That would be Mark Cummins.

He lives at the beach, though, so it must have been the salt air that caused the rust.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Interesting about the galvanized sheet metal. What exactly the "gavanization" process do? I assume it was left out on the W210 for cost reason? I forgot to mention that there are alot of G500's up here that the door hinges are rusting out.

One mechanic told me that they dont dip the cars anymore, they just spray them. Whether thats true or not is beyond me.

Thanks for the info.

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93 300D 2.5 Turbo, Black/Palomino 273K
09 E350 Black/Black 41K

00-03 W220 S-class also did not have the galvanized steel, thus W220s also have serious rusting problems. i hear 04+ S class cars got the galvanized steel tho

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Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe

I really appreciate taking the time to answer my question. I do love this forum, and I read so often. You guys are awesome

Based on the discussion, I will stick with W124 till 1995.

Again, Thanks alot,

I love my 300E, although is it 18 years old. It makes me smile, every time I drive it.

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1988 300E 223k miles and counting..

Some info on galvanization: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanize. Sacrificial ions from the zinc slow down the corrosion process.

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Here's more on hot-dip galvanizing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-dip_galvanizing. The W124 is hot-dipped for superior corrosion resistance. Not so on the W210.

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

I doubt that it's hot dipped. Besides leaving drip marks, heating the metal to 800 degrees fahrenheit would distort the metal. Likely metalized or electoplated zinc (metalizes: hit it with zinc bb's, electroplated: one big electrolysis process at the sheet factory.

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1995 E320 -171k-km
1995 S420 -333k-km

I have a 1997 with the same amount of miles. Had it for a few months and it was fine. Now I have an oil leak which is COMMON FOR THAT YEAR! Independent said 2500 later and I will have a new head gasket to cure the oil leak which is common on the front of the straight six in 1997. Better motor in 1998.

I also am having electrical issues, check my post today my wife parked in the garage, took the key out and the car kept running, no big deal I guess I will disconnect the battery so we do not die from the exhaust., nope not with this POS kept running!!! I ended up turning the ignition to activate the starter which never sounds good on a running motor and it stopped. It is sitting in the garage waiting for me to wrench on it again or take it to the independent for a few days.

Great car when it works right, If I did it OVER I would of took the cash I paid for this older Benz and happily leased one over three years and enjoyed the driving not the headaches now. I just want to go from point A to B in a nice car. I have learned my lesson only lease these cars. Hope you take my advice,

Floyd

On W124 chassis cars, for corrosion protection Mercedes-Benz uses zinc plating (galvanization) to protect many of the body panels. The engine hood, doors, sunroof, trunk lid and fuel filler flap are all galvanized. If the paint is chipped down through the primer and into the galvanized layer, the zinc will electrically migrate across the bare metal and cover it.

All of the welded seams on the car are treated with a special sealing compound that can be reabsorbed into weld material in case of rework.

Primer - The first layer of primer that goes over the zinc coating is applied electrostatically with a complete dip of the entire chassis. The chassis is given a negative charge and the primer is given a positive charge so that primer is electrically bonded to the chassis. After the primary dip there is extensive PVC (polyvinyl chloride plastic) seam sealing all over the chassis.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

These are interesting responses. They beg the question, what are the 210's coated with? My thoughts are that the bodies, at least, are still dipped with some kind of sealant. It would be hard to believe that MB reverted to the old ways of just exterior paint. Any comments?
Ed

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Ed
1960 220 SE Coupe (Ponton)
1999 E320 Wagon
2007 E350

I have no idea what kind of rust proofing / sealing 210's have, but I find it hard to believe they are without any kind of protection.

There is a shopforum regular who posts here (can't remember his name) who is the Shop Forman at a Mercedes dealer in New Jersey. He has posted that the early 210 models were mistakenly not properly sealed in the under coating. I presume the later 210's were, but they all seem to be rusting worse than the 124's did in their time.

There was also a recall that was performed on my 2000 E430 where they applied some silicone caulking around the door frames. I suppose this is a fix to prevent the kind of rusting that affected cars like the door rust on Mark Cummins' E320 wagon.

All I can say is that my E430 was purchased new in Houston and lived there until I bought it in 2005 is completely rust free.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Is the 1995 line for the E-class the same for the S and C class cars? I have been looking at the R129 with the M104 motor from the early 1990s and also the S350 sedan with the 603 Turbo Diesel. I would think that the S cars were properly galvanized and primered until 1995 or even longer.

I guess my dream cars at the moment would be; 1990-3 300SL, 1994-5 SL320, 1992-3 300SD Turbo Diesel or 1994-5 S350 Turbo Diesel, 1992 500 SEL, 1991 560 SEL, 1991-2 500 SL. All in Black, Silver or Dark Blue (maybe Red for the SL).

These all seem like they would be just before or right around the 1995 E-class Cut-off line.

regards,
Jason

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1988 300CE 120K RIP(Midnight Blue/Parchment)
1987 300E 202K (Arctic White/Palomino)


Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth. ~Song of The Open Road

I've gotten slammed for saying this before, and I'm sure I will again, but why complicate your life with a car that needs repairs all the time? I've been critical of my W124, and once (or twice) posted to buy Japanese. Get an Acura TL or RL, or a Lexus, they're nearly problem free. Amazing vehicles. Of course, I got slammed for being on a MB site saying that.

My 300d is a nice car when there's nothing wrong with it, a joy to drive. But there's simply no excuse for a "superior" car such as a MB having chronic, chronic, a/c, blower, and control problems. The pains of people writing into this forum for a/c problems are endless, and there will be more tomorrow. I see a bunch of MB's on the roads of Hotlanta during the blazing summer trying to survive only with tinted windows. What irritates me most, is that they've never come up with a fix for it. For years, they made them wrong. Why? They made bad a/c's for what, 30 years straight? No excuse for such slobbishness. Leaving their customers sweat it out in hot summers? Doesn't sound good to me, especially when the guy next to you in a Toyota Tercel is nice and comfortable, but the guy in the MB is trying to look cool, but isn't. (I had my a/c repaired, thank God.)

There's been a big outcry about "isn't it terrible what's happening to domestic car makers, Ford and Chevy? They're closing plants and American workers are thrown out of work." Well, I for one, think it's wonderful. Why? Becuase they saw the problem coming at them 30 years ago, yet did nothing. They kept making bad cars, year after year, in the face of superior Japanese engineering. As I've heard it, the last of the "good MB's" was the 1995 300d. If that's the case, and you're looking for something newer, I say switch manufacturers. Don't reward bad manufacturers. And maybe 30 years from now, when sales are so low at MB, they'll wake up and see consumers want solutions, not problems.

You asked, and that's my opinion.

Jeff
1991 300d, 99k

While you have some valid points Jeff, as an owner of a Chevy, Acura, and Mercedes my experience is that a car is only good as the maintenance it receives.

Besides normal wear and tear items below is a rundown of the three vehicles:

The Acura is cheaper to maintain but now that it's at 120K miles I have to replace the timing belt, water pump, tensioner and engine mounts. I also replaced the IAC valve.

My Mercedes at 128K miles had the engine mounts replaced, harmonic balancer, MAF sensor, sunroof cables and the A/C has a slow leak.

My Chevy at 180K miles has had the idler arms, alternator, rear differential, rear leaf springs, water pump and coolant temp sensor replaced.

Acura by far has the best customer relations, they send me notices in the mail for them to replace items (at their expense) that have had problems. This included a new transmission & torque converter and sensor in the seat for the air bag.

Mercedes on the other hand never sent me a notice about the harmonic balancer, mine went out before the recall and I replaced it myself.

Since I am partial to rear wheel drive cars, I feel that the Mercedes is the better driving/handling car over the Acura.

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Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

Because the Acura, Honda, Camry don't speak to me. Furthermore, I dislike front wheel drive. Finally, they are absolutely everywhere you look, from coast to coast, ad nauseum.

I like to be a little unique. I like the German mechanicals and mostly easy service design. I don't care about the maintenance cost because I don't pay much for them. It's a trade-off depreciation versus maintenance. In my experience once you get through the 120K R&R period, those repairs last another 100K at least.

Had a '79 300CD in the 80's. Metallic brown. It turned heads.
Still have my '92 300E Sportlne with the Euros. It just looks different and good.

Newest is the '97S320 LWB Black Opal. Not too many of these running around. The strangest thing is that on quite a few occasions I have found other drivers acting deferentially to the car. They wave at me to go ahead and turn left in front of them. I don't do it. Hasn't happened to me in any other car.

I have other vehicles, but they don't spark any of my interest. They get serviced at the local shop.

Steve