PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - 95 e300 diesel. Looking at this car. What should I look for?

Jeremy5848 · #4 03-18-2013, 12:25 PM

Your title says it's a '95, the text says 1992. Which?

Check the shocks. If you see a large number, usually between "1" and "5" and stenciled in white or yellow, that indicates a factory original rear shock or front strut. At 200K these will need replacing; $500 for Bilsteins (mail order parts store) and do all the work yourself.

Check the motor mounts. These are hydraulic and have a typical lifetime of 100,000 miles. Easy DIY job and less than $200 in parts.

Ditto the engine wiring harnesses as previously mentioned. Mid-90s MBs got harnesses with "environmentally friendly" wire insulation; after 10 years or so it turns to plastic, cracks, and falls off. Worse in a hot area like an engine bay. Harnesses are expensive and a lot of disassembly is required to replace them. Can be very expensive.

While you're under the hood check the rubber and plastic vacuum lines. Many operate the EGR system and can be ignored unless your state smogs diesels. Other lines (in a '95 E300) operate the flaps that "tune" the intake manifold. Failure of this system will affect performance.

Check the suspension, front and back. There are a lot of rubber bushings in the various links that support the wheels; after 200,000 miles most of these should already have been replaced but it is a rare car that has actually had the work done. If you find one definitely bad it's likely that most of the others are getting ready to go. This work is DIY-possible, the various links are $30 -- $75 each.

All of the above work will cost a lot more to have done in a shop and the parts will probably be more expensive too. These items do not make the car "bad" because they are all fixable but they give you specific things to point out during negotiations.

Jeremy