How DIY-friendly is an E300...
 

I really like the body style on an E300 - say 1997-1999 (heard from others that 1996 models have had a lot of issues).

Although the body style and interior are admirable and no doubt the car is very comfortable to drive the under-the-hood-department looks intimidating to me... I've not been scared off by my 300D and with the help from all of you here I've been able to do most things I needed to do (save the Timing Chain replacement) but I'm not sure if there was anything I could do myself on the E300. Seems like a lot of electronics to boot. I suspect that these models not a good choice for DIYs - comments?!

James

I have one, but I am no expert. I'm sure those with more experience will chime in. I can tell you what I have done to my car myself, and I am an average wrencher. Oil changes and brakes are pretty standard. Trans service is a little different in that you will need to use ONLY the specific MB fluid for the tranny, cheapest I have found it is about $15/qt. You will also need to buy a tranny dipstick, yes dipstick, the car does not have one from the factory. Motor mounts are a common replacement on the car and you should be able to do them if you can do your own brakes. Glow plugs... they are a touchy issue. Problem is they can get stuck in the head and break off when you try to remove them. Air filter is simple, cabin pollen filters are easy also, except the carbon filter which (I hear) is more difficult, I have not done one. Hope this helps some. I'm sure you'll hear from others.

Still a diesel, simply a diff mind set than a 617 that some will never adjust to. Throw the mittyvac away and get a scanner and let the codes tell you where to begin looking for a problem.

96/97 = NA (97 to 99 with 5spd electronic trans).
98/99 = Turbo'd

Lots of electronics, plenty of well documented issues, but car itself is easy enough for a shade-tree mechanic to work on, not too many "special tools" required. You need an OBD2 code reader at the bare minimum though.

Thats a 617 link. This one is for 606 GP woes....http://alan.mcreynolds.googlepages.com/howtoremovebrokenglowplugs-mercedesom606

The '98-99 models are far more electronic than the '96-97 although it is a creeping problem, it gets worse as the models become newer. Most of the "new model" issues in my '96 were resolved by the original owner so I have not had anything beyond routine service. I have replaced only two glow plugs and neither stuck. Motor mounts and shocks were easy. A code reader is essential to diagnosing many problems that can be fairly easy to repair once you know what they are. The '98-99 turbo models are more powerful that the '96-97 NA version of the 606 engine and the fuel economy is the same or better.

You are right. I tried to erase the post and got a bunch of pop-ups and had to shutdown my computer.
I am back and I am going to delete it completely.

This is what I wanted to post concerning the Glow Plugs. There are DIY threads to help reduce the risk of breaking them.

DRILLING OUT GLOWPLUGS
http://alan.mcreynolds.googlepages.com/howtoremovebrokenglowplugs-mercedesom606
Another drill out thread but different
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/OM606BrokenGlowPlug

James,

I used to feel the same way as you about the complexity of the car. After a while now, I realize it's not as complex as I thought. I do have an aptitude for electronics though, and I think it helps.

For comparison, it's a lot like a 98.5 Ram with the 24valve Cummins.

I'll put on my psychologist hat - [German accent] do you ask because you're intimidated by later technology, don't have time to to get a degree in 210-ology, think 210s need more attention? Maybe we can blame this on your parents :)

Between this site, JimF's website and v12uberalles.com you can keep a 140 on the road. A 210 is a cakewalk in comparison but it still takes a heck of a lot more time to associate symptoms with causes than with a 123. How much time do have for this?

Sixto
87 300D