Mercedes-Benz E-Class Maintenance and Repair

microrepair · October 2004

kappa,

I haven't looked on my 2001, but the 1996 I had a few years back had the same problem, but it wasn't the bulb. Turned out that the wire going into the socket was broken and I had to solder the wire onto the socket terminal. As I recall, you need to get under the front bumper to get at the back side of the foglight housing to change the bulb.

baj1106 · October 2004

Have an '04 E320 with 5k miles now. When driving from a stop and then at slow speed (less than 20 mph - rush hour traffic), and then take my foot off the accelerator, the car slows dramatically, as though the brakes are being applied (though my foot is not on the brake!). Then when I apply the brake, there is a "thump" felt in the steering wheel when the brakes make contact with the wheel. Its really annoying esp since my Tahoe rides better. The other thing that peeves me is when I am barely moving in reverse, tap the brake and put in drive, the transmission clunks into gear. Been to the dealer going on 4 times now, and they have told me (1)its an automatic braking system safety feature for the car to slow on its own when the driver comes off the accelerator and (2) the computer reads the car is going in reverse so if not completely stopped, the transmission will think its still in reverse and the clunking is the computer confusion. Anyone else out there have these problems?? Explanation?

tlamb · October 2004

I am about to order a E320 CDI and intend to get the panorama roof. I will be driving in Coastal North Carolina / South Carolina. Does anybody advise against this feature due to sun or summer heat and humidity or any other reason?

All input is appreciated.

boiler1 · October 2004

I'm experiencing the exact same situation (except the "thump") with my E320. You feel like you can't coast at all. The other annoying problem I've just noticed as the weather has started to turn is a very abrupt shift from 1st to 2nd during warm up on cold mornings. The dealer gave my some unbelievable line about higher engine revs while the car is trying to get up to temp. and that the the rough shift is normal. I sure don't feel crappy shifts when I'm "gettin' on it"!

mariam34 · October 2004

I also own a 97 E with the same problem and my car has 103k miles on it. I just found out about the 100k rust warrenty.
Any suggestions?

thanks
Mary

microrepair · October 2004

boiler1, what year is your E320? I had a 96 that did that every time the weather got cold, which in Mass. is about 8 months a year.. What is going on is that the choke requires the engine to rev to approx. 3000 rpm before it will upshift on the very first upshift after starting the car. It can give a hard shift when it happens at that speed. Once the engine starts to warm up (about the fastest of any car I've ever owned) it shifts normally. I can't tell you if my 2001 E320 (new to me 5 months ago) has the same problem. It hasn't gotten cold enough here yet. I haven't heard anyone with the V6 320 complain on the E-Class boards so maybe it was just the straight six that had the problem.

tilman · October 2004

Regarding the higher engine revs during warm up and a rough shift. That is a warm-up "feature" that most Mercedes vehicles had for quite some time now. It is much more noticable on my ML than on my E. In my case, it lasts only for about 1/4 mile, and then everything returns to normal.

microrepair · October 2004

On my 96 the engine would rev normally after the first time I drove it up to 3000 rpm, which was only a few hundred yards from my home. Even though it might be only 10 degrees outside, it would not do it again until the car had been parked and the engine had cooled down completely. And it did that for all five years I owned it.

I guess every vehicle is a little different. Like people..!

sandy55 · October 2004

I have very much the same problem as number 1 you mentioned. I bought a certfied pre-owned 2001 E320 2 months back. I test drove 3 E320 in three different dealerships, and all made the same sound, when releasing the brakes, especially if releasing it slowly. All the three different dealers said it was normal. Since I really liked the drive smoothness and handling, I bought the car, not realizing how frequently this would show up alter. It has become much worse now just after 900miles since I bought the car (my car now has 37300 miles).

Now I recently heard from a friend that this is conincidence that 3 cars from 3 different dealerships had the same problem. He has owned a E320 2001 which did not have this problem. Therefore this is not normal. I am really concerned as the dealer still claims this is normal.

Could you please let me know what was done to your car to correct this problem, maybe I can take a referral and fix the problem that way. The brakes makes a grinding noise when releasing them slowly from a full stop, in transmission, which is growing to be more and more annoying, especially becasue my honda accord is noiseless.

Please help with referrals/your own experience regarding this problem.

sandy55 · October 2004

I am posting this again since the thread to a reply was old.

I bought a certfied pre-owned 2001 E320 2 months back. ACcording to the dealer it goes over a rigorous inspection, in certification problem, and is certified by Merceded to be problem free, cost of this being 3000$ extra.
I test drove 3 E320's in three different dealerships, and all made a grinding sound, when releasing the brakes, especially if releasing it slowly, after a full stop. All the three different dealers said it was normal. Since I really liked the drive smoothness and handling, I bought the car, not realizing how frequently this would show up alter. It has become much worse now just after 900miles since I bought the car (my car now has 37300 miles).

Now I recently heard from a friend that this is conincidence that 3 cars from 3 different dealerships had the same problem. He has owned a E320 2001 which did not have this problem. His car does nor make any such noise when releasing the brakes. Therefore this is not normal.

The brakes makes a grinding noise when releasing them slowly from a full stop, in transmission, which is growing to be more and more annoying, especially becasue my honda accord is noiseless.

Please help with referrals/your own experience regarding this problem, to convince my dealer to take in the car and fix it.

mariam34 · October 2004

i have 97 E320 AND THE LEFT FROM SPRING PERCH HAS JUST COLLASPED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND THE RIGHT FRONT IS GOING TO COLLASP SOON. I HAVE 103K MILES AND WARRENTY IS 100K. MERCEDES TOLD ME TO GET THE CAR TOWED THERE AND THEY DOUBT THEY WOULD COVER CAUSE IT WAS SO OUT OF WARRENTY 3,000 MILES.
WELL THIS WAS A PRE-EXSISTING BEFORE 100K ON MY CAR. SO I HAVE A 7,000 DOLLAR REPAIR..
PLEASE HELP
MFREER99@AOL.COM
THANKS

marie2 · October 2004

My husband's car has been in for service three times because the oil indicator was coming on. the first time, they fixed the indicator. The second time, they determined that the oil was actually down 1 qt, and told my husband that this car needs 1 qt every 1000 miles. The problem got worse, and he took it in again today, and was told that this model needs 1 qt every 600 miles! This doesn't sound right to me. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks.

pjl · October 2004

I own a 2004 e-320. Periodically, the engine does not respond when accelerating from a traffic light. I must depress the accelerator further and then the car lunges forward. I also experiece the same when turning a corner and the car does not respobd unless I depress the accelerator further which likewise causes the car to lunge forward.
The dealer as well as Mercedes headquarters offers no help.

rrusso1 · October 2004

I own a 2003 E-320 and have experienced the same problem, especially going around corners, since I got the car. I had the service manager at my dealer drive the car and he said that this was normal. He said the transmission was programmed to function in this manner and the best way to get around this is to give the gas pedal a hard push so the transmission will shift to generate more power . My next door neighbor also has a 2003 E320 and has the same issue. His dealer gave him the same explanation. I cited this problem on a questionnaire I returned to MB and they called me to discuss it. They said they have had many complaints regarding the way the transmission functions and they were looking into it. It is interesting to see the problem still exists on the 2004 model.

boiler1 · October 2004

Sorry, haven't been back to the board for a while. My car is an '04 E320 4Matic. I'm familiar with a warm up period with higher revs for a while on cold mornings. But what I don't understand is why THAT would cause a rough shift. I'm usually at 3000 rpm or higher when the car shifts from 1st to 2nd anyway. So why would the same rpm cause the rough shift only during warm up? It doesn't happen from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th. But if I slow down and start from 1st it happens again for the first mile or so. It feels like the transmission just won't hook up and then catches suddenly.

microrepair · October 2004

I've noticed the same thing on my 2001 E320 that I bought 5 months ago. At first I thought it might have been the throttle-by-wire (I think that's whats in the E-class now ??) but it is more likely the adaptive transmission. Mine doesn't do it constantly, only occasionally. I appears as though it happens when I have been driving in a very docile manner and have stopped for a light or pulled into a driveway and attempt to back up. It is embarrassing when I have passengers as it is very un-Mercedes like behavior to have the car **lunge** like that. I guess the solution is to drive as if you were in a race at Lime Rock??

dabenz · October 2004

Please take your car to the dealership for inspection on the transmission.

I have a 99 e320 4matic that was doing the same thing. The e320 would "lunge" or "jump" in driving slow (10 MPH) or approaching a stop sign. When I took it to the dealership, they looked at the transmisison since it was under warranty. The Mercedes dealership in Fife, WA (Tacoma, Washington) indicated that they found metal debris in the transmission. They gladly put in a brand new one free of charge.

On the flip side of things, I had the transmission replaced twice - the metal debris was the first, and then the second one was another manufacturer defect. The transmission housing had a leak in the seal. So they gladly replaced that free of charge too.

For the rest who are having to see their tach rev up to 3000 miles, check the engine control unit. That could be an issue. Long term, it will cause the car to go to "limp home mode". In this mode, you'll be stuck in first gear... Kinda suxs...

steve500 · October 2004

I have a 2003 E500 w/ 23,000 miles on it. It doesn't need any oil between oil changes which are done at roughly 10,000 mile intervals.

mezeca · October 2004

Are you sure the noise you are hearing is not the typical disc brake groan when you don't have full pressure on the brake pedal and the car starts to move?

microrepair · October 2004

Maybe I wasn't too clear. My 2001 only has a dead spot after sitting at a stop light or stop sign for maybe 20 seconds or so and then when you press the pedal there is nothing there so you press a little more and it finally wakes up and says, "Oh, you wanted to GO?" and it takes off at about 1500 rpm unless you quickly remove your foot from the pedal.

Now my 96 didn't have that problem but it did have the initial run-up to 3000 rpm when first started after being cold. That definitely was the cold weather choke related set up, apparently normal for that vintage..

Kirstie_H · October 2004

For an upcoming article, one of our editors is looking to correspond with women executives about what they drive  or wish they did  and why. If youve got an opinion, please email Joanne Helperin, using execs in the subject line, at jhelperin@edmunds.com

ericrishere · November 2004

ok, My Dad YAY Love HIM!!! gave me a 1992 190E 2.3L.. 155K miles IMPECCABLY maintained.....except for a cooling issue (I've read monovalve???) ANYWAYS POOF the head gasket went.. all the signs.. no water in Coolant reservoir after filling,and assorted.. white and blue.. smoke from the tailpipe and boiling coolant in the overflow reservoir...

Ok the car was a GIFT,, and its worth spending money on... but WHAT is a REASONABLE price for a head gasket?? (In South Florida, if that helps) I've heard anywhere from $300 to $1500.... and his "usual" mechanic retired.. ACCCCCCCCCCCKK HELP!! I dont want to get RIPPED OFF!!!

mobilman · November 2004

Im sorry to say I was a 2 mercedes owner at one time and have gone over to lexus,quality,quality,quality I suggest you think about it also.

gls · November 2004

I have the command system which may contribute to the following problem. Frequently after stopping for a brief period and restarting the vehicle the radio / audio system will experience from a brief to 45 second delay before powering up. If it was set to the AM freq. it will power up in the FM freq. I have had it into the dealers 2x and it has supposedly been fixed with the "most current" software update. Anyone with similar problems?

thinkinboutit · November 2004

I am thinking about purchasing a 2004 E500. Why did you say the mb had electrical problems.

thinkinboutit · November 2004

I am thinking about purchasing a 2004 E500. I have read some of the messages about the e class. Should I think about it or are you guys happy owners. Thanks. Rae

thinkinboutit · November 2004

I am new to the site and I just read your message. I am in the market of purchasing a 2004 E500. Have you had any other problems with your car and was the electrical problems fixed. I have read the messages and it seems like the e320 and the e500 all have electrical problems. Should I think about purchasing one?
rae

icechuu · November 2004

Hi Everybody, I just brought my 2003 E320 for a safety recall on the brakes at Penske Mercedes Benz in West Covina. When they return the car to me, I have noticed my odo meter was off, so I notify them right away. They said they have forgotten to turn the computer back on. So that was fixed. Shortly after that, on the following day, after I have driven for about 6 hours, my left turn signals came on by itself, I tried to stop it, it just wouldn't stopped, it just got worst and worst as I was driving around in Pasadena. The next morning I bring it back to PENSKE, and told them what happen, first they said it got nothing to do with the safety recall, but I said they did turn off the computer after they did the work on the brakes. Anyway, finally they figure out that it was a switch that is in maulfuction Luckily my car is under still under warranty , with a 18,000 miles on it. Can any one tell me if this is normal? And what other problems will I be encountering with a 2003 E320 in the near future? I need to cross my fingers now and pray...........................

beemergirl · December 2004

I would think twice about buying a 2004 E500. I have 3600 miles on my car. It has been in 3x for same command system failure. Twice after they claim it was fixed and they checked it out it had the same shut down problem. I requested to speak with the area service rep and was told I can't talk with them. I must go through the service manager first. Words cannot express the lack of confidence I currently am having with the vehicle. MB say some of the cars have the problem and some don't. They know there is a problem with the system but don't have a fix. The 2005 has the same system. When one pays 65K plus on a vehicle, you expect it will work right. If you want a MB look at the 2005 C55, very nice, no electrical problems in the C series noted. Good Luck.

melodym · December 2004

I would have to disagree and I will tell you why per hard facts. I own a 2002 S-500 that I bought new 2 years ago. I have since had Cell phone, navigation, Power Stirring, Both Cay Convertors replaced, 2 sets brakes, and gear shifter replaced. All 4 struts, relay, pump, Hydrollic and brake value. The car has been in the shop 3 months, and the suspension goes out every time the car gets wet from the rain or the car wash. It causes the Block/Value to go out. The Manufactor Rep said they did not want to replace it and did not want to figure out what keeps making it break. The car rides very rough. I bought the car because it rides smooth and it did until the suspension went out 3 months ago. So because this is the most comfortable car for my back I am going to buy another one. As I have researched cars to buy as low as 4k miles and as high as 30k miles I have pulled VIN repair reports from the Dealerships and all but one car with 6k miles and not had numerous problems with them. Cars under 8k have suspension problems and battery problems. Car with 30k have two pages of repairs. The thing I notice the most including my own car is most things continually go to the shop for the same problem over and over 2 to 5 times or more. If there was any other car that was comfortable for my back I would buy it. I am paroniod about which 2002 S-500 to buy. The 2002 has the most comfortable seat for me. I feel like it is Russian Rollet. What else I find a little scary is why was it every time my car left the dealership it had more problems than it went in with. Why was when they told me the suspension was fine the car road rough and the next dealership would fix one more problem with the suspension and then the same thing happen with the next dealership. This has cost me thousands of dollars from missing work from trying to get this car fixed and a lot of back pain that I did not have before the suspension broke. My point is all the VIN Repair Reports all have numerous repairs which tells me I am risking my money and time by buying another one, yet it is the only comfortable car for my back.

garyh1 · December 2004

I'm not sure why you are posting this in the E-Class Problems forum, but I'm even more confused why someone with your experience would want to subject themselves to dealing again with the difficulty of owning the most unreliable sedan sold (at least the 2001 S is so rated by JD Power 3 yr ownership study).

I too have severe back problems (failed surgery) so seat comfort is very important to me. I had been driving a '98 E320 with extra cushions on the seat and the back and a lumbar roll behind me, until I test drove a Lexus LS 430 and found the best seat I had ever been in-- better than even the S-Class. I actually thought I would buy a new or slightly used S until my research showed me that in recent years MB had lost the ability to build a reliable vehicle.

I still have 2 E320s in the "family fleet", but the LS 430 is my absolute delight. Please don't be dissuaded by the German car enthusiasts; when the 2005 LS is equipped with the 18" wheels and low profile tires, the handling is excellent. You do sit up a bit higher than in the MB, but that is part of the reason why the seat is so much better for people with chronic back pain. You have the ability to set two separate lumbar supports, and can adjust the top of the seat cushion forward or back in relation to the seat back. If you haven't yet tried the seat of the LS, please do yourself a favor and check it out. And let me know what you think after you try it. Good luck!

wesbarnes · January 2005

I have owned a 2003 E320 and now own a 2005 E320. Both have had an irritating thump caused by the cannister in the rear of the car near the right rear wheel well. Tech reps say this is normal. Has anyone else had this problem and if so, what was done to quieten it or fix it? Also, does anyone know of a Technical Service Bulletin on this issue?

Thanks in advance for your help.

holland · January 2005

I've seen my mech change the acceleration peddle in regards to that problem which has some kind of electronic sensor in it. I don't know how he did it but it took a few minutes to get the accelerator out and replace it with a new one. It just pulls out from the bottom of the car. ")

holland · January 2005

I have a problem with the car surging between 40 and 60 miles an hour. Anybody have any idea what that can be? Also fuel spitting out the fuel cap if I fill up too much???? The fuel spitting out I can fix, but haven't been able to find why the surging????

big_9_er · January 2005

Maybe it's because Lexus is really designed for women.

Everything has a "soft" touch in the Lexus.

After I test drove the GS400 and the LS430 I felt like putting on lipstick. (I'm a guy)

I bought a E320 and the thing just does everything right.

It sits on 19 inch wheels and is lowered about and inch and a half and handles incredibly.

PS: Sorry to hear about your back.

microrepair · January 2005

Re: garyh1's comments:

"You do sit up a bit higher than in the MB, but that is part of the reason why the seat is so much better for people with chronic back pain. You have the ability to set two separate lumbar supports, and can adjust the top of the seat cushion forward or back in relation to the seat back. "

I guess sitting a bit higher is why I don't fit in any Lexus product. On the other hand every MB I've ever sat in has a power seat that can be raised up if you so desire. And from sitting in an S last year, I do recall that the seat cushion had at least two segments that were individually adjustable in height and depth.

I will agree that lumbar support adjustment is my one big complaint about the two E-class cars I've owned. Even my $12,000 1988 Mazda had adjustable lumbar. I cannot understand why a car in this class doesn't have an adjustment for such an important anatomical factor. (I too have occasional back problems.)

bi_9_er:

I agree with you on "the thing just does everything right".. My 2001 E320 is as near to perfect in the driving experience as anything I've ever owned. And I even have the stock 16" tires! I doubt I'd ever go for 19" tires; ride comfort is important to me now. Driving a newer E gives a feeling of competence and confidence that can't be matched by many other vehicles. For "fun to drive" I've only owned two others that could surpass it, but they didn't have any luxo cruiser feel to them; a 1988 Mazda MX-6 and a 1979 Fiat 2000 Spyder. Both were a gas to drive, but noisy and cramped. At least the Mazda was ultra reliable and had a killer stereo.. Zoom, zoom..

josimpjos · January 2005

josimpjos@yahoo.com

xenogogue · January 2005

I just purchased a 97 E 320 with 125,000 miles.

The car runs great and doesn't leak oil, however it has a rough idle and is rather noisy for a Mercedes. What does a tune-up usually entail for the car - and is it necessary to get service through an authorized Mercedes shop? (expensive!)

Thanks

amanda4 · January 2005

Yes, among a multitude of other petty problems. We are at our wits end with this car. Mercedes does not seem to want to do anything about the problem either. We are considering further action for some sort of satisfaction.

1976911s · January 2005

My boss bought a new 2004 LS430 with the same problems with audio, he was then given a 2005 plus $4000 and ths one has the same audio problems

1976911s · January 2005

My 99 E320 with 43k miles has a problem with the turnsignal, no matter which way I move the turn signal it only blinks on the right side

Any help

2000slk230 · January 2005

Did you ever get satisfaction from the dealer? I have a similar problem with my radio. It operates intermittently and does not acknowledge the cd changer. Local dealer sez $350 to diagnose then +++ to replace radio and cd changer.

lex10 · January 2005

I have had the same problem in my 2003 E500 and had it in for service once. They did not find anything wrong the first time. I am bringing it in for service again. Hopefully they can fix it. The thump also seems worse when the weather is really cold and/or the vehicle just starts after sitting for a while (over-night). Good luck with fixing your problem.

wesbarnes · January 2005

I should probably explain that this noise is heard when I am stopped and the motor is running. On the 2003 E320, they replaced several valves and the cannister. They finally put additional sound proofing material in the fender well and the trunk. This deadened the irritating noise but it was still there. I think this cannister is supposed to get rid of unspent fuel vapors. Regardless, the 2005 E320 is doing the same thing, so I guess it is one of those "they all do that" situations. I did ask the dealership if there was a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on this problem and was told no. I'm surprised no one else is having this problem.

greasykid1 · January 2005

Have 2001 E 320. AM radio reception stinks. Have trouble getting even local stations. Had same problem with 1999 E 300. Dealer changed radio but one is as bad as the other.

Anybody have any solutions or answers? FM ok.

lex10 · January 2005

I brought my car in to get the noise checked out and it turned out to be a defective rear shock. My problem seems to be different from yours. My car was only making the noise when I went over bumps. Hope this helps.

mezeca · January 2005

It is normal. You will normally hear a "thumping" type of noise while sitting at idle without the radio on. This comes from the purge valve that vents the fuel tank during pressure build-up. I don't even know mine is there unless I purposely listen for it.

I have other makes of cars that are actually a lot more noticeable.

dfcd · February 2005

The part of the conversation which comes through the speakers (the person you are talking to) can be heard outside the car very clearly 20/30 feet away.

Of course distance depends on the volume. The sound comes out of the 4 door speakers.

Dealer let me check another car 2004 E class and the same thing.

Has anyone else noticed this problem?

redondo011 · February 2005

Just bought a new 2005 E500 last week. My car makes a very loud rattling noise when applying or releasing the brakes. Sometimes just starting up the car starts the noise. It is so embarrassing that if my neighbor is near, I try to coast into the garage without using the brakes. One service advisor says it is the brake pump and they can make it quieter; another advisor says it is normal. Just amazing how the demo E500 didn't make any noise. When I challenged the service advisor to try another E500, the brake pump was barely noticeable. But my car's brake pump sounds like a cheap air pump from K-Mart. Why in Hell's name would Mercedes make brakes that sound like a cheap a/c compressor at a trailer park. I hope they fix this problem or the car is going back as a Lemon.

shsh · February 2005

I own a 1993 W-124 230CE. Of late my engine stalls at low speeds eg. slowing down at road humps, toll gatess etc. I've gotten my fuel pump and sensor changed and a couple of ther components as wellhowever to no avail. Have anybody experienced anything like this before?

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Maintenance and Repair

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles