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(I am NOT an Amsoil distributor - just an obsessive-compulsive, self-servicing, non-Benz, car owner.)
My next issue with the dealer will be the tick tick sound from a cold start that sounds like a lifter noise.
My 99 E320 kind of jerks forward or seems to not have enough gas at lower gear when I start driving in the morning and gear shift seems not correct. I do warm the car up for about 3-4mins before driving. After I drive for sometime when I slow down or stop at traffic light, I dont see this problem. What could be causing this? Bad Oxygen senor? Or is it the transmission going bad and not shifting correctly?
I am not too worried about the other problems but worried about transi goign bad. What are the typical symptoms of transmission going bad?
Thanks much in advance.
Oil drainback from the top-end to the sump overnight. With overhead camshaft engine designs, upon cold start, there's a brief delay circulating c-o-l-d motor oil back up to re-pressurize the top end mechanicals. Tick-tick-tick... As long as the noise clears within a minute or so, it's not considered problematic. (Or you could always drive a Hyundai Accent with mechanical lifters that require periodic adjustment maintenance... )
The car does not make that noise anymore. They never mentioned what I said in work order write up, and never said what they did. I just now they did something to the engine. I would have heard the noise when I start the car in the garage if they did nothing.. I still think this MB's V-8 does not come close to my 96 Camry's V-6's smoothness. Some of you may think I am crazy for saying this, but it is true.
Joe
Thanks for any input and suggestions
I haven't logged in for a few weeks and I've missed a lot of good stuff that I can relate to. First, there are some generic things to worry about on a used MB. Both of mine needed front end rubber bushings on tie rod ends and sway bars in the 70-80 K miles range. Since both of my cars had Starmark, that repair was free. It can run as high as $1100 for replacement of ALL bushings in the front end. Symptom is a thunk in the front end as you go over small pavement cracks, etc.
Others have mentioned brakes and rotors. I think I've found a solution to the fast wear and the excessive dust on the wheels. A year ago I bought PB brand pads and rotors for the front end and they work as well as the MB brake parts and with almost NO dust. I've only had to wash my wheels every 3-4 months instead of every 2-3 weeks..! And the parts cost about half what the MB parts cost. I bought them from Smitty's Parts Service on the web. I just put the same stuff on the rear and expect the same results. I don't know yet if they will last much longer than the OEM parts, but for the lack of dust and for the lower cost, I am happy so far.. I had all the brake parts installed by a local mechanic for a lot less than the MB dealer's labor charge too..!
And since you're looking at a 99, you shouldn't have to worry too much about head gaskets. My 96 needed a head gasket at 115K miles which was 30K miles earlier than normal for the straight six. (It is a design defect on that engine!) As far as I know, the V6 is very reliable; I've heard nothing bad about it so far..
My '01 does have a few more gremlins of the electrical type than the 96 did, but it does have more stuff to go wrong. Nothing serious so far but every once in a while when I open the drivers door, the alarm goes off even though the door was NOT locked!! And gee, even if it were locked how would I be able to open it? This has happened 6 or 7 times in the last year and the dealer replaced a door switch, but it has done it 2 more times since then.
Good luck on your hunt for a clean one..!
Fred
This might be a big part of your problem..
I had searched the internet for cheaper converters and asked my mechanic about them. His advice is to stay away from them because the 3rd party ones don't have the full load of precious metals needed to last for a reasonable time. He did a cheap one for a customer last year and in 3 months it had gone bad and then the customer had to pay for the OEM part anyway.
I had forgotten that the left side converter was replaced by the dealer under warranty at around 65K miles. My 96 had never needed a converter when I finally sold it at 140K miles. Converters are just one more item that MB has chosen to cheapen up...!
The service manager said that just because one was bad that does not mean the other one will go bad....Oh well, both of yours went bad. I am glad they replaced mine under warranty.
I need to start saving my money for the time when the other one goes bad!! I doubt MB cheapened the part. The part supplier could have had raw material/processing issues.
Joe
You mention aftermarket bulbs; I just discovered yesterday that NAPA dealers carry a lot of the weird bulbs for MB's. You can save enough for 2 cups of coffee on each bulb..
Having a trusted mechanic check it out for you is likely your best bet. My own guess is that you've got a relatively minor gasket leak somewhere. Nuisance stuff - maybe even somewhat involved* to get to and fix, but nothing catastrophic.
*Hey, it's a Benz - if there's a more complicated way to do something simple, Daimler-Benz will eventually discover and implement it...
THANKS!
YANOLA
I have 07 E350. Now my wife is affraid to drive the car.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
Stockerup
Anybody has any experience with reoccurence after head gasket replacement? Thanks
The independent mechanic I use is located in Marlboro, MA, where I live. He operates as Quality Auto Repair and Rick is a very good, honest, and reasonable guy. He is experienced and works on most all brand of cars.
As I read back through all the original postings to the beginnings of the 2003 series E class I can relate to most of the problems. Electronics are obviously very weak. Complete systems have been changed more than once. I won't bore everybody by listing all of the failures. They are well documented by others. I've also had the usual failure of suspension pump, voltage regulator on the alternator ( that renders the brakes inoperable) etc. etc.. The vehicle long ago reached the point where my wife didn't feel safe in driving it lest she be stranded.
Next week I will be delighted to get rid of the car.Of course to give it back to the lease company it has to be tested by the state and, of course, with 78,000 miles on the clock the ball joints had failed. Another expensive repair!
As I said in a letter to Dieter Zetsche, I will never again buy another Mercedes. Though I realize that every manufacturer has a bad year of quality now and again, the difference between companies worthy of my business and the rest is the manner in which they handle a bad situation. Since this vehicle came out of warranty I have been forced to pay repair costs that are disproportionately high in comparison with other luxury car manufacturers ( Lexus, or even BMW). That means both Daimler Chrysler and my local distributor have profited from their own poor quality. That is simply unethical.
Don't get me wrong, MB is a nice car to drive, but I would rather drive a boring, high quality Lexus than to drive a MB with a question mark in my head as whether my MB would start in the morning. when the head gasket will leak, when the spring towers be rusted etc...
This is a free world, please feel free to express your opinions.. In the end, informed customers will win in this battle
Anybody out there with repeated head gasket problems with E320? Please let us know your experiences. Thanks
issue where at idle/car in gear, usually warmed a rough idle begins, engine seems to want to stall but as soon as you give it gas/accelerate problem goes away. It has been to
local Mercedes dealer where it has checked out..wondering if there are any similar problems out there???? Thanks in advance..
Thanks, Justin
What I'm driving at is loose connections or corrosion at the fuse box or behind it.
But this is a case of Sherlock Holmes type work, step by step, circuit by circuit testing.
Definitely you need the full factory wiring diagram and a magnifying glass to see where the logic of these failures might be. I've had great luck just staring at those diagrams and tracing the dead components back and back and back to various junctions and boxes. Suddenly, the 2 or 3 dead component circuits seem to converge in a certain area---AHA!
Is this correct or the inner fender plastic piece removal will give me access to the bulbs?
Thanks,
Joe
All I can see/feel is a triangular indented hole in the fender inner liner and one finger can make it through that hole and all I feel inside the hole is just some molded plastic ribs. Should there be a tab right inside the hole or sticking through the hole or what? :mad: