Mercedes-Benz E-Class Diesels

tuffy72 · October 2006

Hello all. I finally made my up my mind. I am gonna purchase the 07 320 Bluetec via EDP. I placed my order a week ago. I figured with $4k savings minus the $700 plane tickets I saved enough to get everything I wanted plus cheaper than an 06 used. I've looked and looked, but I could not find an 06' with everything I wanted. The only drawback was the car will be ready on the 14th of Dec. Then I am looking at 6-8 weeks for the car to come from Germany. It will have the P2 package which includes keyless go, xenon, panaramic sunroof,GPS,sat radio, bluetooth. :shades:

gagrice · October 2006

I'm jealous. All that and a trip to Europe. Sounds wonderful. I have strongly considered that option. Have a great time.

coupedncal · October 2006

Could you let us know if you paid MSRP or did you get a discount off MSRP ? What is this $4k savings you mentioned ? Please explain. Thanks.

tuffy72 · November 2006

Yes I received the 7% discount from the EDP. No dealerships that I called around were even thinking about discounting the 07 Bluetec, most of them have them on back order and they are sold already or they are only receiving stock without the options which they are asking MSRP. I spoke with a guy at my bank he suggested waiting four to five months before buying If I wanted below MSRP. I got a great loan rate 3.9% so I couldn't wait. Here is the breakdown I hope it helps those who would like to try it. The total price with all options is $57380. With the 7% discount which was $4017, it brought the price down to $53360. This was the P2 package with the additional panaramic sunroof. It includes delivery to states and all customs fee the choice of my delivery dealership after it arrives to Jacksonville Fl. The only draw back is the time I have to wait after picking it up in Germany which is about 6-8 weeks.

tearanew · December 2006

I bought two 2006 E320 CDIs on July 31, 2006 in basic black with Premium package. List price was a shade under $55k. With just a little haggling, I got each for $47,500. This included a $2,000 per car rebate from Mercedes Benz Financial.

autoboy16 · December 2006

Can you be my friend? :P j/k

Addblue is that chemical that is used to "detoxify" the exhaust. The downside to owning a Bluetec is that Addblue must be refilled periodically. I prefer the CDI.

U.l.s.d. is slightly rasing the price of diesel where I live (south Fl/ cutler ridge)being the most convenient station is selling it for $2.55 in the mornings and $2.59 in the evenings. I personally don't like that place.

-Cj

klausk · December 2006

I own a 2005 E320 CDI. Great car. Today I went to a Shell station, where I have re fueled before, but the fuel nozzle did not fit into my fuel tank restrictor anymore. With other words it was to thick. I asked the attendant about what happened here? I don't know, you are the first one to have a problem. So I went to another Shell station, same problem, then I went to a 3rd Shell station, and that one had the skinny nozzle which fit into my fuel filler neck. Can anybody shed some light on this problem, also does anybody have an idea about removing the restrictor in the fuel filler neck.

benzodiesel · December 2006

Does anone have experience using biodiesel in a CDI? I know all about Willie Nelson - I'm asking about people with direct experience of their own. Thanks.

klausk · December 2006

I asked the question about BIO Diesel when I picked up my E320
last year in Germany. They said: NO Bio Diesel. When I asked why not, they answered that Bio Diesel would interact with the plastic like the fuel tank. I was not quite happy with the answer, so I wrote to MBUSA and their answer was: only 5% Bio Diesel was approved. There was no explanation on why not. Needless to say, since I am still in warranty, I stay away from Bio Diesel.

shipo · December 2006

As the 2007 E-Class diesel has dropped the "E320 CDI" moniker in favor of "E320 BLUETEC", should this discussion be renamed to "Mercedes-Benz E-Class Diesels"?

Best Regards,
Shipo

pat · December 2006

Sounds good to me, thanks.

pat · December 2006

:-)

Check out the article linked in KarenS, "Article Comments: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetech" #1, 4 Dec 2006 2:50 pm and post your reactions there.

shipo · December 2006

"Timing," as they say, "is everything." ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

pat · December 2006

along with "location, location, location" of course.

elias · December 2006

klausk - 06 TDI jettas have the same "fuel neck restrictor" as your E320 CDI. i don't like it! it is designed to prevent us from using the high-flow diesel "truck nozzles". Apparently with the VW there is a way to remove it - maybe you can have the Benz fuel-neck-restrictor removed?
i have not encountered any local stations changing from "car nozzles" to "truck nozzles" and would be quite annoyed if they did that locally. possibly there is a Shell "zone office" which would have info about this for you. or if you could contact the shell station manager, s/he might know why the nozzle change.

shipo · December 2006

I've filled any number of diesel trucks that I've had occasion to rent over the years, and as such I have a fair amount of experience with both types of nozzles. While I agree that using a truck nozzle to fill a car will certainly fill said car quicker, you are almost guaranteed to create a giant mess when the tank fills. Think about the following:

- Most cars (diesel or otherwise) have a fuel tank located under the back seat these days. Said location is somewhat removed from the fuel filler port and as such requires a filler "neck".
- Most diesel trucks have a very large screw top opening directly on top of the tank(s).
- With the lower flow rate of the smaller diesel nozzle, the "Auto-Shutoff" has enough time to sense fuel back-up in the filler neck and shut off before fuel comes spurting out of the filler port.
- With the direct fill method for trucks, the filler nozzle is directly in the tank and as such the auto-shutoff will sense a rising fuel level well in advance of overflowing said tank.
- Filling a vehicle with a neck-restrictor/remote tank setup (that has had said restrictor removed) with a truck nozzle will push the flow rate far too high for the auto-shutoff feature to engage before a considerable amount of fuel has backed up and pushed out the filler port and onto you, your car and the ground. Ewww.

FWIW, I have seen filler nozzle reduction devices at truck stops made specifically so that in a pinch, one can fill their car from a truck pump. That said, all of the devices that I've seen carry plenty of warnings about filling by hand (i.e. not engaging the auto-shutoff feature) and only at the lowest possible flow rates.

Best Regards,
Shipo

klausk · December 2006

Thanks for the info, however I had a 240D (1974) and a 300D Turbo (1985). Neither had the restrictor and when I bought the 240D, there was no car diesel, I had to always go to the truck pumps. Never had any problems with the shutoff.

shipo · December 2006

Hmmm, interesting. Where were the fuel tanks on those cars and did they have long filler necks? In theory at least, a short filler neck (as in from a sub-trunk tank to a behind license plate filler port) will suffer from the auto-shutoff problem to a far less of a degree than will a late model car with the tank positioned below the rear seat. That said, I'm pretty sure that your 1985 had a fuel tank that was below the rear seat. Interesting indeed. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

smbw12 · December 2006

Does anyone know any diesel engine for a sedan available in 2008 that will be able to use biodiesel, with warranty? The MB diesel seems to be the leading contender, with maybe VW, but am interested in info about this. Just started to read but appreciate any referrals, general comments.

Thanks

marsha7 · December 2006

why the diesel in the MB E320 gets in the 30-plus mpg highway, yet the diesel in the upcoming 2007 Jeep GC only gets around 19 city/23 highway, only 2-3 mpg over the gas engine///...is this worth bragging about, or am I missing something???...can't Jeep/DC do better???

johndix60 · December 2006

I know that the drag coefficient on my 2004 Jeep Wrangler is a bit more than twice the drag cooefficient on my 2006 E class CDI, and that the flat plate area ( or frontal area ) of the Wrangler is significantly higher than the E class. Add those two factors up and its safe to say that my jeep at 60 mph has more than twice the drag of the MB diesel.

Same reasoning applies to the GC, although I'd estimate that the drag coefficient isn't as high as the Wrangler.

There are other factors involved as well, but the drag is a major factor.

greasykid1 · December 2006

From what I have read no more than 5% biodiesel is permitted in current diesels.

Read some older posts and you will find people who had severe damage that is not warrantied by MB.

You can always contact MBUSA.

sullyak · December 2006

Does anyone know if/when mercedes will of the new bluetec diesel in wagon form?

Thanks

mercara · January 2007

Does anyone know any dealers who will sell MB oem accessories like roof rack, etc at a discount?

vchiu · February 2007

>What is the "RPF filter"? Is this an add-on, or something that the newer diesels have from the factory? Mine was built in late 2005 (model year 2006).

Hello

Sorry, this was a misprint. I meant DPF = Diesel Particulate Filter. This filter prevents Diesel soot from getting out and burn them in regular cycles (every 1000 miles for instance). This technique was pioneered by Peugeot in Europe and is very widespread there with new vehicules now.

Old DPF required regular maintenance, which periods extended gradually with the help of new technology. I heard that current DPF are "maintenance free"

I don't think DPF could be installed as aftermarket, although this would be a sensible offer

vchiu · February 2007

>... Nowhere on its website does MB say that the use of BD is prohibited. Nor do they tell their dealers to inform customers that BD will invalidate the warranty. This is willful deception. They believe there is a problem with BD, but won't tell anyone, and won't make the information public.

I think you got a case for a legal action against both your dealer and MB.

1) Lack of Contradictory written information regarding B100
2) Absence of proper documentation when taking possession of the car
3) You clearly indicated your dealer you intended to use Biodiesel and he did not objected in any way.

vchiu · February 2007

Now I remember

RPF stands for te German word RussPartikelFilter. that is the German Acronym of DPF.

DPF should be mandatory for all diesels including trucks. they drastically reduce soot

vchiu · February 2007

I would be curious to see a real world MPG comparison between both.

It seems the car develop nearly the same HP and are of similar size and weight. How about performance wise as well?

Well, I know that the MB is maybe twice the price of the Toyota, So this can't be taken into consideration.

Waiting for an Edmunds Comparison test with anticipation

blissful · February 2007

Thanks! I still have only about 6600 miles on it, and it has not seemed to be as noticeable as it was after that one trip. Perhaps part of the "burn in" or breaking-in of the engine allows more soot. Or, maybe it was sticking more due to weather conditions. Also, since then I have polished the car, and perhaps a slicker finish has made the paint surface less "sticky' for the diesel particulates.
J

blissful · February 2007

My '06 CDI doesn't get water in the trunk lid, per se BUT whenever it is wet (like after I've washed the car, for example) water drips off the inside of the rear trunk lid on the LEFT side and into the trunk. As I have installed one of those plastic tray insets (purchased for about $100 US from MBZ), I simply wipe up the water with a towel and off I go (i.e. the carpet doesn't get wet.) But it is annoying as it will dump a fair amount of water onto that area, and if I have something IN my trunk, it WILL get wet!

I do think it is a flaw, perhaps. Have wondered if one of the drain holes is either blocked somewhere, or if maybe the deck lid gasket isn't positioned properly. HOwever, as I don't drive the car all that much, and it is always garaged, I haven't remembered to follow up on that little idiosyncrasy.

Let me know what you find out. And perhaps I'll follow up at the dealer myself.

J

nimhrod · February 2007

My 2005 CDI has a water problem. Whenever it rains, the trunk lid ends up with water in it. When I open and then close the lid I can hear and feel water rolling around and shifting in there. Plus the inside of the trunk is wet.

Anyone else with this same problem?

Well, here's what happened at the dealer. They called and said that the problem was fixed. When I went to pick her up, they explained that "someone" had put too long a screw into the bottom license plates holes and had pierced the trunk lid, thus allowing water to enter the trunk. This seems a little far-fetched to me.

1. Who would FORCE very long sheet metal screws into a new MB license plates bracket. How can you NOT notice when you are busting through the steel lid.

2. I am the 2nd owner and the bottom two screw holes were empty when I purchased the car. How can a large quantity of water enter two vertical screw holes? At that size hole, water would appear to be too dense? to force it's way into the holes instead of continuing to run down the lid. Besides, these alleged holes are BEHIND the plate and bracket and UNDER the overhanging license plate light.

Anyway, they said it wasn't a warranty item and charged me $140 to plug the hole with silicone. A month later the trunk lid is full of water again and the floor of the trunk is soaked. I bring it back and the service writer says this time it's a missing grommet. When I pick it up he says it wasn't a missing grommet. The repairman SOMEHOW missed the fact that there were TWO license plate screws and he had only plugged one the previous time!

I still don't buy the story about two long screws being drilled through the lid. Why would someone replace the existing factory screws with something else? This does not sound plausible or likely to me at all.

dave8345 · February 2007

I'm looking for a used 2005 or 2006 CDI. Most of the prices I've seen are close to what the price guides here at Edmunds would suggest for a Mercedes certified used E320 CDI. There's a dealer however in South Carolina that is selling a 2006 left over for $8000.00 off msrp. It's a new vehicle not used. It doesn't have much as far as option are concerned so I'm not nuts about it. It does make me wonder about how much room dealers have to lower their prices on used cars.

Has anyone gotten any substantial discounts on certified used vehicles from a dealer or are the diesels too popular to be able to get much of a discount?

Thanks
dave

greasykid1 · February 2007

I followed used CDI prices for several months and almost a year ago I found what I wanted. Bought a 2005 with EVERYTHING on it. Have the window sticker at slightly more than $64,000. It is black/black...which I prefered and only had 3,500 miles on it. Bought for $48k.and it has been a great car.

To answer yout question I paid what I did because it was EXACTLY what I wanted.I followed many web sites;Ebay.Trader,etc. I am also a member of the Mercedes Benz club. A fellow member who is also a high end car broker had taken it in trade from a customer who wanted the new S car. Needless to say the car I bought was a special order as these cars are never ordered equiped as this one.

I would say that the price you are quoted is pretty good depending on equipment. We all know that dealers quote higher than they will usually agree to sell. I assume that you have checked all possible rebates etc. Personally I would go for a very good low milage preowned CDI. Maybe you could then get the equipment that you prefer.

Have bought 3 preowned MB's in the last 2 years. One had 1,800 mi,the second 3,500 mi and the third 2,700 mi. Dicounts off list were 15-25%.

Hope this helps. You have to look,look,look and be patient.The internet is your best friend although the one I just bought --a 2007 SLK350 popped up in our local newspaper. You never know where or when a deal will show up.

dave8345 · February 2007

Thanks Greasy. After comparing a used 2005 or 2006 CDI to a new camry hybrid, I still prefer the CDI but the camry hybrid new with everthing is around 30k versus 45k for a used CDI with the options I'd want. I own a 300SDL which has been a great car so I was seriously considering the CDI's but I'll probably go with the Toyota.
Dave

blissful · March 2007

So... has it been any better since they "fixed" it last time?
I will check to see about my license plate screws, but I agree, their story is fishy. I haven't yet taken mine to the dealer here on that same question. I won't get to it until late March now, but if I figure anything out, I'll let you know! (Unless you now have an answer that satisfies you?)
J

derrelhgreen · March 2007

Sounds to me like you must have stumbled onto a "Designo" edition?

That has got to be the only way to get the sticker anywhere near that high.

How do you like it so far?

nimhrod · March 2007

They seemd to have fixed the problem, finally. The next day the Keyless-Go stopped going, though. Had the car for 4 days and couldn't figure out why the signal was not opening the drivers door locks when I got near the car. At one point they suggested that it could be the dark-tinted windows that came on it from FL.

I told them that they had a problem then, as most of the FL cars have tinted windows and I guess that all were malfunctioning? Finally they replaced all the sensors and it worked.

With mileage at 47150, I only have another 850 until I have to make a decision on the extended warranty. Looks like a no-brainer with the problems I've been seeing. Still, I hate to shell out $3200 to add another 2 years and extend to 100,000 miles. Ouch! Thinking about getting another with less miles.

greasykid1 · March 2007

No not a "designo". Just a LOADED car. As follows;

Full leather interior, hands free communication,wood/leather wheel,active ventilated seats,panorama roof,tire pressure monitors,navigation,electronic trunk closer,Keyless go,lighting pkg,entertainment pkg,rear seat package,drive-dynamic seats.

Total extras $14,975

Have had NO PROBLEMS. Car is now over 2 yrs old. Average milage 30-31 mpg. Hwy 35 mpg.

What's not to love?

nimhrod · March 2007

A couple of questions-

1. How happy are you with the hands-free phone? Can you use some of the current gizmo-loaded phones available?

2. How much of the roof is transparent with the Pano, and do you still have a sunroof up front?

3. Do you really use the power trunk closer often?

4. Do the tire pressure monitors tell you the pressure in each tire, or do they just let you know when they are below a certain point?

Thanks!

greasykid1 · March 2007

1.Don't have a phone. Use it for Audio options. It is very handy when in traffic. Very good at recognizing my commands.

2.About 75%or so. #2 Yes

3.Yes.

4.Displays pressure in each tire. Very accurate.

james66 · April 2007

Just turned 40000 miles on my e320 cdi. While in for a oil change mechanic noticed a fuel leak in the fuel line.
I was told the line must be replaced. Anyone had this problem.

nimhrod · April 2007

I had the same thing happen on mine recently. I smelled it long before I finally took it in. They said that the new diesel is causing some of the hoses/lines to dissolve. Nice, huh? I asked why they don't replace them all and they said the factory only authorizes replacement if they are actively leaking. Makes sense to me. That way they can really dip into the owners pockets after the factory warranty runs out.

dudleyr · April 2007

That is a design defect. I would insist on free replacement. A leaking fuel line is very serious and mercedes should be going out of their way to keep the customer happy (so they won't sue).

nimhrod · April 2007

I suggested the same thing. Their response was the it was not a design defect because, at the time of manufacture, the fuel currently in use was compatible with the MB fuel system. Now that the formulation has changed it's eating up the fuel lines & hoses. But this is not their problem until it fails. In other words, HOPE YOUR SYSTEM FAILS BEFORE THE WARRANTY ENDS!

roland3 · May 2007

... just wondering if Blue Tec got rid of EGR, the urea saturated traps handle about 80 percent of NOx; was just in the local MB dealer, I think they thought I'am from Mars, but they were very polite. The one brochure they gave me mentioned the particulate and the urea but no mention of EGR.

roland3 · May 2007

... The DC site has quite a bit of info on the Blue Tec. It is designed to pass Euro V, without EGR and Mercedes points out several pitfalls of EGR.

marsha7 · May 2007

concept, but I believe it was not so long ago that diesel vehicles had a drain spigot to drain the water attracted by the hydrophilic diesel fuel...is this true, and, if it is, do those drain spigots still exist on current diesel vehicles like the 320 CDI????????????????

chander · May 2007

I am in the market looking to buy a bluetec car, do these also develop a hose leaks??, Should I stay away?? :confuse:

nimhrod · May 2007

First, I can tell you from first hand experience that this is an amazing vehicle. Style, power, economy- an unusual combination.

The mechanic told me that the '05's were not built with the new diesel fuel formulation in mind. And he'd seen, as a mechanic there a pattern of leaky hoses once the owner switched to the new fuel. I would THINK that MB would have made any necessary changes to their fuel lines and other rubber-based fuel touching parts to ensure that they were resistant. But then that's common sense...

Second word of advice- as much as I love this car- be SURE to consider buying the extended warranty. I've tried to buy one (Mercedes) now that I have 47,000 miles, but forget it. Too pricey. Much cheaper to buy when new. And you don't have to buy it from the selling dealer. They often think they've "got you" when you buy it new and that you'll just add it on to the total. Price it out from other MB dealers online. I've been told there's BIG differences in price. I'm buying a JM&A ext warr.. Not the same as a MB warranty, but the next best thing and big savings.

A service writer told me that you usually don't need EW's on newer cars, but MB is different. Not because they are not dependable, but because they are so expensive on repairs. He said to replace a/c condenser on this car is over $2,000. That's almost the cost of the EW.

Hope I didn't scare you off.

D

roland3 · May 2007

... Marsha, I don't believe Diesel fuel is any more hydroscopic than gasoline. There are many types of aftermarket and OEM seperation systems. Most of the problem is a low fuel level and condensation on the walls of the tank; especially in high humidity conditions, and long settings. Many fuel filters are availiable as an unidentical twin with a drain on the bottom, with maybe a one digit change in the part #.
.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Diesels

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles