2005-2006 E320 CDI Buyers Guide, Common Problems, & Roll Call - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JimFreeh · #1 01-13-2017, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

So what do you think about the black death? Is it serviceable?

Yes.

I had a leaking injector on my CDI when I bought it from Tyler.
It had been leaking for some time when I bought the car.
I successfully repaired the leak.

Thoughts:

1. You need the extraction tool. I bought the $500 Baum toolset. Looking back, one might have been able cobble up a way to do the job without specialty tools, but the risk to an expensive injector justified the tool for me. I still ended up having to machine a part or two, in order to get the tool to fit correctly.

2. The schmutz that is a byproduct of the leak is as durable as fossilized amber..... This hard, black material will fill the head cavity, and is tedious, and necessary to remove completely to expose the injector and it's clamp.

3. The process itself is straightforward, access (once cleaned) is good, it did take some fiddling to get the injector loose from it's bore.

4. You need to face off the seat at the bottom of the bore to remove any "steam cuts" before reassembly. The Baum kit has a nice tool for this part.

5. My first try at this job was made more difficult due to the longstanding problem. Had I caught this in the early stages, I could have saved a lot of time cleaning and coaxing........

6. Smell. If you smell diesel fuel or fumes, check the injector seals. In my case, I could smell it through the HVAC system ducting. In severe cases, you can hear the leak "chuffing" when running. After I cleaned the cavity, I could hear the leak, as well as smell it.

7. We've had 4 of these CDI's in the immediate family, and so far, two have had the problem.

8. I've been driving MB diesels for decades, starting with W115 220 diesels, W123 240D, 300D,300T-D, all three W124 versions..... and my favorite by far, is the CDI. Sure, it's more complex, requires an investment in diagnostics and tools, but it's relatively easy to work on (like 10 minute glow plug exchange) and the power is amazing. Plus, in over three years and 35k miles, I consistently get over 40 mpg on the highway. Overall, still love the car, but it is eleven years old and with 200K miles I don't expect this car to be trouble free (It's not

). The diagnostic computer (Xentry) is crucial to home maintenance, but it is not cheap. Cheap, that's the word, these cars are fantastic automobiles, but they are not cheap to run compared to iconic diesels like the OM 617. But, you get what you pay for. Drive a W211 back to back with a W123, and the W123 feels like you're driving a forty year old car (actually, you are

). Safety, economy, performance, and quality, it's difficult to name another car that does all of this so well.

Jim

ROLLGUY · #2 01-13-2017, 10:27 AM

Jim, thank you so much for the info. I was looking at some youtube videos, and one guy used oven cleaner to remove the worst of the black sludge, it looked real good. When I get ready, would you be willing to rent the tools for me to do the job? I am sure that whatever car I get, it will have some amount of black death that will have to be dealt with. I am excited about the chance to finally enjoy the experience of owning and driving one of these cars. I thought I could not get much better than the '99 E300 W210 I had for a few years (my friend loves it and drives it every day), but the consensus is that there is a measurable difference between those two, let alone the CDI vs a W123. I am surprised that the CDI is not on the list of the top 10 best Mercedes-Benz automobiles: Top 10 Greatest Mercedes Ever Built
My search continues, and will not be done until I have just the right car in my garage. Lord willing, that time will be soon!

Skid Row Joe · #3 01-13-2017, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

Jim, thank you so much for the info. I was looking at some youtube videos, and one guy used oven cleaner to remove the worst of the black sludge, it looked real good. When I get ready, would you be willing to rent the tools for me to do the job? I am sure that whatever car I get, it will have some amount of black death that will have to be dealt with. I am excited about the chance to finally enjoy the experience of owning and driving one of these cars. I thought I could not get much better than the '99 E300 W210 I had for a few years (my friend loves it and drives it every day), but the consensus is that there is a measurable difference between those two, let alone the CDI vs a W123. I am surprised that the CDI is not on the list of the top 10 best Mercedes-Benz automobiles: Top 10 Greatest Mercedes Ever Built
My search continues, and will not be done until I have just the right car in my garage. Lord willing, that time will be soon!

Aside from the potential black death and a complete computer breakdown, even with the occasional need for SBC brake system replacement, I would own an 06 E320 CDI, before I would buy or keep a 98/99 E300TD. I decided to get out of my bought new 99 E300 131K miles when it was 14 years old, to move up to a used 06 CDI with 59K miles. I believe the I6 CDI is more servicable friendly, and less of a hassle than the W210 turbodiesel.

TheDon · #4 01-13-2017, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

Yes.

I had a leaking injector on my CDI when I bought it from Tyler.
It had been leaking for some time when I bought the car.
I successfully repaired the leak.

Thoughts:

1. You need the extraction tool. I bought the $500 Baum toolset. Looking back, one might have been able cobble up a way to do the job without specialty tools, but the risk to an expensive injector justified the tool for me. I still ended up having to machine a part or two, in order to get the tool to fit correctly.

2. The schmutz that is a byproduct of the leak is as durable as fossilized amber..... This hard, black material will fill the head cavity, and is tedious, and necessary to remove completely to expose the injector and it's clamp.

3. The process itself is straightforward, access (once cleaned) is good, it did take some fiddling to get the injector loose from it's bore.

4. You need to face off the seat at the bottom of the bore to remove any "steam cuts" before reassembly. The Baum kit has a nice tool for this part.

5. My first try at this job was made more difficult due to the longstanding problem. Had I caught this in the early stages, I could have saved a lot of time cleaning and coaxing........

6. Smell. If you smell diesel fuel or fumes, check the injector seals. In my case, I could smell it through the HVAC system ducting. In severe cases, you can hear the leak "chuffing" when running. After I cleaned the cavity, I could hear the leak, as well as smell it.

7. We've had 4 of these CDI's in the immediate family, and so far, two have had the problem.

8. I've been driving MB diesels for decades, starting with W115 220 diesels, W123 240D, 300D,300T-D, all three W124 versions..... and my favorite by far, is the CDI. Sure, it's more complex, requires an investment in diagnostics and tools, but it's relatively easy to work on (like 10 minute glow plug exchange) and the power is amazing. Plus, in over three years and 35k miles, I consistently get over 40 mpg on the highway. Overall, still love the car, but it is eleven years old and with 200K miles I don't expect this car to be trouble free (It's not

). The diagnostic computer (Xentry) is crucial to home maintenance, but it is not cheap. Cheap, that's the word, these cars are fantastic automobiles, but they are not cheap to run compared to iconic diesels like the OM 617. But, you get what you pay for. Drive a W211 back to back with a W123, and the W123 feels like you're driving a forty year old car (actually, you are

). Safety, economy, performance, and quality, it's difficult to name another car that does all of this so well.

Jim

I wish I had just sucked it up and bought that baum toolset.

chronometers · #5 01-15-2017, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

..... Safety, economy, performance, and quality, it's difficult to name another car that does all of this so well.

Jim

Agree 100%!

It is definitely worth spending time to find a good well maintained example.

Skid Row Joe · #6 01-15-2017, 02:14 PM

You got that right, and even then deferred maintenance costs and breaking components can run into thousands. You can blink your eyes and be out over $500.00 on just parts replacement cost on these cars. If a handful of items have been neglected, you can easily be out a couple thousand $s or more getting it right.