E 320 Station Wagon

[Tom McMenamin]

Good Afternoon to all.
I am a SL Forum guy and have been for quite some time. My Son is looking at a 1999 E-320 wagon and from what I have read on the "Search" it appears that the wiring harness, the leaking Valve Cover Gasket/Head Gasket and the Stabilizing Rear are the most notorious of problems. I think Air Conditioning issues are self explanatory.

He claims the dealer told him that the Cat had been replaced with only 70K showing on the car? This semms strange to me as My 560 has the original cat.

As well, the rear issue aforementioned might be hard to spot. Anyone have a good feel for checking on this?

When is the timing chain due on this engine? 100K?

What else do I need to look for?

The maintenance record should provide a change in wiring harness but is there another way to tell if it has been changed out!

I have a handle on the 560 in as much as you will spend a minimum of $3000 on any 560 you buy. Simply changing fluids and getting maintenance up to snuff and replacing anything that was done marginally by previous owners. Would that same estimate hold true for the E-320?

[jcyuhn]

No, no, none of that stuff applies to the '99. The items you list apply through the 1995 model year, the 124 chassis with the M104 inline six. The car your kid is looking at is a 210 chassis with the M112 v6 engine.

You might want to try searching for "210 problems" or "M112 problems." The cats have been known to fail on this chassis, they make a rattling sound. About the only notorious problem this car has is the window regulators failing, they break when lowering the window and it's stuck down. Other stuff such as wiring harness, head gaskets, a/c etc. are pretty solid.

On this car you want to verify all the services used synthetic oil, that is very important with the extended drain intervals. It would also be good if the transmission has been serviced. Other than that, just make sure everything works, look for signs of rust or bodywork, and make sure it rides and drives correctly. It's a good car.

- JimY

[forp]

If you do purchase this car and plan and on keeping it for a while, I suggest the following (unless already done of course):
Replace the crank position sensor.
Replace the evaporator temp sensor.
Replace the spark plugs.
Replace the transmission fluid.
Replace the fuel pump relay.
Service the sunroof with the correct lube.
With the exception of the transmission fluid(and maybe the plugs, depending on how good you are), all of the above are easy DIY. Click on the "Buy Parts" tap at the top of the page to get some parts prices
I would have the dealer do the transmission and service the sunroof while it's there.

I've probably forgotten some things but you get the idea.

[A. Rosich]

My best advice would be to tell your son to look for a 2000 model year or later. 1999 and earlier W120s are pre-facelift models and they had one of the WORST ever quality issues (from all points of view: mechanical and fit and finish) from any production M.B.

Later (post-facelift) W210 models -2000 and up- improved a little (not a lot), but the revisions helped.

[jlomon]

Originally Posted by A. Rosich

My best advice would be to tell your son to look for a 2000 model year or later. 1999 and earlier W120s are pre-facelift models and they had one of the WORST ever quality issues (from all points of view: mechanical and fit and finish) from any production M.B.

Later (post-facelift) W210 models -2000 and up- improved a little (not a lot), but the revisions helped.

This is great advice. The 2000 and up models also come with more content that wasn't available in the 1999 and older. Some are creature comforts (ie steering wheel radio controls) but the big one is standard ESP (electronic stability program) which is a great safety feature. So far *knock on wood* our 2000 4Matic wagon has been no trouble at all after 10 months and almost 20,000 kms.

Have the front spring perches inspected very closely for rust. This apparently doesn't affect the 4Matic models, but it is very easy to see without putting the car on a hoist. Just bring a flashlight for better visibility. This is a known weak area on W210s.

[uberwgn]

Originally Posted by Tom McMenamin

He claims the dealer told him that the Cat had been replaced with only 70K showing on the car?

T, we had one cat break apart just before 48,000 miles Yes, I was surprised and was told it's not uncommon - - problem with the cat vendor.

What do you know! They had the correct part in stock and I asked them to replace the other side, too, which they did This is a big$$$ repair if coming from your own pocket - - plan accordingly.

We've had a few other minor issues including on-going rust. Car has been a real gem, otherwise. It's now approaching 100k miles and continues to turn in great fuel economy numbers.

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by Tom McMenamin

What else do I need to look for?

The maintenance record should provide a change in wiring harness but is there another way to tell if it has been changed out!

I have a handle on the 560 in as much as you will spend a minimum of $3000 on any 560 you buy. Simply changing fluids and getting maintenance up to snuff and replacing anything that was done marginally by previous owners. Would that same estimate hold true for the E-320?

I researched the W210s quite a bit when I made the jump to one from my trusty W124 300E.

They are good cars, but like any MB, they have their own particular issues. W124s get rave reviews now as gassers, but they had their problems as well! The point about post 2000 models is valid, but the main components - engine, drivetrain, etc. are the same. ESP is definitely worth having if you get snow or heavy rains (it came standard on the E430s, any year)!

Known issues I came across are:

- rust (check door frames by peeling back rubber weatherstripping, also trunk area, around front hood, wheel wells)
- cracking dashboard (usually minimal but annoying)
- seat frames can get loose, clunk when accelerating
- sunroof can make whistling noise
- cats are known to fail early, expensive fix - $1000/side roughly for OEM, buying non-OEM not advised for several reasons. I believe they are federally mandated for warranty to 80,000 miles and 8 years or something like that, a search will reveal the actual numbers and more info.
- window regulators (which are annoyingly riveted on)
- modular engines can burn/use oil (lol...see my own thread on the topic)

The two other main potential issues have to do with the FSS system and the transmission fluid and a well-kept service record is important with these cars when purchasing second-hand. MB says tranny is sealed for life, no need to change fluid. I think there may have been an official revision to this at some point, but needless to say, I would change it asap, IMO.

As mentioned, check and see what oil change intervals were kept and if synthetic was used since day 1. Sludge can buildup and cause problems if conventional oil was used - there was a lawsuit for 98-00 models for this issue.

They are very nice cars and if you can find a good one, you get a lot of car for a low price. I love driving mine and the transmission alone is a joy when compared to the older 4-speed. Good luck and all advice IMHO!

P.S. Try to find one with xenon lights - they are well worth it!

[gmercoleza]

As stated earlier, since you are in the Northeast, be sure to get the spring perches inspected for rust.