S500 Suspension Question
 

Hello all, I am thinking of upgrading to a mid to late 90s S500. The air suspension system is kind of scarey maintenance wise, especially in the salt belt. Which years didnt have the air suspension? I have my eye on a 94 but am still doing research. Any comments on these S500's would be appreciated also. Thanks Jim

W140's

(a) Bio degradable wiring
(b) AC evaporator problems
(c) Bose amp problems
(d) Self closing door hydralics

If these have all been corrected then the W140 is a great ride.

All 140s had hydraulic suspension, there were some changes made in 95, to get rid of the two piece radio. The trunk lid was rounded and a trunk release was added. The evaporator was an issue with most, so was the bose amp, and the rotors and distributor caps were deleted. I would think the later cars are a better deal

Get a 97-99.

They had SLS in the rear, and regular struts in the front. Nothing ground breaking there.

Some 140s had hydraulic suspension. Distributor caps on V8s were eliminated in 1996. I personally don't see how any advantages of the later cars could overcome the burden of having a 1996- 722.6 transmission, at least for the DIYer.

I really like the 94 350SD but don't want to take the chance of getting a rodbender. I know not all are prone to bending a rod but I don't want to take any chances. So isn't the 94 S500 the same car but a gasser?
Oh, and thanks for the very useful replies on this. Jim

The simplest W140 you can own, and the one thats the closest to the diesel is the S320. My friend just sold his 1997 and it wasn't a terribly complicated car, well no where near my other friends S600. With the I6 you will enjoy a lot of room under the hood as well, and a lot of stuff on the front of the motor will look familer to you, since I see you have a 606.

The S320 is the slowest gas W140, but its still not bad. It will leave the diesel in the dust, the M104 does put out about 80 more hp than the diesel. Its no autobahn monster like the S600 but I never felt it was lacking for power. It will run 80-100 all day long without complaint, it just won't loaf at 100 like the V12 and big V8 will. The plus side is you'll get far better fuel mileage with the 6, high teens around town, over 20 on the highway. The 722.6 gearbox really makes the most of what the engine produces, since its a 5spd and pretty smart.

The S320's also lack SLS, they just have gas shocks all the way around. They still provide a supurb ride.

You want a 1997-99 with low mileage and a no BS service history. The last W140's are the best, they kept sorting them out as they went.

What exactly got "sorted out" in 97-99? Very little changed over 95-96, and everything I can think of that changed got more complicated, less reliable and more expensive to repair (e.g. transmission, ignition). For MB the 1990s were a relentless march away from DIY friendliness. If you want simple and DIY friendly you want a 95-96 S320.

They replaced the biodegradable wiring harness after 1995.

They fixed that front end issue with the early ones that would cause a vibration.

They got the modern climate control head unit.

The S320 got the 722.6 which is a fantastic gear box. The privious one had the 5th gear added on as kind of a half ass overdrive gear.

They got OBD2.

Do a search there are a lot of people who recomend the 1997-99 W140's.

Lots of good updates.

Too bad you guys in the U.S. never got the S280.
No SLS - Struts and shockers
No self closing,
No double glazing,
No complications,

Light weight and economic. (more zippy and economical than the 320)

(This was the Princess Di model)

Well, the S280 also had double glazing, and could
be had with most, if not all, of those extras you quote...

br,
syljua

In our market you didn't have much of a choice. The cars were made to a price to compete with the Japanese.
In our market a bare arsed W140 S280 was AU$ 170,000.00 - nearly US$125,000.00 in mid 1990's prices.

Don't forget the W140 outside chassis changed a bit. Added more lines to the body (trim, changed rear end look). I've a M104.990 engine, 1993 Benz 300SE and am satisfied by its power. Had to track down a vacuum leak that was robbing it of acceleration, but found the culprit in a hardened breather hose that was letting the engine suck in outside air from the underneath. Have had problems w/ the 722.5 trans. (reverse failing & then forward gears - had to be rebuilt) & the well known cylinder head gasket defect on the I6, as well as the wiring harness failure & Bose amp problem as well as closing assist & lower control arm vibration but all in all, I like the older chassis look compared w/ the new look. Am told also that the older I6 had a bit more power than the S320 later version & some better quality materials here & there, but am not certain. Someone said it had to do w/ the catalytic converter add-ons which lowered the horsepower compared w/ older models.

Once you get to know your car, these problems become more manageable if you really love your car as a hobby. Just my 2 cents . . .

That was my point - it gets repeated a lot but it seems to be mythology with no real basis. Wiring harnesses on the 95s have virtually all been replaced anyway. The front end problem was gone by 1993. 95-96 climate control units aren't a problem. OBDII started on S320s in 1995, and they still had pushbutton ODBI to boot. In terms of longevity, durability and cost of service the 722.6 transmissions of that era were a disaster compared to previous generation. The body update occured in 1995. Maybe shops like 97 to 99 S320s but for a DIYer the rule should be avoid 97-99 for the 95-96s.

We got a reasonably decontented version in 1995 - the short wheel base S320 which had standard suspension, no door closing assist, no headlight washers, etc. They are not significantly more trouble than an E-class of the era and have a bit more room on some jobs.