business is the car and always will be

my 01 7.3 dually is very modified and runs great, it has had very hard almost all towing 10,000-15,000lbs loads miles put on it and has cost me less than any of them
i probably have more in mods than i do repairs
i dont drive it enough to replace it with another $30,000-40,000 truck and then also spend all the time and money modifying another truck

leasing it out of the question when you drive 40,000-50,000 miles a year or you can be sure i would be leasing
there are penalties for going over normal mileage per year
the car companies are not idiots they are not going to let me drive a car for 3 years on a lease and get it back with 150,000 miles on it, they could not make any money

amazing that any water pump would be $18, i have never paid that low for a water pump on any car
i understand the appeal of the older mercedes and really like them but for what i needed and not having the time to repair stuff a lot on my older one i opted for the 99 and cost aside i have been very happy with it

this has been a great discussion but i am a slow typer and will have to let this thread drop from here

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Courtney
2006 E320 CDI
2008 ML320 CDI
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