W140 Sludge
 

I was looking in the last couple of days for a "cheap" W140 in need of some TLC,just to keep me busy over the winter...I came across something unbelivable: Lady selling a early ,93 I belive 400SE W140,nice car,however,low oil pressure when warm,too low...so,I open the oil cap and surprise...1 inch thick sludge on the oil cap and totally covered in sludge cam,could not be removed with a screw driver tip...then she told me that the last oil change was when the car ended the extended warranty 100k miles,now it has 150k miles!!!!.There is any slim chance,if I get the car for next to nothing(beautiful otherwise and fully functional),to clean that sludge?

WOW, I dont know how one can just ignore the oil changes for 50k miles! The sludge could be removed but you might as well buy the car cheap and rebuild the engine so evereything in the engine is brand spaking new with no dirt to worry about. Even though you might be able to remove the sludge, there will still be some left over and over time, will break loose and cause another critical engine part to fail.

If the rest of the car is in good shape you might have something here if the price is right. Since it hasn't had any maintiance in 50k miles the entire car will be needy.

The engine may be salvageable, figure at least yanking the heads and tanking them would get rid of the sludge in the valve train. Repair any damage you find of course. Then drop the pan and clean it out, with a few short oil changes the engine may actualy be ok.


The simple fact that it went 50k miles on the oil is amazing in itself, the M119 seems to be about impossible to kill!:D

If it is in fact a 93 400SE it's not a U.S. car - no such thing. I would make sure you can find a reasonably priced replacement engine before you consider it. The cost of buying or rebuilding that engine could be several times greater than the market value of the car even with a good engine. These 119 motor cars are only worth as much as their engine is worth - in this case virtually nothing.

Yes, 400SE US
 

400SE was sold in the USA in '92-93.

Here's a link:

http://www.benzworld.org/gallery/index.php/cat/4434

Open up the oil filter cap and remove the oil filter. If you see metal->dont buy the car. If you don't-then offer a ridiculously low salvage price. It is basically a salvage. At least she admitted it and you opened up the oil cap. How does the engine sound with 50k on dino oil. I bet the sparkplugs are probably original too.

Car sounds and runs great,only reason I opened the cap is that,after a 5-6 mile test drive,oil pressure was 2 at cruising speed ,usually its at top under acceleration...so,when I got back from test drive,I looked and notice the sludge,and it is a 400SE,same with s420 before name change.I could get it for 2500$.

It should be pegged at 3 even at a slow speeds. 1000k RPM should be enought to register oil pressure of 3. Check the oil filter. See if you see any blue smoke, which if you are in a smog test state would also persuade you from not purchasing the car. Honestly junk is junk, Ive followed that BMW sludged up 5 sreies and the guy has never been able to completely get rid of the sludge. The best W140 is the 99s which I have 1 and I would not even consider buying anything other than a pristine 99 W140. On top of my head you are looking at definitely some suspension work, ignition items, leaking AC Evap, bad wiring harness, vacuum tubing, closing assistance pump, CEL troubleshooting, brakes, at least 6 synthetic oil changes, oil pump, motor mounts, tires and filters.

The 400SE was sold in the U.S. only in 1992 - confirmed by your link. Short wheel base V8 140 bodies were sold in other markets after that but not in the U.S. A 400SE is either a 92 or a non-U.S. car.

If the purchase price is worth the car in parts and she drives as well as you say. I'd get it and run Auto Rx through it for as long as needed. (Before all the wrench heads get their panties in knot and start flaming snake oil, take a look around the net first), Bobistheoilguy forum is the first place to go, here also http://www.auto-rx.com/rms13/ The BMW guy tried Auto Rx but did not follow instructions and did not run it long enough.

Ditto that. Just went through this on a 112 engine in an ML that had been neglected. Low oil light was coming on when driving cause the oil wasn't making it back to the crankcase!!

$2500 is too much. $1000... MAX. If she whines, tell her too bad she should have spent $20 on oil changes every three months if she wanted to get $2500 for it. No excuse to let a car go that long.

Well, the problem is, most quick change places won't touch that car, and oil changes are more like 50-100$...I was at a MB dealer where an independent mechanic was buying a bushel basket of engine parts for a later S500. The story was, the owner of the car bought it off-lease (not his lease), and the engine blew up (oil-related valve train failure) a month later. The first thing he had done was an oil change, and the oil SEEMED clean...

The mechanic told me that it is fairly common for people who really can't afford these cars to lease them, and they assume that maintenance would be minimal (or none at all, its under warranty for a while, and a Merc to boot) or cost what a Chevy costs. When they find out the truth, they put oil in when it gets low (automatic oil change system), and pray that the car doesn't blow up until after the lease is up and they turn it in. In this case, the lessee won this gamble, and the new owner got it sideways.

I would say to that its the currant owners fualt for buying an off lease car without its maintaince book stamped.

That is MB 101!:D

Well,I wish to afford a 24 month lease on a new S550 or cl550...I will not change the oil either,will run 2 years with the same sludge,for 2500$/month payment.Most people cannot afford that,so,I might have to buy the whole thing for 2500$ or less,and lick the sludge.

I am no lease expert by any means but I was under the impression that you had to follow the factory maintaince schedual. If it isn't followed they will deny warranty claims, and nail you big $$$$ at the end of the lease?