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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans
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I bought this stuff based upon a recommendation from folks who "Show" their cars, and I can say I am very impressed with how easy it is to apply and how good it looks.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Jean
Thanks for the advice. I bet we've complained about that light on at least 5 or 6 previous visits for service. It would be a good idea if the message provided a code or something indicating which light is out.
Frank
Try http://www.mercedesshop.com for this sort of technical question. Good luck.
I recently bought an Audi as " my " car. It is too small for the family though. If I go with an A6, I am approaching E territory ...and there is something about that 3 pointed star on the hood :-)
I told him that perhaps 5% of MB owners or lookers find the seats too hard or just plain uncomfortable, but most change their minds after driving a Mercedes on a road trip for several hours. Most say they arrive less tired and even more refreshed. I also told him to check out the multi-contour option for $740.00, but he's completely turned off by the seats.
Imagine, I've been driving my 2000 E320 for more then 18 months and haven't realized just how lousy the seats are! Go figure!
BTW, I just had a strange experience. After a short trip and brief stop, I restarted the engine and found that the horn didn't work, nor did the steering wheel tilt. At a traffic signal, I switched off the ignition momentarily and restarted. Everything is now working fine. Anyone have any similar experience?
This usually happens with my voice-activated hands free phone every few months.
This is the main reason I will not buy a '03 E430.
I will wait until '04-'05 to trade.
M
The car was wonderful; I got a bmw740isport 01, which handled nicely, but didn't shift as nicely nor did it feel as comfortable. I traded into a E55 01, which is somewhat more like the old 500e, but still doesn't quite have the same heft and hunkered down feel as the 500. It was, at this moment, the best car I've had,really more enjoyable than the porsche 996, which I never wanted to take on long rides.
The price seems a bit high, something in the mid-thirties would be more reasonable perhaps, but again, talking about impulse buying and the utter necessity of having THAT car, another five or so may not matter.
There is a vast difference between the feel of the 500 and the newer models and I'd do the 500. It's faster, more responsive , more comfortable and unfortunately, older. I gather this will be out of your consideration, but the new Nissan maxima seems really good and I think a better buy than the 320's.
On the wheel/tire vs. shock question, I think it depends what you want. I found the original Michelin MXV-4's just terrible (little adhesion, poor steering response, and poor tracking) and I replaced the tires for that reason. The larger wheels allow more contact patch (with a 45 series tire), and I think this a worthwhile upgrade.
The HD shocks provide a much tighter, more stable, responsive car, much like MB's in "the old days." If I were only going to make one change, I think it would be the shocks. But then this transformed car really deserves more adhesion.
http://www.mercedesshop.com. check it out, and good luck on the car.
btw, my dealer just gave me about the price you mentioned, for a near mint 2000 E430 4Matic w/15k miles on it, when I traded it on my '01 S. the 500E's sure hold their value - that tells you something.
midwestmb,
Thank you also.
mbnut1,
Didn't you go through this same delima a while ago, or was that someone else?
Thank you all......
M
I go back and forth like a seesaw. As you also probably remember I currently drive an A4 1.8T quattro which is nearly perfect for my driving needs. I have a short commute which is mixed windy road and highway with an occasional 300 mile jaunt back home on the holidays. The only thing the car is lacking is the refinement of my old 190e's inline six and a bigger back seat. The engineer in me sees the 500E as a major overkill combined my past driving record which nearly netted me a suspended liscence. But the car enthusiest side sees the 500E as the greatest car ever built. This leads me to try to find a 500E cheap enough that I can buy it strictly as a hobby car. Make mine smoked silver over parchment.
The reference to Mercedeshop above is a good one. Big time 500E owners there.
Am I missing something here? I sent an email to Edmunds help, but never heard back from them...
BTW, Waldo thanks for the info on the shocks.
M
Estimated availability?
Thanks
When you log in, you get logged in transparently to two places - the Edmunds Town Hall server and the Web Crossing Town Hall server (where the database resides). You have to be logged in to the Edmunds server to view profiles, but only to Web Crossing to post.
When your session with Edmunds expires, you will see that message when clicking on a profile. But you are still able to post because your session with Web Crossing remains active.The Web Crossing session expires on a different time table than the Edmunds server.
Yeah, I know, makes no sense. :-)
You can either turn autologin on to avoid the problem, or just realize that when you see that message you need to follow the Town Hall link back to the Welcome page and re-log in if you want to view a profile.
I hope this helps.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Hope this helps.
Anyway, at least now I know what's going on.
Thanks
www.mbspy.bacosys.be
My biggest disappointment in the handling was the effects of strong cross winds at highway speeds. I find that I have solved most of the problem by experimenting with tire pressures. I have found the best compromise in ride and handling with 32psi in the front and 34psi for the rear.
I think most of us agree that the current seats are OK at best.
The best seat I have I have tried in a new car is the Volvo S-80. I have a 2001 E320 and I love the car but I have had better seats in past Mercedes. Any thoughts?
I love my E320 and have no complaints about the seats. But I'm 5' 10" and 175 lbs. My wife is 5' 3' and 110 lbs., and she, too, likes the seats. Maybe it's a function of size and weight. I know that people report that MB seats are harder than most, but owners also say they arrive refreshed after long drives in a Mercedes.
The active ventilated seats were great this summer. Now that winter is closing in the heated leather is awesome as well.
Enjoy,
BigRob.
The most supportive and comfortable seats I've come across were in a 1988 MX-6 Mazda I owned that were not power but had 8 different adjustments. Took a 3000 mile trip in 7 days with stretches of 4 hours at a time without a break and never felt the least bit tired. Those seats were relatively firm also like in the E. My wife says they were HARD..! I've also owned cars with soft seats and found them to be tiring and to create aches..
However, a mechanic friend advised not to fool with trying a jump start another carb because of all the computer systems associated with the 2000 MB and the possibility of inadvertently "frying" them. If you ever need a jump, the smart thing is to call Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance, available for zip for the life of any MB automobile.
One last point -- your warranty is good for four years/50,000 miles, and I'd be surprised if the battery isn't included. Don't replace a battery based on timing. Personally, I don't plan on ever looking at my own battery.
Hope this helps.
How long can I expect the battery to last?
In my opinion, a "scheduled" battery change at 4 years is a lot better than an unplanned, emergent one especially in this car.
I'm surprised that more of you haven't read the owners manual on this subject. Nighttime, under the hood, in a blizzard, seems sort of a bad learning environment.
BTW, my car, at least, has one honkin' big battery back there. I've never seen one this big at Sears or the Pep Boys. I'm not even sure one technician could pick it up!
Translated: Any preemptive replacement of the battery before it's really used up is going to cost more than the $69.95 you'd pay Sears to replace the battery in your Kia.
To the issue of battery life - - remember that the battery is there to start the car, intermittently provide an additional source of power (for such things as window defoggers and heated seats) when the engine is idling, and as an electrical "voltage-variation absorber" for impulses or other glitches in the electrical system. When the engine gets over idle, the alternator is what supplies the power. So, battery life is somewhat dependent on what kind of driving you do - long road episodes at highway speeds that keep the battery charged, or 2 mile errands with the bun warmers on because the heater hasn't come up to speed yet. Battery life, like your mileage, will vary.
In terms of access, I'd check your owners manual and would suggest taking a look FYI since there are fuses under there, too. There are several locations for fuses in the car, and it makes sense to know where they all are in case you're in too much of a hurry to wait for M-B roadside service.
I'd not be worried about jump-starting the car as long as you don't inadvertently reverse polarity between the jump-ee and the jump-or.
They found that they had to replace the alternator, which was barely charging the battery. They were amazed to find that the original alternator was on the car (96,0000+ miles). Had I merely replaced the battery, it would soon have been discharged because of the bad alternator.