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Comments
I took it into the Mercedes shop and they said they found 3 leaks. The transfer casing, the freeze plug and power steering. The front end noise was from a bad PVC boot.
The dealer is replacing all that is bad under warranty, but I don't know what to make of this. Are these normal wear and tear problems or bad luck? Should I be worried there is a bigger problem? Any comments would be appreciated
No noticable change in mileage.
dt77
Many people have changed the oil themselves to Mobil 1, including myself. If you bring it to the dealer before the scheduled maintnence they will charge you for the oil and the change.
Some just bring the Mobil1 from Wal*Mart and have the dealer change the oil using that so you dont pay the exhorbant oil premiums from the dealer, then you only pay service fees to have it changed plus the oil filter.
At the service interval you may think about brining in the Mobil1 to the dealer so the whole chnge is free except for the price of the good oil.
Robert
If you put only one pair of chains on a 4WD you are converting it back to a 2WD - and worse: back to a 2BV (2 brakes vehicle). So, why spend 40-70k on 4WD safety and then save $200 for a second pair of chains?
See http://www.4x4abc.com/ML320/ml_chains.html
If you put only one pair of chains on a 4WD you are converting it back to a 2WD - and worse: back to a 2BV (2 brakes vehicle). So, why spend 40-70k on 4WD safety and then save $200 for a second pair of chains?
See http://www.4x4abc.com/ML320/ml_chains.html
Cheers from Snowy Toronto where no snowbank is safe....
Also, when driving over bumps in my new car I notice a slight vibration. It seems to be coming from the right to middle part of the back seat, possibly one of the seat belts vibrating up against the leather. It seems to go away when someone is in the back seat. Has anyone experienced this problem? Otherwise it is a great car that is also the best car that I have driven in the snow. It was such a great feeling to see the people in Northern Suburbs of Chicago, who all seem to drive rear wheel drive cars, stuck in the snow while I was able to plow right through. It was also interesting to see people fishtailing in front of me, while when I went to take the turn the ESP light flashed and the car corrected itself! Great Car!!!
:-) therefore my service level has dropped a bit. Its too cold right now to go outside and check.
While I dont doubt that the engine can take the 10K miles or the actual 12K mile Service interval, and I dont dobt the strength and integrity of the engine, I do it for my strength and integrity. Someone else is better off explaining the fine tunings of why it is okay to run it to 10K -12K miles. I personally will alternate with the dealer 6K me, then 6K him, or whatever half the interval is. The dealer's turn just happens to be during the snowy season, too bad for him.
The Topsider works well for changing the oil. I think that the dealership uses something like it.
You can find it at www.boatus.com I just happened to have one down the road from me. From experience you do not go shopping for one of these at a car parts place (made me look kind of dumb), they are sold at boating supply stores.
Robert
Robert
the 2000.1 is the most recent update of the Navigation CD. The only way that you are going to get another update is if you subscribe, meaning more $$$$$$. About $160 a disc, or there is an annual subscription, which is a bit cheaper.
Yes the ESP is quite effective. Today Around 7 I tried the system with and with out ESP and Low Range, with and Without ESP
Robert
Thanks, Steve
- One lister even said 8-9Kmiles before a change with 80% city driving. So it doew depend on your terrain and driving style.
-From Harold's Site:
http://www.4x4abc.com/ML320/ml320_brakes.html
It seems that there are a wide varience between people. I have heard of people with mileage from 8K to 42K miles, (and one to an astnishing 63K miles in Vermont) and varying costs of $160 to $600. But most have been in the 20K range.
-Textar makes the original equipment brake pads for the 2000 ML430 and
ML55 AMG. Part numbers for the front axle:
http://www.textar.com/download/uptodate/020004.pdf
-The rotors on the 430 and the 320 are different, but not sure how this may or may not affect wear.
Robert
Looks like escribe is up. No idea why they keep having so much downtime. Hope they don't disappear like the other dotbombs...
Glad you're having fun in the snow :-)
Just came back from a meeting near the waterfront and now I've got lots of salt water stains all over my ML from the windy storm that whacked you guys so hard.
Jason:
Your hotmail account is down (nothing new since MS took hotmail over )-:
The PIAA bulbs look fine, and very yellow. There's really no need for the dash fog light indicator if you have these (dealer didn't activate that for me so maybe I'm just ignoring it, but I've heard it's a bit too bright anyways). Install was a bit of a pain if you've never put in H3 bulbs before. Fog lights only work if you have ignition on and low beams on; I originally tested w/ the low beams on and ignition off.
Just go to the dealership and buy the filter from them, it is about $10.00 or something along those lines. I believe that the brand is MANN.
Robert
Jason
Doesn't the ML55 have fog lights in the bumpers?
Also, one of the m-class listers who got delivery of Xenons said that over there, they *did have* live AUX light sockets for fog lights.
If you don't have that round cover for the H3 fog light bulbs in the main capsule, I don't think you have anywhere you can plug into.
Robert:
Did you have to drain and empty the topsider partway through? If I remember right, the topsider can only hold 8qt and the ML holds 8.5 qts.
Drew/aling
Edmunds.com Townhall host
Thanks.
Which dealer did you talk to about this bumper modification? I was really looking into getting this for my 99 ML320, but I put it off once I found it cost about $2000 just for the sport front bumper itself.
And why would it be bolt on for MY2000+? Did they make a change to the front bumper as well in the 2000 model year?
Chris
I thought ESP would work in that situation as well. Sounds like you should be practicing in an empty parking lot soon :-)
Thanks,
Jamie
Could you answer a few things:
-Were you sliding perpendicular to the length of
the car?
-And was any part of the ML moving farther than
the other? Meaning was it fishtailing or
understeering? were you yawing/twisting?
-Were you moving forward? or just moving sideways?
If it was moving perpendicular to the length of
the car. I'm not sure if the ML would pick that up.
If you were twisting in some manner, a
countersteer would have been necessary to correct
the yaw(?the difference between the intended path
and the actual path?).
If you didnt have the gas pressed then only the
braking component was working, and if you wernt
correcting it must not have kicked in. You said
that you were pointing in the correct direction,
which leads me to believe that you were complete
with the turn (?) and that you were moving more
sideways than forward. Plus, if it did engage
(w/wo) the light it is quite difficult to stop
sideways motion in any vehicle unless you hit
something like a curb.
At that speed you must have hit pure ice to go slipping around like that. While "I" think that gas may have helped a little to correct your position as well as to get you moving forward a bit, slip the wheels a little and let the esp negotiate the turn for you...
However if you hit "pure" (all fours with no traction) Ice and were carrying the momentum, you may still have hit the curb.
Remeber too that ESP cannot negate the laws of physics.
Robert
Robert
The mid section one may just be the seats in the rea. The leather has been known to rub against each other and squeak. Try folding down one of the seats and see what happens. If it is that, try some leather conditioner
The rear rattle, I have only heard being one thing before and that is the drainage tube from the roof. Just peak in the side compartments and see if the tube is loose, if it is then tie it down. While you are there check to see if the jack is secure.
Rbert
Has anyone seen or successfully installed the Mercedes Center installed components on the ML 55. I have spent time looking at the installation (430) and can see no reason why they wouldn't fit.
TIA, Scott.
Regards,
Mark
who makes them ? where did you get them ..
how much ?
installation hard ?
come in black ?
dt77
dt77
were replaced under warranty.
dt77
I have changed my ML 00 at 1000, then again at 3500, at 3500 I put in Mobil one.
The first change I did myself, but not filter( too many gaskets and it's the in canister type.
When draining oil, below the oil will gush out, I use a 12 inch funnel to cover the drain area and attach a tube)old garden hose etc. and then point to a oil tray etc. Otherwise oil will gush out all over the place, and better to do in street , especially the first time.
Good Luck
A check by the dealer shows MB Tech support has no instances of this happening to others. hey have ordered a new drivers door actuator, as I guess that is the brains for the door locks and seeing the tailgate worked they feel this will fix the problem.
Time will tell. Supposed to get 8 - 10" of the white stuff tonight and that may hold up getting the parts till Friday then we'll need below 10 degrees in temp to test the new part out after it's installed.
We'll keep everyone posted on the outcome.
Thanks for your responses. I will definitely practise on some empty parking lot when I get a chance.
Rexconde1, see my answers below:
Q. Were you sliding perpendicular to the length of
the car?
A. More like at an angle (vs perfectly perpendicular)
Q. And was any part of the ML moving farther than the other? Meaning was it fishtailing or understeering?
A. Not Fishtailing or understeering
Q. were you yawing/twisting?
A. No
Q.Were you moving forward? or just moving sideways?
A. Both forward and sideway at an angel
I think you are right in saying that all four wheels were on ice/hardened snow and there was no friction and ESP, 4ETS, ABS can't defy the laws of physic. Good thing the event took off my false sence of security. Thank you.
'O' rings. The base of the housing looks like a spin on filter. Here's the URL to see how to do it: http://www.mercedesshop.com/diy_oil_change2.htm
Is this normal?
I was hoping to get >16 mpg. I saw some postings of ML430 doing better than 13.3 mpg.
The more weight, the longer the distance. The ML may be more maneuverable in the snow, but stopping distance will be longer than an Audi Quattro because of the weight.
I get roughly 14mpg in lots of stop and go city traffic; if I can coast a lot and not accelerate as hard, I get up to 16mpg. You should do better in the burbs. On highway trips, I get roughly 20-21mpg. I just broke 500mi the other day :-)
My ML, with 6,800 miles, normally gets around 16MPG in town, but with this cold weather I've been seeing 14.5 - 15.9MPG in recent weeks.
As far as ABS-assisted breaking distances on ice - it sucks. This goes for all trucks - higher center of gravity, higher weight, laws of physics, etc. There were plenty of times I wished I could lock my breaks up and put my vehicle sideways, instead of ending up straight, but in the middle of an intersection! Learn what your vehicle can/will do in various road conditions and learn to live within those limitations. Be careful whatever you do.
BTW, '99ML430 with 33,000mi running about 16MPG in the city and 19MPG on the HWY - within 10MPH of the posted speed limit.