Ok, Im in fully serious mode for this post only.

Do all the mercedes recommended service. When parts break, ask to see the old ones and inspect them. Have the mechanic show you what failed.

Do not overheat the engine. If the engine is going to 110 degrees C or hotter, pull over and let it cool down. It should run somewhere between 80 to 100 degrees C. Even on the hottest day, not over 100. My car runs 100 degrees C in 120 degree F weather.

Change the oil at the scheduled intervals, change the brake fluid once every two years I say especially if you are easy on the brakes like you said. I usually change mine once a year because thats just how it works out. For instance, last year, I decided my brakes were mushy, so I put on a new master cylinder, and then brake lines, then before that, one of my calipers was leaking, so I flushed it each time (brake fluid).

You should floor your car every once in a while.

(sorry I cant be this serious, just not part of me)
Think about your own body. Do you ever run at a sprint or top speed? I do at least once a week myself. You know, dont you chase your brothers and sisters around the house at a full sprint. I sure do.

(serious again)

You should read the thread on the E55 break in procedure.

Break-In period

one of the replys says to floor the car...etc.

__________________
Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

The advice given here is all pretty good.
I don't see how hard your dad works or how many people in your family affect the advice you need. Either the car gets the proper care and lasts a long time, or it doesn't, simple as that. We ALL like to think we work hard for what we have, unless you inherited a fortune or something I suppose.
In regards to skipping something that seems trivial, like say the climate control filters, y'know, go ahead, skip it. It'll eventually bite you in the a$$ skipping things though, for example the air flow will smell stinky and eventually restrict air flow, make it hard for the blower to run, then you need a filter AND a blower and who knows, a blower regulator. Cha-Ching! NOT worth it. The car has climate control filters, and you guys bought the car, so deal with it. Just like for example someone buying a house with a pool (no, not me, this is way out of my league, don't get the wrong impression) and then never takes care of it so it's all full of twigs, slime and leaves. What sense does THAT make, y'know?
Your 99 is the V6 motor, one piece of advice I have is to use synthetic oil, as MB currently recommends. You'll also see lots of advice concerning the transmission fluid on this model, my personal recommendation is to just leave the transmission fluid alone. Don't even check it, if it ain't leaking it ain't low. Try to do tire rotations fairly regularly.
I'd recommend also using the FSS system along with the synthetic oil. If you aren't comfortable with going that long without an oil change, I'd at least go 7500 miles between changes, the engine holds 8.5 quarts fer cripes sake, not 4 or 5.
Just so you have a rough idea of the service intervalc on some of this stuff, first, the transmission and diff fluid has NO service interval, leave it alone. The basic oil change is done using the FSS indicator in the dash, you can reset it yourself, it tells you how in the owners manual, and for cripes sake DON'T tell me you don't HAVE one. GET one if you don't, call your dealer or Mercedes 800#. Oh, and don't reset it unless you DO the work. Tire rotations I'd recommend every oil change. The dust filters you mentioned are done every other oil change, they cost around $20 for the pair. The charcoal filter is done every 45,000 miles. If you never use this feature (button on the climate control panel) then I'd go along with your dad and not change it (it costs almost $200 too). It only is active if the button is pushed. If no one in the family has lots of allergies, then I wouldn't sweat that, but the dust filters are always active with the climate control on. OK, the air filter and fuel filter, every 60,000 or 4 years, and the spark plugs on a 99 are done every 100,000 OR 4 years, and youmay be getting close on the 4 year mark on a 99, so watch for that, the production year/month is on the label inside the drivers door jamb, on the car body side, a black label, the month/year is on I believe the upper corner of the label. No wait, it almost HAS to be over 4 years old, a 99 would have been built last half of 98 or first half of 99, and this is July 03, so yeah, count on doing the sparkplugs, all 12 of them, 2 plugs per cylinder. OK, and the coolant is supposed to be replaced every 3 years and the brake fluid, very important to replace it every 2 years.
Make sure you check the air in the spare at least every other service, people let these go flat all the time, what a pain in da a$$ when you not only have a flat, but the spare is basically flat too!
Be aware that the car has roadside assistance on it yet too. Free stuff you can still get are coverage for a flat (they'll come out and put the spare on for free) out of gas (they'll bring you 2 or 3 gallons of fuel free) and free jump starts. USUALLY they'll send a dealer tech out to do it too, not usually like "Barneys Towing Service".

Gilly

Unlike many cars, I think with a lot of Mercedes, though mainly the older ones, if given the expected regular maintenance you can drive them pretty much how you want to.

That means, hard off the line, flat out for long durations, etc etc. These cars, if any, were designed just for that. The only rule I stick to in my 17 year old car is to wait about 10 minutes (until the engine is warm) before using full throttle or high revs. I think the rules are the same for most of us.

Just keep an eye on things and stick to the service schedule. If you're gonna run it for years and years and years then more regular oil changes are always nice. Learn to change it yourself - you'll enjoy the 'hands on'.


enjoy it, remember that you own it not vice versa.

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

As with any car, there are lots of parts under the hood and throughout the whole car. The smoother you treat the car and the less you make it "sprint" etcetc, the longer it'll take before problem A, B, C, etc etc show up. Yea mercedes makes good cars, I duno bout the 2000 and up models, but anyways, so they are good cars, but doesn't your common sense tell you that any car you want to last long shouldn't be punched and driven very aggresively even if all maintenance and proper **** is done?

chuck chuck duck

That's For Sure!

__________________
Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

Hi, I have a 99 E320, so obviously this thread is of interest to me. To contribute, I believe I've read that the 722.6 transmission can show premature wear if the driver shifts from reverse to drive while the car is still rolling backward.

Gilly, in the ML forum, I thought you were recommending changing the transmission fluid at 80,000 or 100,000 miles for maximum life. Wouldn't that apply to the E Class too?

Thanks for your contributions.

__________________
99 E 320 S4matic
02 ML 320

There are some super-picky guys out there who wanted to change the ATF in their 722.6 equipped vehicles that I told to at least wait until 100,000 miles before changing it, but in general that's not my recommendation. I'd leave it alone.

Any transmission is going to suffer by changing gear direction (forward or reverse gears) while the car is in the opposite motion.

Gilly

I would never shift into a gear while the car is going in the opposite direction. common sense man.

haibert88

You (your Dad) own a Mercedes, like 90% of everyone in Glendale, and your worried about punching it a bit???

You do live in Glendale? Right??

Gilly's post to you... word for word ... FOLLOW IT.

Punch it a least once a week. Heres what I do about once a week if needed.
Get on the 2 FWY, about 10pm or so and floor it for a couple exits. Get off and get back on going the opposite way.
OR
Take the 2 S. to the 5 N. to the 134. Exit Harvey. You just circled Glendale, its nice driving at night, all the freaks are sleeping or vodka'd up and ain't driving anywhere with their w140's they really can't afford.

DRIVE SAFE Mr. Glendale
Stevo

__________________
1990 300E 187k Running like a bull on Viagra
Nov2005 UPDATE: 205k RUNNING BULL on vacation...

This is a great thread, and believe me I know a thing or two about a benz that's been heavily used and not maintained. I do have a question though.

Someone mentioned that changing rims on a benz will kill bushings, can anyone elaborate on this?
How exactly will this happen and what bushings are involved? I'm asking because I just replaced worn bushings on my 190 and they were worn to the bone, but I don't think it was because of the rims, they look like they are the originals, I have no way of checking this unfortunately.


xp

__________________
1985 190E 2.3L - a constant project.

Hey Gilly
Great post on the W210 E320 maintenance. I have a 1999 E320 4 matic wagon going in for its 4 year service. Other than the additional work you mentioned, ie. plugs, fuel filter, air filter, charcoal filter etc., is there anything else specific for the 4 matic wagon.
I know you stated to leave the diff fluid alone. Does that apply for the 4 matic.
I'm planning to change the trans fluid at 100, 000 km.

Also, manual says to check condition of drive shaft flex discs (4 year service). What should mechanic be looking for?

What type of lubricant is used to grease sliding/pop-up roof rails and slides?


3star

We change the tranny fluid at 50-60k.

The choice of fluid interval is based upon the results of an extended history of failures of BMW transmissions with lifetime fill fluid. They have been out there longer and there is a very tight tech group reporting.

The life of the fluid is 100k. If you wish the life of the trans to be greater, it stands to reason to get it and all the by-products of road wars (dirt, moisure, clutch, metallic wear) out before they become the problem.

From the trenches...

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Speaking of kickdown....In 1984 when I was in Germany I got a ride to Munich on the Autoban in a 500SEL. Whenever we came to a hill the driver would mannually downshift (instead of waiting for the tranny to do it) and floor it. In no time at all we were pushing over 200km.

Anyhow, I asked him if I should get a bucket to pick up the parts we were gonna leave on the Autoban. His answer was MBZ was built for this.

3star:

Yes, that goes for the 4Matic as well. I'd leave the transmission fluid alone as well, especially at 100,000 km (about 60,000 miles).
If the transmission is gonna "unload" on you, it'll do it whether you change the fluid or not. Once the transmission makes up it's mind to change it's occupation from a transmission to a steel grinder, then you're pretty much out of luck. On a 99 I wouldn't sweat it too much though, they had them pretty well ironed out by then.

On the flex discs they are inspecting for wear, this is noted by loooseness between the yoke and driveshaft.

There is a grease MB distributes for lubing the sunroof slides, it's like a thin petroleum jelly.

Gilly

sup gilly, you're very informared. is turning wheel in stoped motion back for the little bolts n stuff that hold steering together.