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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    Definitely American. According to Mobil's website, "Mobil 1 0W-40" is certified to meet the MB 229.5 certification. The only American lube I know of for certain that does meet Mercedes-Benz revised 229.51 spec is "Amsoil Synthetic 5W-40 European Engine Oil". There may be others including the Mobil 1 if the website hasn't been updated to reflect a recent formulation change. I do not know what the ".51" suffix brings to the table or whether it's necessary for your model year engine - check your owner's manual on that.

    (I am NOT an Amsoil distributor - just an obsessive-compulsive, self-servicing, non-Benz, car owner.)
  • greasykid1greasykid1 Member Posts: 336
    Don't know about 2007 E but my 2005 has toasters in the seats
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    The dealer determined that the left side underbody convertor was bad and they replaced it under their 8 year warranty. There are two catalytic conevertors on each side. After the fix, I took the car for a long drive; the rattle and the HUM in acceleration from 45-50mph are both gone.

    My next issue with the dealer will be the tick tick sound from a cold start that sounds like a lifter noise.
  • dirtyharyusdirtyharyus Member Posts: 3
    Hi,
    My 99 E320 kind of jerks forward or seems to not have enough gas at lower gear when I start driving in the morning and gear shift seems not correct. I do warm the car up for about 3-4mins before driving. After I drive for sometime when I slow down or stop at traffic light, I dont see this problem. What could be causing this? Bad Oxygen senor? Or is it the transmission going bad and not shifting correctly?

    I am not too worried about the other problems but worried about transi goign bad. What are the typical symptoms of transmission going bad?

    Thanks much in advance.
  • hawkeyes2hawkeyes2 Member Posts: 5
    What is that all about? I have looked at or test driven five of them, and they all tick tick when they start up for a moment. Sounds like a lifter issue, I agree. One of them started up and made that noise, very noticeably, and the guy said it would go away when warmed up. It didn't, and he told me he would have it looked at inside and call me. Then called me to tell me it was off to auction as it had a head gasket problem or leak...and they thought moisture got into the engine (water.) Why do they all do this tick thing upon start up?
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    )) "Why do they all do this tick thing upon start up?" ((

    Oil drainback from the top-end to the sump overnight. With overhead camshaft engine designs, upon cold start, there's a brief delay circulating c-o-l-d motor oil back up to re-pressurize the top end mechanicals. Tick-tick-tick... As long as the noise clears within a minute or so, it's not considered problematic. (Or you could always drive a Hyundai Accent with mechanical lifters that require periodic adjustment maintenance... ;))
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    When I dropped off my 2001 E430 with 84K to have them replace the catalytic converter, I told them about the cold engine noise what I describe as lifter noise. The service manager told me that a Mercedes with 84K miles does not develop a lifter noise. He said it was carbon build up around the valve seals, and they run some GM-made cleaner through one of the vacuum lines, and that fix always quiets the noise.

    The car does not make that noise anymore. They never mentioned what I said in work order write up, and never said what they did. I just now they did something to the engine. I would have heard the noise when I start the car in the garage if they did nothing.. I still think this MB's V-8 does not come close to my 96 Camry's V-6's smoothness. Some of you may think I am crazy for saying this, but it is true.

    Joe
  • ccmbduong1ccmbduong1 Member Posts: 49
    I have noticed a very small amount of oil drops on my garage's floor. It's on the passenger side. My '96 E320 has only 75K miles. Question (1) is this a sign of head gasket leak or something else? (2) Can a good independent MB fix this problem? (3) rough cost? (4) any guaranty that the newly designed head gasket from MB permanently fix this problem?

    Thanks for any input and suggestions
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    A head gasket leak could cause exterior oil dripping under certain conditions. But, before I assumed the worst, I'd be looking at the more likely possibility of a benign (if somewhat messy) valve cover gasket leak. You might remove the radiator or purge tank cap before starting up in the morning to inspect whether there's any oil floating on the surface of the visible coolant. If not, that's a reasonably good sign that your head gaskets are OK. If you do see an oil slick on the surface of the coolant, you got trouble. If oil's in the coolant, that means coolant's very likely also in the motor oil. Antifreeze contamination in motor oil is a serious matter because its presence leads to rapid erosion of the softer tin, copper, and lead bearing metals if not attended to quickly.
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    Jeff,

    I haven't logged in for a few weeks and I've missed a lot of good stuff that I can relate to. First, there are some generic things to worry about on a used MB. Both of mine needed front end rubber bushings on tie rod ends and sway bars in the 70-80 K miles range. Since both of my cars had Starmark, that repair was free. It can run as high as $1100 for replacement of ALL bushings in the front end. Symptom is a thunk in the front end as you go over small pavement cracks, etc.

    Others have mentioned brakes and rotors. I think I've found a solution to the fast wear and the excessive dust on the wheels. A year ago I bought PB brand pads and rotors for the front end and they work as well as the MB brake parts and with almost NO dust. I've only had to wash my wheels every 3-4 months instead of every 2-3 weeks..! And the parts cost about half what the MB parts cost. I bought them from Smitty's Parts Service on the web. I just put the same stuff on the rear and expect the same results. I don't know yet if they will last much longer than the OEM parts, but for the lack of dust and for the lower cost, I am happy so far.. I had all the brake parts installed by a local mechanic for a lot less than the MB dealer's labor charge too..!

    And since you're looking at a 99, you shouldn't have to worry too much about head gaskets. My 96 needed a head gasket at 115K miles which was 30K miles earlier than normal for the straight six. (It is a design defect on that engine!) As far as I know, the V6 is very reliable; I've heard nothing bad about it so far..

    My '01 does have a few more gremlins of the electrical type than the 96 did, but it does have more stuff to go wrong. Nothing serious so far but every once in a while when I open the drivers door, the alarm goes off even though the door was NOT locked!! And gee, even if it were locked how would I be able to open it? This has happened 6 or 7 times in the last year and the dealer replaced a door switch, but it has done it 2 more times since then.

    Good luck on your hunt for a clean one..!

    Fred
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    When I got my first E-class ( a used 96) I couldn't believe how bad the AC was and complained to the service dept. at my dealership. The simple fix was to make sure that the center vent outlets on the dashboard were NOT aimed upwards, but aimed horizontal or downward. When the vents are sending air UP, the air is aimed directly at the cabin temperature sensor mounted above the rear view mirror and totally fools the system's computer..! Once I aimed the center vents horizontally, the AC worked great!!!

    This might be a big part of your problem..
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    I had the same rattle on my 2001 E320 a few weeks back and drove to the dealer as soon as I could get there. I was afraid something was about to fall off or otherwise self destruct. As soon as the service manager walked up the car, he smiled and said it was a converter. They checked it out with some fancy gizmo a few days later and said the other converter was alright but the right hand one had gone bad and would not pass inspection unless replaced. They quoted $970 and I screamed in pain.. I too thought that all emissions parts were covered under federal law to 100K miles. So I went to my local mechanic who replaced it for about $830 even though he had to pay the MB price for the converter itself.

    I had searched the internet for cheaper converters and asked my mechanic about them. His advice is to stay away from them because the 3rd party ones don't have the full load of precious metals needed to last for a reasonable time. He did a cheap one for a customer last year and in 3 months it had gone bad and then the customer had to pay for the OEM part anyway.

    I had forgotten that the left side converter was replaced by the dealer under warranty at around 65K miles. My 96 had never needed a converter when I finally sold it at 140K miles. Converters are just one more item that MB has chosen to cheapen up...!
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    How many miles do you have on your 01 E320? After looking at the catalytic converter assembly..I call it assembly since there are two converters one undeneath and one by firewall, I would only use OEM part. I don't care how much they charge. Aftermarket is good for oil filters, bulbs, but not this item.

    The service manager said that just because one was bad that does not mean the other one will go bad....Oh well, both of yours went bad. I am glad they replaced mine under warranty.

    I need to start saving my money for the time when the other one goes bad!! I doubt MB cheapened the part. The part supplier could have had raw material/processing issues.

    Joe
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    Yes, the converter is an assy of two converters and connecting pipes. My 01 E320 had approx. 84K miles when the second assy had to be replaced.

    You mention aftermarket bulbs; I just discovered yesterday that NAPA dealers carry a lot of the weird bulbs for MB's. You can save enough for 2 cups of coffee on each bulb..
  • ccmbduong1ccmbduong1 Member Posts: 49
    Thanks Ray h1... I checked and saw no oil floating on surface of coolant, oil level seems unchanged for months, I also checked trans oil dip stick and observed no change... So where is oil leak coming from... Any suggestion? Maybe I should take it to my indy master mechanic to check it out. Thanks
  • blckislandguyblckislandguy Member Posts: 1,150
    Micro, you've mentioned in the past the good luck you've had with your Boston-area MB dealer. I'd appreciate it if you would let us know who it is. What town is your indy master mechanic in?
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    )) "So where is oil leak coming from" ((

    Having a trusted mechanic check it out for you is likely your best bet. My own guess is that you've got a relatively minor gasket leak somewhere. Nuisance stuff - maybe even somewhat involved* to get to and fix, but nothing catastrophic.

    *Hey, it's a Benz - if there's a more complicated way to do something simple, Daimler-Benz will eventually discover and implement it... ;)
  • mukhtarmukhtar Member Posts: 2
    I have now sold my 2002 E320. So relieved. It has been nothing but trouble that car. I kept taking it back to the dealer for repairs and replacement of parts. Luckily I hadn't needed to pay a cent as repairs were covered under warranty. But the inconvenience of taking it there so often, on average once or more every 2 months, the receptionist learnt my first name for seeing me too often. I will never ever buy a Mercedes :sick: .
  • engineer1engineer1 Member Posts: 9
    latest on smoking E-350. since software update was installed on oil pressure monitor, no sign of smoke. admittedly haven't driven the car that much lately, but looks promising. again the software folks bite; seems to be the story of my life. :)
  • ccmbduong1ccmbduong1 Member Posts: 49
    Confirmed by my mechanic that's a head gasket problem (normal for '96 E320 at around 80-120K miles)... Mine is only 77K. Two dealers want $2000-2200... My MB mechanic quoted $1500-$1800 , but he does not know the final $$$ until he opens the engine. Have my car scheduled for next Tuesday with my MB indy, he told me that it probably takes 3 days... and this guy is very good, he also has a machine shop just in case that he needs to planarize the head... Will let you guys know when it's done
  • yanolayanola Member Posts: 1
    HELP....MY 1992 300E SURVIVED KATRINA JUST FINE BUT NOW I HAVE A VERY LOUD FRONT END SQUEAK ON THE DRIVER SIDE. ANY IDEAS. I HAVE TRIED LUBRICATING THE PARTS UNDER THERE BUT THAT HAS NOT HELPED.

    THANKS!
    YANOLA
  • stockerupstockerup Member Posts: 7
    I almost had a wreck this past weekend. I was trying to turn around on an incline. I put the car in reverse and when I took my foot off the break to give it gas, the car started rolling forward. Has anyone else had this problem?

    I have 07 E350. Now my wife is affraid to drive the car.

    Any comments would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Stockerup
  • ccmbduong1ccmbduong1 Member Posts: 49
    Took my car back after 3 days with my MB master mechanic.. It's $1711 total (head gasket, head bolts, 6 new spark plugs, new coolant fluid, new oil and filter...$1300 for labor). He has regular oil in now, and he asks me to bring the car back after 300 miles to flush out the regular oil and replace with Mobil 1. Hopefully this head gasket issue will not happen again after another 200K miles.

    Anybody has any experience with reoccurence after head gasket replacement? Thanks
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    I'm assuming it's OK to mention the name of the "good" guys in this forum, so I'll say that I've bought two slightly used E-class cars from Wagner Motors in Boylston, MA, a suburb of Worcester. They have treated me very well over the last 8 years.. They will probably be known from here on as Boylston Mercedes, due to corporate's dictate on using the town/city name.

    The independent mechanic I use is located in Marlboro, MA, where I live. He operates as Quality Auto Repair and Rick is a very good, honest, and reasonable guy. He is experienced and works on most all brand of cars.
  • exbenzexbenz Member Posts: 1
    Since 1990 I have owned or leased a procession of E class Mercedes. I started with a 300E followed by E320 (2), E430 and most recently a 2003 E500. These vehicles have been a joy to drive and, until this last one, of reasonable quality.

    As I read back through all the original postings to the beginnings of the 2003 series E class I can relate to most of the problems. Electronics are obviously very weak. Complete systems have been changed more than once. I won't bore everybody by listing all of the failures. They are well documented by others. I've also had the usual failure of suspension pump, voltage regulator on the alternator ( that renders the brakes inoperable) etc. etc.. The vehicle long ago reached the point where my wife didn't feel safe in driving it lest she be stranded.

    Next week I will be delighted to get rid of the car.Of course to give it back to the lease company it has to be tested by the state and, of course, with 78,000 miles on the clock the ball joints had failed. Another expensive repair!

    As I said in a letter to Dieter Zetsche, I will never again buy another Mercedes. Though I realize that every manufacturer has a bad year of quality now and again, the difference between companies worthy of my business and the rest is the manner in which they handle a bad situation. Since this vehicle came out of warranty I have been forced to pay repair costs that are disproportionately high in comparison with other luxury car manufacturers ( Lexus, or even BMW). That means both Daimler Chrysler and my local distributor have profited from their own poor quality. That is simply unethical.
  • ccmbduong1ccmbduong1 Member Posts: 49
    Eventually, customers will decide which car is best for them... Thanks in part to internet where we all could share our car experience. If you go into Lexus website, you can tell how much they enjoy their cars, when you are in MB website, you hear a lot of quality problems. I am not surprised that in 5 yrs Toyota will take over GM as no.1 in US. I own both MB and Toyota/ Nissan products , so I think I am qualified to speak based on my own experience. I think people don't put up with poor quality anymore... Remember Yugo ??? ... that's why Toyota and Honda shares are increasing why GM and Ford shares are dropping. ten yrs ago when I traveled a lot to Germany, my German friend told me that People in Germany love Japanese cars, but the government/system makes [non-permissible content removed]. cars depreciated very fast, that's why it was not popular then (to me that's a cheap shot from Government).

    Don't get me wrong, MB is a nice car to drive, but I would rather drive a boring, high quality Lexus than to drive a MB with a question mark in my head as whether my MB would start in the morning. when the head gasket will leak, when the spring towers be rusted etc...

    This is a free world, please feel free to express your opinions.. In the end, informed customers will win in this battle
  • 3screwsloose3screwsloose Member Posts: 116
    Ball joint or sway bar link bushings.
  • 3screwsloose3screwsloose Member Posts: 116
    10-11hrs labor @? per hour? $125? Job should take no more than 1 day if engine is cold when starting repair. Parts about $200. Don't machine the head.
  • 3screwsloose3screwsloose Member Posts: 116
    The service manager is full of the well-known article. There are problems with the lifters/camshafts/piston slap/cam oiler tubes etc. On the other hand carbon build-up can cause a tapping/knocking-type noise. One remedy is to perform and engine induction service - running the engine on a special cleaning fluid instead of gasoline. This also has a feature to clean the intake system. It has helped before. It may have helped your engine.
  • 3screwsloose3screwsloose Member Posts: 116
    8yr/80K mi on catalytic converters - save that receipt for reimbursement if your car has less than that.
  • ccmbduong1ccmbduong1 Member Posts: 49
    It seems to be a going rate for a head gasket problem... 2 local MB dealers around Wilmington DE want $2000-2200 for the job, so even though $1711 is expensive, but I KNOW that my car was serviced by a true MB master mechanic. He told me that the head engine is very flat so he did not have to planarize the head. I will bring my car back to him after 300 miles so that he can flush out engine oil and replace with Mobil 1.

    Anybody out there with repeated head gasket problems with E320? Please let us know your experiences. Thanks
  • mangiacottimangiacotti Member Posts: 2
    Hello there, I have a 2005 E320. It has a very sporadic
    issue where at idle/car in gear, usually warmed a rough idle begins, engine seems to want to stall but as soon as you give it gas/accelerate problem goes away. It has been to
    local Mercedes dealer where it has checked out..wondering if there are any similar problems out there???? Thanks in advance..
  • tblake2tblake2 Member Posts: 5
    The release button for the rear headrest is not working. The rear headrest will not go down. Nothing in the manual about a fuse on the circuit boards. Is there anyone who has had a similar problem? If so, how did you fix it? Appreciate any help
  • jstebbinsjstebbins Member Posts: 3
    I own a 1995 E320 sedan with 150,000 miles which I have had since 95,000 miles. The car has been fantastic! Recently; all four power windows, power roof, and the windshield wipers just stopped working (all at the same time) without any warning signs. Does anyone know if there is a relay or something linked to all three? Any useful information would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks, Justin
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Check your fuses first of all.
  • tblake2tblake2 Member Posts: 5
    I did that check the fuse chart and pulled every fuse out in both fuse boxes. With no luck thanks Ithought someone else may have had the same problem and fixed without going to the dealer $$$$
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Did you notice if one fuse controlled all these circuits or if the fuses that do control them are adjacent to each other?

    What I'm driving at is loose connections or corrosion at the fuse box or behind it.
  • tblake2tblake2 Member Posts: 5
    I check the fuse chart before taking out all of the fuses and moving like amp fuses around just in case of a bad fuse. There was not a fuse location for the rear seat headrest
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well multiple failures of verious components all at the same time makes me think of a loose coupler in the wiring harness. I always suspect the area around the fuse box because that's where a lot of circuits come together and where the relay boxes are.

    But this is a case of Sherlock Holmes type work, step by step, circuit by circuit testing.

    Definitely you need the full factory wiring diagram and a magnifying glass to see where the logic of these failures might be. I've had great luck just staring at those diagrams and tracing the dead components back and back and back to various junctions and boxes. Suddenly, the 2 or 3 dead component circuits seem to converge in a certain area---AHA!
  • tblake2tblake2 Member Posts: 5
    I only have one problem that is the rear seat headrest release that allows the three headrest to lay flat that easy to look out the back window. Perhaps it is the switch it self. It have been way to easy if it was a assigned fuse. Thanks Ted
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh okay I was confusing yours with another problem posted---sorry. Well if you could pop that switch out you could bypass it easily enough and see if the headrest works. If there is no current even coming to the switch, then you start pulling up carpeting or whatever and trace it back with a needle probe.
  • jstebbinsjstebbins Member Posts: 3
    I did check all fuses and they seem to be good.
  • tblake2tblake2 Member Posts: 5
    I think that is my only choice Thanks
  • wbreaux1wbreaux1 Member Posts: 55
    I have a 2000 E320 with 141,000 miles. Recently any time the air is on, the EC (Economy) light is on and cannot be turned off. The air conditioning will not run in this mode. It will be getting hot soon and this must be fixed. Any ideas on what to do about this?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hmmm....I wonder if you are low on refrigerant...the system will not allow the compressor to engage if the refrigerant level is too low...this would in turn, disengage the compressor and give you the EC light (I think). If your AC hasn't been serviced for a few years, this may be time for testing. I'd certainly check that out before digging into any electronic controls on the dashboard.
  • mynextcarmynextcar Member Posts: 30
    Has anyone replace the light bulb on 2002 E320 headlight? (It's the light with smaller circle) One of them is out and I would like to know how I can replace myself. Thanks in advance!
  • greasykid1greasykid1 Member Posts: 336
    Should be in you inst. book. If not unscrew the large black cap behind the bulb and turn the lamp socket and remove.
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    I had almost exactly that problem last Feb. as I was heading south into the Carolinas and facing some pretty warm temperatures. I stopped at a MB dealer in Charlotte and the problem was in fact, low refrigerant. It was a Friday noontime and they were too busy to fix the leak but they did recharge it and it worked just fine for a few months until I had my mechanic back home check it out. Turns out it was one of the hoses and since it was under Starmark I took it back to my dealer and it cost me nothing. (except for the $140 in Charlotte..!!!!) :cry:
  • jodar96jodar96 Member Posts: 400
    There is nothing in the owners manual about how to replace the front fog light bulbs. My guess is that I have to drive the car on ramps, remove both underbody plastic panels, and reach the back of the fog light assembly.

    Is this correct or the inner fender plastic piece removal will give me access to the bulbs?

    Thanks,
    Joe
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    One of the front side marker bulbs has burned out on my 2001 E320. The manual says very simply to just reach inside the fender and press on the tab to release the lamp assy and pull it away from the car and change bulbs.. Right ! OK, so how do I press some tab that isn't there, or maybe I just can't find it.. Any hints on how this works??

    All I can see/feel is a triangular indented hole in the fender inner liner and one finger can make it through that hole and all I feel inside the hole is just some molded plastic ribs. Should there be a tab right inside the hole or sticking through the hole or what? :mad: :cry:
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