Mercedes E-Class Wagons (E320, E500, E55 AMG)

billmann · April 2005

I have to replace my ContiTouringContact for the second time, the car has 35,000 miles.. what did you got with? and do you like them? billmann_94611@yahoo.com

Thanks for your help!

butow · April 2005

My check engin light came on along with "engin electronics" light. I scanned it and scanner listed ( PO 173 Fuel trim / malfunction /bank 2 ) I re-set light and it lasted 8 miles and back on again same codes! Does any body have any idea what to fix or repair??
thanx, BB

shoebox · April 2005

There are Mercedes forums elsewhere that can probably answer your trouble code. I'm not sure if I can give the websites here, if you're interested send me a PM and I can direct you

butow · April 2005

I'm new on this forum stuff. If you know of another site that can help with codes it is much appreciated.
thanx, BB

PF_Flyer · April 2005

If you want to pass along information about other automotive forums, you'll have to do some way other than on the forums here. The basic problem is that we're not in the business of driving traffic to someone else's discussion forums.

And if you want to get such information, please make sure your profile has your email set to "public" so that other users can click and send you email. Do not post you email in a post and ask for people to email you things. For one thing, we want the discussion here to take place on the boards where everyone can share and be involved.
Also, posting your email address in a public forum where search engines and spiders crawl content, your address can end up on numerous "spam" lists. For your own protection, we recommend and prefer that you not post your email address in messages. You can make your email address 'public' - meaning available in your Forums profile to other registered members only if you wish for others to have access to it.

shoebox · April 2005

My bad, it won't happen again. I was trying to help someone out.

reagent · May 2005

Not sure where you live, but if you can do without the AWD you'll cut down on mech problems and costly repairs. I love my '02 wagon and average 20mpg. You should drive one after you drive a volvoXC. You'll see there is no comparison. We also own a ML320 and my wife gets 20mpg on the hwy, plus there is room for your dogs and it gets a great safety rating too, but it's not as smooth a ride as the E-class.
good luck

ghiatwork · May 2005

I own a 99 E320 4matic wagon that I had bought used a little more than a year ago. I am driving long stretches of freeway and it gives me between 21 and 23 mpg.
My advise for buying one: Don't. The car had numerous defects over the year that I owned it. My total spending for repairs and maintenance over the course is more than 7k, not included 4.5k that I am still debating with MB's headquarters over on who is responsible for the payment. That's my part of the story. It may or may not be representative of all the other Mercedes cars out there.

hansienna · May 2005

I would NOT include the VolvoV70 as it more appropriately would compare to a Subaru, Hyundai, or KIA than Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

beaur · May 2005

Strongly disagree with that comment. Have been comparing wagons for a few months. V70 compares strongly with other Euro wagons in space and the R version has some pep. Beats them in the space/price ratio. Yes its a bit less lux/sporty than the others but its definitely a cut above the Subaru, Hundai, Kia, and is much larger.

flauto · May 2005

I just saw your message and would say don't put any child in the 3rd rear facing seat. I had a '98 E Wagon and got rear-ended. Rear glass broke and floor bent. My kids was not in the wagon at the time or they would seriously be hurt. There is just not much protection back there. Better to put child in middle seat.

Victor

powerkraus1 · May 2005

OK guys, I am a freaking mid 40s car nut. Have a highly modified 2003 Corvette with 650 streetable horsepower (no I did not write a check, I built it myself, but there is nothing wrong with just writing a check for it!), and am an orignal owner of a 1987 Grand National. So I have the credentials......and I know how to override the ESP function of my newly acquired E55. So you can really smoke'm up more so than with just hitting the ESP button. Which, BTW does not FULLY turn it off.

So hit the reset button on the dash 3 times, then the up arrow on your steering wheel 2x. And there it is...the option for 'dyno testing' your car. Now, I do not advise this for all you HP rookies...as it fully turns off the ABS & ESP. But when you are done, these babies can lay rubber with the best of my American Hot Rods.

Have Fun and lets Talk more !

Power Kraus :shades:

calihawk · May 2005

This may sound dumb, but I just bought a 1999 E430 and I do not know what button to push to turn on the air conditioning.

Please advise it is getting hot out here

carshopper48 · May 2005

We are shopping for a vehicle that has a third row. Some of the newer wagons have forward facing third rows (i.e. Ford Freestyle, Cadillac SRX, Chrysler Pacifica). Has anyone seen any reports regarding the safety of rear facing vs. forward facing third row seats? Flauto gave a scary account of the damage done to his/her car in a rear collision, and I am wondering if having children in the third row of any vehicle (be it van or wagon) whether rear facing or forward facing is safe. Thanks for any comments or direction in where I can find the safety information.

elias · May 2005

we've owned volvos & a benz with 3rd rows, rear facing. i don't have much concern about their safety. safety cage & headrests make them as safe as can be. i figure they are safer in a frontend crash, less safe in a rear end crash. that's just a gut feel opinion...

i think that of greater concern is that children & other passengers don't generally tolerate the rear-facing seats for anything but very short drives. also once a kid is beyond age 5 or 6, they're even less tolerant of the rear facing seats. and try talking to your kid when s/he's back there - it's not easy. craned necks.

we still own a v70 with rearfacing third row but we never use it, especially since we bought an xc90 with fwd-facing 3rd row. and i took thefree xc90 driver training at lime rock - fantastic stuff - imho it is not possible to roll over an xc90 as long as you stay on the pavement.

albell · May 2005

I agree with elias. I don't think safety is the issue, MB makes arguably the safest cars on the road. I am on my second E-class wagon, both with rear facing seats, and have owned anr rented SUV's with forward facing 3rd rows, and hands-down, the kids prefer the latter, expecially for longer trips. However, since I pay for the cars in addition to driving them, I win. What's a little vomit anyway?

:P

survante · May 2005

I am looking to purchase a 1998-2000 E-Wagon. Not sure which one yet but I wanted to know if they can be retro fitted with navigation systems. I've noticed in online photos that the dash console looks rather bland with no LCD screen display. Could someone let me know please?

Thanks!

Kirstie_H · May 2005

A reporter with a national newspaper is writing an article on fuel-efficient cars like hybrids and diesels. The reporter would like to speak with Prius owners and people who have recently purchased a diesel such as a Mercedes E320, Passat or Jeep Liberty that are happy with their gas mileage. If you fit what the reporter is looking for, please send a brief description via email to Kirsten Holguin, kholguin@edmunds.com by June 3, 2005.

kmacsea · May 2005

I have a 2000 E320 wagon and am searching for a rooftop cargo carrier. The dealer has told me that the only Mercedes-manufactured option is one with 8.5 cubic feet of storage space. I need at least 15 cubic feet to make a carrier worthwhile. Has anyone used a larger carrier from either Mercedes or another manufacturer?

Thanks!

eurocars1 · June 2005

I am purchasing a 2003 E500 with 40k miles for $39k. Any idea what I might end up paying in various repairs over the next 60k miles before my extended warranty runs out? What usually breaks down on these beauties?
Also, the salesman told me the cars have free maintenance till 50k miles. Is this an accurate statement, and can I purchase additional free maintenance through 100k miles (like BMW offers)? Thanks, greatly appreciated!

dalls223 · June 2005

I am the current owner of a 2002 Acura TL Type-S and the E55 has been a car, along with the BMW M5, that always gets me to drool when I see one go by because of its amazing performance credentials, combined with luxury. When I graduated from college four years ago at 22, I simply could not come even close to affording a 90-100K super sedan. So I bought an Acura TL-S. When the new E55 came out in 2003 I thought, "Well maybe in a few of years I could buy a used one for significantly less." I knew that the demand was high, especially considering it was the newly crowned fastest sedan on the road. But things are a little bit different now. We are approaching the 2006 E55 model, and the 2003 models should be in the $60-65 range, but they are not. Most are still going for $75-80, with over 30K miles, and without many options. I would be better off buying a new one. But I don't have that kind of money to drop on a car. They seem to not depreciate. Why is this? You can get a very well equipped 2002 E55 for $45-50K. In addition, with the new super ridiculous S65 AMG, the E55 isn't the fastest sedan anymore. I wonder if the new M5 will drive prices down later on this year? If I knew how to drive a stick then I would consider dropping $55-60 on a 2003 M5 that was better loaded than most of these newer E55's, and almost as quick. Why are the prices for used E55's still so high? Is it because it is my dream car for my mid to upper 20's?

android · June 2005

I have an 04 e55 amg and I notice a squeek as the supercharger gets going it doesnt do it all the time but often enough to bother me.Has anyone else heard of this before.I ask a guy at the dealership and he said its just something they do. Also I have upgraded the ecu and larger pully so far. I ordered Brabus headers and wheels RENNTECH has larger throttle body and airbox ive ordered. When its all done I should be close to 600hp.

rbranch1 · June 2005

I finally fixed the same problem with my e320.
After much frustration, I replaced the MAF sensor and now it runs great.
The part store is going through these in epidemic porportions and mercedes
is aware of the issue. To bad they won't step up to the plate and take care of these as a recall.
PO 173 fuel trim is a calculated failure of fuel/air mixture at various RPM's, and is not an indication of a component failure, so it was a bit tough to diagnose.
The other part is the camshaft position sensor. But the code for this failure is cut and dry with an OBDII tester.

android · June 2005

I agree with you there changing to dyno mode is not advisable for everyone but you sure can lay down some rubber. I have changed my pully and upgraded my ecu, somewhere around 520hp ordered brabus headers and 20inch wheels,as well as ordered Renntechs larger airbox and throttlebody looking into some Cams to get me over the 600hp mark. I love my sleeper E55.
All the best
Andrew

android · June 2005

Hey Power does your supercharger chirp every once and awhile. I asked a guy at mercedes and he says its just soomething they do. I find it strange.

mezeca · June 2005

Yeah, all the supercharged 55 models do it. What you are hearing is the supercharger pulley engaging, and hence the "chirp".

maurcedes2 · June 2005

I had my windshield replaced a while back and it was a routine job. No one said anything about disassembling the ww motor. Mine's a 1995.

I know what you mean about love/hate. When my rear differential went out and essentially canceled a holiday trip to Florida to see all my nieces and nephews and my parents together for the first time.....I lost faith. And the d*** thing goes through tires like nothing else I've ever owned. No repair is less than $500.

But, there's nothing like the feeling of being in that car on the highway and cruising, though. Taking I-85 through Atlanta, GA (a GREAT road) at 2 am going 100 miles an hour, with enough other cars doing the same to make you feel like you can get away with it for 10 minutes, that's a great feeling. I wouldn't feel safe doing that in many other cars. But in the Mercedes you feel like king of the road. Not in an aggressive or bad way, of course, because it's just a station wagon, but in a satisfied kind of way.

w210 · June 2005

By the way, my dealer fixed the chirp, it can be done.

lee19 · June 2005

Hey, I was just wondering what kind of problems you have had. I plan on getting a 2002 E320 AWD soon. It will be my first MB.

mrautox · July 2005

i have a 95 e320 that i drove from tx to sc and the seats nearly gave me deep vein thrombosis.

mrautox · July 2005

Hello,

I own a 1995 Mercedes E320 that is on a streak of bad luck. first off the ac compressor just wenr out so no air conditioning for me and i live in texas. to add insult to injury it appears that i have no climate control what-so-ever. the car just blows heat when i drive it and i can't get it to shut off. i had to rig it underneath the hood by using some vise grips and crimping off the water hose leading to the heater core. this problem caused my ignition switch to fry out too. what cause this? has anyone here had the misfortune of dealing with such a problem? please help me diagnose this latest benz gremlin!!!

andy30 · July 2005

A guy at a well known tuning shop told me that AMG is putting twin turbos on the E55 replacing the supercharger, creating over 600hp. Has anyone heard of this as I cant verify it anywhere.

mcolem · August 2005

Hello,
I own an 2005 E500 4-matic wagon that has an ususual feature that I haven't seen with previous E320 wagons. When the 2nd row of seats, specifically the passenger 2nd seat, is folded forward, the front seat automatically slides forward. The driver's front seat can be returned to its preset position while the front passenger seat cannot- precluding anyone but the smallest from riding shotgun. I received a cursory response from my service rep that this was a programmed feature. Can anyone tell me how to confirm whether this is a design flaw or something that can be overridden with programming?
Thank you.

needagoodcar · August 2005

Hi all,

I couldn't find a forum for the older wagons (say 85-91) so I thought I'd just post here in case anyone has input. I'm basically bound by my budget to the older models. Are they reliable--I'm looking at Volvos and Merc wagons, as well as Saab hatchbacks (although the latter seem truly plagued with repair woes). Any recommendations? The Mercs seem to be pretty reliable from what I have read, although I haven't been able to find much info as compared to the Volvos. Any year/model seem better than others?

Thanks,

Saskia
Los Angeles

PF_Flyer · August 2005

Check out the followup test and video of the 2005 Mercedes E55 AMG Wagon over on Inside Line!

paulchiu · August 2005

As per the article, only if your "stationwagon MOM" is Joan Jett.

The 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds is too conservative. The september Car & Driver has the 0-60 time at 4.1 seconds versus 4.3s for the sedan. The 0-100 is 9.7 and the 0-150 is 24s. These are SICK numbers.

It is dangerous to have this kind of performance for the shopping mall mom. Imagine her stealing those parking spots while doing 80mph!

rolandthrust · October 2005

Hi Benz Owners....had placed message some time ago re tire wear...seems even after replcing orig equip Continentals at 16,000 miles with Pirelli P Zero Nero`sdue to abnormal tire wear along with one new wheel rim and having dealer rotate twice since that time with one dealer alignment there is still abnormal wear with cupping .This causes a pulsating roar that is audible at most speeds in the cabin.The new Pirells have only 6500 mile on them! Have had 3 other E AWD wagons and never had this problem Dealer just not sure the cause..am getting frustrated...Anyone have any opinions or thoughts re this would appreciate..thanx Bowser

elias · October 2005

Bowz - is dealer doing a "road force alignment" or some old-school Hans and Franz plumbbob alignment? maybe find a road-force alignment shop - warranty should pay for 3rd party shop analysis/repair if a dealer cannot figure it out.? sounds like your current pirellis are trashed. you might be able to get the current ones shaved beyond the cupping, not sure if that is possible with used tires or only new.. some sort of michelins are probably part of your solution here. i think the Pzero/hero tires aren't setup for the cushy E500 suspension. you can admit now that you wanted that E55 wagon. in the meantime try cold psi of 34 - i bet you were running lower than that before? cheers...

bogdan1 · October 2005

Hi All!

When I got my certified pre-owned 2003 E500, it had only 11,800 miles and brand new tires. At about 19,700 miles I noticed that the rear tires got completely worn out. The dealer told me that there was nothing wrong with it, and that it was normal due to the power of the car. I just don't believe that statement, because power or not, the brand new tires cannot be worn out in less than 8,000 miles. I personally think that the problem is in the differential that doesn't work properly, or doesn't work at all, which puts excessive wear on the tires. Can any one help?

rolandthrust · October 2005

Thanx Elias & Bogdan for the comments...Just recently ran over truck tire flap iron that had fallen from a semi..I was doing 65miles /hr..This necessitated purchase of new tire and wheel rim. on left front end. Dealer did all the work and gave car clean bill of health..Although slightly better, same vibration and pulsating whine noted in cabin..they also increased tire pressure by 2ppsi above Mercedes spec and rechecked balancing...What is road force alignment and balancing ?..sounds like that may help solve this problem..I wish I had known about `low profile tire problems`BEFORE purchasing this otherwise good car. The tires on my 430 CLK cabrio..now thats another story..don`t let me get started on that...Bowser

infield · November 2005

Hi,

We are looking at buying a certified used E320 wagon for our family. Our main reasons are is room, safety and quality. Oh yeah and the fact that it's good looking vehicle doesn't hurt. We are considering a silver two wheel drive 2002 or 2003. Does anyone have an input or suggestions on this vehicle? Is there anything to watch out for or any preferred years? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

-marc

elias · November 2005

bogdan, having a performance car eat tires in 10k miles is not particularly unusual even if you don't have a leadfoot. i bet your E500 had/has very soft tires, maybe more so if you got a sport/AMG-ish package? probably they are V or Z rated tires. also, it is possible for an alignment problem to cause the tires to wear more quickly too. if there were a differential issue with your car i believe you'd be able to hear it. bad differentials tend to be quite noisy.

rolandthrust, you are most welcome for the ideas. i'm not sure of all the details of what roadforce alignment means, just something i've heard of. it reminds me of spinbalancing the tires/wheels while they are on the car, which is also possible - that's a much older technology. if your benz dealer folks have
not heard of these balancing/alignment techniques, i bet the dudes at a local speed shops could point you in the right direction. you mention a pulsating/whine. "whine" makes me think "differential". if your benz had 4matic i think it has 3 differentials, plenty of complexity there, plenty to go wrong. does the pulsating/whine only occur when you are on the gas & in gear? if it disappears when you shift to neutral or lift your foot from the throttle at speed ,that gives a big clue as to the root cause.

stuatoe · November 2005

I have 05 E55 with stock AMG alloy wheels.

Had to replace 2, and third repaired. Tires were bent. I live in high end neighborhood. If these wheels get bent where I drive, they aren't meant to be driven on normal roads.

The symptom was wheel vibration over 60 mph, got worse in turns, and when decelerating. Drove with shop steward. He should me how outside front wheel trade was cupped.

MB USA told me to shove it.

I would have your front wheel checked.

Since I put on the new wheels and new Michelin PS2s car has been great.

Best of luck.

Stuartoe

dasboot · December 2005

Does anyone recomend a rear shock absorber for the 300te wagon?

blckislandguy · December 2005

Guys, reading some of these posts, I wonder, "why buy an E Series wagon?" The E Series wagon is more money, more hassles, less cargo room, less reliability, less all weather capability, not as good seating (Volvo seats are the best in the industry, far superior to M/B or our Cayenne seats) or modern an interior, etc. than a Volvo XC. The performance packages seem not to work (tire wear and so forth.)

Now, I'll grant you it has more status (for some unknown reason) when you drop Seamus off at Andover. Come end of semester, he and his friends I think would rather throw all their stuff into an XC for the trip home.

I admit a Volvo XC sometimes is like a walk into Fajulla (see my post #1566 on the V70 Wagon Experience Board) but the Volvo seems to be a much better alternative. Or, at least a less self-defeating one.

garyh1 · December 2005

I think you have overlooked an important point. The E wagon has a third row, with total seating of 7. Yet it doesn't look or handle like a minivan or SUV.

Perhaps the R does this even better now, but back in 1994 when we had 2 young children, after looking at a few minivans and the Volvo wagon, my wife took one look at the E320 wagon and fell in love with it. BTW, it still is in the family, now being driven by my 17 yr old daughter, who of course hates it because it is a wagon (yeah, don't we all feel so sorry for her).

w210 · December 2005

I find the Volvo headrests rather uncomfortable, there are better headrests out there offering similiar safety without forcing your neck to twist unnaturally.

We used to own a 1999 XC and found the engine very harsh, the transmission rough, and the car underpowered overall.

Even the AWD system was horrible, slow acting giving essentially a front wheel drive feel.

blckislandguy · December 2005

W210, I think you'd find the current version ('01 +) far different.

But in search of deeper meaning and the answer to my question of "Why do otherwise rational people buy the E Series wagon", I consulted the MB web site. Gee, I thought that Porsche really knew how to tuck it to you with options such as "soft look leather" for $600 to replace the ordinary, non-wrestled in leather with a soft look. But MB is gaining fast.

For a mere 6k MB offers a "designo edition" which if I understand correctly offers better wood and softer leather in the cabin and a different paint job on the outside. Think about it. For 6K (yeh, I know that your bond fund has been on a 10% tear lately and the 6K will soon be $6600 if invested but if you spend it, worth perhaps 2K at trade in time) you too could have a "designo edition".

w210 · December 2005

I actually don't mind the 2001+ XC but my wife finds it not very attractive and we picked up an Audi allroad instead. The chipped Audi is much faster than the XC, I also like the fact that the all inclusive maintenace program means I don't have to worry about dealerships ripping family members off.

And the XC headrests really make me feel uncomfortable forcing my head forward, especially annoying for long trips..

I must say however, the E-class feel much more solid than both the Audi and the XC, and my E is the one with a hard suspension model (E55 sedan).

I think Porsche is still the king in killing you with options!

rolandthrust · December 2005

Well the dealer just installed a new fangled Hunter alignment system that gives the closest thing to a road force balance on my brand new Conti touring (OE) tires..my third set of rubber in 24,000 miles..so far they seem to be holding up HOWEVER..was told to bring in every 2000 miles for rotation and whatever else. MBNA still insists this is "normal wear"..The Pirelli company does not!!...R Thrust

Mercedes E-Class Wagons (E320, E500, E55 AMG)

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