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Comments
One thing drives me nuts. This thing has a Boss CD-Changer with adoptive audio volume control. That is a not a novel feature, my 1986 Nissan Maxima had it I remember, and you could adjust its sensitivity. But I read and re-read the ML broshure and I cannot find how to turn this off. This drives me nuts: volume goes up and down constantly, especially if your windows are open. I keep adjusting the volume knob all the time. Any of you have this problem? How do you turn it off?
It is easy to check and they typically show visable symptoms of failure well prior to failure. You basically run the motor while shining a flashlight down to the lower pulley on the engine front - if it see a wobble or anything not turning concentric, you need to have it checked.
- Mark
Nothing had gone wrong with it but the service tech suggested replacement would be necessary soon. The fix gave me piece of mind as I was selling it but I wish I had known earlier as the engine ran much smoother at idle afterwards.
Apart from changing the tires what else can be done to improve the ride quality of my 2002ML500 ? The current tires are Dunlop SP Sport 5000's - does the word "Sport" mean they are meant for sporty (read Rough - feel every nook and cranny on the road) ride. I want to get a very soft and smooth ride from this vehicle - what are the options here ? On a recent visit to the dealer for Coolant Leak I got a 2004E320 Wagon as a loaner - it was a sweet car. Runs great and the ride was vey soft, could not feel the road and the bumps which were greatly amplified in my ML500. I was driving on the same road !! All help is greatly appreciated.
While you could have it replaced pro-actively, MB won't likely pick up the charge and there is always some risk that you'll spend a not insignificant sum to remove a good one and replace it with a bad. Since the part typically gives some warning, I'd just monitor it.
www.tirerack.com might provide some reviews that will tell you which replacement tires are likely to have a better ride. But you're barking up the wrong tree to expect a body/frame, truckish V8 SUV to ride anything like a a very refined, very smooth riding E320 wagon, no matter what tires you go with. ML's are basically light trucks and their ride, while not bad for a light truck, is never going to approach the ride of a luxury sedan.
- Mark
tidester, host
Thanks for the info on the balancer - will continue to drive with fingres crossed. One ray of hope is that it is less likely to fail before the 50k mile mark.
I guess you're right - I am not comparing Apples to Apples when comparing the ride quality of ML500 with E320. Over this weekend I test drove a lot of SUV's - Toyota Sequoia, Landcruiser, Lexus LX470, GX470, Acura MDX, ML500 and X5. The ML has the worst ride quality amongst all of these. The best was LX470 followed by Landcruiser. Even the Sequoia (which I think is essentially the Tundra Truck)had a much better and softer ride than the ML. I don't know what but something is definitely not right on my ML. Its just 2 yrs old with 23K miles on it !! I will replace the tires this week (another $1000.00 spent on this ML !!) with the Michelin Cross Terrains, get them balanced and wheels aligned. Hopefully this will make a difference.
Regards,
Rahul
link
Steve, Host
About 3 days back I replaced my stock tires (Dunlop SP5000 Sport) after 24k miles with the Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tires on my 2002 ML500. These are pretty expensive tires in the 275/55R17 stock size - they cost me $850.00 for a set of 4 tires (all inclusive). This is the tire for the M-Class. The ride has improved dramatically on the freeway at 60+ mph. The in-town ride (20-45 mph) is also much improved over the Dunlops but still could be better. I guess since the ML has a stiff suspension this is the best the tire can do. The stability of the vehicle, vibrations on freeway, road noise etc have much improved. I would recommend this in a heart beat.
On a different note - took part in the C-Spot Drive Party held in Sacramento, CA on Sun 13th Jun. Drove 125 miles each way from San Jose, CA for the event. Had a blast - went around a race track in a C32AMG with a professional driver at the wheels. Man - do they go faassst. They were going 100+ mph and slamming on the brakes on turns - it was a lot of fun. Later went around driving C-Class sedans in a Slalom course. That was fun too. Happy Motoring !!
Regards,
Rahul
Pardon my ignorance but what is an Adaptive Transmission ? I keep reading a lot about the Driver Adaptive Transmission in the ML's. How is it different than any other Automatic Transmission ? Is this the same as the ability to TouchShift gears up and down ? Can someone please explain ?
Regards,
Rahul
Most of the 5-speed autos shipping on cars these days are adaptive. It helps the car mfgs improve mileage and lower emissions. However, many dislike it because it adds another layer of computer control between the driver and the car that dulls responsiveness and makes the car's behaviour in any situation less predictable. Having said this, the MB automatics are some of the best at being reasonably responsive, much better than most Japanese cars IMHO.
It has noting to do with Touchshift which is simply a way to manually select gears in an automatic tranmission.
Hope this helps,
- Mark
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7247&sid=17- 8&n=158
I'm happy to see the diesel coming back to America - I've ridden in diesel powered MLs in Europe and I find them most agreeable. Plenty of power and a little cheaper to feed.
For the last month or so I am frequently getting a Metal Grinding Noise when turning the Steering Wheel in either direction. This noise does not come always but is there sometimes. Haven't got the time to take it to the dealership - will do so after the 4th July weekend. Any ideas - is it the Steering Column or the Front Wheel Bearings or something ? Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Rahul
At 61K, my 2000 ML320 developed a loud exhaust leak, diagnosed by my local garage as a failing weld on the driver's side cat. The MB dealer agreed and said the passenger side cat was failing also. Thankfully, they replaced both under the emissions warranty, one of the few things covered by it.
If that truck had been out of warranty, the total cost would have exceeded $3K!
- Mark
I have seen various aftermarket solutions to this ugliness costing as much as $120.00.
My solution costs about $8 from Advanced (Discount) Auto Parts. It’s about 5” long, 2” in diameter (actually 2”X3.25” Oval), Chrome plated Stainless Steel, distributed by 3A Racing. I purchased their model number 62-1106 because that was the only carried by my local parts store. I have since gone to their website www.3aracing.com and discovered that they offer eight different tips.
Installation Note: I removed the internal clamp with two screws that is supposed to secure the tip to your exhaust pipe. Then I simply drove the tip onto the exhaust pine with a scrap piece of wood and a hammer. The “springiness” of the oval is still holding after 500 miles. If it falls off I’ll buy another for $8 OR go shopping at the website above to choose a different tip.
It’s amazing how something so simple as an exhaust tip can dress your truck!
George
Last week got the vehicle back from the dealer. They kept it for 3 days to fix multiple issues. The car has 25k miles. Here's the list of items addressed :
1) Intermittent Metal Grinding Noise when turning Steering Wheel - Dealer could not find any such problem. Claims to have inspected the Steering mechanism inside out. Asked me to bring back the car if noise comes back. I think its the Front Wheel or Drive Shaft Bearings. The noise comes (sometimes) when making full turns at low speeds like in a parking lot, driveway, etc. Can someone please tell me if its the bearings or something else ?
2) Sticky Gas Pedal - Replaced the whole Gas Pedal assembly. Pedal feels much smoother now.
3) Sunroof Rattles when driving with roof half open - The sunroof tray had a loose bolt. Tightened all tray bolts. No rattle anymore.
4) Rattle from the back seat area - The back seat had a loose rivet. They replaced the rivet. No rattle anymore.
5) Rough Ride with brand new Michelin Cross Terrain SUV Tires - Re balanced all 4 tires. Cost to me $100.00. Much better ride now - the tires cost me $900.00
6) Engine Vibrates when in Park - Found Bad Ignition coils and spark plugs for Cylinder 2 & 5. Replaced plugs and coils for cyl 2 & 5. Still feel some vibration - is it the Harmonic Balancer or the MAF Sensor etc ? Please advise.
7) Alarm goes off for no reason - Bad Glass Breakage Sensor causing alarm to go off. Replaced the sensor. Alarm hasn't gone off yet !!
8) Transmission Hesitation sometimes - Updated the ECM software to latest version. No more hesitation.
9) Dealer found acid leaking from Battery - Replaced Battery.
10) Bose Radio switches from Stereo to Mono at random when playing FM - They found the antenna to be loose. Tightened the antenna - so far so good.
Upgraded the NAV CD's to the latest version released in May 2004. Cost of all 10 CD's - $280.00. The new NAV CD's have a Firm ware Upgrade which has better NAV coverage. I have owned this vehicle for 14 mths with 18k miles driven (bought it used in May 03 with 7k miles). I have visited the dealer 10 times in the last year alone. Love the power and handling when there are no issues. Don't know what to do - keep it or sell it.
Regards,
Rahul
I've been participating on this forum for a couple of years now. I have noticed that some people are very happy with their cars and some people such as yourself have been unlucky to get the more badly built cars.
My 1999 ML320 which has about 65K miles on it has been mostly trouble free. I have had the usual M-Class problems like power-window switch and shift control module replacement. I want to get a Toyota Landcruiser, but have not had a good reason to sell my ML and take the hit on the depreciation. It has been very reliable all these years.
However, if I had the kind of problems you have been having, I would definitely sell it. Remember the longer you keep it, the more it depreciates and you take a bigger hit when you sell it. If you have a problem car, DO NOT KEEP IT beyond the warranty period, unless you own shares in Diamler Chrysler or their dealers.
I have decided that when I have the first major problem with my 99ML 320, it will be Landcruiser time .
The only gripe I have with Mercedes is their dealer network. Terrible dealers.. Arrogant to boot. They haven't realized that Lexus is the top selling luxury brand in North America.
My ML is very powerful, strong air conditioning, excellent navigational system and my tires are wearing perfectly; looks like I could go to 40,000 pretty easy. The all wheel drive with traction control has gotten me though some rough icy conditions.
Just my .02 worth, Mark
Thanks a lot,
shadowu0083
Few minor issues. Never been stranded or towed in 6 years.
You appear to be very knowledgeable about the ML430. I have a 2000 ML430 and I bought it used through a friend who delivered it to me with 57000 miles. The shift delay on the trans seems to last a long time in the morning. I know that this is a built in feature to heat up the cats, but I have to wait until full temperature is reached even in the SC summer time with overnight temps in the 80's? The book says road speed should override this feature but nothing makes it shift other than 6000 rpm and 200 degrees on the temperature gage..... about a 10 minute ride at 55 mph? Is yours this lazy?????? Once it shifts out then it is perfect all day long???? The dealer says it is normal.
1) Transmission hesitation on downshifts (going around corners, etc.)
2) Radio/CD/Tape going to high volume then dropping to nearly nill (only happened a few times over the past couple of months)
3) Throttle cable sticking a bit
4) Low Range light / ETS light staying on a couple of times recently
Item 1 has been an issue since day 1. The valve body has been replaced once before and it was replaced again yesterday but this time things are working as expected! So, finally, after 24K miles it is running like I always thought it should : ) (And like every loaner ML I've driven) The hesitation was not much - say 0.5 second, but when going around a corner it would pretty much coast until it decided I really wanted to accelerate to merge with traffic.
For Item 2 they did some kind of bypass to the Teleaid system which required the removal of the passenger seat to get to the wiring harness they needed to work with. Apparently the radio unit told them it had caused errors and the fix is know to MB - at least for my issue. Thought I'd mention it here for those with this issue.
For Item 3 - did a clean and re-install and it seems better now.
For Item 4 - found fault codes in the computer and they replaced the servo that puts the tranny in low range.
So, all in all, I have things where I want them. Would have liked to have Item 1 fixed 22K miles ago - but I guess I'll take what I can get. The other items only occurred in the last 3-4 months so we'll see if the fixes are "done."
This is really only the third visit to the MB dealer for non-scheduled service over the last 18 months - but still 3 more times than my Dodge Minivan required...
Another thought... Do you notice this hesitation when slowing down and then speeding up (like going around a curve) no matter the temperature/length of time driving? If so, you might have the local MB shop reset your thresholds in the module that controls the tranny. Perhaps it has adapted to your friend's way of driving and it needs to learn from a new master : )
If yours is revving to 6K on light throttle until reaching full operating temp, then something is wrong, or at least out of adjustment. I'd continue to pester the dealer or try another - you may have to leave the vehicle overnight. I don't think it does the engine any good to be revving this high cold.
Good luck and keep us posted,
- Mark
Ted
I thought it was the fuel pump, but the dealer had the zone rep in and they did a ton of diagnostics. Finally, they decided it was the crank sensor and it was replaced. I was skeptical, but its been fine since, although I haven't taken any long trips in 100 deg weather.
- Mark
I've not posted on this site in about 2 years. When I used to view it, I found it incredibly informational and helpful. I just wanted to post a comment to see how other MB ML owners feel about the huge depreciation in our trucks. My black/black 2000 ML320 is loaded except no nav and no third seat. It is in very nice shape and has only 37k miles on it. Since I've now had it for the four years and it's no longer under full warranty and since I've had all the minor pita items go wrong with this truck, I've been thinking about trading it in. The range I've heard so far from everyone is $16.5k to $17.5k. Pretty pathetic (I think) for a truck that cost over $41k just four years ago. I know there is a certain level of SUV paranoia in today's market but I was expecting $20k plus. Just something for those of you considering buying a new ML - if you want decent resale value down the line, don't buy this SUV (maybe don't buy any suv/truck).
I'd be interested in other's views and experiences on trade-ins.
My local Mercedes dealer has done something I've never seen before. In the newspaper the other day, they had an ad for all remaining 2004 units are $100 over invoice except for the SL500. I've never seen them do a blanket ad like that before in the last 15 years that I've been interested in Mercedes. So, if the dealers are making wonderful deals, our ML's are going to drop in price (used).
Mark
Using trade-in values, the ML is among the lowest (about 48% of MSRP) and the RX300 is among the highest (about 56% of MSRP). Significant, but this is the sort of variation you see as different models age in the marketplace. Certainly we're in a period where SUVs are having to be discounted heavily to move off lots, so as a category, they're not enjoying the traditionally high resale. Small SUVs and small Japanese sedans are the ones holding value at the moment.
It may have something to do with demographics. The last of the baby boomers are putting their kids through school, and they want their kids to drive small sedans or SUVs and they don't need a Suburban in the driveway any more.
As always, the best way to avoid resale roulette is to keep a car a while - the difference in retail in a ten year old car between the best and the worst is relatively unimportant.
- Mark
It's like Terry says in "Real World Trade Values", buy what you like.
Mark
Top 10 Trucks with the Best Residual Value for 2004
Top 10 Trucks With the Worst Residual Value for 2004
Steve, Host
The 50K warranty has been long gone for 15K miles and I've had one unexpected expense - an O2 sensor repaired at my local garage for $235. But I've also been doing most of my own maintenance like brakes, oil, and filters. I don't think the ML is any harder to work on that similar SUVs (they all have lots of computers and electornics), but if you have some odd problem that requires the computer and diagnostic capabilities of the dealer, then you are in the very-high-priced MB service system where $400 is nothing.
If you're handy and can cultivate a good relationship with a local independent service shop, driving the ML long-term might be a reasonble proposition. But if you just are throwing the keys at the dealer whenever any problem occurs, it could get prohibitively expensive.
- Mark
I had the rear brakes replaces at 18,000 because the dealer thought they were getting close. Since I was going on a 2,000 mile trip, I didn't want to worry about a brake job so I gave them the approval to go ahead and replace them. I'm going to wait until the "brake shoe" light comes on before I change the front of which I think I have about 20% left. This vehicle is heavy and goes through brakes quicker than I thought it would... 18,000 on the rear brakes?? seems a little early.
But, basically, I've been happy with the ML as a whole. The third seat has come in handy so many times. Also, the parktronic makes it a cinch when parking in tight spaces.
Mark
1. Dealer/Manufacturer incentives on the new vehicles.
2. Reliability....long-term.
3. Buyer demand.
Issue 3. is the biggest factor. The SL500 has high resale because there arent that many made and the demand is relatively great. The designo editions are even better because of even lower production numbers.
I have a 2001 LS430 and a 2003 ML350. LS is perfect in every way. The ML had its steering column replaced already!
I plan on putting 200,000 miles on LS, only 90-100,000 on ML.
IMO its still way cheaper to keep the vehicle beyond warranty than have a MONTHLY car payment!!
Fred
The magazines have always said that the V6 ML handles better due to less weight in an already nose-heavy vehicle, and because the tires are narrower. The ML is "overtired" to look more muscular in the American car market where big wheels and tires are cooler. In the Euro market, both models of ML's have much narrower tires because they handle better and have a lot less unsprung weight.
As to brakes, the V8 does have bigger brakes, although V6 brakes are already pretty big for this class of vehicle. Whether bigger brakes are needed is open to debate, but you'd think they'd have a bit better fade resistance.
The best reason to prefer the V8 is simply that you want more effortless torque, particulary if you want to tow heavy loads. The V6 does need to be thrashed at high rpm when climbing grades with a load and often has to drop from overdrive to 4th on highway grades. The V8 will drive more effortlessly. The brakes and handling differences are down in the noise in my book.
- Mark
We looked at the Lex RX330, the BMW X5 and X3, and the VW Touareg. In the end, my wife continues to like the ML best, and in the end we decided that her car still looked so good that spending the $$ on a new near identical car did not make sense. In fact, there are things we like better about the '99 ML320 than the '04 ML350, not the least the fact the newer model is 500lbs heavier and feels porkier, and our color choice was a fortunate one.
In any case, we have decided to keep the car, based on the gutfeel it will not yet turn into a troublesome money-pit.
There is no exact science making such decisions. We struggled with it, but in the end my wife didn't seem enthused enough about a new car to justify the expense, and the car hasn't cost us anything other than its original purchase price and a set of tires, which makes the current maintenance expense seem a reasonable investment.
We always have maintained the car in the original dealership. We might start to stray away from there.