Considering a '99 E300

[slowmoe]

I was at the local dealer yesterday when a saw a beautiful 1999 E300. Silver with black leather, 86,000 miles, lots of options, Starmarked to 100K, for $26,500. Just like mine but 7 years younger. I took it for a drive and was very impressed.

A few questions:

1. The engine compartment has much less room in it the the 602 I am used to - how are these to work on?

2. What has been most people's experience with these cars as far as reliability and issues - I have read the threads on extended drain intervals and warrenty etc...

3. Car was bought from and serviced from this dealer. Always with Mobil1 but the car decided it needed service every 12-14,000 miles. Yes, tha means oil only once every 12-14,000 miles for 86,000 miles - this scares me.

Your thoughts are appreciated

1992 300D 2.5 Turbo, 174,000 miles

[JimSmith]

slowmoe,

I bought a 1998 E300 TurboDiesel last year and have been nothing but pleased with it to date. Very much more refined than any prior Diesel I have driven, very quick, lots of torque at the low end, and great mileage. I fully understand your attraction to the car. The price sounds about right too.

As for the oil change intervals, well, if the engine has good compression I would be inclined to assume no permanent damage has occured yet. I change mine (Mobil Delvac 1 5W-40) every 5,000 miles. I have no idea what the previous owner did, but the car uses no oil to speak of (oil level light never comes on between changes) and I know it will be taken care of from now on.

The car has had some issues with the front seats clicking and popping when you transition from giving it gas to coasting or slowing down. That was fixed under warranty, as was the cupholder, a really Rube Goldberg device that does not belong in a car that will be used every day. I never drink or eat in the car so I do not need it, but when I got the car the cover would not stay shut.

Overall I am hoping the lessons learned on the 350SD engine, as well as the things done right on the 240D and other exceptional Diesel engines in Mercedes-Benz' past have been applied to this car as I intend to keep it for a long time. Good luck on your path to picking a new one, Jim

I don't know, I couldn't imagine changing my DIESEL's oil once every 14,000 miles, mobil one or not. Sure, trucks go 100,000 miles without an oil change in some cases but they have more than a 20 gallon sump. I would try to find one with a better service history.

[barkford]

Couldn't agree more with my fellow 98 E300 owners. Very reliable, fast diesel. Although MB recommends those FSS change intervals, I too change oil about 5 to 7k no matter what FSS says. (btw - not sure if FSS has an oil quality sensor on the diesels???) Anyhow, the seat issue may occur as stated above in this post. Some or possibly all *might* be covered under Starmark - not guaranteed, Starmark is not as complete as factory warranty. On the 99, you will get an updated radio head vs us 98 TD owners. Good luck ! Post more when you get it !

[Ockman]

I've owned my 99 E300 since new and would recommend one to anyone who is looking for a diesel. Mine has been relatively problem free except for the rear window regulator, a common problem since MB went to the "cable" system and a bad power adapter/cigarette lighter. I do oil changes at 5K miles and have been using Shell Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40. I notice you currently own a 92 300D Turbo which probably gets better fuel economy than the E300 you are considering. I base this on threads which commonly refer to that model diesel getting up to 40mpg on the highway. Mine has never bettered 34 mpg in highway driving and usually gets 32 with the ac on. In town 25-26 is common. I also understand replacing glow plugs is a chore on the E300 since the intake manifold must be removed to get to them. I wouldn't be too concerned about the FSS oil change interval if a good synthetic oil like Mobil 1 was used during the period in question.

[slowmoe]

Guys,

Thanks for all the great info on the E300. I truely appreciate your first hand experiences with the car. As it seems as though there are no major mechanical issues to be concerned with i.e. early s350's, I am heavily leaning towards the purchase.

There is just one thing I can't seem to shake. My 300D has been very good to me for a long time now, and she is still in excellent shape. Giving a perfectly good car up to make payments again will be the most difficult part of the decision.

One more question: I have read by now almost every post on this car but have read few regarding cars with 150,000+ miles. I am a sales rep that puts 30-40K a year on cars and will be in that territory very soon with the E300. Does anyone have any info in this area? Thanks again.

1992 300D 2.5 Turbo, 174,000 miles

[LightMan]

I have a '99 with 43k. I'd highly recommend the car as well, although it does have its few characteristic problems. My seat creaks as well when accel/decelerating. Sometimes the dash or sunroof creaks. Its a great engine, but needs the right oil. Mobil 1 is CF rated for gasoline engines. Most dealers are too dumb to know this. Your diesel needs a CF-4 or even better the new API rating - CI-4. These are specifically diesel oils. If cost is no object and you want the best for your e300, run Mobil Delvac 1 5w-40 or Amsoil series 3000 Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel Oil 5w-30. They are far above the rest. Change at 10,000 mile intervals.
I've done oil analysis testing on my e300 and have had less than 1% soot at 5,000 miles on the amsoil series 3000, and very low wear metals. Allowable soot is up to 6% before changing..

If this person went 86k on mobil 1 at 12-14k intervals, I'd think there will probably be some accelerated engine wear. I'd get an E300, just not THAT e300 :-)

I've heard of at least 3 '96-'99 E300's with 250k+ miles and still running strong.

[Holson Adi]

Speaking of the W210 TD, I'm kinda considering one too especially if I could get a high miler like this for a good price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1866788789

I have question regarding this particular car though. The seats are not leather are they?

Thanks

[jcyuhn]

I've owned a '98 E300 for about 4.5 years now. I didn't purchase it brand new; mine was the press car MBNA used to introduce the model to North America. It's just coming up on 50K miles.

Mine has not been completely problem free - it's been into the dealer for unscheduled repairs four times so far. That's more visits than I'd like, but isn't the real problem. My biggest gripe - only gripe, really - is that three of those repairs required at least a week in the shop - one required two weeks.

In terms of problems, all mine have been common issues with the E300. I had the dying transmission controller electronics. Any used car has either had this problem or never will. I've had early demise of the glow plugs. We'll see if the replacements have a longer life than 3-4 years. And I've had the deteriorated o-rings which leak air into the fuel system. Again, we'll see if the replacement parts have been upgraded.

On the plus side, the car has never failed to start, nor has it ever failed to get me to my destination. Cost for consumables such as tires, batteries, & brake pads has been very reasonable. And of course it has the traditional Mercedes-Benz attributes - it's tight, solid, still drives like the day it was new.

OK, about seat upholstery. The '98 cars had MB-Tex standard, with full leather being a ~$1500 option. As I recall, the '99 cars were "upgraded" to include leather seating surfaces as standard, with the seat trim being MB-tex. Full leather was still an option, not sure of the cost. The car on E-bay has seat cushion bottom and seatback upholstered in leather. The bolsters on either side of the seat are tex.

FWIW my car is all tex, and I like it a bit better than leather. It's not any more or less comfortable (cloth is better than either). It's completely indestructable, doesn't scratch, tear, stain, crack, etc. Doesn't need any routine maintenance. Just clean it once a year with your favorite stuff - I use simple green. Tex is definately the most rational choice, but of course it has zero snob appeal.

[Mr. BILL]

I think Benzmac has one of these with about 180K on it. Maybe you should drop him a line and inquire.

[speedy300Dturbo]

Looks like MB Tex. Models with leather interiors had gathered leather on the door panels, not a flat piece of vinyl.