Hello all,

I mostly hang out over on the diesel forum but this concerns a 1998 e300 4Matic I may have an opportunity to pick up.

Late last year it was driven during a severe rainstorm, into standing water in a dip on a rural road. The water was higher than anticipated and the car stalled when it came out the far side of the pool. (It never actually sat in the water, but some made it into the cabin into the carpet.)

It was towed to the shop and my mechanic dried it out and drove it for a week. It ran fine. However, the car's owner was hesitant to take it back so the car sat for a couple months.

Then one morning upon opening the driver's door, the electrics were dead. I am given to understand on this model, when the driver's door is opened the instrument panel activates. That is not happening, nor does anything happen when the key is put into the ignition.

Shop was super busy at the time so the car was left sitting. In the meantime the owner bought another car, so now it's just taking up space.

I would appreciate any ideas.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I'd stay away no matter how cheap.

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Jim

battery is fully flat or disconnected, check for water damage at the battery itself, the fuseblock near it and the grounding points near it too (plastic pull out under seat)

there is junction connector for the CANBUS which will go haywire with water on it/in it (its on the floor of the car)

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

+1 Nothing worse to deal with than a 210 with electrical problems.

X2
One reason why I am very happy to be out of mine.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Thanks for the input, guys.

My bad. My wrench is from eastern Europe and sometimes we have, like the line from Cool Hand Luke, "a failure to communicate."

I spoke to him again and what he said to me was, that according to the owner and to his inspection, no water made it into the car. However, he is now worried that perhaps that initial assessment was wrong.

The car was his for two years and it was reliable, and up until the dunking had been reliable for the new owner.

Anyway he is going to pull the car into the shop as things are slow, post-holidays. If he finds on this check that there is any evidence that the wiring was soaked, on the floor, then he will junk it. He has no appetite for electrical issues on any car, he sends electrical jobs out to a specialist up the street.

I am not looking for a w210 specifically. I had mentioned that I would like him to find me something AWD for next winter, and this car is a 4Matic. He put me into an old Lexus FWD in the fall as a winter car, and he is now concerned that my enthusiasm for FWD in winter may lead me to "change my religion" (his words) in favour of something Asian and AWD for next year. He hates Asian cars.

FWD has been a godsend so far this winter, seeing as our local governments have suddenly become totally incompetent in snow removal and street cleaning, after a few years of moderate snow accumulations.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22