looked at 96 e300 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DieselJim · #1 03-21-2014, 09:23 AM

175000 Miles on the odometer

The good. I didn't get the wheels off but it looked extremely clean and rust free. Very good for a w210.

Engine ran smoothly.

The bad:
Glow plug light was blinking when supposedly the plugs were changed last fall. My guess is the relay needs to be replaced / prefire chamber was not properly reamed or both. DIY cost 200-300 depending on nature of repair.

Tires need replacing. ~600 for new Michelins.

car needs aligning. 100 or more depending on where I get it aligned

Guy is asking 4400 for it thinking about offering him $4000 maybe $3900

The Ok - The Tex could be in better shape but its not bad

I need a deal and if I could have a very driveable and reliable car for $5000 it would be a good price

DieselJim · #2 03-21-2014, 09:45 AM

A question: I know road conditions and everything make a difference but how long should an alignment hold on 96 w210 and is it a normal symptom of older front end suspension, bad lucking hitting potholes or worse? I know who did it is also a factor

shertex · #3 03-21-2014, 09:53 AM

Alignments on my W124 hold a long long time. I know people on this forum turn up their noses at Firestone, but their lifetime alignment is a pretty good deal, especially if you can get it on sale. I'll probably be getting them to do it on my W210 when I get new tires (not noticing any pull, though).

DieselJim · #4 03-21-2014, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

Alignments on my W124 hold a long long time. I know people on this forum turn up their noses at Firestone, but their lifetime alignment is a pretty good deal, especially if you can get it on sale. I'll probably be getting them to do it on my W210 when I get new tires (not noticing any pull, though).

Thanks for the info. I do know a couple of good places or a dealer is across from my office. I might just splurge. It wasn't severe but there was a noticeable pull. Still drove much nicer then the 2014 sentra rental I was in a week ago. My 92 300d bent rear suspension and all handles

jay_bob · #5 03-21-2014, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselJim

...Still drove much nicer then the 2014 sentra rental I was in a week ago...

Amen to that. I travel almost every week for work and drive every kind of rental car under the sun and nothing compares to my 98 E300...best part of the trip is getting home knowing my car is waiting for me at the airport...

Just be careful about rust in hidden places
Spring perch is notorious
Around the door and trunk seals
Around the pushbutton lock to open the trunk

When you get it home do the EGR delete procedure and clean out the intake. Having a NA engine you will need all the help you can get.

DieselJim · #6 03-21-2014, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

Just be careful about rust in hidden places
Spring perch is notorious
Around the door and trunk seals
Around the pushbutton lock to open the trunk

The drivers door was ok and so was the trunk. Didn't see any evidence of rust in the wheel well but I didn't have the wheel off. Seems like a safe gamble and will deal with the perches later if necessary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

When you get it home do the EGR delete procedure and clean out the intake. Having a NA engine you will need all the help you can get.

Yeah it was a bit of a dog. I will miss that kick that the turbo provides

connerm · #7 03-21-2014, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselJim

The bad: Glow plug light was blinking when supposedly the plugs were changed last fall. My guess is the relay needs to be replaced / prefire chamber was not properly reamed or both. DIY cost 200-300 depending on nature of repair.

You are an optimist. For that be glad. My guess is that one or four or five glow plugs are broken and/or stripped. I wouldn't make another move without verifying the condition of the glow plugs and the head.

DieselJim · #8 03-21-2014, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by connerm

You are an optimist. For that be glad. My guess is that one or four or five glow plugs are broken and/or stripped. I wouldn't make another move without verifying the condition of the glow plugs and the head.

Ok. I just entered a verbal/text agreement to buy this car. So the worst case with the head is that the threads are cross stripped and that causes the glowplug light to blink

tjts1 · #9 03-21-2014, 12:20 PM

The price seems high to me for the mileage and condition. I would look for a 97 just to get the 5spd with lockup TQ. People make the glow plugs on the OM606 seem much harder than it is. Its really not that bad. You won't X thread or damage anything if you follow the proper procedure and don't try to gorilla it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselJim

Tires need replacing. ~600 for new Michelins.

Waste of money. Michelin owns BFGoodrich, Kleber, Tigar, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal brands.

Jeremy5848 · #10 03-21-2014, 12:50 PM

Bought my '96 E300 in '07 with 249,000 miles and a complete set of service records so I knew what had been done by the three POs. Not knowing makes the car a crap shoot.

If the engine mounts have not been replaced they will need it. Easy DIY. Ditto the shocks. Check the dual aux fans. One has a motor, the other is belt-driven from the first. If the belt slips or breaks it won't spin when the other does. Almost impossible to see the belt.

Michelin tires are great in spite of the nay-sayers. Dirt can accumulate on top of the spring perches, collect water, encourage rust. Clean them off as a preventative.

Thought all USA-sold W210s had leather seats. Sure it's MB-Tex?

The glow plugs are the big question mark. If you have to pull the head and have several plugs extracted and the holes machined you will regret paying $4000 for the car. It's not a trivial job like the engine mounts.

The W210 is far more electronic than the W124. You'll want a code-reader / resetter. The w210 electrics are also less repairable.

Plus side, the cabin air filter is easy to replace. If the charcoal filter is the original, keep it! The aftermarket replacements are poor (too little charcoal) and don't work. Your nose will thank you.

Jeremy

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselJim

175000 Miles on the odometer

The good. I didn't get the wheels off but it looked extremely clean and rust free. Very good for a w210.

Engine ran smoothly.

The bad:
Glow plug light was blinking when supposedly the plugs were changed last fall. My guess is the relay needs to be replaced / prefire chamber was not properly reamed or both. DIY cost 200-300 depending on nature of repair.

Tires need replacing. ~600 for new Michelins.

car needs aligning. 100 or more depending on where I get it aligned

Guy is asking 4400 for it thinking about offering him $4000 maybe $3900

The Ok - The Tex could be in better shape but its not bad

I need a deal and if I could have a very driveable and reliable car for $5000 it would be a good price

DieselJim · #11 03-21-2014, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

Bought my '96 E300 in '07 with 249,000 miles and a complete set of service records so I knew what had been done by the three POs. Not knowing makes the car a crap shoot.

If the engine mounts have not been replaced they will need it. Easy DIY. Ditto the shocks. Check the dual aux fans. One has a motor, the other is belt-driven from the first. If the belt slips or breaks it won't spin when the other does. Almost impossible to see the belt.

Michelin tires are great in spite of the nay-sayers. Dirt can accumulate on top of the spring perches, collect water, encourage rust. Clean them off as a preventative.

Thought all USA-sold W210s had leather seats. Sure it's MB-Tex?

The glow plugs are the big question mark. If you have to pull the head and have several plugs extracted and the holes machined you will regret paying $4000 for the car. It's not a trivial job like the engine mounts.

The W210 is far more electronic than the W124. You'll want a code-reader / resetter. The w210 electrics are also less repairable.

Plus side, the cabin air filter is easy to replace. If the charcoal filter is the original, keep it! The aftermarket replacements are poor (too little charcoal) and don't work. Your nose will thank you.

Jeremy

It probably is leather. I'm not a snob. Either is good for me. Thanks for the pointers.

I heard or felt no indication of bad engine mounts. Doesn't mean it won't have them in a 1000 miles. The glow plug thing is scaring me. But it presents itself as a fairly well maintained car. I really want to get rid of that can of ether I'm carrying as I play out the string on my 300D. Honestly I'm much less worried about this one then the 97 I drove that obviously needed motor mounts and a can of ether was in the door. It is a gamble though, not sure about the cost effectiveness of pre-sale inspections on this age of a car. I would say transmission is the biggest unavoidable risk.

Still I think this car can get me through the next 7-8 years or more with reasonable maintenance over that time period

tjts1 · #12 03-21-2014, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

Thought all USA-sold W210s had leather seats. Sure it's MB-Tex?

On my 97 that ain't no leather.
http://i.imgur.com/DRjicjn.jpg?1

Check for rust underneath the front window frame door seals. My california car had it. Its an easy fix and you might be able to negotiate the price down with it.
http://i.imgur.com/QraDLx2.jpg?1