Some fraud DOES exist but I don't believe it is that bad as it is made out to be.

I think it is incompetence, laziness and sometimes fraud, in that order. At least that is my belief based on what I see when talking to the technicians. Many of them are merely parts replacers so when something points to the ECM, replace it first. Check whatever it could be next.

ASSUMING it does something, I would think that the switches, since I have had them apart are not sealed and would have issues but not sure if you cannot clean it up with something. As to the shifter, at a worst case scenario, it might not shift from "W" to "S" or be stuck in "S" by default if I recall my case correctly. However, since I have 350K on the clock, I don't think that shifter owes me anything.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I think it is more of his drama that he imagines. He'd make an excellent drama/fiction writer though.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I don't buy that at all. If this is the case then explain why I see so many TDI Sportwagens on the road? Granted I'd never buy a brand new car but if Mercedes offered a diesel wagon sometime from the early 90s up until a few years ago, I'd own one. I've considered a 2005/6 Passat TDI wagon, but I really would like to stick with a MB.

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2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

Your W126 has plastic bumpers.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Look at cost and you can see why. A Mercedes E Wagon will be well over the $60,000 range. The high end wagons in America have never really sold that well.

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2015 ML350 4Matic. Wifes DD
2015 GLK350 4Matic. My winter DD
2012 E350 4Matic. Road Trip car
2009 CLK350 Coupe Designo.Kleemann Tune For nice days/DD
2006 CL600. V12.Eurocharged Tune. Enough said
2005 CLK55 AMG Coupe.Kleemann Tune. For the sound and style
2004 CLK320 Cabriolet. 2005+ Interior swap. For the sunny Florida days & beach days

Unfortunately, you are correct. I've thought about yanking them off and replacing them with STEEL bumpers but I think it might ruin the looks of the car. Plastic bumpers are one item I do not like about the car (along with the seven foot timing chain, but that's another story). Seems there is something about any car that we may not like but I've learned to go with the flow and enjoy it for what it is. BTW, the 560SEL is the smoothest, quietest car I've ever experienced. It is magic.

I'll attest to that. The absence of sound from the engine when it was started from inside the cabin (the single time I rode in a 560SEL owned by a colleague) absolutely floored me. I could not tell that the engine had started, nor did the car have any vibration from the started engine. This was in '91 / '92 or so.....

It is almost as if the car is powered by an electric motor, not a reciprocating engine. At highway speeds, it is as quiet as sitting in your living room. Great handling and braking as well. Thank you, Mercedes for allowing a mere mortal as myself experience such a car.

I don't think I would like that. When one of my vehicles is running, there's no doubt by anyone in the vicinity.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I had a '91 560SEL, I guess it was quiet, but at the time didn't seem to be much different from the V8 BMW's. Then came the Lexus LS400, that was quiet and boooooring.

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Different strokes for different folks. What one man likes, another doesn't. Personally, my ears have suffered far too long from loudness; give me peace and quiet. When I was younger, I liked loud exhaust systems, burning tires, speed shifting, etc etc. Now, I want peace and quiet.

560SEL> LS400. As much as I am not a Lexus fan at all and would never even consider the new ones(Except LFS/IS-F) I must say I do love the SC300/SC400. When they were a real hot car my father bought one for his neice for a high school gift. It was a 1992 SC300. White on Tan Leather it was. I wish I could track down that car. It was beautiful! Only Lexus that makes me smile other then the LFA and IS-F. Who doesnt like the LFA?

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2015 ML350 4Matic. Wifes DD
2015 GLK350 4Matic. My winter DD
2012 E350 4Matic. Road Trip car
2009 CLK350 Coupe Designo.Kleemann Tune For nice days/DD
2006 CL600. V12.Eurocharged Tune. Enough said
2005 CLK55 AMG Coupe.Kleemann Tune. For the sound and style
2004 CLK320 Cabriolet. 2005+ Interior swap. For the sunny Florida days & beach days

Pictures of niece, or the car?

I liked the first years of the LS too..