Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

tendons

no, sold to a friend for $20,000. It had 107K on it. He loves it.

2ndmb

Thanks, I think I'll wait and see if the new HD Bilsteins settle in a little.jg, sounds like a nice car for the money, but I would be a little concerned about the mileage. Is it a Starmark certified car from the MB dealer? If not you may have some good repair bills coming up. The used market is a buyers market now since the big month of October many people traded and resale values are down. Dealers are also heavily dicounting new E's which should also impact the used market. Look on the MBUSA web site to look at local dealers on hand used inventory and pricing.
Good luck

jures

i took the car in with a service complaint that the wiper was dragging and scraping on the windshield. they repaced the wiper blade and told me two things were not covered under mb warranty: blades and tires. they then charged me $28. this is the same dealer and service advisor i've been using for years, i dont want to think they would be wrong. car had 5k miles and was in service 3 months. guess i'll talk to the regional rep. roger

w210

On page 8 of the Service and Warranty Information 2001 - Passenger Cars:

Wear and tear period:

The following parts listed are covered for wear and tear during the first 24 months or 40,000 km whichever comes first. Brake pads, brake discs, brake pad wear sensors, headlamp wiper blade (129), rear window wiper blade refills on station-wagon, windshield wiper blade refills and light bulbs.

Check your manual!

mbdriver

keikoe55 -- Contact Lisa Lehrbaum, the Finance Manager at Courtesy Motors Auto Center, Chico, CA, phone 1-800-655-3535 or 530-893-1300.

My dealer would not budge off of the $2600.00 MSRP for the "Mercedes Care Premium Coverage" warranty extension to four years/100,000 miles for my 2000 E320. But Lisa charged only $1680.00, and she has the blessing of MBUSA to do it. She's great to work with, and it only takes a fax or two plus authorization to tap your credit card. I did mine last March, but I've heard that MBUSA might have raised its prices

I assume you know you have to buy the warranty before your first year anniversary of ownership. And the warranty is valid at any authorized MB dealership.

Good luck, and let us know how things went.

vs4

Do you know if the extended warranty is also covered in Canada?

Thanks,
Victor

mbdriver

Victor -- I think any Mercedes dealer, U.S. or Canadian, would honor the warranty, but I suggest you find out from MBUSA. Or, perhaps some of the folks who live up north near the Canadian border can provide an answer.

If you're asking about purchasing an MB warranty in Canada, I believe I recall posts here that Canadian warranties had better terms that those for U.S. MBs, and that the Mercedes warranty did not have to be purchased during the first year of ownership, but instead could be bought prior to the original warranty's expiration. Probably several of the Canadians who have direct experience can add to these comments.

wbreaux

We own an '00 E320 and just got a '02 A6 3.0 quattro, so not quite the comparison you mentioned but similar. Comparison as I see it:

1)on Mercedes, I like softer steering wheel, better head room, more power and smoother, and better gas mileage (24 mpg vs. 20 in mixed driving),

2) on Audi, I like sportier (firmer) feel, wheels look better, auto sunroof (now on Merc I think), and slightly more attractive interior.

Overall I think you can't go wrong with either. I would say the price difference in the end isn't justified, although I love my E320.

mbdriver

wbreaux - Suggestion the following for your '00 E320 to improve the sportier (firmer) feel and enhance the looks of the wheels: For less than about $1300 (including shipping) at www.tirerack.com, get yourself 17" 5-spoke Borbet Type E wheels (169 each) and Yokohama AVS dB 235/45-17 tires ($144 each). If you prefer to be a purest, buy the 17" 5-spoke AMG 203 wheels ($299 each) for a total (including the tires) of around $1800 (including shipping). Use 34 lbs. psi in the tires. You'll be amazed at how this upgrade changes the handling, feel and ride -- not to mention the looks (the 16" 11-hole standard wheels on the 2000 E320 are terrible looking and a bear to keep clean).

Last spring I upgraded my 2000 E320 to similar 17" wheels and the Yoko tires, and I couldn't be more pleased. I bought MB OEM Type E wheels from tiresdirect ($368 dealer price, $160 each from tiresdirect, but they're out of them now).

Think of it this way -- it's a small investment that will make your $50,000+ automobile absolutely PERFECT!

mbnut1

I think the E-Class with the 17in 5 spoke sport wheels looks awesome!!

ricripp

I have a 2000 E430S with the integrated phone and now have had 2 of the Motorola Startac's malfunction. Now the cradle will not work with the phone (it keeps turning the phone off). Yes the dealer will take care of it, but 3 trips for the cell phone is very frustrating.

Are there any options to the Startac, I spent too much to not use the integrated features.

Thanks!

livetodrive

I checked my Service and Warranty Information 2001 - Passenger Cars. It is not the same as yours, which, judging from the reference to km., is not a US warranty. Mine states:

"Exclusions from Maintenance Commitment Coverage:

Wear items such as engine belts, brake discs, brake pads, brake wear sensors, clutch discs and clutch pressure plates."

Wanna trade warrantys?

livetodrive

The sunroof rattle was repaired today by the dealer. They added felt to the back of the glass and insulated the headliner. I checked it over some serious bumps and it was quiet with the sunshade either open or closed.

The dealer has been outstanding. They also replaced the brake pads and rotors at 5,500 mi. to correct a squealing problem they had been unable to remove by applying a spray to the pads.

The car is now perfect!

jean7of9

In Canada, we can buy the extended warranty just before the expiry of the regular warranty,ie, within four years. The warranty covers Canada/USA. Because of the exclusions stated in #2664, the Canadian warranty is about 35% cheaper.
MB dealers in Canada are rare, hence, no competition. We do not hope obtaining an additional discount to the already discounted price.
We have a single dealer in Greater-Montreal, but so far his service department provided an outstanding job and second to none.
Jean

vs4

Has anyone tried changing oil themselves in there 2001 E320/430 mercedes. I understand that there are two ways you can change oil - one is from underneath the car and other is from under the hood using a tool called "Topsider" pump.

I was thinking of changing the oil myself by using the tool Topsider, but I do not know where to purchase this from and also if anyone of you have used this tool please share the advantages/disadvantages. Also please share how to change the oil filter yourself.

I am planning to change oil every 5000 miles - meaning in between the Mercedes recommended schedules services because it is a hassle to leave you car for half a day with the dealer for just an oil and filter change and you know for sure that oil and filter has been changed.

Thanks in advance.

joeadp

Can I buy the Canadian Warranty on a US Benz?

Would it be honored in the NY area?

Thanks.

jean7of9

Our extended warranty is provided within four years before the expiry of the original warranty, for a car registered in Canada. The technical adviser has no choice but sell whatever MB computer allows him within the particular file of every car. If your original warranty passed one year already, you will not be able to get an extension in Canada. Nice try.
Jean

jean7of9

Since early summer my fuel gauge was stuck at 7/8 whenever the tank is full, very full. After driving for several miles it would climb slowly to 8/8 then revert to 7/8 and back to top again. I replaced the fuel sending unit under warranty. If you have this same problem, I recommend you to do the same, the fix is easy and worth it.
Jean

2ndmb

I would recommend the Bosch Micro Edge wiper blade. Since I put this on my car no more scraping and smearing. Bt the way, it was $10. Even when the dealers replaces the standard blade for free, it still make noise.

rolands

I have a 97 E320 and as for long as I have owned this automobile the car always pulls to the right. I have taken it to the dealer and everything checks out. I have also taken it to an alignment expert and was told that the car is not out of alignment. The right front tire wears down alot quicker than all the other tires. Has anyone had a problem with this?

shipo

Here is a link to a place to buy a "Dipstick Pump":

http://www.overtons.com/cgi-bin/overtons/order/pdetail.cgi?26696++

I just ordered one for myself.

Best Regards,
Shipo

vs4

Rolands - I have 2001 E430 and have been dealing with the same problem. Took the car to 3 dealers(1 in Canada) but they could not do anything, there answer that the tires and the steering is very sensitive to the road conditions. So I have been trying to ignore the problem. Let me know if you or anyone else has answer for this problem.

Victor.

mb_newbie

I agree with mbdriver; got the information from this web and purchased the extended warranty for my CL600 from Lisa. (almost $1000 less than the MSRP).

Newbie

acco20

Rollands-vs4... Try rotating tires,, both front to back, left front to left rear,,, right front to right rear. If car tracks straight...bad tire. Hope this helps.

livetodrive

I checked out the dipstick pump link. It only holds 6.5 l. This unit needs to be emptied and used again to empty the crankase of the 8.5 qt. I wonder how much oil the Topsider holds. I also have been unable to locate it.

tendons

I had the same thing with a 01E55 and they checked the alignment once and said it was fine and after a month a so with the car drifting, not pulling, but it would go across two lanes on the interstate, if I just left it alone, they did a very small adjustment to the camber or caster, I don't remember and I get them mixed up, and it really fixed the problem. If you'd like to call the service rep. it's Robert Taylor at Benson Mercedes 504-4563727 and ask what they did to Dr. Altman's e55.

joeadp

Just had car inspected they said front brakes our getting low.

Car has 20,000 miles.

Usually my brakes lasted into the 30 to 40k area.

jean7of9

Last week I replaced the front brake pads on my 99 E320 4M while my odometer is reading only 35.5k km (22k miles). There are two reasons which caused this early change: a)I drive 85% in the city, b) German brake pads are made mostly of carbon powder which wears out earlier than metallic pads but provides longer brake disks life. The side effect of this comes in the form of abundant brake powder on the front wheels.
Jean

sdjumin

Have anyone had experience in changing foglight bulb on W210 E-Class? It seems to me that the foglight assembly is behind the bumper. Please advice. Thanks in advance.

haspelbein

Yes, there is a small plastic flap underneath each foglight. (It's part of the splashguard under the bumper.) Take a large screwdriver or a coin to release the latch. After that, changing the light bulb is a breeze. (You might get yourself a little dirty, though.)

Just FYI... I changed my front right parking light a couple of days ago. I have the cold weather package, and the tank for the headlight washer fluid blocks access to the rear cap of the headlight assembly. I was ready to take out the whole assembly, when I realized that pulling the tank to the front and lifting it up, it actually separates from the windshield washer tank and slides out very easily.

tlam625

http://www.mercedesshop.com/diy_oil_change2.htm

Take a look of this.

kirill1

Does anyone know what the current incentives are for the 2002 E class? I can not find it anywhere.

sdjumin

Thanks for your help and advice on changing the foglight. And your tips on moving the windshield washer tank is really helpful because it hampers my effort to check on my troubling Xenon headlight.

Does anyone know how to get to the Xenon bulb? I opened the headlight cover and found out that there was a black box screwed in 3 places. I suppose if I open the box, which will be another challenge, it should have the bulb inside. Do I need to dissamble the whole assembly to do so? Please advice. Thanks again.

rolands

thanks for the advice, I will call and find out. My right front tire is wearing fast (Michellin Pilot Sport). ACCO 20- thanks for your advice as well but it is impossible for me to rotate the tires, since I have the same rim and tire combination as the E55.

haspelbein

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I never had to remove the Xenon headlights. But I know what black box you're talking about. Let me see if I can find out for you. (What is actually the trouble with your Xenons ?)

Otherwise, removing the whole headlight assembly is also rather easy. (6 screws on the whole, if I'm not mistaken.) Of course, that would also require you to re-adjust it after installation.

acco20

Rolands... I am confused, did you mean to say you can not switch your front tires with the back, on the same side of the car? I an not a mercedes owner and perhaps I have something to learn about the wheels and tires. Thanx.

tendons

a slightly strange thing about the e55 is that the tires are 1-uniderectional and 2-different sizes for the front and rear; in fact the spare will only really fit the left front, but can be used in an emergency for the other wheels.

sdjumin

The problem of my driver-side Xenon headlight is it dies after 2-3 seconds I turn it on. Most of the times, it goes dead immediately after I turned it on. Some people say the cause is the defective bulb, but some say the defective ballast. Before spending a lot of money for the dealer service to check it out, I prefer to do it myself first. Any advice and help is certainly appreciated. Thanks.

cce182

Gentlefolk

Fortunately, just like you, your car has some redundancy. That is, you have two eyes, two ears, etc. And, your car has two Xenon lamps and two Xenon lamp ballasts.

therefore:

If you wish to diagnose a lighting problem to determine whether it's the bulb or the ballast, swap bulbs side to side! If the problem travels with the bulb swap, then you need a new bulb. If the problem doesn't move with the bulb and instead stays with the socket, then the ballast is at fault.

Understand the motivation of the service department at the MB (or any other dealer's) service department. You pay both for labor and for parts. This swapping costs money that may swamp the cost of the parts. And, if they swap a part and the problem recurs, then - - unhappy customer. Service strategy: if there's any problem, swap out the part.

BTW, it takes about 25,000 volts (no current, just a spark) to strike the arc in a Xenon lamp - and then perhaps 25 volts or so (at substantially higher current) to keep the arc lit. Two consequences. First, be very careful of the high voltage, i.e. make sure the power is off before you go messing with bulbs. And, if the light will start but not sustain, then it is possible the low-voltage/high-current mode in the ballast is what's at fault. Or, it could just be bad connections.

Good luck, and be careful.

valueguy

I have a '00E430 with the M-B star-tac phone. I currently use Cingular wireless but want to change to At&T. My phone is TDMA. Is this a problem? Am I stuck with Cingular? I am pretty sure Sprint uses CDMA technology.
Thanks

shipo

AT&T Wireless does in fact use TDMA.

Best Regards,
Shipo

sdjumin

Dear cce182 and friends,

Thanks for your advice. I totally agree with you. I planned to do the diagnosis myself by swapping the bulbs. Due to my lack of experience, I have a trouble getting to the bulbs. I thought by opening the back cover of the headlight, I should be able to pull the bulb out. However, it is more complicated than that. There is a black box that needs to be unscrewed from the front part of the headlight assembly. So, it seems to me that I need to remove the whole headlight assembly in order to get to the bulb. And I need a direction or advice to do so. Therefore, any suggestion and direction is certainly appreciated. Thanks very much.

e320wagon

I was also confused regarding whether it was required to use a topsider, but after two DIY oil changes I can assure you it is NOT necessary.

Remove four sheetmetal screws holding the plastic pan under the engine, slide the pan (forward, I think) off. Drain plug is on passenger side of cast alum oil pan.

Prepare for 8.5 quarts of used oil! Buy your new filter cartridge, a new copper sealing ring (for the drain plug, about $0.25), and the Mercedes oil filter wrench (around $15 from dealer).

Using special oil filter wrench it is easy to remove plastic oil filter assy. Slide off the old cartridge, and remove the our o-rings. Careful not to nick the plastic - suggest using a non-metallic item (like tooth pick) to get the o-rings lifted out of their grooves.

Slide new cartidge onto stalk ALL THE WAY. slide on four o-rings, lube o-rings slightly with fresh engine oil. Add 8.5 qts Mobil 1 0-40, and your all set.

Really, it is an easy (and satisfying) job.

Personally, I dislike the concept of vacuuming out old oil. Not sure how much would be left behind, and I know the dirtiest seems to come out in the last drips. Also, I like to change my oil pretty hot, and I've heard topsider hoses collapse if they get too hot.

Good luck, and have fun! Email me if you have any questions.

r1_97

I think technology has gone over the deep end. One of my '01 E-320 keys stopped working for locking/unlocking. I had to take the car and defective key to the dealer and leave it overnight to get a new key programmed. I was told it takes 8-12 hrs. just to program the new key to the car. Only cost was $8 for the loaner car, a new C-240.

rolands

tendons-thanks for clearing it up. I did call your service guy at Benson but he is out on vacation. I will try him again next week.

haspelbein

Sorry, but my standard resources didn't give me any more information about the Xenon bulb replacement. (Everything refers to the conventional headlights.) I really hope that you do not have to replace the whole assembly. The places where I usually order parts only list the complete Xenon headlight assembly.

I have detailed instructions on removing the headlight assembly. Let me know if they would be of help to you.

Please fill me in on your progress. I might be in the same situation one day.

vs4

E320Wagon - Thanks for your response. One more thing if you can help me locating the oil filter on 2001 E430. My guess is it can be accessed from under the hood. You have to remove the plastic cover in order to get to it.

Thanks to All. You guys are exceptional in helping each other.

sdjumin

Thank you very much for your effort and help. I really appreciate it. Yes. it will be wonderful and excellent if you would forward to me the detailed instruction on removing the headlight assembly, in case I need to remove the assembly. Thanks very much.

lenscap

For those interested, there is an article in the latest Road & Track magazine focused on owners of the 1996-2000 E-Class. For the most part they love their cars, but the dealers and high cost of maintenance were poorly regarded.

haspelbein

Is there an online link to the article, or is it on paper only ?

The E-Class is definitely the most satisfying car I've driven so far. Some of the dealers I dealt with have a slightly snobby attitude, I would agree. It makes sense to shop around for good service. I'm rather satisfied with my current dealer(s), actually.

However, is there anybody out here who hates the 'Lamp Defective' message on the multi-purpose display as much as I do ?