repair costs estimate for new mercedes owner - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

pronchik · #1 07-28-2006, 11:52 AM

You've probably seen this question a thousand times before, but I'm looking for a ballpark estimate of repair costs for old mercedes diesels. I've heard they are expensive to maintain because of pricy parts and specialist mechanics.

currently, I'm considering buying either a:
1984 300D turbodiesel ("runs OK")
or a
1982 240D (191K miles)

are we talking about thousands of dollars over the next few years?

thanks.

TheDon · #2 07-28-2006, 11:58 AM

granted you get one that is in good shape all you need to worry about is prevenative maintence and the usual fluid/filter changes...

my 300D is in good shape... no rust, interior is good engine is strong.. just the previous owners did some or no prevenative maintence so im still catching up.. all ive got left is a transmission filter/fluid change, valve adjustment and chain stretch measurement.. replace the rear axels and i think ill be good

run carfaxes on both of those cars.. if you need help search for carfaxes here on the search function.. it will pop up a member with the name carson.. i cant rember the rest of his name but its Carson with some numbers at the end

and pricey.. not really if you do all the work yourself.. the 240D is the most mechanic friendly car on the shadetree mechanic aspect.. the om617 which is in the 300's is a lil more complicated but not that hard to work on...

rrgrassi · #3 07-28-2006, 12:10 PM

Like anything else, it depends on what goes wrong. Engine mounts run about $20 each. So, some things are pricy, some are not. The better maintained it is, the less repairs it requires. MB diesels are known for their reliability and high drivability mileage.

A battery pack goes out in a Hybrid. They need to be replaced every 5 years or so. It's at least $4000-$5000 to replace. I have seen lots of '99-'01 Honda insights for sale bacause of this. Rebuilt engine and transmission for the 300D runs about $6000 and you can get another 15-20 years out of it. I prefer the old diesels, and pre 1975 American cars because of the straight-fowardness of working on them. No codes to decipher. Just listen to the engine, it will tell you whats wrong.

Do the maintenance, and do the math. You will find the old diesels can be quite a bargain. If you are mechanically inclined, you can do most, if not all repairs yourself, saving a ton of money. Also, this forum is a great place for helpful tips, tricks and advise.

Cephallus · #4 07-28-2006, 12:10 PM

There are things which break/wear out on cars eventually no matter how carefully maintained they are...and at around 200k miles, you'll likely have some of them to contend with:

1) Suspension. Ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, and shocks all wear out over time. If they haven't been refreshed before 200k miles, you'll notice a *huge* difference after replacing them. Cost: $400-$1000, depends if you do it yourself or not.

2) Plastics/Interior. Plastics become brittle and crack over time, and MB dashes are particularly prone to cracking as they age (especially in hot climates) because of their construction. All of my MB's have suffered from this on some level...since I'm a cheap bastard, I just troll eBay/junkyards for the parts and nickel-and dime fix them whenever they come up. You can buy a used dash for around $100, but having someone else replace it would probably be $$$.

3) Engine. A lot of people don't consider replacing vacuum connectors and rubber hoses as maintenance...but wait until they are repair items. The vacuum system in MB's is very sensitive and one leaking elbow can affect everything from idle to shift smoothness to whether or not the climate control works. The first thing I do on a car is replace the vacuum connectors and any old rubber parts that are hard and brittle. It's amazing how many problems go away instantly just by doing that.

junqueyardjim · #5 07-28-2006, 12:20 PM

The big but is how much junk do you buy. If you buy trash, and there are some trashed Benz's out there, and you want it to look and run like new, you can easily spend thousands. I bought, (on Ebay) a "pig in a poke"out of upstate New York. The car has some rust, which I am working on, but it is not in the suspension. But the little Benz is a wonderful little driver and though I have put a new battery and voltage regulator and I have put in upper control arms and bushings, I think the car has been a bargain. Parts are not pricey. Genuine MB parts bought right on this site are priced as low as any other vehicle parts you want to talk about, and you can check the price of most parts right on this page.
Now if you stay with this forum, you will soon find out that most of the people are inclined to service these old vehicles themselves. Typically, the Dealer is not looking for your business, but might be induced to repair your ride if you have the money. Good "Independent" mechanics are available, and you might get some help on the Forum to find one, especially if you would list your location along with your name on this forum. People "always" want to know where you and many other members live. But you should really consider the question of doing your own maintenence and repair if you are going to be happy owning a 25 year old Mercedes diesel. I love mine, an 85 300D Turbo, but I doubt that I would stay with it if I had to shop it out for repairs.

Hatterasguy · #6 07-28-2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pronchik

are we talking about thousands of dollars over the next few years?

Yes. Unless you buy them and drive them into the ground they cost a few dollars to keep going.

If you want a reliable car with AC, that you can drive on trips ect ect, figure $2k-$3k per year. If you do all the work yourself much less, but not to far off $2k a year when everything is said and done.

These are very old cars, so updating will be needed.

Cephallus · #7 07-28-2006, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Yes. Unless you buy them and drive them into the ground they cost a few dollars to keep going.

If you want a reliable car with AC, that you can drive on trips ect ect, figure $2k-$3k per year. If you do all the work yourself much less, but not to far off $2k a year when everything is said and done.

These are very old cars, so updating will be needed.

At the same time, consider the cost of owning/maintaining a brand-new car.

If you buy a Toyota Yaris for $12k with $2k down, you'll pay around $240 per month payment = $2880/year. Insurance will be much higher as well. At the end of the year, you've spent $3k for a $12k car that you still owe at least $8k on and which is now probably worth less than that.

Even spending a couple of thousand dollars out of the gate, you're probably only looking at between $4k and $6k dollars for a car which will not significantly depreciate in value and which will, at 200k miles, probably run much longer than any new car. In my view, these cars are a tremendous bargain.

Hatterasguy · #8 07-28-2006, 12:49 PM

Of course nothing in life is free. But at least with the new Toyota you won't be under the hood on weekends and at night. One must take into account what there time is worth.

If you view owning one of these as an enjoyable hobby you will have fun owning and fixing one.

If you want a turn key get me from point A to B car that doesn't ask for much, buy the Toyota.

Gary F. · #9 07-28-2006, 12:55 PM

Bought my 85 300d in 2000. 184,000 miles
Vacuum pump rebuild $100. (Had to do it twice because I screwed up the 1st time)
4 wheel alignment $55.
AC compressor rear outlet seals $3.50
Batteries $90. (First one failed after 2 years, replaced under pro rated warranty)
Rear tailight bulb $1.69
Changed out fluids in transmission and rear end, $16.00
Two new headlights, $30.(xtreme bright Sylvania) old ones had darkened too much.
About 4 oil changes @ $25 ea. , $100.
Changed out both fuel filters, $12.
Total repairs and maintenance, about $380.
I do all my own repair work if I can.
Most parts can be after market, no need to go to dealer where their prices are very high.
Hope this helps.

Mismost · #10 07-28-2006, 01:33 PM

That's a wide open question ready for a wide open answer....the answer is...it just all depends on what you start out with. Start with junk and it'll get crazy expensive real fast. Start with a solid car, do most of the work yourself, you come out much better. If you can't/don't/won't do you own work then a MB may not be for you.

I bought a pretty solid car for 1700, I budgeted 1700 to bring it back up to par...I have about 3200 in it now. Purchase price x 2, if you start with a solid car bought at a decent price.

A pre-inspection by a good MB tech could be money well spent. Buy no rust! If it don't run, don't buy it, or least don't pay more than scrap metal prices. Welcome to the madness!

riethoven · #11 07-28-2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Yes. Unless you buy them and drive them into the ground they cost a few dollars to keep going.

If you want a reliable car with AC, that you can drive on trips ect ect, figure $2k-$3k per year. If you do all the work yourself much less, but not to far off $2k a year when everything is said and done.

These are very old cars, so updating will be needed.

I guess that is still less than car payments and you are driving a Mercedes.

We have 2 1985 300TDt's and I do all my own work (I would never let anyone touch my car!)and maybe spend $250 per year in parts for regular maintenance per car. The repairs on the other hand can be quite pricey if you take it to someone that does not know the ins and outs of these cars. This is the parts changer scenario where the mechanic is getting paid by you plus the cost of parts to train himself on your car. Watch out for this because you can spend thousands in a heartbeat, especially on climate control.

I think if you compare parts prices to a recent Japanese car you will find that the OEM (parts made by the original manufacturer so they meet Mercedes specifications, but are sold by others such as Fastlane the sponser of this forum) are cheaper for the Mercedes than the Japanese cars.

I bought my wife's car with everything working except the door locks, and we have taken it from New York to Florida two times now and have had zero problems with it. We cruise at 75 to 85 and it is as smooth as silk.

These cars are known for their bullet proof engines and drive trains. That is why there are still so many on the road.

I had this conversation with an aquaintence a couple of days ago and what I told him is that if you can do some of your own work these are cheap cars to own. If you run into big problems like the climate control, transmission or engine and you can't do the work yourself it can be quite expensive, even with a good mechanic.

I think that many members here at the shop forum own old Mercedes diesels because they are some of the best engineered cars ever made, and are relatively cheap to maintain.

Good luck with your choice, and find a good garage that knows Mercedes diesels.

redassag00 · #12 07-28-2006, 02:37 PM

I purchased Rag Doll for $600 dollars and I have another 2K or so in her, which includes a paint job, rebuilding AC, Rebuilding front end, Typical Maintenance (filters, fuel lines,cooling system updates/repairs), euro lights, 4 new tires, repainting wheels, 4 new speakers, Kenwood CD player, sheepskin seat covers, repairs to oil leaks, etc.

I still have a grocery list of minor things to do, but right now shes a good clean driver, with AC!

Hatterasguy · #13 07-28-2006, 08:49 PM

riethoven actualy I spend about $4k-$5k per year on the SDL. Heck this is a super light year I'm at just a tick over $2k I think!

That figure will double before years end no doubt, a front end rebuild is due. Next year is body work$$$$$

I spend about $200 a year on the SD.

The difference is I am driving the SD into the ground not fixing anything. These cars will run and drive just fine when in need of several thousand in work. The front ends can clunk and be sloppy, the interiors can be tired ect ect.

The SDL I want right, and it costs money to have one of these right. About $15k-$20k is what a mint W126 will cost you. Whether you buy it that way or rebuild it yourself.

Certainly my two cars represent two extremes.

#14 07-28-2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Yes. Unless you buy them and drive them into the ground they cost a few dollars to keep going.

If you want a reliable car with AC, that you can drive on trips ect ect, figure $2k-$3k per year. If you do all the work yourself much less, but not to far off $2k a year when everything is said and done.

These are very old cars, so updating will be needed.

I agree, but it depends how many miles you drive and how interested you are in keeping it perfect. If you fix/replace everything that's degraded before it has a chance to fail you will easily spend $2k-$3k per year. I drive about 35K miles per year and probably spend more like $4K per year. I'm sure I could get away with spending less, but I want it to operate perfectly.

pronchik · #15 07-29-2006, 09:56 AM

thank you for all of your advice, it was exactly what I was looking for. provided my last car is declared "totalled", I'll probably be driving one of these soon.