1995 E300D Purchase - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Mark Herzig · #1 03-16-2003, 10:29 AM

I'm back in the diesel business since yesterday. I found a nice Special Edition E300D, one owner, and picked up in Houston. I drove to Austin and about to take off for Dallas.

I read a lot about the '95 and was a little concerned about the performance. I was pleasantly surprised. It has tremendous cruising abilities.. I found myself at 105 mph a couple of times. I wanted to give the engine a good workout because they need to be driven hard. Off the line, it can be sluggish but with proper throttle control, it is overcome. You want to wind out each gear by slowly increasing the peddle pressure.

Anyway what an improvement over the SDL as far as engine refinement. IT starts and idles very smooth...

Anyway i'm glad to be back in the diesel community where we aspire to be part of the 500K + club!! (mileage as well as $$)

ewstan · #2 03-16-2003, 11:42 AM

Congratulations, Mark.

ewstan

Mark Herzig · #3 03-16-2003, 05:47 PM

thanks... I plan on keeping this baby for a long, long time.

#4 03-16-2003, 05:47 PM

Mark,

First congratulations! I purchased my E300 in January and am new to the throttle control having come directly from a Corvette. Yes this was a BIG difference but I have learned to "wind" the rpms to about 2800 to get the right amount of "thrust". I still get 27 mpg in town and 35 or so on the highway. I guess a DOHC engine is a lot different on the rpm fornt from the old V8 pushrod engines I am used to.

I plan a big, long road trip in May (*hopefully the war will be over and gas/diesel will be back in the realm of reality again). So I will know about "cruising speed" after that trip.

When you say "driven hard" what did you mean? Also I feel that if you let the revs drop below 2000 rpm you have to really stick your foot in it to get the downshift to kick down to pick it all back up. Otherwise it's "wait until tomorrow" to get the speed up and meanwhile the little lady in the Caprice is honking and going around you!

I love the ride and the engine is strong - but a little timid or perhap it's just me learning a new skill. I have and am still learning a lot about this car and it's capabilities. I would really enjoy an email in the future on your insights. Also, who did you buy from in Houston - from an individual or from a broker ???

Send us a pic!

Mark Herzig · #5 03-16-2003, 06:25 PM

I'll definately get the pic but first I want to spend the day with my mcguire's supplies and get it in tip top shape.

For example, on my trip back yesterday, I did a lot of cruising at 90-100 mph... on hills I'd really push it and try to get the rpm's high. This type driving really helps clean out the carbon buildup. On my SDL, there would be a huge cloud of black smoke if it had been driven lightly for awhile. After the "fart", the sdl would run better all around. You'll really enjoy cruising long distances as it performs spectacularly at 70 - 90 mph. I went from Houston to Austin and to Dallas. The trip was 390 miles. I still show slightly more than a half-tank of gas!! My SL would do 240-260 miles on the same size tank (23 gal)..

btw:, yours looks GREAT! My 500E, 300E and SDL were all the same pearl black!

#6 03-16-2003, 06:54 PM

Mark,

Thanks for the tip. I'm driving from Lufkin to Amarillo to Palo Duro Canyon and then back to Wichita Falls and on into the Hill Country. So I should have some "Shake Down" time. Mine only has 61K and doesn't act like it is running anything but smooth.

At the risk of starting another thread - I rely on McGuires for the spritz detailer between washes and I use McGuires tire dressing areosol and the tires don't look wet or runny. They bead up for three or more washes.

But for the best shine and protection I use Zymol with an orbital polisher - it takes all of the tiny scratches out and it lasts for 2-3 months. The Zymol I use is the blue bottle.

No - it isn't made by Turtle Wax as some threads allude - it smells like bannana, coconut, and caranaba wax because that is what it is made from. I don't think there are any other manufacturers making a distinct non-chemical wax except Zymol. I would shy away from their $144 paste - no wax is worth that price and in tests it didn't do any better job.

Anyway I have had a lot of success with it. Send the pics when you finish detailing your new baby.

I have not been wild about the Black Pearl since it looks like a faded black but it is growing on me. Also you know that Consumer Reports rated the 95 E-Class a "Best Buy"? To date no other MBZ has obtained this rating. Congratulations again!

Mike