Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

pat · April 2001

Hi folks

As I mentioned a little while ago, we are changing the names of some of our discussions to drop the various "Part" indicators.

Now that we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. Since this discussion can continue as long as anyone wants to talk about the E-Class, there is no longer a need for the "Part 7" that has been included in the discussion name. Down the road, that could confuse our newer members so I have removed it. I altered the name of the original E-Class discussion in the Archives to distinguish it from this one.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

cce182 · April 2001

Id be curious to hear the experiences of other recent-model M-B owners (mine is a MY2000 E430/4-matic/COMAND) concerning their radio performance. I get very marginal reception on all bands - AM, FM, and WB. Cheap hand-held radios used inside the car with their own whip antennas, on each of these bands, come in as well as the M-B radio. FM Stations that come in fine on other cars I have owned seem full of noise and static, and the FM sensitivity, in particular is poor. Local FM stations are, in some cases, almost unlistenable, with fading, noise, and multipath problems as you drive around. Im embarrassed to play the radio if I have a passenger in the car since the radio simply isnt anywhere close to the M-B quality reputation - Why cant the radio in a $65k car sound better than that in a Ford Focus? You paid WHAT for this car? It is not nice for a $65k car to embarrass it's owner!

The dealer has already swapped out the COMAND system in its entirety (the old one was better, at least in the Radio), replaced an antenna amplifier in some hidden location in the car - all to no avail. As I write this, the AM/WB functions are completely dead (but not noise-free), and the car will be heading back to the dealer again. The service manager says this is a known problem for which M-B does not have a solution, and the business manager tells me that some customers just buy an aftermarket radio to be done with it. Now that the M-B radio systems are integrated with the phone, and COMAND is even more highly integrated, this swapping is difficult to impossible.

Is anyone else having these problems? Any thoughts? This is my first M-B, and is not what I expected.

wniel · April 2001

I have a 2000 E430 and have perfect radio reception. I may caution you that if you have the back window tinted with the metallic tint, you will have limited reception on the AM band, however this shouldn't affect the FM band. I had my windows all tinted with the metallic and had very poor AM recption and had to have the tint replaced with the non- metallic which eliminated the problem. Other than this temporary glitch every thing has been fine. One other problem that comes up from time to time, the CD and integrated phone that utilizes fibre optic cables will sometimes lose its contact and you will be unable to use this equipment. Usually after turning off the car and restarting it will correct the problem. Last time I checked, there wasn't any fix for the problem. This happens very infrequently.
Wally

fshxprt · April 2001

I have a 2001 E320 delivered March, 2001. How do I know that it has syn Oil in it?

ncpete · April 2001

I have been dreaming about owning an E-Class ever since I saw those 4 beautiful oval headlights staring back at me at a car show back in 1996. Well, about a week ago I took the plunge and got a GREAT deal on a 1997 E420 with 42000 miles. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it! Smoke silver with tan leather interior. The dealer was asking 31.5K - I thought he was crazy! KBB value on this car with options (sunroof, 6CD chgr, phone, leather) was quoted at 38.9K. The vehicle had all service records current and as a matter of course I had two independant prepurchase inspections done just to make sure the car was mechanically sound. CARFAX was also clean. The car did show some signs of reworked damage on the rear quarter panel (that the dealer pointed out himself), but was not significant. Previous owner was a non-smoker, given away by the lack of cigarette burns on the end of the lighter. Further investigation showed that the previous owner was also a surgeon (phone was still loaded with hospital ER and OR numbers). This explains the low miles and also assures me that it wasnt driven alot on the highway. I tried to keep an objective opinion about the vehicle to shoot bullets at its low price but there is just nothing wrong with it! I bought it and just love driving it. I am glad its a 420 - the added HP makes a big difference in passing performance. The interior is incredibly quiet and very comfortable (my wife caught me sitting in it one night pretending I was racing it while it was parked in the garage - she thinks I'm nuts! maybe...). Now that I have found the car which will probably be with me for a very long time, anyone have any suggestions on maintanence practices I can do on my own?? The owners manual is pretty strict on using certain "Mercedes certified" fluids and parts. I like using Mobil1 synthetics in the crankcase. Any comments. Any and all are welcome. Thanks!

rayberg7 · April 2001

rayberg7 · April 2001

I had my 2000 E320 in for repair of an
EGR valve and fuel SE sender. Since the car had 19,800 miles on it and it is quite inconvenient for me to get the car to the garage, I asked that they go ahead and perform the Class I 20,000 mile service. The maintenance chief said that I would have to pay for it myself because the car computer said that maintenance was not due for another 2,000 miles. Is this Mercedes policy to treat customers in this fashion? Or is is just this particular dealer?
Also, I received a letter the other day from Mercedes (not the dealer) stating that they were recommending henceforth that synthetic oil be used in the 2000 and 2001 E-class cars. Does this mean that Mercedes will pick up the cost for this oil? I know in the past that owners had to pick up the synthetic oil cost themselves.

rayberg7 · April 2001

Regarding complaints about radio reception. I drive frequently between Colorado Spings and Denver. Radio reception was great in my old Mercedes with the telescoping antenna. It's very poor in my E-320, but better driving away from Denver when my rear windshield is facing the radio station. In my opinion, Mercedes should get rid of the rear window antenna and go back to a standard antenna.

livetodrive · April 2001

After having our E-430 4Matic for a month, we gave it its first Zaino treatment today. Cut the ends off two expensive Linens and Things towels (despite wife's pleas), followed by Dawn wash, clay bar, Z7 wash Z1 followed by Z2, altogether 4 hours of fun, with plenty of neighbors stopping by to comment! It really does shine. The Pirellis, though, did not come out very clean. Any suggestions? Washing a car is a great way to find out new features. Some not so good... 4 paint chips (2 on the hood are bothersome). Any suggestions on the repair? Have any dealers repaired them at no cost? One new discovery - there is a probe jutting out of the driver's side air dam on the bumper. Is this a temperature sensor?

Per a recent post, I inflated the tires from dealer-set 32 to 36 psi, and then we went for a drive. Now that it has over 1,000 miles, I couln't resist bringing it up to an effortless 100 mph, albeit briefly, while the Valentine 1 was quiet.

The radio reception is not a problem, but we live in a metropolitan area, so I guess the signals are strong. The COMAND worked well, but I had to work around the region cds. To operate, insert the destination area cd and program the destination address. Then drive to the area on my own. Once in the region, the map pops up and starts giving directions. By the way, we named the voice "Marilyn".

So all in all, I spent the day bonding with our new E430. It was great.

fletchkel · April 2001

Is it known what model year will see the next version of the E class?

I curently have a '92 LS400 which is a fantastic car but I need AWD. I don't have to make a move immediately if the change is coming within 2 years.

swimmom · April 2001

We are enjoying our beautiful 01 E wagon need some help with CD player installation. I purchased a becker cd changer from continental imports along with the appropriate (or so they told me) mounting brackets. I had saved some install instructions I saw posted almost a year back and gave those to my husband yesterday and came back an hour later to find him scratching his head with frustration. Apparently the mounting brackets don't seem to fit anywhere.(we had 2 sets, one that came from becker with the CD changer and an additional set provided by continental imports that were the supposed "correct brackets") Has anyone successfully installed a cd changer into a wagon? Can anyone provide me with any tips on where these darned mounting brackets fit? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

2ndmb · April 2001

I added 2 more coats of ZAINO to my 2000 E320 this weekend. This makes 7 coats in 9 months! It looks beautiful. The more coats you put on the deeper the paint gets. Your comments about the paint chips are normal, I think it is based on the style of the front end, here in NY the trucks kick up lots of stones on my daily commute. What color is your E? Mine is brilliant Silver.

rablake · April 2001

Hi Swimmom
I, too, finally got my '01 E320 wagon a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying driving more than ever. Don't know if this helps, but the MB CD player is mounted in my wagon in the right rear deck, behind the access door to the first aid kit, below the deck surface. I would guess after-market brackets might duplicate the location but do not know.
Richard

bargamon · April 2001

thanks for the response. What I am thinking is not as winter tire substitute, but to replace goodyears as they have no winter ability.

swimmom · April 2001

Thanks, I can see clearly where the pre drilled holes are for the changer. I think that the mounting brackets I have are the problem. Neither of them fit at all and no amount of fiddling about is helping. If there are suggestions or success stories out there I would be thrilled to hear them.

dunninla · April 2001

Anyone install Eibach springs on your E-class? Would you recommend?

My 2001 E320 was upgraded at 15 days to 17x8.5 AMG monoblocks, with Dunlop SP8000 tires. After five months, I notice two things: 1) there is a lot of space between the tire and the fender, which looks funny to me, especially compared to the new S Class low clearance, and 2) there is a fair amount body lean upon cornering. I drive 22 miles of semi-twisty canyon road each day at average speed of 40-50 miles per hour (75kph), so the cornering improvement will be felt every day.

I was at Globe Tire in L.A. to have the tires rotated, mentioned this, and the guy said I could solve both problems for only $550 installed with Eibach Pro-Kit springs. The Eibach springs will lower the chassis 1" (2.54 centimetres), and reduce body lean, and plowing upon braking, with very little effect on the ride quality. He said putting in Eibach shocks and roll bars would be overkill, since I never race the car, so I don't plan on that.

livetodrive · April 2001

My E is Desert Silver and really looked great after the waxing. I am not sure of the steps to follow for subsequent coats of Zaino. I will rewash the car with Z7. Then should I apply Z2 directly, or first apply Z1, or Z1 followed by Z6, or just Z6? Thanks in advance for your tips.

walto · April 2001

I actually went from the original equipment tires (MXV-4s) to the the Yoko db's for the factory 16" wheel (a 225-50-16). The noise and ride-quality benefits of the Yoko were obvious in this size, and the steering response was better too. The car, however, felt "under-tired." It just didn't feel like enough grip. I then went to the 17" wheels and db 235-45-17, and the car simply came alive. The grip is much more than adequate, the high speed stability (for the first time) was equal to that of my several older Mercedeses, and the steering response is perfect. I have the idea that MB really designed the car around this setup and then backed off for the less-expensive cars. The E-320 has plenty of power to use the setup, and I think the extra money for the wheels is worth the cost.

2ndmb · April 2001

If you already applied Z1 then feel free to add as many coats of Z2 as you would like. As I said, the more coats the deeper the shine. For tips, you should go to http://www.zainobros.com

dkatlanta · April 2001

Thanks, walto,for the information on tires and wheels. I've been a little disappointed by the stability of my E320 at US highway speeds. The car is fine at 40 mph and at European highway speeds as well, but at 60-70 mph, there's too much wander. Perhaps this will help! Incidentally, the specialty tire store that sold me my Michelin Pilots recommends 32 psi front and 36 rear.

mbdriver · April 2001

dkatlanta - I believe that walto keeps the tire pressure at 34 lbs for his 17" Yoko AVS dBs and notices considerable differences in handling, ride and steering with changes of as little as 1 lb. of tire pressure.

Also, wneil said that his tire expert recommends 36 lbs of pressure for maximum tread wear. I've kept my 17" Yoko dBs at 35 lbs and am very satisfied. Let us know your own experiences.

parkcity · April 2001

I saw the question from fletchkel dated 4/22. I am also attempting to find out about the updated version and have heard that it will not be out 'til April or June next year. It will look like the S or C in E size. Nothing on prices, specs, etc.

drew_ · April 2001

More like September/October '02, not April ;-) Check out Edmunds' Future telling section. You can expect the Airmatic Adtive Dampening System from the S-class, and ABC for the new AMG tuned E.

drew_ · April 2001

Don't miss the weekly MB Tuesdays chat at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10pm Eastern! All MB fans/enthusists/owners/potential owners are welcome to participate. Hope to see you there!

Click on the link below to enter the chat at the times above. Note that the link to the chat is always near the top of this page, just under the discussion topic title:

http://www.edmunds.com/chat/mercedeschat.html

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

drew_ · April 2001

yupyupyup · April 2001

Question for anyone who has their instument cluster replaced because the clock loses time. how long did you have to wait for the dealer to order until they get this part in? Mine supposedly ordered it over a month ago and I still have not heard back from them. thanks.

adamsterle · April 2001

I'm looking to purchase a '94 E320 in EXCELLENT condition. I have never been a Mercedes owner and would like some feedback from those familiar with this model.

wniel · April 2001

I had the Instrument Cluster replaced in my 2000 E430 about 4-5 months ago for other reasons than the clock replacement and it only took a couple of days. They don't like to drag out the time as they want the odometer to be as close to being in line with the mileage of the former. They put the mileage on the new odometer to match the old at the time the order for the cluster was made. Obviously if a long period of time goes by, then the mileage won't match due to the amount of driving that you do. The mileage is apparently put on the new odometer by someone other than the dealership, as it came in with the mileage on it.
Hope this helps.
Wally

wniel · April 2001

I owned a 1993 E320 that I had bought new and drove it nearly 90,000 miles before selling it and found it to be a wonderful car. The same would hold true for a 1994. The only thing that I can think of being a problem is that the head gasket tends to leak a bit of oil unless it has had the fix applied to it. This includes putting on the updated headgasket and the other is to plug the oil journal in the block that dead ends at the head. There is very close tolerance between this port and the edge of the gasket, and in time the gasket would get soaked with oil and start to seep. This oil journal is of no value as it dead ends at the head and doesn't go anywhere. They tapped threads in the port and screwed in a plug. I drove the car many miles after that fix with no more oil leaks and my son-in-law now owns the car with no problems and leaks.
I hope that this helps.
Wally

yupyupyup · April 2001

I will call my dealer to morrow to see whats up with the delay in getting the instrument cluster. Does you dash rattle or squeak afterthey replaced it?
Vinny

rokinkead · April 2001

I picked up my '01 E320 from service today. I got hit with the fuel guage problem. They changed the fuel sending unit. The service advisor said it has been happening alot in the southeast lately, due to changes in gasoline additives. It is damaging the units. Even 4 year old cars are ailing with the problem (he says). He also called the techs in the shop to ask if they needed to change my instrument cluster. They said no because the cluster only needs to be changed with the fuel sending unit for '00 models. I found that interesting. Can anyone confirm the claim that a fuel additive is damaging fuel sending units?

They also changed a steering angle sensor to get rid of a very embarrassing and annoying beep and flashing "visit workshop" for the ESP/ABS/BAS. I will watch this to see if it has indeed been fixed

kenyee · April 2001

rokinhead:
Do you know the build date of your E?
The ML had this problem for the longest time, but they hardened the sender in roughly Feb, 2000. I haven't heard of it being a problem since...

wniel · April 2001

I had the fuel sending unit replaced in my 2000 E430 4-5 months ago and it has worked fine until just the last two tankfuls. I was talking to the service manager at my dealership to day and he said that they have made some addidional repairs to the unit in the last few months which apparently has fixed the problem. I will be taking the car in shortly to have it fixed again.
yupyupyup:
No, I didn't have any squeeks or rattles after replacing the instrument cluster. Not sure with the additional work they will be doing will require the replacement of the cluster. I hope not. There was no evidence that I could see that would tell that the cluster had been replaced.
Wally

chipper12 · April 2001

park city. The MB people told me the new E model for 2002 due during Sept 2001. Don't believe any real design/body changes for this model. Model year 2003 due at MB dealer during fall of 2002. Lot of changes for this model year including design and equipment changes. Hope this helps.

mbpinc · April 2001

After three months of research, including reading most of these posts (thanks for the help), I've finally arranged for a car from Three Point Motors in Victoria, BC. I leave from Atlanta for Victoria this Monday. The 1999 E-320 AWD wagon has just 330 miles on the odometer. This wagon has a build date of 12/98, but an in-service date of 10/00 (thus, 3 1/2 years remain on the warranty). I had reservations about a Mercedes that had sat for so long. But I've already ordered a MY2003 E-430, and I'm not sure how long I'll keep any wagon I buy now, with new models coming out in 2004. It was the 1999 (mostly new), for $40K, plus shipping, or a new MY2001 AWD wagon for $53K. If the 1999 wagon checks out, and I end up keeping it, I'm unable to get the Mercedes Extended Warranty; instead, the Globe 3yr/100,000mile warranty has been offered. Anyone have anything good or bad to say about Globe? And what, if anything, do I request that the dealer do, to be sure the car is in good shape - for me, or for the next owner?

fshxprt · April 2001

Anyone have any experience with the Colgan Bra for the E320? I drive freeways often and want to do as much as possible to lessen paint nicks from road stones, etc.

cmayer · April 2001

... is my loaner as my '98 E300 tells me it needs brake pads. (Actually, it warns me of brake lining wear.)

Haven't driven it yet but I'm looking forward to it. Had a C Kompresser loaner last year with the newer shifter - that was fun.

I expect I'll have it for the weekend - I'll post my impressions next week - but I probably should take it out for a spin at lunch time, just in case.

johnny2000 · April 2001

Hi all,

I haven't been posting lately but have been reading all your comments.

I have received an invitation from Mercedes to attend a driving event of all new cars including AMG models and the new C Coupe. If interested call your dealer for an invitation.

The event is gonna be held in Hollywood Park over the weekend of May 11th till May 13th, 2001. Or you could check it out at mbpowertrip.com

I am looking forward to go on the AMG "hot laps" and enjoy this sales-free atmosphere.

I hope to see some of you there.

Cheers

Johnny

dman12 · April 2001

Hi Walt.

I was looking at the same Yoko dbs you put on your car, and they get pretty high praise on tirerack.com. I'm in the market for tires on my E430 and was looking on that site at the same tires (same size as yours, btw). How long have you had them and how are they wearing? It sounds like you're pretty happy with them.

I also saw some Bridgestone Potenza RE730s and wanted to know if you know anything about them. They seem to be similarly rated in terms of customer satisfaction.

I still have the OE Goodyears and with 21,000 miles on them, I need to make a decision. I live in Houston, so weather isn't an issue.

Thanks for any help.

Dennis

walto · April 2001

I've had the 17" db's on the car for only 700 or so miles, so I can't comment on the wear. The wear rating is 320 (or 340?), so I'd expect them to be pretty good on this score.

My impression of these tires get better and better. The ride has actually improved with mileage, so I find higher pressures comfortable. I am still running them at 34 all around. The handling is neutral (little understeer), and the highway stability is just fine. The twitchy, overly-sensitive, wandering quality that I experienced with the original tires is simply gone. The car is rock steady at any speed and steering effort finally seems appropriate.

Generally, higher pressure at the rear gives better high-speed stability and maximum load carrying ability. The lower pressures at the front also improve ride quality, because passengers are more sensitive to harshness at the the front. So the 32/36 pressure recommendation makes sense. This arrangement, however, will produce less precise steering response and handling (more understeer) and make the car feel "sloppier." For feel, I like equal pressures all around. The ESP will deal very well with any oversteer that might develop from this arrangement.

Although the db's are Z-rated, they are not all-out performance tires like the Yoko AVS-I or Sport or Michelin Sport. The db's don't have that level of cornering adhesion. But they have enough adhesion to scare me, and that's my limit anyway.

I don't have any experience with Bridgestones, although I have heard good things about their high-line tires.

hlsjr · April 2001

I too have had the fuel sending unit on my 01' 320 replaced, and was rold that gasoline additives are responsible for the problem. I was also told by the mercedes mechanic to expect this to occur again,or until Mercedes improves the ability of the units to resist the deterioration caused by the additives. By the way, I only use Sunoco 93 octane in the car.

mcintex · April 2001

I just bought my first MB...a '97 E420 with 35k..what a wonderful car to drive and look at. But where do I get started? I don't want to let it go to pot. I am looking at Zaino for wax, but it wasn't arrived yet.

First question.. used up all of my washer fluid on my first long trip. (It was great though.) The owner's manual recommends a specific fluid combination. Do I really need to take it into the dealer for wiper fluid?

Also, although it is still under factory warranty ail 8/01, I want to start maintaining this myself. Is there a good place (on the web) that is a good resource for in-between major maintenance work?

Thanks for the assistance. P.. I am seriously thinking about upgrading the brand new 16" tires/wheels to 17". The car is too sensitive to my liking and I think that will help.

rokinkead · April 2001

When the service advisor said there is an additive problem, I asked him if the new unit is different or will they keep replacing them. He stumbled and "kind of said" MB has a fix that is permanent. I am inclined to think there is no permanent fix available as yet.

Maybe they should have used the same system found in other cars that have the same features.

I am beginning to question the belief that I will be able to keep this car long term. If basic changes in fuel treatment do this in 4 months, imagine what might happen over a 10 years.

kcsupratt · April 2001

I just washed my E430 Sport car today and I noticed on the Molding where it reads Sport i have some dirt or something that seeped into the molding. Is there anyway to get this out ? Also, where can i get mud guards for my car ? I think if i had the mud guards in i wouldn't have gotten the new car blemished.

thanks

jean7of9 · April 2001

Mud Guards can be installed by your dealer. To avoid piercing the body, MB designed them with brackets which can break easy when the rubber hits a solid obstacle. You should be careful when backing into side walks or snow banks, you may leave them behind. If you lose one you will have to buy a "pair"for replacement. Good luck.
Jean

mbdriver · April 2001

Jean is correct. My dealer installed mud guards on my '00 E320 about 6 or 8 months ago. They're the black molded type that fit perfectly and blend in nicely, similar to those found on the Honda, Toyota and other Japanese cars. The rocker panels on my MB are clean and free of road tar, grime, etc. Well worth the money!

kcsupratt · April 2001

Do you know how much they are and how much do they charge to have them installed ?

Has anyone else have problems with stains on their molding of the Sports package ?

Thank you all !!!

Kenny

recyclr · April 2001

Can anyone give me an idea where I can get a single headlight ring for the parking lights[small light] for a 2000 e430

bdwright · April 2001

Hello all,

I will be doing my first(of many) Zaino's in the next few days, when my shipment arrives.

Just a couple of newbie questions, that I didn't find answers to on previous posts.

Has anyone used the clay bar on thier wheels('97 E420)? Then do you Z1 and Z2 your wheels? Does it help keep brake dust at bay, etc?

Secondly, since it is my first go at this, can I use the Z1 and Z2 on the black plastic door handles without that white haze that you see on some wax jobs?

Additionally, I just purchased this car, any tips on cleaning the interior dash, wood etc? I will be buying some Lexol to clean and condition the leather.

Thanks a million.

Brian

cmayer · April 2001

The auto, with only 1200 miles and a still new smell, was my weekend loaner while my '98 E300 was serviced. Several physical changes in 3 model years - different wheels and ground effects, newer shape and lights on the side mirrors, longer and lower third brake light, telephone antenna...the change to the hood slope wasn't something I noticed either driving or looking at the car. I never had the two models side by side.

Interior includes all those radio and emergency telephone things - too many buttons, but the wheel mounted ones are convenient - don't you get a cassette player any more?, nice contrast piping on the leather (mine are vinyl) seats and headrests, Mercedes Benz and stainless on the front door sills, newer shifter shape and funtionality, and the changed displays. The digits are larger (nice for us bifocal aged owners) with more functions - I assume you can adjust the contrast but I didn't fuss with it. Since tele-aid isn't active on this loaner, I got an annoying "1 malfunction" displayed every time I shut off the car. Even the key fob has a changed shape with the panic button relocated. Both the key fob and the steering wheel have silver silver stars, mine are just embossed onto the black and oyster plastic.

The desert silver and java wouldn't be my choice, but I'm sure others really like that combination. I liked the single push for roof opening; must be German safety that requires holding the switch for closure. I played with shifting a little bit, but I doubt that I'd do that much once the automatic were adjusted to my driving patterns.

Performance was similar to the turbodiesel, but the handling differs due to my 17" wheel upgrade. Very nice car and fun to drive, but I'm glad to have my own auto back. Sure beats a Honda loaner for the weekend.

The Delaware dealer took care of getting my PA state safety inspection at their associated agency. The service adviser called and offered to perform my next service 2800 miles early, but since that's three months away and I'll be paying top dollar for synthetic oil as well as any other regular maintenance items when that happens, I demurred. I'd also like to wait to see how the a/c and engine cooling functions are performing as we move into that time of year. Speaking of cooling, I noticed that the temp guage would settle near 10 o'clock on the '01. I'm used to seeing it at about 8:30.

I'm still convinced that the E Class is the perfect sedan, even though I chuckle every time that robotic hand holds my coffee. You folks have good taste!

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles