Repair after repair on my 300E, is it worth it?? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 05-24-2002, 11:07 PM

I was two days away from spending 1600 on a rebuilt transmission on my 90 300E when it miraculously started working by itself again perfectly. No problems since. Every mechanic I had taken it to had said that the tranny was gone and needed to be replaced.

About a month ago I shelled out 400 bucks to fix the rear axle.

I took the car to a bodyshop a few days ago, and the guy estimated me at 1,100 to make the body like new, free of scratches, dents, chips, etc.

For the past week now, my engine has been overheating like crazy, the water has been boiling and spilling out, and I've had to fill it up with water about once every two days. I got an estimate at 550 for a new water pump + labor. Im hoping its just the thermostat.

The car is in dire need of some new springs and shocks. I have gone with the stock ones since the beginning, and theyre in sorry condition. Another 500 minimum there?

No brake change now for 2-3 years I think. Another 200-250 atleast over there?

Haven't done a tune up on this for atleast 2 years now either. Thats gota be another 150-200 there.

This is all on a car with 145k miles, and a very poor 2nd year college student. Everytime I fix something on this car, something else is wrong with it. Im constantly wondering, are these repairs worth it, or is it time to dump this baby and get whatever I can for it. I know I could get atleast 4-5k for it. But then again, if I drop 2k into fixing it up, and another 2k on styling it with mods, you probably couldn't find something nicer looking at that price.

Any suggestions?

KNanthrup · #2 05-25-2002, 03:27 AM

hard decisions.... i love my 300E with a passion... dunno if i could let it go. after that stuff is fixed it should run for another millenium or two. mine has 155k on it and it's been bulletproof.

Chiragp · #3 05-25-2002, 10:15 AM

I have a 140k...I've gone through minr things here and there, but it all depends on how well you maitain it. Lets put it this way, if you need a reliable car to put tons of miles on, there great, but sometimes the maintenance costs aren't worth keeping it for just city use.

I put 35k just this year...So I'm really racking the miles up now...No problems except a teflon band in the tranny that needed replacement...Dealer said new trans, Benzmac and MB Doc said replace the band...total $300, and its like a rebuilt tranny.

Bo complains besides the normal, timing belt and valve and gasket seals. Hey 10 years old, things are bound to wear.

KNanthrup · #4 05-25-2002, 06:42 PM

Yeah, it's too bad about the costs of these things. But Most of the time the old saying holds true... you get what you pay for. Spend more, get a more reliable car. Or spend more in repairs and have parts that last longer.

tom woolner · #5 05-28-2002, 11:56 AM

I have a 92 300E with 165000 miles. At 150K I did the headgasket and valve guides, and prior to that only a radiator replacement. Except for brakes, that's been it. Why? Because all the maintenance has been done on schedule. The bottom line is, if you can't or won't do the maintenance this car requires, you won;t get the trouble free performance they were designed for.

If this car hasn't been maintained, sell it and find one that has all the service records.

Tom

Cap'n Carageous · #6 05-28-2002, 01:10 PM

Chiragp: your right rear door is ajar!!:p

c43amg · #7 05-28-2002, 01:26 PM

As others have noted, it sounds as if the car hasn't had the benefits of regular maintenance and renewal and you're now beginning to deal with the consequences. If everything else is solid and you put $2M into it (off the $4M base you could have sold it for -- probably best to focus on the low end if you didn't do the repair work), you've got a solid and reliable car for $6M -- not a lot out there that you'd take pride in for that price.

If you're short of $$, forget the mods and cosmetics (unless necesary to prevant rust) and focus on go rather than show. Save the $$ and create a fund for mechanical renewal and maintenance (including frequent oil changes) so the next predictable significant item for the mileage (e.g., valve job, transmission, etc.) won't catch you short.

Mike400E · #8 05-31-2002, 11:11 PM

I owned a 300E for 6 years and 65,000 miles, so I guess I qualify as a huge fan of the car, and the brand. IF your car has been poorly maintained, you probably will continue to have problems, large and small. My problems at 150K or so were centered around a lot of electrical failures like window switches and motors, which were surprisingly expensive. Yes, if you fix everything, you still be driving a 'Benz, but you will find it VERY hard to get your money back. Unfortunately the rest of the world just doesn't understand that Mercedes are built so much better than anything else made. They just see 150K + miles and walk away.

I bought a '78 280SE with 98K miles for $6500 and sold it 3 years later with 134K miles for $4000. I expected similar depreciation on the 300E. I paid about $15,000 for it in '96 with 134K miles and traded it to a Lexus dealer with 198K miles 6 years later for only $3000! Now admittedly, I was impatient because I fell in love with a '93 black 400E with chrome wheels, (And I got a great deal on the new car, so I wasn't as concerned about the old.) but I had been trying to sell it for a month with NO offers, even down to $4000. Blue Book is about $6000. If I had been more patient, I could have got more.

BUT - being in school, you may not have the luxury of being able to wait for the right buyer when you decide to sell. I would get rid of it now, and buy something you know you can count on - relatives are the best source for cheap, reliable transport. When you get out of school, you can indulge your need for German engineering!

Ali Al-Chalabi · #9 06-01-2002, 02:58 PM

If you can't afford to make the necessary repairs to this car and you want to drive a Mercedes, I would suggest the possibility that you sell the car.

If you are patient and try to get a good selling price, then you can use the money you made off the sale and try to find a MB with good service records that is in good condition. Or, if you have enough money, you can make the necessary repairs to this one. It all depends on how well your car was maintained. If it was poorly maintained and poorly looked after, it could just keep on giving you more problems down the road, so you may be better off starting all over again with another Mercedes. But that all depends...

invisik · #10 06-01-2002, 08:37 PM

It sounds like it would be to your advantage to learn how to do some of the work on your car yourself.

Brakes are very easy, and the tune-up is, too. Touch-up paint and a good hand buffing does wonders. Shocks are fairly easy as well. Changing fluids and filters are also a piece of cake on Benzes.

Some of the stuff, axel replacement, transmission diagnosis, is more complicated and needs professional attention. But, it never hurts to get to know some of the guys at the shop. Also, ask around for a good independent mechanic with lower rates then the dealer. Usually I go to the dealer for free advice, then fix it myself or take it to my mechanic.

But I'm cheap like that.

This message board is the finest resource you could ever ask for on help with repairs and how-to's with your car. The 300E is a very popular model, so you can find parts cheap and lots of experienced people out there.

I'd recommend to get a list together of what's wrong with your car, post it up and see what people think. Then decide which jobs you want to tackle, and search the archives for help. Then, start asking questions--ask lots, it's free!

And the best reason of all, for the real Benz (or any car) lover, is the satisfaction of working on your car yourself, getting to know it better. You might not ever be able to sell it! I know I had a hard time parting with mine....

Good luck...

-m

TICOBENZ · #11 06-14-2002, 09:41 PM

I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH INVISIK, I OWN A 1987 300E EURO ,IVE HAD FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS AND I DOUBT YHERE IS ANOTHER CAR I WOULD TRADE IT FOR.THE 124 CHASIS IS IN MY OPINION THE WORKHORSE OF ALL MBZ.
THEY ARE SO EASY TO WORK ON, I HAVE CHANGED THE FRONT AND REAR ROTAFLEX,TRANS MOUNT, BRAKES,REAR SHOCKS, REPLACED MY OWN RADIATOR,PLUG WIRES DIST CAP AND ROTOR,S-PLUGS, THIS WEEK END I AM GOING TO CHANGE BOTH MY FUEL PUMPS AND FUEL FILTER, A THE CABLES FOR MY PARKING BRAKE,AND I AM NO MECANIC, IM JUST NOT AFRAID TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY AND MAKE SURE YOU DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.IF YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHICH TOOLS YOU NEED YOU CAN SAVE A TON OF MONEY ON LABOR AND IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO GET PARTS LIKE GENERICS WHICH IN MANY CASES ARE OEM WITH DIFFERENT NUMBERS AND COLOR BOX FOR EXAMPLE "MEYLE" WK-TOP ETC.
BOBBY, IF YOU DONT HAVE TO OPEN UP THE ENGINE OR DO ANY MAYOR WORK I SUGGEST YOU KEEP IT AND WORRY ABOUT COSMETICS LATER.
IF YOU NEED ANY HELP WITH ANY PROJECT IM SURE YOU WILL FIND MORE THAN ENOUGH PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM TO HELP.
GOOD LUCK
TICOBENZ

Tump · #12 06-20-2002, 09:36 AM

Dear Bobby:

I truly sympathize with your predicament. I have an 87 300E, that I love. However, it was my first MB and although it's a great car, I believe that it was not maintained very well before I got it. (Big mistake buying a second hand MB with no records).

The short and long of it is, I replaced (some myself and some by mechanic): the a/c compressor, the suction hose, the water pump, the radiator, the alternator, the ignition coil, the wires, the cap & rotor, the O2 sensor, the flex discs, the differential mounts, the brake lines, the header with catalytic converter, the window switches, the climate control computer, the cruse control ampliphier, the tachometer and I had the odometer rebuilt and the head redone with new valve guides, valve seats and gasket.

After all that I thought the car was restored (finally) and perfect. However, I found out that a HVAC valve coming out of the heater core was stuck (at least 13 hours to repair) and the a/c condensor is leaking. AGGGGH! It never ends. Transmission and Suspension bushings next ...

At that point I decided it was cheaper to trade my "restored" 300E for a newer Benz and make monthly payments. My repair bills were outrageous -- this is partly my fault, and not the Benz's, because I am a fanatic and did want the car to be perfect. I couldn't or wouldn't let the non-essential repairs wait.

So, the Benz dealer gave me $9K for my 300E to trade in against a $36K '99 C43 AMG. I'm very excited. However, in your case, I agree with the others, either learn how to fix most of the smaller things on your 300E yourself and buy the parts through this forum (even, find a mechanic who will let you supply him with the parts you buy through this forum) or trade it in for a newer vehicle. As a student it may not be financially wise to take on an older Benz. They are great and they are reliable but, I believe they are very expensive to restore and costly to maintain properly, especially if they've been abused/neglected previously.

Just my experience. Good Luck.
Marc

drbrandini · #13 06-20-2002, 10:39 PM

Bobby..
Maybe I can help !! I am almost finished with school and I am driving a 300E with 232k, she runs like a dream. I have spent minimal on the car but I maintain it like a fanatic and the previous owner was a MB tech. Like the old saying goes and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If the car hasnt been maintained as well as it should, it may be a good idea to sell it and find one with records. This goes for any car. If you can work on it yourself this helps too!
The guys at the local MB shop love to see my car because of how well it has been maintained they insist that it still has a long way to go. I hope so.

Several techs have told me that they believe 300E's to be one of the most reliable cars on the road.. So far my car has been more efficient than a honda could. so I believe them. Just got 25 miles a gallon on the last tank...with the A/C running. 12 years old 232k Every option works...not even a tear in the leather......Its all about maintenance!!!

Hope this helps!!