Purchase of 2008 e350
 

It has been a long time since my perils and trials with my '71 280se. It has since been sold and since then I have been looking to get back in the game. I was sorry to hear of Phil's passing-he helped me on numerous occasions with BMW parts and was always kind and generous to a fault.
I am interested in an e350 and the 2008 year appears to be affordable and from what I can tell decently reliable ( consumer reports, owner's comments, etc.) I was just curious if any of the membership would weigh in on my thoughts or have some further suggestions.
Thanks,
Turner

an 08 seems like a good year, I believe by 08 they have gotten rid of the SBC brake system. Atleast you won't have airmatic in the 350. I believe you will have a 272 which seem to ok for the most part, i've done a valve job on one so far that had 109k on it. Just make sure the transmission was serviced, records will tell you that. I don't know off the top of my head if they had put the 722.9 transmission in the 211s at that year. If it has a W/S switch on the shifter its a 722.6 if it has a C/S its a 722.9. Also there is a fill tube for the 722.6, the 722.9 does not.

Check the engine number for the cam gear issue. There is a thread somewhere around here that talks about it. It gives the engine number range and a link for the Russian VIN decoder site.

This : Mercedes-Benz M272 engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2008 E350 Purchase
 

Hi;
Did the usual Carfax check and got a good feeling. Went to the dealer and drove the car. Better than the 2 previous cars I had taken out and after a drive in a 2010 I said this isn't what I am looking for.
Looks like the engine of my 2008 4matic is past the balance shaft issues. Also, I have the sports option and the C/S switch on the console to the upper left of the shifter.
So far have changed the oil ( filter not looking very clean ) and it is obvious that no one had put a wrench to the transmission drain plug-I am headed to an independent to have the transmission flushed tomorrow.
Other than some new tires and a set of brake pads everything is OK.
There is one issue regarding the rear window switch control located at the front driver's side control panel: it is stuck and does not want to come up. Have tried some gentle persuasion with a very light application of WD40 but so far it is still stuck.
Thank you for your advice,
Turner

I am glad I read this thread...I plan on looking at a 2008 e350 4Matic wagon for sale in town with 96,000 miles on it. where on the engine can I find the serial number to check if it has the later updated balance shaft? They are asking about $15,000 for the car. Looks pretty clean too.

Your better bet is to get yourself a free subscription to the Mercedes parts system.

In there, you can run a "datacard" which will not only indicate the engine serial number but also list all the options the car was built with.

And of course you can look up part numbers.

EPC-net Online - Subscription Step 1 of 3

dtf, have a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) performed by a MB-trained tech who is intimately familiar with that particular MB vehicle. That way you will learn about imminent expensive repairs, plus get an expert evaluation of the car's overall condition.

Pre-inspection Protocol
 

I generally go with the feeling I get when driving the car for the first time.
For this 2008 e350 I test drove 2 cars prior. The first was not to my liking with a spotty service record and the second although a one owner with an impeccable service record was a real disappointment. The car I bought felt smooth and solid from the start although I have had to address some basic maintenance issues.
My wife loves her new older car and I enjoy that aspect as much as anything.
Having a reputable MB mechanic check out your car is an admirable thing to do on the objective side. The subjective side is another matter.
There is a book written by John Muir ( How To Tune Your Volkswagen ).
I used the service manual for my '66 bug. During the initial read you will find John's suggestion for checking a vehicle you intend to buy. He says that it is important to ask the question: " can I live with this car ". He even suggested that before you settled on your new ride it is advisable to climb up on the roof and assuming the lotus position ask the question again.
Subconsciously, I still do this and it has worked for me..

The C/S or S/W switch is not based on transmission, it was just an update based on year...I think after 2004 they went to the C/S (comfort/sport) regardless of transmission. My 2005 is a 722.6 and it has the C/S switch, while my bro's 2002 has the S/W switch with the same transmission.

mbreturns, by all means with any auto purchase you need to answer the question "Can I live with this car?". If you're satisfied with the car, but want to avoid any potential surprises that may not be apparent from a test drive, then you would pursue a PPI.