Gilly ..

For the non-mechanically inclined just where
exactly are the spring perches located .. how
many are there on a 1999 E320 and what's the
best access to them for a re-weld ?? TIA
My non MB mechanic didn't seem to know what I
was talking about when I mentioned a potential
failure of the weld on my car's spring perches ..
Maybe I need a new mechanic :D

Triffin ..

I am the only one as far as I know. I am glad that this thread has been helpful to some of you.

Please remember that simply inspecting the perches is insufficient as the rust occurs behind the back plate and inside the area covered with rubberized coating (atleast it did on mine) - therefor know way to visually inspect. This is the scary part.

I can only imagine some sort of ultrasoud working here.

There are 2 front spring perches on these, one left front and one right front. The perches are the part that the top side of the front spring butt up against, it's a sheetmetal stamping which is welded to the front substructure. Easy to look at by lifting the car and removing the front wheels. The lower half of the springs seat into the top of the lower control arm, follow the spring up to the top and that's where the perch is.

Gilly

I have an 87 300 D and the left front spring perch also had rust occuring over an area of 2-1/2" X 3/4" within a couple of spot welds on the leading side of the perch.

I used a sharp 1/2" chisel to cut away the polyurethane rubber coating. If you catch it just right you can peel it off a little bit at a time. If there is rust under the coating you will find it loose under the coating and the coating will just peel off of it too! You'll have to probe around feeling for bulging coating with rust underneith, tapping the area might also reveal possible rust.

Just skimming thru some threads and wondered if anyone has done this yet and what the part numbers are. TIA

My E300d is at the dealer's now. I'll ask about it tomorrow. We have lots of salt up here and shi*ty roads. There are quite a few perch failures as well as broken springs. These break at the lower spring where the rock salt ends up and corrodes them. Then they fracture thru the rust pits. My daughter's Bmw has had a broken rear coil spring already.
Steve

Bad News,. Spring perches are bad! 1996 E300D
 

My car is at the local dealer's for the A/C repair and I had them inspect the spring Perches on my 1996 E300D. They're bad and close to failure. They require replacement. I'm not too pleased about it but I know it's necessary. The dealer is going to see what MB will do about it. Parts are on order.
Steve

Should I get new springs at the same time as the perches are replaced? 1996 E300d, 99k. Little rust on one of them now.

I wouldn't say it would be important to do it, no. I wouldn't discredit the idea either, if you're nervous about the rust or something, it wouldn't involve any extra labor to do it now, so the idea does have merit.

Gilly

I am not buying these stories with three photos each of them a size... is it 3K or 4K? LOL< that rust ceased to look real.

Granted, you may all be *right* and while some stories sound credible, some are plainly incredible.

Example A is the alleged "campaign" number that is purely allegatory. Bear in mind that although aCanada recall has some thrust, it is substantially outthrusted by the implication that I and every other 210 owner (all of us) in the USA was not notified of a recall and the recall was concealed by MBUSA with respect to any STARMARK car (that necessarily has had all recalls performed).

Circumstance B is the absence of any dealer's name mentioned in connection with the alleged good will or 50/50 repair jobs. Not uncommon is a post made by a person with no home city. :(

Photos A, B, C, and D are professionally labeled and while creative, artistic attempts were certainly made to paint it---nobody takes a photo of an item that is three square feet in size...that is 2.88K (such that it cannot be enlarged and maintain detail that would confirm its lack of authenticity).

Naturally, my lovely 210 that lived in IL for 75K and ...7 years is sweeet.

(I saw a LEXUS lose all four wheels yesterday....it was parked.)

Work on your stories, folks, and set the alarm clock an hour earlier.

It's Willy time. :)

The W210 unquestionably has rust problems. Are you asserting that all these instances of spring perch failure are untrue? Just because your own car does not have these issues does not mean that these problems do not exist.

I really wanted to make an E420 my next car. I'm glad I read this before I actually bought one.

What are you talking about? My friend had his done on his 1998 E300D with 155k miles done under good will at MB of North Haven, CT. Granted he and his father were a customer their in the past and had a relationship with them.

His spring perche's had very little visable rust but in looking at the old ones 2 of the four spot welds were rusted through. It was probably only a matter of months until they gave way.

You should get treated well either way, but the world doesn't always work that way. If you don't use your dealer for anything or just buy a filter from them once in awhile don't expect them to bend over backwards for you.

The problem seems to be with MB of North America, they are fixing some of these under good will but not others, it doesn't make sense.

Steve, could you please state the name of the local dealer. Thank you.

The following is a Comment or Question From Contact Us web page on the
Mercedes-Benz Canada site.

Sent to: Customer Service

From:

Title: Mr.
First Name: xxx
Last Name: xxx
Email: xxx
Address: xxx
Address:
City: Los Angeles, CA.
Province:
Phone Number: xxx
VIN: WDBJF25F2WA473086
Servicing Dealership: None chosen

Comment or Question: Hello, I request an interpretation of the
following codes if they are available. These codes pertain to spring perches on W210 vehicles according to stories that I have read on the internet. I do
not know if these stories are true or false--they describe potentially
fatal accidents due to suspension spring perch failures. Please inform me
whether or not you have ANY information regarding spring perch failures
and ANY information regarding these codes:

Campaign 01-0799
damage code 062900398

Please commit your response to my by email and in writing by mail. If
there is an immediate safety concern and MBZ wishes to contact me by
telephone, my phone numbers are xxxx and xxx. Thank
you.


Sincerely,
xxx

-----------------------------------------------------
Subject: Reply from Mercedes-Benz Canada
To: xxx
From: CAC@mercedes-benz.ca Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:21:19 -0500

Dear xxx,

Thank you for your interest in Mercedes-Benz. Please note the VIN
provided in your correspondence does not pertain to a vehicle originally
manufactured for Canada. As such, we are unable to provide further
assistance in this matter. Kindly direct your inquiry to MBUSA at
1-800-367-6372 and a representative would be pleased to offer further
assistance.

Best regards,

Erin Somerville
Customer Relations Co-ordinator
Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.
smart Division Canada
email:cac@mercedes-benz.ca
1-800-387-0100
1-877-627-8004