My Benz is getting old... what to do?
 

I've been driving a 1995 W140 S500 since '03, bought it with 164k and now has 280k miles. I've done 90% of the maintenance on the car and really like it.

However, I fear it's wearing out. The underhood vacuum lines are all so brittle that they explode when you touch them, the steering pump and valve covers are leaking, the exhaust system is getting crispy, it's starting to rust around the edges... it's disappointing.

The W140 is all the car I ever wanted. I could go find a low mileage '99 or something, but I'm afraid that even the lower mile cars are slipping down the same road.

Am I wrong?

Great car. My next purchase will be a W140 S. I think its a matter of history/care. Garaging a car helps a lot. But prior care to your purchasing it may be an unknown, and any neglect may now be showing.

My W126 is of course showing signs of age. But the interior is oddly in great shape. Even the gauge cluster has zero needle fade. A problem mentioned here and seen lots in picts. So while my exterior is not perfect, the interior is great. A sign that it may have had some great prior owners, but not garaged.

If the 140 is something you still like, try shopping around. You might be surprised. I dont think I could buy anything newer than a 140 personally.

Ive been workinv on mbs since.83 i seen them decline after the.126's whee.phased out starting the 140 line. To many features.for.me....if i got one cheap enough i might get one.but being a 1991 560 sel owner i love my car.

If. You like it just fix it.
Vac. Lines.are.easy to fix.valve cover.gsk arent bad either.reseal the.pwr.str. Res.repl.exhast pipes that only need.replacing....

Not much logic to selling your good car for a larger risk; odds are, any car you find on the market is on the market because it needs something expensive. if you love your car, keep it. It'll be cheaper than another one.

my thoughts are,why sell what u already know u have,risking something worse or a much larger headache if the newer car has issues.it sounds like ur in a pickle but what u have are easy fixes.valve cover gaskets are cake,exhaust is simple,as are the vacum lines.as long as the engine and tranny are strong a little more tlc will go along way.just my opinion.

If you know what you have, I would keep the car. A few repairs are better than a new car payment and depreciation.

I've got lots of clients who want to keep their old cars because they don't want to spend big $$$ on a new one. If the car is a total POS we tell them it's not a good idea from a financial perspective. If it's not that bad I give it a good look over and let them know what needs to be addressed now, what they can expect in the near term, and what a worst case scenario would be. It mostly works out well for the client, but sometimes they end up buying their old car all over again one part at a time!!!

Why not use this approach before you make a decision? Have the car thoroughly checked out by a qualified tech, and make yourself an estimate. This will help you make an informed decision and hopefully avoid any unpleasant surprises.

my first rule

if it doesn't have rust, it can be fixed

if it has rust, time to look for a replacement

when i have had cars like this, I always evaluate when it is in need of tires.... may sound silly..... but before i put on 600 dollars worth of rubber/alignment...i want to make sure that I don't have another 1k of repairs on the horizon...

most of the time , i part out the car...and then get someone to haul it away and get that money, too...

If you like the car, change out the vacum lines, reseal the steering pump and valve covers.

Any other W140 is at least 13 years old and will likely have zero maintenance history.

I've hired a driver in Manhattan and he showed up in a privately owned black W140 S500 that had well over 500,000 miles, and looked and drove like a low mileage car.

Aaaaaand... We reach a new low in punctuation.
 

Am I the only one that still prefers complete sentences and correct spelling? Nothing personal, my MercedesShop paisan' ; Thomas Edison didn't graduate high school.

P. S. I agree, the heartbreak of oxidation is a real drag. I have a biodegradable wiring harness! What the heck were you thinking, MB? Planned obsolescence?
Maybe I'll pipe nitrogen into my garage. Better than the its usage in tires! It'll keep the neighbors' cats safely (dead) off my cars, too!

Man grow up...! I have a problem that cant be fixed.of with help of doctors...nice of.yoy to down me. I try. OCD & MS.

Please accept my sincere apologies, dude!

Thanks man apollogee accetped. Not everyone can be perfect. I try my best hard to get words out. I hate that it does make me look bad..i get it everywhere not just here.thsnks again my friend that made me feel alot better.