W210 Diesel owners: Spring Perch Failure - Please read - Page 11 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

nhdoc · #**151** 11-16-2006, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benz300

were the 4.4L engines put in the 740IL's ? or was the car rebadged ? what year was the improved engine put in from ? I was looking into the 740IL myself but then stopped when I found out such stories related to engine and heating issues.
thnx.

According to what I have read the US spec 740iL from 1996 on used the 4.4L engine. The 4.0 was used in the prior E32 chassis and maybe during 1995 with the first E38's. I know my '97 has a 4.4L.

rchase · #**152** 11-16-2006, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhdoc

According to what I have read the US spec 740iL from 1996 on used the 4.4L engine. The 4.0 was used in the prior E32 chassis and maybe during 1995 with the first E38's. I know my '97 has a 4.4L.

Thats a ray of hope. I personally like the older 7's as they have a somewhat nice look and feel to them. I considered an 840ci coupe for a while until I started reading about the block issues with the V8's and the computer issues with the V12 that turned your car into a 6cyl if things were not optimal.

My interest faded somewhat when I realized that shopping for one of these cars involved looking at block serial numbers to determine if the block had the new or old alloy.

However the bad resale value on the 7's is really what keeps me away from them. You can get a really nice early 1990's 7 for $1200-2100 if you you have the patience to keep it running. The same vintage S class goes from $2700-7000 depending on what you get and condition. While the newer 7's are probably improved the prices on the older ones have already set a bad example.

whunter · #**153** 03-17-2007, 05:56 PM

W124 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing
W124 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing

W202 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing
W202 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing

W210 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing
W210 SPRING PERCH = Front Spring Bracing

ALL PART QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME:

offshore000 · #**154** 07-16-2007, 06:57 PM

it happened to me on the way to work today. I thought that I ran over something, or that an inner wheel balance weight had come off on the drivers side. I got onto the highway figuring I would check it at work. The next thing I know, I'm in the speed lane listening to talk radio. I arrive at work, turn off the engine and shut my door. I get about 50 feet away and hear a crashing sound. I look back and the drivers side front nose is about a half inch off the ground. In shock, other people who have pulled up at the same time ask me WTF happened. I look into the wheel well and see the spring and both the top and bottom bushings on the ground.
I called my local MB collision shop and what do you think they said..."oh, sounds like a spring perch issue, we've seen this before, just bring it over".
The AAA flat bed tow truck shows up and the driver is afraid to drive the car because he doesn't want to bottom out the front end...so I drive it on to and off of the tow truck.
After unloading the car (1997 E420 with 71k miles) my MB guy tells me he'll put it on the lift and give me a call.

So far it's cost me $272, $27 for the tow, $21 for the taxi ride back to work, and $224 for a cheapo rental car for the week (or $39 per day).

As I've read in this thread whcih goes back several years, this was scary, and could have been a lot worse. What if it had snapped 5 minutes earlier on the Interstate and I had hit a pothole or object...the vehicle, at the least, would have been in a multi-car pile up. It's unconscionable for a manufacturer to not be proactive in trying to help protect people when they've made a design error. -O

Jim B. · #**155** 07-17-2007, 05:30 AM

Probably you should get another tow, this time to the Mercedes dealer, with a strategy in mind of letting THEM repair it, and having the dealer billing Mercedes Benz for it.

There have been enough cases reported where in fact Mercedes in fact DID eat the cost for fixing these that you should likewise not be made to pay for fixing this defect.

E300D1996 · #**156** 02-24-2008, 08:30 PM

We all need to get togather and sue MB over this !!! The right side of mine is coming off it could be a class action suit

markg612 · #**157** 02-24-2008, 09:47 PM

of what happens when a tried and true process of engineering a prefect product is subjugated by greed, mass marketing and a jerk with a lot of stock named Jurgen

124,202, 129,140 were the last design & engineer it till it's ready vehicles manufactured by Daimler-Benz. The 210 was what happens when the marketing department drives the design and delivery date verses the design that's ready to be delivered is given to the marketing department when the engineers say it's ready.

Good luck on the suit, The good shops like Sears Imported Autos in Minneapolis as a MB approved dealer body shop will fix this free of charge on the 124, 201 and 210. They call the MB rep in and within a day it's covered. The dealers that pass this off are flat out lazy and don't want to deal with it or just plain don't realize it's covered.

The sad part is the folks that have the perch rip more often than not don't go to the dealer first. Maybe it just doesn't register that one needs to start with MB.

Big Jim · #**158** 02-24-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E300D1996

We all need to get togather and sue MB over this !!! The right side of mine is coming off it could be a class action suit

I replaced mine back in september after getting the brushoff from 2 MB dealers. i think, as many have posted that the dealer will do them gratis if you are a good customer, but most good customers dumped these cars long ago for new ones probably before the perches rotted or were discovered to be rotted. From what i have read, the dealer farms this job out to body shops. Probably a liability issue. If a shop had the proper tools for this job it would be a 3 hour max. Well, good luck with the litigation with MBs" lawyers and keep us posted. jim

DieselAddict · #**159** 02-25-2008, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markg612

124,202, 129,140 were the last design & engineer it till it's ready vehicles manufactured by Daimler-Benz. The 210 was what happens when the marketing department drives the design and delivery date verses the design that's ready to be delivered is given to the marketing department when the engineers say it's ready.

Sure, the W210 has its issues, but so do the others. From what I've read the W140 chassis was quite problematic when it first came out. Also the 3.5L rod bender comes to mind. W124 diesels first came out with crack-prone heads and disintegrating trap oxidizers. These are just examples.

I think one good thing about the spring perch issue is that it's preventing me from buying another W210.

As tempting as it might be to get an OM606 turbo, I really don't want to deal with the spring perches again or the fuel leaks for that matter. I'd rather shell out extra bucks and get a used CDI, but at this point I'm not ready to part with my TDI yet which I'd have to to get a CDI.

markg612 · #**160** 02-25-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselAddict

W124 diesels first came out with crack-prone heads and disintegrating trap oxidizers.

Good point, but what differed from the spring perch failures vs the head/oxidizer issue, the bent rod issues, etc., etc., is the acknowledgment and follow through by MB to correct the defect no questions asked with a bona-fide program verses the one off process with certain cooperative area reps and helpful dealers.

Apples and oranges.

Far as the 140s, no argument here about early issues, or for that matter with any MB first year, they all have issues, and that wasn't my point. My point is the 140, and the likes of everything pre 96 in ORIGIN will be around for decades after the last of the early year 210s is ground up as scrap, that is unless the northern vehicles disintegrate from rust first. Living in a salt encrusted environment like Chicago has been an eye opener. The number of rust rotted 210s vs any other model that have been on the road awhile brings memories from Minneapolis of 123s with rust holes the size of basket balls-

agk583 · #**161** 02-25-2008, 05:12 PM

FYI anyone that plans on contacting the NHTSA it couldn't hurt to do so but i had a 97 E320 that both of the spring perches fell out on me and I fought MB over it and wrote to the NHTSA about it and no one did a damn thing about it. It certainly is a shame.

gsxr · #**162** 02-25-2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markg612

The 124,202, 129,140 were the last design & engineer it till it's ready vehicles manufactured by Daimler-Benz. The 210 was what happens when the marketing department drives the design and delivery date verses the design that's ready to be delivered is given to the marketing department when the engineers say it's ready.

Ain't that the truth. The 202 was starting on the downhill slide, and the 140 had enough overcomplication and expense that it's less desirable... but most of what came out after that, I'd run away from.

gsxr · #**163** 02-25-2008, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselAddict

I think one good thing about the spring perch issue is that it's preventing me from buying another W210.

As tempting as it might be to get an OM606 turbo, I really don't want to deal with the spring perches again or the fuel leaks for that matter. I'd rather shell out extra bucks and get a used CDI, but at this point I'm not ready to part with my TDI yet which I'd have to to get a CDI.

Get a W124 diesel, and stuff the OM606 turbo into it. The swap really isn't all that bad. You basically just need a tweaked 603 pump to feed it (eliminating the electronic controls), and a 722.3 trans would be preferable (the 722.6 is not an option, unless you're made of money). The Finns have been doing this for years. I'm pretty tempted myself. Or you can just crank up the power on a 602/603 W124, assuming you're just looking for the ~180hp that the 210 came with...

About the CDI, well, until Mercedes gets off it's duff and imports that STUPID fast E420 CDI to the USA, they're not likely to get any of my business. If they ever do import the E420 CDI... uh-oh. My bank account may take a large hit.

DieselAddict · #**164** 02-25-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markg612

Good point, but what differed from the spring perch failures vs the head/oxidizer issue, the bent rod issues, etc., etc., is the acknowledgment and follow through by MB to correct the defect no questions asked with a bona-fide program verses the one off process with certain cooperative area reps and helpful dealers.

Apples and oranges.

Far as the 140s, no argument here about early issues, or for that matter with any MB first year, they all have issues, and that wasn't my point. My point is the 140, and the likes of everything pre 96 in ORIGIN will be around for decades after the last of the early year 210s is ground up as scrap, that is unless the northern vehicles disintegrate from rust first. Living in a salt encrusted environment like Chicago has been an eye opener. The number of rust rotted 210s vs any other model that have been on the road awhile brings memories from Minneapolis of 123s with rust holes the size of basket balls-

You might be right on the trap oxidizer recall which I think has gone smoothly for most owners, probably thanks to the EPA that forced MB to do the recall in the first place. But I don't think the same is true for the #14 head or the rod bender engine. I'm not aware there ever was a recall campaign and my impression is that MB generally does not pay for repairs related to these defects.

The W210 certainly is prone to rust, but I don't have enough experience with cars and salt to say with certainty that it's less rust-resistant than most cars, spring perches aside. Regarding W123's, they have interior leak issues and are thus prone to rust even in dry areas, let alone the salty midwest and east coast. But given their age, that's understandable.

DieselAddict · #**165** 02-25-2008, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsxr

Get a W124 diesel, and stuff the OM606 turbo into it. The swap really isn't all that bad. You basically just need a tweaked 603 pump to feed it (eliminating the electronic controls), and a 722.3 trans would be preferable (the 722.6 is not an option, unless you're made of money). The Finns have been doing this for years. I'm pretty tempted myself. Or you can just crank up the power on a 602/603 W124, assuming you're just looking for the ~180hp that the 210 came with...

About the CDI, well, until Mercedes gets off it's duff and imports that STUPID fast E420 CDI to the USA, they're not likely to get any of my business. If they ever do import the E420 CDI... uh-oh. My bank account may take a large hit.

Generally I'm not really into "hacks". In a car I value originality. For me the E320 CDI is more than fast enough and I don't see why anyone would need more power (keyword "need"

). Even my TDI I would say has sufficient power (or torque if you like). As someone who used to own a Z06 Vette, I'm no longer crazy about getting pushed into the seat, but after more recently owning a 240D I now appreciate some torque again, especially in the mountains where having to downshift on a freeway can be annoying.