Why should I not consider a 2000 ML430?
 

Decent shape. 180K. Think I can buy it for 3K. Is this the one with the non-serviceable trans or is that the ML3xx?

Have at it.

Sounds cheap enough. It is nearly in the throw away price range.....drive until you have an expensive repair then move on....?

Other than ugly styling I don't think its that bad. My friend drives a 2001 ML430 - it's been surprisingly fairly trouble free for him. Downside is gas consumption - but like Tom said the price is damn near a steal. If anything, buy it and list it for sale right away and then keep driving it until it sells.

In what way is it "non-serviceable"? Or are you talking about the "lifetime seal"? My trans is a 722.6, IIRC. Every 60K, I have them drop the pan. I believe there is a screw hole in the TC so it should dump more fluid out.

Ugly. So-so (at best) fuel consumption. Shockingly little power, at least in the one I drove. Nicht so gut reputation for reliability. I'd hold out for a T123 diesel instead.

You'll blend right in at the mall. ;)

I recall reading that one of the MLs has a trans that has to have fluid pumped into it, no fill pipe. I guess I didn't mean non-serviceable, just non-owner serviceable.

The list of things that are "non-owner serviceable" grows every year. ;)

Check some of the ML forums/pages. If it's anything like my non-owner serviceable Honda Odyssey transmission, it can be remedied with a section of tubing slipped over the the tranny dipstick tube (tightened with a hose clamp) and a funnel on the other end with a coat hanger to hang it from the open hood. It fills slow, but it fills.

The drain plug on my trans leaves over 1/3 of the fluid still inside. I just repeat the drain-and-fill process twice with a short drive in between, some guys will do it 3 times, to get mostly new fluid. A few "wasted" quarts of fluid is still a helluva lot cheaper than a service visit. I've got 120K+ out of a hard-worked transmission that has a reputation for puking at 60-75K.

That's how all the 722.9 7 speed automatics are done. It's no big deal, the tool to fill them from the bottom costs ~$30. More of a pain without a lift though.

Back to the ML. It has the 722.6 5 speed automatic. It may or may not need servicing, depending upon your religion. Refer to WhiskeyDan's current thread on the topic. It is serviced like any other automatic, albeit with somewhat more expensive fluid.

I believe that you can do everything you want if you have the dipstick and SDS. Since I do it every 60000 I let someone with Sds do it

Thanks for clarifying that.

On my 722.6, you drop the pan, turn the TC so the bolt hole is facing down, drain that. Fill up to what you think is right, get the trans warmed up, check SDS and see if it is at the right temp, stick the special dipstick in. If the level is low, add. If it is right, put cap back on tube, put lock tab on it and drive.

I have the filter changed and fluid drained every 60K. I don't have SDS and don't want a trans spill over the garage floor so I farm it out. With the TC drained, most of the fluid is done.

I don't think it is necessary to change 100% of the fluid if you do most of it regularly.

You need a list not to buy one:confused::confused::confused:

If you want a magical list, make a list of why to buy one.:eek: I wouldn't let you give me one of those damned things.

The fuel filter and pump are a joke. The door and trunk latches are a joke. The climate control steppers are a joke. The whole AAM, EAM system is a joke. The BAS, ESP, ABS is a joke. The fuel line rubbing through the brake line is a joke. The brake light switch is a joke. The window switches are a joke. You can also expect broken rear springs, perpetually leaking washer res, constant SRS problems, broken door pockets along with a multitude of broken cheap interior parts.

Look at the build sticker.... "Manufactured Under Contract for Mercedes..." Kinda says it all right there.

duxthe1, pretty much listed everything I would tell you.

In my opinion,,,even if you get one of these things given to you for free,,,,,you are still getting screwed.

Back when they were new,,,,we used to have a nickname for the Mls.
Guys in the biz called them "job security".:D:D

Alrighty then. I have already forgotten about it. There's another model I want to post about, but I'm going to have to swing by and look at it first.

Don't listen to the naysayers that have never owned one. They are as good if not better than the e430 of that era. They don't rust out like the 210. Driven ones with 200k on original suspension and they drive like new. Interior quality and switches are the let down. Otherwise solid, dependable vehicles.

Tyler, I gotta disagree with you on this one.

The list of things that plague the ML430 is about mile longer than the possibly 3-4 things on a 210 chassis E430.

the only thing I can say good about an ML430 is that the engine itself will be reliable.

The other thing to consider is parts prices on the 163 chassis ML for routine items such as brake pads, discs, cost more than on a 210 chassis car.

As far as not owning one,,,,you are right,,,, I don't and never will own an ML,,,,because I have to work on them every day. I have had many 210 chassis cars though.

If someone really "needs" and SUV, there are sooo many better choices than an ML.

Just my opinion,,,,,,but then again,,,I see 99 percent Mercedes every day and they have been "job security" since day one.

I'm in the same business as you, just from a different end. I see them at their worst every week. They are much better than a BMW X5 or Toureg, but not a RX300 or Acura MDX.

I see at least 3 163s at auction to 1 210. 3 to 1 ratio. I'm certain they sold alot more of the SUVs than the sedans around here. I think that's why you see more in the shop.

They also don't rust. Its terrible what the 210 and other Mercedes of that era do in harsher climates.

Agreed. Suzuki Samurai and Jeep XJ (Cherokee) come to mind. CJ/YJ/TJ aren't bad either if you don't mind lousy fuel economy. If you need something bigger and don't mind really bad fuel economy, a former employer of mine got good hard use service out of several Suburbans.

While I have strong doubts that anyone is going to get a MB in anything but laughable condition for $3K, it may be possible.

I’ve had a y2k ML since it was new and it’s coming up on 150K on the odometer. Mine drives and behaves about as well as the day I brought it home from the dealership. I have no complaints. It has been over 100K miles since it’s had a tune up and doesn’t need one. I use it on the open road a lot, and the last set of tires (Nokian WR) went > 80K miles before I put new ones on. The tire longevity is a testament to how well balanced the SUV is.

I’ve driven a lot of awd/4wd vehicles in crappy conditions over the last 30 years and this one has consistently outperformed any other awd/4wd vehicle in snow and ice (which i drive on regularly for about 7 months out of the year). It has been an excellent vehicle in all regards. I’ve also used it to pull my 7x14 dual axle trailer every month or more frequently for the last 9 months or so, and even with this handicap it is a fabulous vehicle.

You will not find a more capable 4wd/awd truck, except for maybe a G wagon.

That said, I’d be somewhere between extremely wary and outright skaret of a MB with a severe maintenance deficit.

Haven't tried it on that model but for trans fluid in general I remove the return line from the trans cooler and let the trans purge itself of old fluid. Add fluid at one end as it pumps out the other end or overfill it and let it pump the level down.

I would buy an ML if was cheap enough. Use it up and throw it away. Wear out the tires and unload it.

How would you verify the level using that method? You need to buy the dipstick and then get the trans to the right temp. How would you know what that temp was so you can check the level with the appropriate dipstick without SDS or something to hook up to the ECM?

I guess guys will get the temp by using one of these IR thermogauges (looks like a laser gun, will read out temp at the spot the laser is hitting, pretty high tech yet affordable). I would rather get it off the temp gauge in the trans, but if someone finds it cheaper and more useful to have one of these gauges, I guess it's better than nothing, I would assume the fluid temp might be a tad higher than the pan. Probably some way to get a temp probe in to the oil through the fill tube as well.

Starting right around 2000 they stopped putting the drain plug in the TC. Not sure about the .7

Is the trans temp sensor accessible? If yes, remove the thing, heat it to the appropriate temp, hook it back up to the car and check what its voltage output is. Measure said output with a high-impedance VOM when warming up the car :)

Ask Gilly. I thought someone said the sensir was within the trans. Last time I looked at it, I didn't see it hanging out. I suppose if you could scan the pan and you know what to expect it MIGHT work. Never did that before.

I don't know that it matters if they don't rust out if it's only used in the southwestern climate. That said, I wouldn't know what to do with one on the streets and roadways of Dallas, Texas, that my W211/W210 turbodiesels aren't already doing a much better job at - for considerably less per-mile-cost. MPG has to be dismal versus the MB diesels, no?

Temp sensor part of the conductor plate inside the trans, I suppose if you had a pin out for the electrical connector that might work. If I did deep enough I might have one. But unsure of the ramifications of trying to warm up the trans with the connector unplugged, probably set at least a code in the engine management for no comm with the trans, or maybe just an etc code.

What is the LABOR alone to do the job? After all, you are going to have to spend money on fluid and filter regardless. I usually had you or Nick do the job since it was messy and needed SDS and the dipstick which I can't financially justify for the few times I do it. About ever 60K. Got about 400K on it now.

Some ML's no doubt are good vehicles. But there are a significant number that did not live up to MB's previous reputation. In a previous life my wife had one. It cured her of Mercedes Benz for good. Every visit to the dealer was a grand minimum. She dumped it for a Lexus and never looked back.

- Peter.