Sounds to me like the fan clutch is shot. A new one will cost you a few hundred bucks. I agree with the previous post though. If you're serious about the car spend the money and get a PPI. Someone once said that the most expensive car you will ever own is a cheap Mercedes. Tread cautiously.

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"It's not about how fast you can go, but how well you can go fast."

Bob in Richmond

'97 S320 (LWB), Ruby Red Metallic, 73k miles
'97 S420V, Smoke Silver Metallic, 155k miles