E500 what to look for
 

I'm considering buying a 94 E500. I currently have two e320's, a 94 wagon and 95 sedan, and am pretty familiar with them. (head gaskets, ac evap, blower motor, nitro speres, wire harness, radiator, aux fans, throttle actuator....all DIY)

I've spent the last few hours reading E500 search results. It sounds like the E500 shares some of the same issues as the E320's--wire harness, ASR, throttle actuator, ac evap.....

Any other issues specific to the E500? What else should I look for.

I'll probably have a pre purchase inspection done because I don't know this car very well. Anything specific I should be concerned about?

Also, are parts specific to the "porsche 124 body" readily available?

Thanks in advance.

J. M. van Swaay.

How many miles on it? You want to take care of the chain. A 94 likely has plastic oil tubes. ASR will at some point be an enigma. But parts are readily available, slightly higher prices on a few things. Porsche had little to do with the car - they assembled it largely because they weren't selling very many of their own at the time.

IMO, the E500/500E is "Overvalued" in that they are rare and sellers ask quite a bit for them. A much newer S430 can be had for less. For example, an 8 year newer S430 is in my local ads for $13,500. Which is what most people ask for E500s. I'd rather have the S myself...

Thanks for the comments.

140,000 miles. No accidents, dealer maintained since new, all records. Spoke with service advisor at dealership--he gave an overall positive impression.

Needs front bumper cover, leather is showing some signs of wear....seller advised steering gearbox has seepage. Wire harness is original. Throttle actuator replaced last year.

I will probably go look. Any feel for what a fair price might be?

Thanks,

J. M. van Swaay

The 500E/E500 is one of the FEW 90's MB worth owning!

You already know the cost of MB ownership..

Pre-purchase inspection should help with the decision.

I gotta believe you're way off base. (1) I'd take an e500 over an s430 anyday, as most enthusiasts would, (2) I see s430s everyday, I don't see e500s, and (3) the e500 will appreciate and the s430 will depreciate.

My point? You can't compare the two because they're very different machines for very different purposes. I think, and many others, that a good e500 is such an amazing MB machine that it's undervalued.

Yes, the S will depreciate more than the E. The E's been around for 15 years and hasn't gone down much in value in the last 5. It's because they are so uncommon that people like them :)

I would love to have a 500, don't get me wrong, I just don't think I would pay over $7500 for a 15 year-old car. Of course, if I happened to see one on a local lot that might change :D

S430 Over an E500??? What are you nuts?!
 

Well, i must say the S430 is a very "down to earth" kind of vehicle, especially when the AirMatic goes on it... But thats another story...

The S430 and E500 are no comparison. The E500 is a TRUE Benz and I would challenge anyone to that comment. The S430 is an obnoxious, over-priced, understyled, over-plastic, chunk of overbudgeted crap.

I have driven the neighbors (that has had it towed out of the driveway twice for AirMatic problems) and it feels like a soft Japanese car. Thank God! Benz busted a true S-Class for 2007!!!!

The E500 is by far one of the most coveted models by collectors. The fit and finish of the E500 is magnificent and to drive one is but amazement at its engineering and carefully thought-out build. The car is a masterpiece and will only appreciate. The S430- god knows if it will hold-up to ever reach collector status. I put the W220's right up there with Volvo S80 quality... JUNK!

Oh and if you need any more reassurance about a W220....
 

Oh and if you need any more reassurance about a W220, read this:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=173504

In preparation of making what I hope will be a "fair" offer, I called the service advisor at the MB dealership to get some more information and also schedule a pre purchase inspection. I asked what the approximate cost would be if the wiring harness needs to be replaced. He responded with "for a car that old and with that many miles, it would not be uncommon for the wire harness to be worn out" I guess a wiring harness is now considered a consummable just like brake pads..... Also, he asked me to prepare a list of what I wanted them to check during the inspection. I thought that was their job. Should I try to find someone else to do the inspection?

The upper harness is about $500...lower one is about 150$....due to the excessive heat the motor generates and the 'biodegradable' wiring its a sure bet if it hasn't been replaced, it should by now. Another problem, I think for all the M119s, is that lately it seems the Throttle Actuators have been problematic, sometimes cleaning them works, most times another $1500 for a new one is in order.

Bumper covers are $1500+ new ...I have a used one if you want to make an offer, but yes, much of the car, except for interior stuff , is still available and working on the car is not really any harder than any other W124...and shares many, many parts with regular 201s, 140s, and other 124s.

The T-chain should be good up to 200K+ if the maint and oil changes have been done accordingly, the chain tensioner is what needs to be checked/replaced between 100-150K. Not a big deal...yes, the 94' have plastic oil tubes which could be a problem, unfortunately the metal ones from the earlier models are not avaialble. I wouldn't worry about that tho...

The car is sure to be a collectors choice and will, hopefully, not depreciate any more and go up in some value in the future...if one cares about that stuff. Its a blast to drive fast but 1/4 throttle around town it does just as well. But, like any other 140K mile car....you best have an open wallet policy and not cut corners on service or parts IMO.

1994 E500...1 of what was 374 cars in the country and scores of them are dead in MB heaven now. Get one and enjoy one of the best built and looking cars from the 90s.!! :)

Thanks for all the replies.

Jim, any idea what a fair price for this car might be?

By the way, where exactly are these "plastic" oil tubes?

On top of the heads..under valve cover..valve train lube.
Notorious faulty part.
There is an article on the Forum diy section.

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/M119OilGuides

What You Should Pay-
 

Im excited for you on the possibility of a 500E!!!!

With 140,000 miles, I would not pay more than $10,000.00- and only an emotional push could make me pay that. I would offer $7,000 and go from there. The car realistically could be worth $8,000 even $10,000- but at $10,000- it would have to be PERFECT and never in an accident. Over time, this is a car that can only appreciate, you cannot go wrong!

All the Best!!!!!

Years ago I had occasion to drive one of these, and know what they can do.
The grin factor and driving pleasure they return is unbelievable, trumped only in performance for the W124 by the AMG Hammer and E60.

They are an utter thoroughbred sports sedan, of the highest quality and utmost rarity. They were very very low in production numbers and even less now survive.

Price is driven by demand for them, and these are becoming acknowledged to be real classics that you can enjoy every day.

I wouldn't mind paying $12,000 or even more if I had to, in order to obtain a well sorted, rust and accident free example, in a color I liked.

Thet are such wonderful cars. The S430 is more of a modern cruiser, built to a price point, rather than for discerning sport sedan drivers. Which are you?

Thanks again for the posts. Great "how to" on the oil guides. With a pictorial guide like that, maybe even a hamfist like me could do it...

Offer???
 

So i'm sure i am not the only person drooling right now.... How much did you pay/offer??? If i may be so bold....

I have a $9500 offer on the table........I'm already nervous that this is too much so I won't go any higher. (Maybe its that emotional push described in a previous post)

J.

That's a damn good offer. They'd be foolish not to take it.

Two years ago I almost bought a '92 500E from a seller in Malibu. He had a stack of receipts that showed a perfect service history, including a new throttle actuator, a/c evaporator, and engine wiring harness. The car had about 160,000 miles on it, and he wanted about $9,000 for it IIRC.

I balked, waited a couple of weeks, changed my mind, but he had sold it to a guy in Kansas City.

I still regret it.

Do It Do It Do It!!!!
 

Wow, that is good money for that car. To be honest, you still can't go wrong even if you have to pay a little bit more... The car is only going to hold value. Let us know what happens!

Without seeing it or knowing its history...I think its worth a bit more even with the miles....maybe $13-14K. I recently helped a friend into another 94' with only 66K on it for $16.6...was in real nice shape too. The fact that there are 300 or so left in the USA might drive the price up a bit. Unfort. , at that mileage of 140K....I'm willing to bet it is going to need some $$ attention. A buyers market so arm yourself with the facts and beat them down is all I can say....they probably just want the car gone and if it was a trade in, I bet they didn't give more than $8-10K for it.

Them lil' oil tubes are under $20 each, good link and its a def. DIY if you can wrench a bit. Not something I would worry too much about but they can sometimes give problems. There's also an updated oil check valve in the filter housing if you have the ticking on start-up. A 94' might not have that issue tho...

Give us an update and pix !

Negotiation is on hold--seller has a family emergency.

Because the AC evap is likely to become an issue, and because the wire harness and front bumper cover need to be replaced, I'm hard pressed to offer more than $9500.00.

I'll let you all know what happens...

J.

E500/500e
 

Have you checked pricies on Autotrader.com? If you select anyplace under distance from zip code you can get pricing from all over the US. I bought a wonderful '95 E420 there after looking for a couple of months.
Anziani

E420
E300

$9,500 looks like a bargain...
 

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=187403


Check out this 500E. Beautiful!:)

We have a tentative agreement. Will go look at the car next week. If my information is correct, this car has the 38 pin diagnostic plug at the right rear of the engine bay. Can anyone confirm this? I have arrangements for a pre purchase inspection, but will look it over myself first. Is pulling codes done the same way on this car as it is on the 16 pin diagnostic modules on my E320's?

Thanks,

J. M. van Swaay

All v8 have 38 pin.
The code tool works the same, except you use #1 for Neg, #3 for pos, and the odd goes to the designated module pin you want to get the codes from
A couple of things are different on the v8 E cars from the E320..it does not have DIS ignition and it does not have HFM...
You have 38 pin -124.036 codes?

Is the code "lookup" the same as described on Jim F's Mercedes web site? (http://pages.prodigy.net/jforgione/MB_S500.html) I believe his engine is a 119.970. The engine in the E500 is a 119.974. If the codes are the same, I have the "lookup" information via Jims website. If 119.970 is different than the 119.974 I don't have the code information.

Thanks,

J. M. van Swaay

Update:

Had a purchase agreement contingent on inspection. Inside lower part of doors had rust so I didn't buy it. I did drive it--what a ride! Still looking for one. Thanks to all who posted.

J. M. van Swaay