'97 E300 D for sale by original owner - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rmasteller · #16 10-25-2020, 05:35 PM

I bought my 97 300D about 3 years ago. Originally a Florida car, then NE Ohio. Only 91,000 miles on it when I got it, but rust on some wheel wells and doors. Had to replace spring perches, and selected a top-end MB certified body shop who charged $2,200. Ouch! I had the same shop do the same work on a 94 E420 10+ years ago and it was about $1,500. You CAN NOT see the problem. You would have to aggressively poke around the area, to put it lightly.

I like my 97 300D. I do a lot myself. Just replaced the HVAC fan voltage regulator and the shocks. It has about 135,000 on it now. It's my primary car and I have a Jeep as a secondary car. I wouldn't recommend it as your ONLY car, but everyone has different situations.

WDBCB20 · #17 10-26-2020, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjts1

The problem isn't that it's slow. It's that your ears will bleed after a few hrs on the highway. It's geared very short to make up for the lack of torque. It's a great short trip car. Long highway trips, not so much. Couple with the fact that you don't have a turbo to muffle the intake and exhaust noise.

Wow, quite alarming to see things hadn't improved in 14 years - judging from your picture the rpm you've got to be at to make 80mph is as bad or worse than my '83SD with the 3.07 differential.

WDBCB20 · #18 10-27-2020, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjts1

At least on the SD you can swap a taller diff without much issue. The 97 E300D was the first year for the 722.6 electronic transmission. If you swap the diff radio the transmission will freak out.

Again it's a great car for short trips and city driving. I gave it to my parents and they still daily it. I've only done one long trip in the E300D (SD to SF and back) and that was enough for me. My w211 wagon is much better suited for long highway trips.

Am I missing something? The 722.6 is a 5 speed transmission. Seems to me like you're stuck in 4th. Try counting the gear changes when you accelerate.
No way you can be in 5th resulting in +- 3300rpm at a little over 80mph!

Where it says 4{}D on your shifter do you have the lever toggled to the right? To the left will keep you in 4th, to the right puts you in D for Drive i.e. with 5th gear.

Unless there's a defect. This should be an autobahn cruiser! 5th = 2670 rpm at 70 mph

nelbur · #19 10-27-2020, 08:13 PM

Yes, it is at about 2700 rpm at 70 mph. While the engine is audible at this speed I have not found it to be objectionable. This car is really more at home on the expressway than it is around town.

rmasteller · #20 10-27-2020, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WDBCB20

No way you can be in 5th resulting in +- 3300rpm at a little over 80mph!

Yes way. That's what it is. I don't find it objectionable in my 97. These w210 cars are known to have the steering column boot (at firewall) come apart and allow noise and hot/cold weather into the footwell. That could be part of the noise issue.

pawoSD · #21 10-28-2020, 01:20 AM

The spring perch issue in the rust prone areas of the country isn't all that rare. My dad's 2001 E320 had it happen about 4 years ago while turning around in a parking lot, just sheared off and collapsed down onto the wheel. Had it repaired (both sides, other side wasn't great either) Overall rust on the car was minimal.

Meanwhile my 2001 W210 wagon's perches are still in good shape. The body has plenty of rust though, but very little underneath. I did have a spring up front lose the last 4-5 inches of a coil (snapped off from rust).

Overall most reliable car I've had....going on 5 years with next to no repairs, starts, runs, and drives every time. I use it mostly for around-town beater at this point though its been on several 1,500+ mile trips without a problem, and took out a decent size deer at 50mph, and still drove home 175+ miles. (replaced radiator/condenser/grille/fan/hood)

In a W210 I'd probably still go for the M112 gasser if I had to pick. Overall it will cost less to run, though it uses a good deal more fuel.

123boy · #22 10-28-2020, 08:43 AM

Do you remember what your dad paid for his spring perch repair? You mention the perch issue "isn't all that rare". Someone else said it is rare. I wonder if there are any "real" numbers, out there, about it?
What I mean is, how many vehicles were built with this infamous design? (had to be hundreds of thousands, maybe millions across all lines) Approx. how many have failed?
Realizing, of course, it's probably impossible to find an accurate count of this failure.
Easy to find negative impressions/opinions and bad experiences with ANY manufactured product.
I like facts. They're devoid of emotion and personal bias. A couple posters have addressed the spring perch issue. In relation to the entire production of this design.....well, you get the idea.
I'm not attacking ANYONE here, or doubting their claims. Just looking for more info...in black and white.
Any MB dealer mechs or service writers, out there, that might chime in? Did MB issue a recall for this "design flaw"? Class action lawsuit? These would all speak to the frequency of this failure.

WDBCB20 · #23 10-28-2020, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelbur

Yes, it is at about 2700 rpm at 70 mph. While the engine is audible at this speed I have not found it to be objectionable. This car is really more at home on the expressway than it is around town.

Which you then see go up 3300rpm at a little over 80mph - just a mere 10mph more?

gmog220d · #24 10-28-2020, 12:13 PM

Using your search engine of choice, search the internets for the W210 spring perch problem. You'll find a ton of information on several different sites, including this one. I think there was a recall in Europe, maybe elsewhere, but not in the USA. I read about some folks getting a little help from USA dealers, but I think owners in the states are on their own for the most part. I also read that most failures weren't so bad as to cause loss of control, accidents, etc. The pics I remember seeing show the perch peeled back but not completely broken off, the spring still contained. That said some failures were complete break-offs resulting the wheel contacting the body. It's been a while since I looked into all this, so be sure to look into it yourself for a better understanding of the risk. Close inspection of a car anyone is interested in is a must.

As noted above most of the time you wouldn't know there was a problem by simply removing the wheels and looking at the perches. The gaps between the perches and the body are covered up by a thick layer of rubbery sealer (part of the problem - moisture trap). The person doing the inspection really needs to poke around pretty hard, and maybe go so far as to remove the sealer entirely, to get a good look at condition.

The repair is time consuming, but the materials are almost laughably inexpensive. When I bought the new perches at the dealer in downtown Salt Lake City they were $45 each. Some people follow the M-B service method of riveting them on, but it's not easy finding the right rivets and the tool needed to install them. They are pop rivets but they are larger and made of steel, much stronger than the little aluminum ones we can buy at regular retail stores.

I made the repair myself, and I welded the perches on after patching up the steel under them in a few places. I did this while I had the suspension apart for its rebuild. I knew I was going to be doing this job when I bought the car. I can understand why it's expensive when paying a shop to do it. The front spindles have to be out of the way, meaning the suspension has to be taken mostly apart.

Mine were nasty when I got the '96, and someone had done a half-assed repair that made things worse. But they hadn't come loose yet.

rmasteller · #25 10-28-2020, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 123boy

Do you remember what your dad paid for his spring perch repair?

My costs are listed above. I'm 2 for 2 on needing spring perches on w124, w210 chassis cars. Give the VIN to your preferred body shop for an estimate.