Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

footie

That's amazing.

Nothing handheld in the modern world take more than a few milliseconds to program.

Maybe it's the dealer who is the slug?

beepa

I don't have that switch in my car. But, I also have not had any of the problems that others are posting here. I live in Western Mass and we've had a helluva winter and I have had absolutley NO problems with regards to driving in snow. In fact, I had a Ford Explorer before this and although I don't have the ground clearance, my experience has been very positive with this 4-Matic!

beepa

My dealer, Lewbar Imports in West Springfield MA not only charged me $10 + gas, they gave me a Buick Park Ave.!!!! When I dropped off my car and asked for a loaner, the service guy (a real condesending S.O.B.) said that I have to ask when making the appointment. Uh, isn't it HIS job to ask the customer or am I misconstruing the term 'Customer Service'? He said they only had 4 loaners (all Buick's) and they have to be reserved ahead of time.
While on the subject, I went to the same dealer to purchase those ever popular H6W parking (standing) light bulbs. At first the parts guy hands me a 12 watt amber bulb. When I told him that was the wrong one,it was a 6 volt H6W, he says "We use different part numbers." He then started to look on the computer for the part.............unfortunatley he was looking at the BACK END of the car. After pointing him in the right direction, he says "Well, I have some bad news for you. You have to replace the entire housing." After restraining myself from jumping over the counter, I offered to go out and remove the bulb in question. He then called another person over who, at first, agreed with the first person. Upon seeing the color of my face change from white to red to purple, the second guy say's "Wait a minute", checks the computer and finally produces the correct bulb.
My problem with this experience is if this had happened to a person who did not know any better, would they have installed a new housing for who know's how much, when all they needed was a $5 bulb?
I think I just might drive an extra 25 minutes to another dealer in Hartford and hope that this attitude doesn't prevail!

r1_97

beepa, you've got the worst service I've seen posted so far. I'm mechanically challenged so I had dealer service change the bulb on a '98 E-320. Cost about $6 for the bulb and $19 labor to change it. Didn't need a loaner. They changed it in about 30 minutes.

acco20

It seems to imply you are quite happy to be charged $6.00 for a bulb, and $19.00 labor to change it. And you are satisfied not to have needed to get a loaner and leave the car to get this work done. Do I interpit your post correctly...This is all AOK?

beepa

No! No! The bulb was a seperate issue. The car had to go in for warranty work previously---THAT'S when they charged me for the Buick.
I changed the bulb myself. I was just venting about the lack of intelligence at this particular dealer.

acco20

It is r1 97's post #4826 that I was questioning. Actually, I do not really deserve an answer. I just thought it odd to be satisfied to pay so much for so little.IMHO.

beepa

I too was addressing r1 97.

r1_97

I think beepa may have responded to a question by acco20 directed to me.

Yes, anytime I can get away from a MB repair for $25 or less, I'm a happy camper. I understand that $6 is about the going rate for a parking light bulb. The $19 labor charge seems reasonable for just about any kind of work no matter how trivial. Getting it done in 30 minutes seems prompt enough.

I hope this clear things up.

hotrod051

I am the owner of a new Silver 2003 E-Class. While the looks of the car are above average as most people would agree with, the quality of the build is very dismal. Below are a list of problems that have occurred since I picked my car up in October of 2002:

1. In December an annoying noise was coming from the transmission everytime I stepped on the accelerator. I brought it in to the dealership and as it turned out the entire rear differential needed to be replaced. At this time my car had 1200 miles on it. Dearlership could not explain what the problem was.

2. On a recent vacation to Florida, in an attempt to use the air conditioner, the AC OFF light came on and the air conditioner did not work at all. At this point the car had less than 5000k miles and the air conditioner never worked. Had the air conditioner repaired at a Florida dealership and they needed to change the Air Conditioning Control Head. Great way to spend in 90 degree weather for 2 days.

3. The gas cap became stuck in the holder on the gas door. When I removed it, the metal and plastic pins were not lined up. The only way I could get the gas cap back on the car was to break the plastic ring. This shows how cheaply some parts of the car were designed.

4. And the icing on the cake! After returning home from Florida finally with a fixed air conditioner, I attempted to clean the car when I noticed that the Mercedes emblem on the rear driver's side tire simply fell off on the way home.

I understand that these problems might be unique only to my car, but I felt it was necessary to let other Mercedes owners what problems to look for. Please feel free to post a message if you have had or have heard of any of these same problems.

carnaught

Wow, a definite bummer. Sorry to hear about (all of) your problems. Thus far, at three months, mine has had none of your problems and has been great. I wonder if it could be related to earlier production. Do you happen to know your build date?

mark156

I was surprised to find a full size spare in my 2000 E430 sport. In a post way back, someone remarked that they found the small "donut" tire in their E-class. Personally, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

The reason I noticed it was that last week someone ran into the rear of my car. The back bumper was scratched and the area under the right tail-light was slightly dented ($778.00 in damage). I dropped the car off at the repair shop and I took out everything in the car including the CD cartridge, owners manual,etc. I also thought I better take out the tools that come with the car and that's when I saw that my spare was full size.

Hotrod... I'm sorry to hear about the trouble with your new E. I'm a little worried that Mercedes is letting their quality slip. I also have a 2002 ML500. The black plastic piece under the front bumper keeps coming loose. I also had to have the rear cup holder replace (it just fell apart). Also, there is a dash rattle that hasn't been completely eliminated after several trips to the dealer. Of course, it never rattles when the service guy rides with me. I love the vehicle but these little annoyances drive me crazy!

Happy Motoring, Mark

sddlw

Try Performance Products. From past experience, I have found that their catalogues have many parts listed that the web site does not so it wouldn't hurt to get on the catalogue mailing list.

http://www.performanceproducts.com/default.aspx?referer=1034

adeel

Is there a way to find out when my car was built.
Thanks.

mbdriver

Open the driver's door and read the plate on the post. It should state the month and year of build.

lmtayl2

I believe you can tell what year the car was built from the VIN number. Look at the last eight to fourteen characters.

jgravel

Has anyone heard about availablity yet? Is it still October or has the timeframe moved in/out?

Thanks

Edsoto

What Dreams are made of...

(and nightmares if the car doesn't run or you have dealer/service issues, or like me TIMEPORT problems...)

turquoise_e

It is broken and it seems easy enough to replace it. Anyone knows where I mail order one? Or know the part number?

donald02

I have an '01 E-430 and I had a key malfunction. Mercedes ordered a new key and when it arrived I took the car to the dealer and they reprogrammed the key and sent me on my way in 15 minutes, NO CHARGE!

If your dealer says over 8 hours to reprogram, you are being scammed. Get a new dealer!

clark217

Can anyone tell me how to replace the bulb for the front side-marker lights on 1997 W-210 (the rectangular lights on the sides of the front fenders)? Does the cover just pop off? Anyone know what type of bulb or part number?
Thanks in advance

Clark217

deronfergy

MAJOR AUDIO GATEWAY AND SRS GLITCHES HAVE HAD 2 CARS Already 1 buy back if any if aNY ONE IS HAVING ACCCELATOR,SRS OR AUDIO GATEWAY PROBLEMS PLEASE EMAIL ME AT DERONFERGY@AOL.COM

cduong

#4845 of 4846 Replace front Side marker bulb for W210 by clark217 Apr 14, 2003 (6:35 pm)
Can anyone tell me how to replace the bulb for the front side-marker lights on 1997 W-210 (the rectangular lights on the sides of the front fenders)? Does the cover just pop off? Anyone know what type of bulb or part number?
Thanks in advance ... Clark217

Clark217.. not sure if 1997 is any difference that my 1996 E320. I replaced the light bulb in 1 minute. The plastic cover, in front of your front tire, has a "square" opening. Push your finger in and force a plastic hinge forward... Your yellow light cover will pop off and you can remove a bulb by turning it. Go to Pepboys and buy light bulbs... $1.99 for a pack of two. MB dealer will charge you $5.00 each... What a way to make money. Good luck

danncas

I presently have a C class. My retirement car miht be a E class. But for now I'm not sure it will be a Mercedes. I have a 1998 Class it has been great. But it seem that anything made past 2002 is not so great. Does anyone really know why? Does anyone think that the cars look more Amercian now too? As it stands now I am going to buy a 2004 SAAB.

mbdriver

Does MB still offer a discount for European delivery? And if not, when and why did they stop?

danncas

No MB doesnt. nor VW or Audi why they stopped don't know. BMW does but its a small discount about 1500.00

jb_shin

Actually, BMW's discount is more substantial. Typically $1,500 plus invoice is about the best deal and that works out to be about 12% off MSRP for 530i. On the other hand, Porsche actually charges more for ED.

mmadden1

On a recent trip to the Outer Banks,the first 80 degree day we've seen in 6 months, I tried the AC and no cold air. I did get heat but the auto mode could not be turned off.

This is the third time i've had problems with the AC on this car. Every spring, or so it seems, when the AC is tried for the first time, nothing happens.

Spring 2001--it was diagnosed with no refrigerant; spring 2002--they replaced the entire temperature control module and now this.

Anyone else had these types of problems? BTW, the car is less than 4 years old and I have 52K miles on it; any chance MB will do the right thing and fix it out of warranty? Thanks for any help.

mbnut1

For sure they should fix it, if it is one the items that that they have already tampered with. I would still pursue having them eat all or a good portion of the repair even if it isn't, given the amount of trouble that you've already had with the AC

donald02

Unless you've been driving all winter in EC (economy mode) you've been using your AC system all winter. Have you noticed moisture on the inside of your windows with the heat on when it's very humid or raining? This would be an indication the AC system crapped out long ago and before your warranty ran out! Mercedes should definitely pay for all of this.

lmtayl2

Does anyone know if Mercedes will sell an E500 fully loaded with the sports package less than MSRP? Any feedback would be appreciated. The MSRP is $60,000

clembo

You should be able to get your car for much less than MSRP. Some people are getting them at invoice price if the dealer has plenty on hand.

I got an E500 6 months ago, it is a great car. Good luck with your negotiations.

donald02

Mercedes are purchased from dealers not from Mercedes. Every dealer is an independent business and determines its own sales price.

Several months ago I posted my method for purchasing cars which has worked well for me. Last week I bought a new volvo for a friend for $266 over factory cost which is determined by subtracting incentives and holdback from the invoice price. Holdback is 3 percent of MSRP on a mercedes. If your interested in learning more about dealer holdback go to Edmunds dealer holdback in your browser. My method as previously posted is:

I have read with great interest the multitude of posts over the past 2 weeks concerning purchasing new cars. Over the past 47 years I have purchased many new cars and I thought some of you may want to consider the model I use for buying cars.

First, you must determine what car or cars you want to buy. This may seem obvious but it's amazing how many people begin negotiations for a car when they have no idea WHAT car they want! Go to auto shows, search the automakers websites, go to EDMUNDS and other similar sites, determine repair frequencies, resale, safety, and any other factors that are important to you. When you decide what car or cars you're interested in, you can get info on costs.

You should determine the dealer's cost to the factory for the car(s) you are interested in. This includes the invoice price, dealer holdback, and any customer and dealer incentives available. Do not worry about any dealer costs that are not paid to the factory such as advertising, financing the vehicle on the lot, paperwork, sales commission, etc. You will never be able the determine these.

DO NOT include trade-in value of your car as part of the new car deal! If you must trade in your old car, get an offer from the dealer after you have made and sealed the deal on the new car. As far as the old car is concerned you can sell it to a dealer that makes the best offer, sell it yourself, donate it to a charity at high book value for its tax value, or maybe give it away with no tax deduction.

After determining the car you want and its cost to the dealer, you are ready to determine a price you are willing to pay. Add to the dealer's cost to the factory the amount you are willing to pay above that to determine your price goal for the purchase. Bear in mind that sales tax and license is extra on top of your price goal. All other fees of any kind should be included in your price goal. Do not get sidetracked in negotiations by extras such as processing fees, advertising, etc. Do not accept any charges for detailing, paint sealant, fabric sealant, rustproofing, or other nebulous bullcrap. You have your number do not add anything to it except sales tax and license fees.

Call the sales managers of all the dealerships within a reasonable distance of your residence. By talking to sales managers you may be able to avoid paying a commission to a salesman thus reducing your final price. Tell the SM exactly the car you want what exceptions you will accept and ask him to bid on the sale. I expect you will get 1/3 who will tell you to shove it where the sun don't shine, 1/3 who will give you an absurd price, but 1/3 will give you a good price probably better than your 'buy' price.

If no one bids your buy price or better then begin negotiations with the best bidders and try to reach an acceptable deal. I believe this method will result in a price much better that any Internet deal or in-house deal. You are in control in this process. You do everything on the phone and you can hang up the phone if anyone jerks you around. Once you reach agreement, you can get a FAX stating the terms or simply give a credit card deposit of $1000. Remember, only deal for the final number plus tax and license, no other add-ons. Make sure the FAX has that statement. Although if you make a credit card payment (NO DEBIT CARDS-they have no federal cancellation protection) you can stop it if the dealership changes the deal.

The fundamental rule of negotiating a contract is to "LEAVE SOMETHING ON THE TABLE FOR THE OTHER GUY". You have to decide what is fair and reasonable to develop your price. Do not worry about the poor dealer. He will worry about his deal and he won't worry one whit about saving you money. So you should worry about your deal and not one whit about the dealer. The result should be a good deal!

You have to decide what non-cost factors are worth to you. For example, how much more should you pay to deal with a nearby dealer? I have never had a case where a dealer I didn't buy from refused to service my car or gave poor service because I didn't buy from them. My last new car was a 2001 Mercedes E-430 and my local dealer (1 mile away) desperately wants my service business even though I didn't buy the car from him. I purchased the Mercedes for a price well into the dealer holdback with no add-ons.

What is a reasonable 'buy price'? Obviously, it depends on the market for the car you want. the supply of vehicles that meet your needs, your desperation to get the car you want (probably the most decisive factor for many people who will pay anything to satisfy an instant craving), and the need of the dealer to sell some cars! Whatever you do DON'T get in your car and drive to several dealers to negotiate. If you do that they have you by the cajones!! Deal on the PHONE! Make them have everything ready to sign when you arrive. No ombudsman and no finance guy. You should be out of the dealership with your new car in 30 minutes to 1 hour. If they hassle you with any new costs or other changes LEAVE and find a deal somewhere else!!

What percentage markup to pay to get a deal? There are many factors to consider but I'd consider a goal of 2-5 percent above the dealer’s factory cost minus any dealer and customer rebates or other savings offered. You would add on tax and license to this but NO other fees of any kind!!

Good shopping!!

dkatlanta

I'm ready to make the jump to 17" wheels on my 2000 E-320, which came with 16" wheels. I like the look of the Mercedes wheels that came with the sport package on the 2001 E-Class models. Does anyone know a dealership that will discount these and ship them to my tire store in Atlanta? Any other thoughts?

nashpitt

I have a '99 E430 Sport with radio/phone/cd changer/tape player.

I need to replace the rubberized radio knob. Mercedes says they don't make part. That I can only purchase the whole radio!

Does anyone know where I can find just the knob?

Thanks in advance

aki86

dkatlanta,
tirerack.com has several AMG rims for sale. I don't remember which one's came on the E430 Sport, but these are the essentially the same AMG rims that came on several models, I think including the ones from the E55. They're (almost certainly) cheaper than they would be if from a dealer.

bigrobnh

Hey folks,
It's been a little quiet around here lately so I figured I'd post my latest service experience. As I've already mentioned, my service is rendered by Holloway Motorcars in Manchester NH. There are essentially no other options.

Also, as I've already posted, the wood trim over my glovebox is cracked in 3 places. So in order to keep from having my car in the shop overnight waiting on parts, about a month ago I was in Manchester and I had the service manager look at it. He states he's "seen this before, must be a weak spot there over the glove box". He takes the order info and places it on file. It will be ordered when I schedule my next maintenance. Perfect. Last week I schedule my Service B. Day before I get my postcard saying the part is in. Everything is going fine.

The waiting room is impeccable though now you have to pay for coffee (you can get tokens from the service desk) since there used to be a neverending stream of employees helping themselves to the coffee. That was pretty amusing...the last office I managed had the same coffee machine and it was over .50 cents a pop for the stuff.

They take a pretty gutsy approach. When your car is ready, they come out and kneel next to you and chat about the service...sort of like ordering from Outback. I think it's supposed to inspire confidence in the others sitting in the room. One problem, if you have a clue they are exposing their had as the charlatains they truely are. Got to hear about how it's normal for continental tires to cup and that tires on trucks (aka SUVs) cup all the time. Didn't get to hear why they just put the tires on the back of the dudes car without mentioning a problem to him. Also never mentioned that improper balance is the most common cause of cupping, oh well.

1.5 hours into my wait, out comes the service rep. She says that they sent her out to give me the bad news. The part they got is wrong. Ordered the right one, but in the box that had the correct part number was the wrong color trim piece. I'm recalling now that she said "it was black and yours is some other color". They have to re-order and install in another visit. Otherwise my car is fine and ready to go.

<side note>
I've been kicking myself for a day not for not asking to see the part so that I can see if I like it...if so install it till the correct one comes in. I know for a fact they were lying to me about the wrong part in the box. Black wood trim? Is that a Designo thing or what??? Now I'll never know.
<end side note>

My car was beautifully cleaned. Even cleaned in the door jambs and rocker panels. Vacuumed out the winter sand I'd missed. Even sprayed some new car smell. Go to leave and notice that the climate control is off. Odd, I think. I turn it on. I'm greeted by a low pitch whine. Guess it was easier to turn it off than fix it. I take the car back, demonstrate to the service advisor and they get a tech right on it. 20 minutes later it's as good as new. Too bad they didn't taken the 0 minutes it would have taken to do it right hte first time (this was a side effect of changing the charcoal filter apparently).

I can hardly wait for the next trip up there. amost 1.5 hours round trip and it must be done more than once for each service visit (as they NEVER fix anything the first time). Thankfully I'm currently between jobs and if there's one thing I have now is time to go make them miserable and make a scene in front of the others in the waiting room.

Apparently, service to a Mercedes owner is a clean waiting room and a clean car.

Enjoy,
BigRob.

jeffk9

deronfergy-My 03 e320 had the audio gateway replaced along with many other trim items.
lmtayl2-you can get an e500 for $ 300-500 over invoice from several southern cal. dealers. let me know if you need contacts in so. cal but you should be able to find comparable deals in your part of town

rbrenton88

By the way, that black wood is just the alternative 'bird's eye maple' instead of the more common brown burlwoods.

bigrobnh

I was under the impression that maple, particularly birdseye, is lighter in color than walnut.

http://www.figuredhardwoods.com/lumber/birdseye.html

microrepair

dkatlanta:

There is a parts manager by the name of Tom Hanson at a S. Cal. dealership who supposedly sells MB parts at wholesale to those who have seen his technical discussions on the MBUSA club website. You may be able to get a decent price on rims from him. His phone # is 800-252-6877

hoos1

Currently I have an A6 2.7T but I am itching to get an E55. There seems to be some good deals on 2001's out there especially with the new one coming soon. However, I keep wondering should I just get the new E500??? The prices are roughly the same with more HP/torque and options on the E55.

I realize they are different with the E500 being newer, maybe safer, more "touring" than "sport."
But something about the older design is classic and then there is the AMG factor.

Anyone considering the same thing? Input?

habitat1

For what it's worth, my neighbor traded his 2000 E55 for a 2003 E500 a couple of months ago. I went the other way and traded a 2000 540i 6-speed for an M5 last spring.

My neighbor made the decision to go with the E500 in part because he felt the E55 was too harsh. I lent him my M5 on a few occassions and he commented on how much better he liked its handling and steering. He would have preferred the M5, but his wife doesn't drive a stick. While the new E500 isn't as powerful as the E55, it is still quick enough and, in his opinion, is a better daily driver. I've driven it a couple of times and it is definitely an improvement over the previous E.

I recommend you test drive both cars on a variety of roads before making your decision. The E55 has dropped quite a bit more in value than the M5 in my area, so it does represent a good deal.

By the way, of the AMG cars, I actually like the smaller C32 better than the E55. Even though my M5 weighs more than the E55, the E55 feels heavier and bulkier to me. The C32 felt more nimble. It will be interesting to see how the new E55 handles.

clark217

Many thanks, cduong. I just ordered the replacement bulb from my Mercedes dealer for $2.17.

Clark217

cubanaudi

My Audi is coming off lease soon, and I really like the E500 with the Sport package. I was wondering if anyone out there had any info on residuals and the money factors being offered by Mercedes. Also, if anyone from South Florida has any information as to what dealers are doing price-wise, it would be greatly appreciated. My local dealer (in Coral Gables) has a reputation of not moving much from MSRP. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

lmtayl2

All,

We just took delivery of a 2003 black w/t stone interior E500 sports package w/t E2, E3 and birdseye. It's actually my husband's car, I just ride in the passenger seat. He did give me the pleasure of driving the vehicle tonight. What a cool car. It handles well and drives well and the interior is impeccable.

I just purchased a 2003 GX470 for myself and it is a dream car too.

dcman2

I own a 2001 E320 with 14k miles on it. Never had any problems with it. However, the other day while pumping gas, I noticed a message flashing on the display window that read "ABS/ESP malfunction, Go to workshop". The wording may not be exactly right. But you get the idea. The message stopped popping out for a couple days and resurfaced again. One day my wife took it for a drive. There was a light drizzle that day. While making a left turn at the traffic light, she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle spun and took a 180-degree turn and went into a ditch. Fortunately, no vehicles were around at that time- so no damage done. I am guessing this may have to do with malfunctioning of ABS/ESP which could not keep the vehicle under control. Took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer fixed the problem, says that the malfunctioning is prompted by a stop light module. I did not quite understand how a stop light malfunction causes a brake malfunction. Anyway, after service, the mechanic tried to start the car. The ignition does not recognize the key and the car refuses to start. The dealer is ordering a new key. Any of you ever had a problem like this? I am real frustrated that the reliability of MB is not up to the mark.

jbors

Our E420 has only about 75K miles. The check engine/electronic light came on and the dealer's mechanic said I'd need to replace left and right oxygen sensors for $600.

After replacing those they told me that there was carbon build up in the air injection ports and that it was ~ $900 in parts and ~$4100 in labor to remove the cylinder heads and clean out the ports. While $900 sounds high for gaskets and connectors, $4100 in labor sounds real high.

Has anyone else ever encountered this type of problem on a car with so little miles? Any advice on alternatives that might be more reasonable.

onlyagirl

This is exactly why I am very nervous about owning my 2000 E320 when the warranty expires.....in about 8k miles or 5 months...will be waiting to see what others say about those labor costs....around where I live there is no one I'd want to work on my car besides the dealer..and I know that is expensive.....but wow.....didn't know it was THAT expensive....I will probably sell or trade soon....I do really really like my car but there have been some repairs ( replacing a cracked dash) that would have been very very expensive had it not been in warranty.....

footie

Perhaps some of the MB experts can help out here.

As I understand it, Air injection is done into the Exhaust Manifold, to help complete the burning of any residuals in the exhaust gas.

The air pump injects air directly into a rail or series of ports in the exhaust manifold. I can't imagine how clogged ports there would require any head work or removal.

Carbon build up there would be most notable if you were failing or nearly failing an emissions test.

I think I'd go to an independent garage or inspection station and get the exhaust gas check (not the dealer) and see how the readings look. Have the mechanic check the OBD II computer readings for you to see if it is indicating any issues with the engine.

If your MB isn't indicating any problems. I'd save the money until it does.

Sometimes you can buy additives at the auto store that help clean up carbon deposits.

Good luck.