Oh so thats how it's spelled! I use the OE stuff I have never seen the Z stuff.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

It's a 560 SEL. 24.3 hours? Wow. And 37.9 hours for a 400E? That must include a round-trip flight to Stuttgart to get the replacement.

Thanks...

~Bill

I really appreciate all the great advice. I'm an Internet marketing consultant and participate in quite a few online forums in my business. I was happy to find this site. I posted a similar question on mbworld.org and didn't get a single reply.

I'll definitely be ordering my parts here.

~Bill

Someone posted that MB coolant is orange. Dex-cool is orange. That's the crap that GM puts in their cars. Stay away from it. On GM's the orange stuff turns to mud in no time and accumulates in places it shouldn't, trust me. I work at a dealership that sells primarily GM cars, 1-2 years old. The MB/Zerex G-05 stuff is yellow, or straw colored if you will. So, do NOT out orange in, just yellow. (not the regular green either).
Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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37 hours for the timing chain for a 400E? - good thing no one has ever had to do it. Sounds suspicious to me - more like the number to overhaul the whole engine.

That's the jobber time to disassemble the chain and replace only the out-of-spec links and pins.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

"Last but not least their is a power steering filter and it and the fluid should be changed every now and then."... which is when?

Note I said I think about every 20K miles, that would be for the diligent car person, I think (?) MB recommends every 40K or so based on driving conditions but unsure.

If you have no record of it being done change it, my filter and fluid were original and the fluid smelled burnt when I first got the car. I'm not sure of the official MB recomendation but I would think every 5 years or 50k miles.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Thanks. Reviewing the factory maintenance booklet (95 E320), I can't seem to find the change schedule for Power Steering fluid. It does recommend these

- Engine oil and filter -- 7,500m/12,000km (or 3,750m/6,000km under severe conditions)
- brake fluid -- every 2 years
- coolant -- every 3 years
- automatic transmission fluid and filter -- 30,000m/48,000km
- fuel filter -- 60,000m/96,000km
- air filter -- 30,000m/48,000km
- spark plugs -- 30,000m/48,000km (check & replace if necessary every 15,000m/24,000km)

The W124 might not have one, I know all W126's do. The fluid should be changed every so often though, it is cheap.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

If major repair bills could cause you financial harm, do yourself a favor and buy something else. Some folks are lucky and some just don't do the recommended maintenance but keeping these cars up can cost a small fortune. In the last 5 years I have spent $1700 in professional service (Timing chain, water pump, radiator...) and another $5000 in parts (including a $1,400 stainless exhaust). If you want everything done properly and on schedule it will cost a lot. Sure, you could get lucky but it could be a money pit as well. Estimate your resources and tolerance for risk before buying the car. I bought mine cheap and knew it needed some work but not to the extent it did. BTW, if I took it to a shop for installation of the parts, it would have cost another $10,000, easy. I still don't have the AC working nor the ACC working correctly.

If you buy a good one you could get lucky too. Good luck. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have bought a better example.

Regarding the timing chain, there is no specific interval. The 100-120,000 mile is for the guides. They get brittle and break. Timing chain wear is measured by stretch and there are offset keyways to compensate for around 8 degrees of stretch. After that it must be replaced.

MHO...

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Steve
1985 Mercedes 500SL Euro (Gray market)
1995 BMW 520i Euro (Gray market)
1992 BMW 525it Wagon
1994 Honda Del Sol Si

Thanks, Steve. So, had you taken it to the shop for all these repairs, it sounds like the car would have cost you about $265 per month.

Financially, that wouldn't be a disaster for me for a 560SEL that cost me less than $5k initially. However, there are other concerns. Let me ask you this, out of the repairs you've had done, how many, if any, were situations where the car had to be towed rather than driven into the shop?

I live outside of Austin, TX. It will take me about 45 minutes to get to a reliable MB indy. The logistics might be what kills me. I can't drop the car off and catch a taxi.

A few years ago while I was writing a book, I worked for an executive sedan service. I took corporate execs to and from the airport in Houston. Over a two-year period, I drove five different Lincoln Towncars. The first was a `95 with almost 300k. I put anywhere from 200-300 miles a day on those cars and rarely had a problem. The only reason I drove five is we'd get switched around from time to time.

In this particular company, there was no central maintenance facility. We paid a weekly lease on the cars and were responsible for getting maintenance done on our own. I very rarely had any problems with the cars.

I was assuming (or hoping) that the same was true with the MB S-Class cars with the added benefit of higher resale value. It sounds like this isn't the case at all especially if you're not into DIY.

At this point, I'm still undecided.

~Bill

A reputable shop here in Santa Clara, CA charged me approx. $400 for a new chain & tensioner - parts & labor included. My chain appeared to be original and it showed the first hint of start up rattle at ~192K miles.

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'86 560SEL | Silver Ext. / Blue Int. | 201K miles (Apr. 05) | 204K miles (Feb. 06)

There was no time the car ever needed to be towed for maintenance or operational repair. The work I have done is restorative. The entire ignition, idle control system and fuel injectors have been replaced. At one point the car would barely run, but only when hot, and only at idle. The ignition system needed parts. Changing the fuel injectors made a huge difference but I could have limped them along for a long time. Sometimes the repair is for better drivability, not for lack of operation. I changed the sub frame bushings and it rides a lot better. Did it need to be done? Yes and no. The car didn’t collapse or anything but the bushings were quite shot. I changed motor mounts. They were broken in two. The motor didn’t fall out but they needed to be changed. It goes on and on.

I want to buy a pre-’92 SEL but am afraid to take on another project. My wife might kill me. But I like to tinker, so it’s okay. At this point I am willing to pay up for a better one. Believe me, it’s cheaper.

BTW, SJ, that is a great price, but it is critical to change the guides. Did they change your chain guides? I also had the tensioner changed, as long as they are in there. I paid to have it done but would do it myself the next time. I think the SEL is easier with so much more room in front of the motor.

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Steve
1985 Mercedes 500SL Euro (Gray market)
1995 BMW 520i Euro (Gray market)
1992 BMW 525it Wagon
1994 Honda Del Sol Si