1999 E 320 Wagon?

[azle]

New to ownership and I have a question or two. first I see alot of letter designation that don't relate to "E 320" like 124 and so on how do I find out what designation? for my new to me car is? 10k really? Do I go that long between oil changes?

Thank You in advance.

[jlomon]

The numbers you are talking about are MB's internal chassis designations and they refer to a particular "generation" of car. So the W210 chassis is the E class from 1996 to 2002 (2003 for the station wagon). The W124 is the E class from 1986 to 1995. "W" corresponds to sedan/station wagon and SUV bodies. "R" corresponds to convertible cars.

Your wagon is a W210.

[RichardM98]

Your car's electronics includes the FSS (Flexible Service System). It will monitor your driving style and adjust the oil change frequency accordingly.

You must use an approved oil such as Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W-40 European Formula and a fleece filter (not paper).

BTW, the minimums for FSS are 10,000mi or 365 days which ever comes first or 20,000mi or 730 days maximum. A mixture of city and highway driving usually results in about 12,500mi unless you drive little then the 1 yr limit takes over.

Good luck with your 'new' car.

[azle]

WOW Thank you for the quick response! so my wife is driving a W210 I really plan on changing more often does it reset when you do the change? I think I got a deal on the car it is flawless except for the sunroof and cd changer are on the blink This looks like a great site!

Thanks again.

[lkchris]

Actually, you're driving an S210, as W only applies to sedans.

W = sedan
V = long, stretched sedan
S = station wagon
C = coupe
R = sports roadster

just to keep it complicated ...

W164 = ML
X164 = GL

And more complication ...

If you ever see a VMI (vehicle master inquiry) at your dealer, your car will be designated E320S.

Most of the time in conversation, W210works for sedan or wagon.

Finally, prior to about 1985 W was about all that was used.

[azle]

Well hate to sound Greedy but I would like to know as much as possible about my new to me car, thank you!

I have done a search but there is nothing like first hand facts from owners.

[lkchris]

Originally Posted by azle

10k really? Do I go that long between oil changes?

The oil change interval for the same car in Europe is 19K, but since there are so many DIY geniuses in the USA, MBUSA got the intervals designated at 10K for USA models. This is MB 229.5 spec oil, of course.

[azle]

No code or check engine light are on, is there any way to seek codes? I saw in here that there is a way to access them through the radio? I was also told the car has a function that keeps the car warm while you go into the store for a short while? Seems like that could kill the battery if you were gone to long. Any other cool stuff you might know and pass on to a new Mercedes owner?

[lkchris]

No, the codes in the radio are for the radio.

All OBDC2 codes are accessed in every car via a connector under the dashboard by the steering column. It requires a reader. Any reader you can purchase will be "generic" and work on any brand car. Your Mercedes dealer and possibly a serious Mercedes independent mechanic will have a more sophisticated, very expensive reader that will show Mercedes-specific codes for things beyond the legal requirements as regards pollution compliance.

If the light isn't on, there's not much to worry about as regards codes. Of course, verify the bulb check that occurs during starting.

[azle]

4matic how do I know if I have one? Nevermind did more searching, thought it was a type of transmission not all wheel drive.