Is it all really worth it??
 

After buying my 1991 300e 3.0, I pledged to keep it through thick and thin. I have discovered I need a head gasket replaced, which will lead to new valve guides and such. I was quoted $1500 by a reputable private European auto mechanic (his name is Helmut, what else needs to be said!). I was told that this was typical and that the repair will give me another 100K of life. I have 185K now. Anyone with a similiar experience? Wondering if it's really worth keeping 'ol Mary Beth?

:rolleyes:

If you're a DIYer, who really likes working on it, it MIGHT be worth keeping, otherwise no. It's a great car but that doesn't mean it's econmic to keep it on the road - parts have just gotten too expensive, to say nothing of labor.

What is the condition of the body and paint, the interior and the rest of the car? If everything else is super clean and some engine work is the only thing in your way, than fix her up. If it has rust, needs suspension work, tired interior...than bid her farewell.

...more about my benz
 

It has quarter damage (I spun out) but I plan to fix that as I go along. Other than that, it's great, straight, and clean!

my 89 300te has about 223,000 miles and is just getting broken in. But then again I like to tinker and replace things like the hvac blower and the ball joints. Couldn't justify keeping the wagon if I was having Hans put it on the charge card. I don't think the parts are all that expensive, it's just the practice of diagnosis by replacement that adds up very quickly.

If you foresee yourself getting tired of your 300e then it is probably not worth the expense to maintan. If you were to compare the cost of maintaining the 300e to the cost of purchasing another vehicle and the inevitable repairs that will come with the other vehicle you can make a decision based on the comparative cost.

MB provides a secure path for maintenance, and if I remember correctly they routinely make parts for about 20 years after a production line ends, and frequently for much longer. So if you find value in the car, MB offers the equipment to keep it running for many years to come. IMO there is no car more suitable for enjoyable long term ownership than the 300e

I myself was debating on getting a head gasket done. I have 94 C280 with 93,000 miles. Its definitely leaking but cant find the leak and could be towards the back of the engine and cant see it. I was quoted around $1500 for a head gasket job. I was wondering if getting a head gasket done with this kind of mileage is worth it. I plan to keep the car for at least 3 years.

Any advice will help my decision. Thanks

There is NO car that has EVER been built that doesn't require some money put into it from time to time. How many new car payments can you make for $1500?

If you are changing oil frequently and taking care of the car, there is no reason that it will only last 100,000 miles after the head work. These engines have incredibly well built bottom ends. When I pulled the head off mine at 170 something thousand miles, there was still crosshatch everywhere in all cylinders. The engine now has 278,000 miles and is in great shape, using no oil and running like a champ.

Just use a good oil and change it often and the engine will stay under you for a LONG time. That said, you have to prepared for the little things on these cars. Things like blower motors, water pumps, belt tensioners, etc., etc. are what test my patience. I can do all this work myself, so the expense is not near as great. If you are not a DIYer, this will be a relatively expensive car to keep on the road, BUT not that much more expensive than other cars while being a MUCH GREATER car to drive than other cars.

Good luck,

Thanks Larry. I usually do my own work as well but the head gasket work is a bit too much to be an average diy. If I get the head gasket done, what else should I get my wrench to do while the top end is off?

This is the rationalization that sells new cars to folks eager to throw away $$ on depreciation.

its not that hard a job if you work on cars as DIY
 

Its just alot of nuts and bolts and you need to follow specific instructions
either found on the mb cd's or posts here about taking the head off.

chain tensioners/guides would be good to change when its done

I would drive a decent distance and pay a few bucks to watch a clinic on head gasket repair.....

it's an inevitable job..... I think if they had that as a clinic for Star Tech, I might have gone........

don't really need clinics on detailing....need it for the real stuff like evaporator cores, head gaskets, valve seals, and suspension rubber replacement.

This wouldn't be Helmut & Vito on Ogden in Downers Grove, would it? I wouldn't go so far as to say they are reputable. Do a search for details I believe I posted - I have used them in the past (or should I say I was victimized by them) and would never go back.

I think it is worth having done. I think you can get it closer to 1k if you look around though.

Mine is the same year as yours and has 91.5k on it. It drives SOLID and is a wonderful car. I saw the same year on ebay (probably a salesman) with 404k miles!! I think if you did the gasket you can drive it another 100k EASY. I have that much faith in this model. (watch it die today)

1500 bucks for 3 years is worth it to me.

If the body and interior are in good shape it's always cheaper to repair a car than to buy a new one. To replace your Benz with a new one of the same size would cost you around $800 a month with a healthy downpayment. You can have a heck of a lot of work done for that amount! The problem, as far as I'm concerned occurs when you have a large dollar problem along with rust or interior work. :eek: I just had some rather expensive transmission work done on my '84 380SL and I didn't even think twice about the repair. To me it was $800 (the repair cost) verses $115,000 for a new SL. Some people will say to buy a newer version of what you have but I'm a firm believer in the old "Devil you know" adage. I have a friend that traded in a 450SL that needed a new head gasket and exhaust for an '88 560SL with 50K on it. Two months after he bought it the head gasket went bad...then the A/C compressor....then the tranny sprung a leak necessitating a $1200 repair. :eek:

Keep what you've got if the body and interior are okay. At least you know what you're up against! :rolleyes2

Is my mechanic taking advantage??
 

I bought a 1989 300E (187,000 miles on it now) from my sister in December '04. She had the car serviced only at MBZ dealerships, never missed an oil change, etc...so I know the car has been properly maintained. I drive a lot more and am a little rougher on my car and I also live on a much tighter budget than she, but I found a mechanic that retired from a MBZ dealership that seemed ok. He did some minor repairs on a couple occasions and was nice enough to let me pay later-which I did as agreed!! I was satisfied with the work but annoyed by personal questions he was asking (I'm a female). I expressed that he was being too nosy and paid him the balance of what I owed. I took the car in yesterday because it runs hot in traffic but not on the freeway. I just had it repaired for the same problem 6 months ago. He said it was the thermostat back then (I paid $200 )-now he said it's the water pump and he said my "tensioner" needs to be fixed or tightened (or whatever you do to a tensioner). He gave me a quote of $330 for the water pump, $200 and change for labor and $35 for the repair of the tensioner and some other stuff . It came up to over $600 when he added it all up. His attitude is not as friendly anymore and said he was looking for a car for his daughter and would "take the car off my hands" for $300 The car can't be in that bad of shape because it has been perfectly maintained in the past. I was insulted by that comment and left the garage. I want to know if the quotes he gave me are even in ball park range of what the norm is. I feel like he is being indifferent now because I wouldn't disclose my personal business to him. Any input will be appreciated :confused:

My indy quoted me $600 for the head gasket but said if it didn''t bother me, I didn't need to get it done.:dj:

Perhaps
 

I think you need to ask your self why are you driving a Mercedes.

If you want basic transportation, many economy cars are now considered "safe". Perhaps not as safe as many luxuary cars, but much safer than they used to be and probably safe enough. (BTW, they became that way in large part by copying inovations of Mercedes-Benz)

Financially, it will be cheeper to fix your MB than to make payments on a new car. True, a new car has a bumper-to-bumber warranty, but you are paying for that too.

If finances are not a big deal for you, then it boils down to preference and perhaps, value for your money.

I hate to pay depreciation costs on a new car. I can afford them, but it is just not worth it to me to have a brand new car and pay all that depreciation. It is not good value for my money in my book.

A used Mercedes should give you good value for your money IMHO.
One caveat. You need to find an honest and competent mech or DIY.

I have daughters (and a wife) and I take care of all their car issues for the exact same reason that you indicated above. One service advisor at a dealer tried to sell my wife needless service and I've had to step in and set him straight. He toldher that the water pump was leaking and it needed a new one. Wehave driven her Yukon over 5K miles, including trips through the Mojave Desert and the H2O pump still works just fine!

I don't know why is it that some men feel compelled to hit on women who obviously don't want the attention. But that is an entirely different issue.

If your sister had the car serviced regularly, then ask her for copies of all services records to see what has been done. The W124 from your model year sometimes tend to run hot in stop and go traffic. How hot is it getting? Do a search here and find possible cures that you could do at home (even if you are not mechanically inclined).

Belt tensioners and H2O pumps are normal wear and tear items. I had that done to our 1989 300TE. I will check the records to see how much I paid.

Where are you located? Maybe you can find an indie mechanic who is more trustworthy and relaible (nad not trying to scam you)

To me, the Benz has a quality to it that I enjoy viscerally. If I just wanted a reliable commuter to do the A-to-B thing, then Merc would not have been my choice. Many Toyotas can do the 200k+, but I wouldn't have any fun driving one.

Itsreen, Find another shop and mechanic. This fella has something else in mind other than YOUR and the cars best interests.

Tell us where you are, general vicinity and the board members will help you find an honest guy. This guy wants to get your car for nothing and may "fix" it, so he'll do you a favor and take it off your hands.

Is it all really worth it?
 

I asked myself the same question once after owning two Mercedes consecutively over a number of years. So I bought a new Accord but found myself always wishing I was in a Mercedes. Now I'm in an old diesel and loving it. Life is short, do what makes you happy...

used mercedes keep or not keep
 

Just on the fact you are being asked personal questions is reason enough to stay away from the mb retired mechanic. If you weren't losing cooland and temps seemed normal, don't replace the water pump. Offering 300 dollars to "take it off your hands" seem's he might just be giving you high estimates or estimates on things not broken so that you'll sell it to him. In my opinion, I would stay away from him for any single one of the points I've made; especially the inappropriate personal question stuff. You can give your general location on this forum and there is likely a forum member who can give you the name(s) of good shops to go to. In my opinion, take your car, as is, to a reputable mechanic and ask him or her to go through the car listing the things wrong or things that will be problematic in the future so you can make an educated decision as to whether to keep this car. By the way, three hundred dollars is approaching salvage yard prices. Best of luck and I hope you're able to get your MB up to specs and have an incomporable car to drive.