Thinking of buying an E400 - advice please
 

Hello all,

I just looked at a 1992 400E for cheap. This is for a DD..The car feels great generally, although it seems it has some fine points that need ironing out. Tempted to buy, but I am a BMW guy generally, don't know anything about this model. Feeling hesitant.

Are the following potential huge deals, or should I go ahead with it anyway?

- ABS light is on, however, I have tested braking and ABS will engage
- slight hissing noise from passenger side of car, midsection..couldn't track this down

When it started (cold) it seemed to idle nicely, but after a test drive when I came back it seemed to be idling worse...owner claims it has had a recent tuneup (cap, rotors, plugs, etc) but I noticed it does have tape over intake tubes, so maybe it just has an airleak. No CEL.

All thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated

Those cars were built during the era when MB used wiring harness with biodegradable insulation. You need to check if engine wiring harness is in good shape and if not, it will need replacing.

ABS light is indicative of an issue with the overvoltage protection relay. Is it idling high?

No. I mean, it's always above the idle mark, never below, but it's not like 800 900 or 1000.

If the wiring harness is bad, what is the next step? What is cost of replacement, used v new?

The other thing worth mentioning is the car does have a salvage title. It appears it suffered a fender bender (clips along side of rear bumper are broken so it sags). Tires of good wear patterns, I can't see any damage on underside, it tracks straight at various speeds with braking or accelleration...should I be worried?

I know even most car guys say to avoid salvage title cars, but as long as it tracks well and the body damage is minimal, why not?

I think that Engine wiring harness's are about $600 + labor but check with the site sponsor for a more accurate price.

I wouldn't sweat the salvage title if it's cheap. Cars this old don't have to be hurt badly to get totaled.

That's what I figured - thanks.

What part of the wiring harness is biodegradable? Insulation & all the conduits? Reason for asking is I'm wondering if it's possible to repair if you are electrically inclined...as for a cheap car, even a 400 dollar wiring harness is a big deal

Any insights for a subtle rough idle that's more noticable warm than cold?

It can go bad at multiple spots. Look for the tag on the passengers side near the firewall. Read the date of manufacture (FD). Also the ETA (throttle actuator) can suffer from the same problem.

Rough idle could be the ETA or plugs, wires, rotor. These cars do not have an over voltage protection relay. The ABS light needs to tracked down.

Well..that was a bummer. I took it for a second test drive, a nice long drive on the freeway. Despite the awesome performance, I realized there are a lot of problems here....

- AC non-functional. Owner later admitted to recharging it to no avail..although when I turned it on and stuck my head in engien bay, I don't think I ever heard any clutch engage/disengage...
- Loudness inside from around windshield. Trim is visually in OK shape. Poked at it and it looks secure & supple. I know a proper German car like this should NOT be this loud
- Most likely it needs a wiring harness(s)..it will idle nice, but then suddenly on restart it ran like a dog

Lot of smaller issues too, like play in the throttle pedal. I tried adjusting the cable at the rear of the engine, but that didn't help at all. The second mechanical part also didn't have any play. What's the deal with that? Does this thing have an electric TB?

The car is EXTREMELY cheap (1200)..I am tempted to buy as I love projects, but I don't want to get over my head, especially as I don't know much about this model, or Mercedes in general. That said, I do have a pretty high degree of mechanical compettence, plus I am used to dealing with electrically complicated cars..I practically have wiring diagrams for the BMW M70 v12 memorized...

Really having a tough time making up my mind here. While I love saving cars like this, my life is very busy these days - plus I have other major project cars....

Some direction and insight would be great..thanks for reading

Self Answer:
 

" While I love saving cars like this, my life is very busy these days - plus I have other major project cars...."

Sounds like a disaster-car, run away! Nothing more expensive than a super cheap MB. :eek:

I'LL GO THE OTHER WAY.............
 

You sound just like the mechanically inclined it would take to own and maintain a 400e. Everything that was said above is pretty much right on. I own 2 400e's and if you love v-8's, like I do, they are a great ride. I think you have to try to buy this car cheaper though. Offer the guy $600, figure you'll go as high as $750, and if you can get it done for, then walk away. I can't imagine there will be anymore work maintaining a 400e than you no doubt have experienced with one of your "beamers".....and if I can be a "snide" Mercedes owner....probably less! Yes the wiring harness will need replaced. I've seen them on Ebay for $200-$500. There's a member of this website, Dave Hendy, that also has them for a good price. And finally, you'll have the wisdom of the PP Mercedes crowd to get you through most anything else. Probably what you've already experienced from the PP BMW members. Good luck. Let us know.