Hello Everyone, In this video I will show 1997 - 2006 Mercedes common issues and Problems, it will help you inspect a car before buying. Thanks for watching and good luck :)
My grandfather has a c240 wagon he owned it since 2003. The vehicle has 380,000 kms on it. He rust proofs it every year and keeps up with the maintenance. The car still runs as if it's new. We live in Ontario Canada and the winters are very hard on cars. Food for thought
Very helpful and true. I have a 2002 C240. I have known the car since 20,000 miles. It now has 195000. No intention of replacing it. Did the conductor plate 3x’s in the transmission. OEM parts each time along with the adapter plug OEM also. Did upper and lower control arms OEM and sway bar links, OEM. Replaced the belt tensioner and pulley at 115K miles when the pulley disintegrated. LOL.. I had anticipated replacement at 100K but procrastinated. YUP! Left me stranded. Now I am way overdue on motor mounts and harmonic balancer. Vibrating at 2000-2500 RPM. So….. motor mounts , transmission mount and balancer all overdue. I strongly recommend OEM manufacturers. Yes expensive but the quality is there for the long hall. True the internal engine and transmission are great.
Own 2005 e320 with 233,331 miles At 70k replaced motor mount Warranty replaced my gas tank There was a recall Now needs radiator Solid engine and trans No oil leaks and running strong
Great video. I myself have a merc E280 cdi and the airsuspension also failed on me last month. It’s the tank for the compressed air in the back that fail most of the time and they are cheaper to replace. So if your w211 goes down look at the tanks first before replacing the whole airsuspension strut Edit sorry for poor English
From an owner: I bought my 2006 SLK350 hardtop convertible in May 2009 with 20K on the odometer. It now has 90K and still runs like a dream. I have been looking to buy something different for the last 3 years, and I cannot find anything I like better. It does not have Bluetooth or a backup camera, and the NAV is the worst NAV I have ever witnessed and is unusable. However, I wired a backup camera into it and placed a monitor on the dash and that works great. I have a Garmin GPS with lifetime maps that I stick on the screen, and it has Bluetooth so I can answer my iphone and give voice commands to the GPS. It still looks like it did 11+ years ago and I get compliments on it every month as most people think it's new. I refuse to pay $40k or more to get something a little newer. If you can find one with low miles at a decent price, I suggest you snap it up and enjoy plenty of good times in it. I just wanted to comment from an old owner as most people only hear the bad about expensive cars.
@@lukerobertswr5189 I tried doing that several years ago. Bought a Kenwood Double Din with Garmin GPS built in, plus the bezel, wiring harness, etc to make it fit. When I took out the HU, it was only connected via a fiber optic cable (no wiring harness). I could not figure out how to work around that, so I installed all of that stuff in my old truck, along with the back up camera. It worked great in the truck. Maybe someday I'll get someone that knows how to do that stuff to install a new HU for me.
@@StreakingTiger interesting. I wonder if E series models from those years have no wiring harness as well... Might be a problem for me. Had no issues doing HU on my camry, but a MB is a whole different beast I guess.
@@lukerobertswr5189 The problem is the Harman Kardon amplifier that is connected via the fiber optic cable. If you do not have the HK system, then it will probably have a wiring harness.
Man i love you! How da hell i have not found ur videos earlier! I absolutely love old Mercedes's especially all kimoressor's. Bought one recently, d mirrors going berserk while driving and apparently the car turned out to be water damaged. Dont know what to do with it now, dont want to get rid of it, mechanics want between £1500-£2000 for repairs .....
I've got a 99 CLK 320 which I've owned for almost 4 years. I've only put about 25k km on it (225k km total now) but it's been as dependable as a new car with very little maintenance required which I've been able to accomplish myself. The one issue many of the Mercedes 99-03s have is RUST! I live in Canada and drive it year round & mine is now developing cancer. It would cost me more to fix the rust issue than it's worth so I will look for an 04 or newer V6. Great vehicles.
It is most likely that you do not have to re-do the job. I believe on some Mercedes you have to reset the light. Its just like resetting your oil life. My advice is to search up the year make and model then brake light reset
Anything 2005 and up to say 2008 is a pretty safe bet on the E Class. I was looking at an 2005 E320 4matic with 35K on it. good years to buy one. especially the 05-06.
This was so helpful, I'm considering buying one off a guy: 2004 E320 with 96k on it. I saw some leakage happening but the guy said that it was the brake fluid coming out. Hes asking for 3,750 for the car but after seeing this video, if I spot anything wrong I might be able to get it down more. I cant thank you enough man!
Hey man I wanted to know if by any chance you saw that 2004 e320 with 96k miles in El Paso TX? My buddy of mine was looking at one and it fit your description.
Rear brake pipes start getting wear and tear general Mercedes issue Engine is good but full tank of fuel you’ll end up smelling it inside and around the car when running
crankshaft sensor needs to be replaced every 60k to 80k miles. evap solenoids go bad at about 100k. fuel sending unit needs to be replaced if gas odor is noted after filling gas. transmission fluid needs frequent replacement as well as transaxle fluid.
I bought a 2004 e320 from the auction for 1500 with little body damage. I have to replace both bumpers, drivers fender and passenger side view mirror. It has 102k. It drives and sounds good.
Thanks so much for this video, I'm in the market for a 2006 MB E350. The one I'm looking at has 135k miles so hopefully most of these issues have been replaced already.
I have a 2004 e320 with 180k miles n ive almost never had anything go wrong in it thankfully just had to replace a batter last week and thats it and getting the alignment fixed
I have a 96 Mercedes Benz e320 I bought a year ago with 107k best car I ever bought I’m a 22 year don’t let nobody tell I what u can afford and what’s wrong just take care of it and honestly when I first got it I was so excited because it was fast so I did a lil heavy driving .. but nothing ever happened
I got a 2004 c230 kompressor sport with dual overhead cam 1.8liter with 223,000 miles on it. Replacement of water pump,and now ac compresor. I got a maintenance chart with all sensors to be replaced at 200,000. I love my car !!!
I have a 2003 C240 and have been quite happy with it . The control arm bushings went ,so replaced all on both sides and the fuel pump and crank sensor . Other then those issues it’s been a great car . Bought it in 2010 for $11K with 80K kilometers on the odometer .
Yeah I have a 2002 E320 4matic currently 160,000 I've had now for 4 years quite frankly my longest car too. Love my little old benz it is a tank compared to some of the newer Benz. But even being 17+ years old its still expensive for parts as it was back in 2002. Mercedes young or old are pricey cars to up keep how ever if you are willing to invest in the up keep, you'll be left with a reliable vehicle built to last the test of time. So in other words don't treat a mercedes like you would an old beat up (hoopty) honda or toyota where you can get away with neglecting a few repairs and still drive the vehicle from point A to B with no major issue.. Mercedes likes to be pampered or that little repair that would have cost only 130 now turns into a 1400 dollar major repair because it can cause a chain like reaction. And please DO NOT put regular gas in a benz unless specified, I see so many Benz owners complaining about certain random engine issue then come to find out they been using regular 89 the whole time trying to be cheap when in the long run your spending more money on future engine issues 1# because the incorrect octane puts more stress on the engine because its built specifically for 91 or higher #2 regular gas burns inefficiently in an engine NOT meant to burn low octane so your spending more money on gas in the end. Its says Premium Fuel for a reason. 🙃
I appreciate this comment. I just bought a clk 320 with 92k miles. When I first got it I ignorantly put $10 regular gas and didn’t realize it needed premium I will never do that again. But the things you’re saying about Mercedes should be something that you should do for any car. Proper maintenance is needed for every vehicle
I've had a 2000 Mercedes for almost 2 months now with 230k when bought, got it for $1500. I bought it of a 72 year old man who had it for 13 years. He said his whole life he had put 89 when it took 91. I've continued 89 and she runs like a champ. One of my favorite cars for sure.
I have the e320 CDI from 2006 with 150k miles. So far so good. The Mercedes SBC - Sensotronic Brake System was extended to 25 years and unlimited miles.
Just to add to the trans part cause I bought a s class trans was shifting a lil hard to my feel but finds out I can reset it yourself if u have that button at the pedal but overall things a beast 😎👍🏾
Totally agree with you. I had a 4 cylinder 1.8 Kompressor. Nice engine and gear box, but maaaaan what a rubbish car. Like you highlight here. The rubber and plastic bits around the engine are really cheap. It is best to stay away from these cars made during these years. On mine even the guide pins on the front brake calipers ceased. Easy enough to fix with a bit of elbow grease and brutality, but it should never happen!!
Trying to see if you ever had this problem . It doesn’t want to shift into drive sometimes if I turn the car off a couple of time then it does but on 2 gear . Is a 2004 E320 wagon 4matic .
Thank you for this video. Never owned a mercedes and looking for a used one. If you had to buy between: 2002 C180 and a 2006 C280 4 matic...which one would hide less defaults when inspecting?
Thanks for this. My son just bought a 2004 E320. It's in the shop now because it suddenly lost power while accelerating and died. When he tried to start it back up the gear shift wouldn't come out of park. Hope he's not screwed.
@@dizzyaaron It's been in the shop all week. Both batteries would not hold a charge. It kicked out pages and pages of codes. Some oil sensor was bad and now they think a fuel injector might be bad. So far 2060.00 bucks in. Probably should have listened to my gut.
@@kevinraney2935 The battery issue not holding charge happened to me, it ended up being the drivers side driver module, I just removed a fuse and it fixed it, this does not sound like the fix for your case. Sucks with all the problems, hopefully that is the last of them. Good luck brother!
Thanks for making this video! I'm trying to learn more about the 1999 CLK320. Do you know where I can buy a legit factory service manual with wiring diagrams and troubleshooting procedures for this car? I can't find a reputable website to download a PDF, and the MB dealerships aren't open today. Almost none of the interior electronics work, and I'm pretty sure one of the 8 million modules has stopped working, which is severely disrupting the CAN network. I have the BAS and ASR lights on the dash, and the brake pedal is super stiff (no power brakes). The radio, climate control, and emergency flashers work, but everything else is dead. No power seats, no power windows, no windshield wipers or sprayers, no turn signals, no horn, no convertible top, no power mirrors. I'm an engineer and honestly I don't like these cars. They're INCREDIBLY over-complicated (there's at least FOUR fuse boxes in different places all over the car), extremely sensitive to electrical problems (simply disconnecting the battery will screw up how the car runs until the electronic throttle remembers how to work properly), and the stupid MB engineers put multiple computers in the ENGINE BAY where it's hot, dirty, and vibrating very harshly. I found heavy corrosion in the engine and traction control computer connectors. After I cleaned them out and reconnected everything, the car starts up and stalls after a few seconds (haven't done a throttle relearn yet). I pulled the cover off the front SAM and it doesn't appear to be damaged, but I don't have an oscilloscope or high-end scan tool to see why almost everything on the CAN network is inoperative. If I can figure out what's wrong with this car, I can save one of my neighbor's a huge repair bill.
Hey , I owned W208 for years 320 & 430 I would say they are great cars but have few problems ...for the ESP , ASR check the brake light switch ,the rough idle check the throttle body and the MAF sensors the SAM sometimes fail ....I drove my 320 daily for 5 years in Dubai where the weather is really hot ..over 50 degrees in the summer .. the only thing which failed was the conductor plate of the transmassion.
Hello, I needed to replace the instrument Custer, wen I installed the one that I purchased at a junkyard, it didn’t work and wen I installed the old one it was doing exactly the same as the previous one, do you know how to reset them? Can you help?
U did not make mention of the ABS system can u pls talk about it, and also the ESP signs that shows on the dash board ,pls talk about,I have one am struggling with I really love the car tho
Very strong cars , i have same car 2003 e320 344k miles here in beirut, lebanon, benz parts is cheap here just stay away from air suspension models , ( does ypur car consume any oil between oil changes ?
Just inherited a 2003 E-class and the front headlight does not work after inspection and changing the bulb! So far, only issue for a senior citizen who does not know what to do!!
I have a 03 e500 that wont shift to 3rd gear and it gets stuck on neutro when I got to put in Park. I have to let go of the brake pedal to get it out of being stuck on neutro. I couldn't find the conductor plate video you uploaded please advise.
Pls help. I have a 2005 C240 Just replaced water pump and not even a block from the shop my car dies. Will start but immediately shuts off. If I gas the pedal It will crawl slow but very chaotically . What could it be ?
Thanks for all the tips. I have C240 2005 The engine shakes in stopping position and it hesitate to change the gear. At the take off, it goes very slowly, befit it finally speeds up. I have heard about “adaptive learning”, I have tried to floor it at take off, but it DOESN’T work. It behaves like a mule!! And tip is well appreciated. The whole idea of adaptive learning seems very stupid, here is why; what if I let my kids drive and then give it it my grandma to drive, how does it know who is who??? I had higher expectations from a German made car.
02 w210 e320 4matic.. Bought it with chek engine light on with 108k. Only to find out dat i only had to replace the transmission conductor plate and transmission module... Has 146k now still running strong
Did it stop shifting I got a Mercedes Benz E class E 320 brought it on a Thursday the next day going to work got to the stop sign it want giving it gas then cut it off let it sought for a while it crunk up then drive a lil but then wanted go again any thing you can tell me helpful
Thank you for the detailed video. I have a clunk sound that my 2006 E350 4matic makes when I come to a complete stop. I really like the classy look of the car but I have no idea why the car would do that and if it’s costly or a serious issue. Any ideas on what that may be.? The sound is only made once right before the complete stop.
Could be motor mounts. I replaced my ML500 mounts when I purchased it. Had my mechanic do it. Cost me around $450 for genuine parts. Can be a diy job, but I didn't have time. 4 matic stress's the mounts out more than two wheels that could spin.
I have a 2006 E350 that continues to have a P0305 misfire. The plug and coil have been replaced. Any suggestions as what to do next besides replacing the cylinder head?
Hi, I"m planning on buying a 2003 E320 or E500. Did you have problems with the crankshaft position sensors, i dont want the car to stall while stop on a traffic light, its a very bad and embarrassing situation. If so, what model is easier to fix /replace, 320 or 500? i'm a car diy'er myself of old german cars. Thanks
i listen to a video and said to avoid e320 2001-2003 models. They said that transmission oil can transfer to the engine oil. there is a lawuit at hand. they said to get a 2004 model.
Replacing the crank position sensor every 12 years should be regarded as normal maintenance..not much difference between 320 and 500 ,,maybe a little more room to access on the V8.
Can i get help plz !!! My Mercedes e320 wagon 2001 Radio comes on after i turn the car off and lock the doors. This just started, i think someone did something the the driver door and if i take the fuse out the doors don't lock.
My mom got a w203 c200 2002 wheels/rim (OEM) always keep flatting out and the alignment is not straight now and the lights keep switching off after like 20 mins I don't know about cars if I'm wrong about anything here please excuse me Also the front left rim is rubbing on the suspension arm, we tried changing the wheel, but the new wheel stopped spinning any tips possible 🙏🏽
harmonic balancer was bad on mine when I bought it aftermarket is about $90. car has 180K miles on it the tool to hold the pulley still is about the same price. watch buying some aftermarket ones. the SKP brand (bought from parts geek) inside diameter is too small for the hold wrench to fit inside.
what year model is it?? I have a E350 MY'14 with 44kMi...does the V6 engine (M276) still use the crazy balancer shaft with the soft teeth. I know M276 uses THREE-3 separate (100kMi tin-can soft) chains and does use an intermediate shaft. I am do not impressed with the 50kMi Iridium needle tip... miss the 100kMi platinum stubby electrode 🙄 Differential gear oil is reported short lived (mineral oil!)... best to change it 50kMi or ASAP. The new ATF used in 722.9 NAG-2 described in MB-236.15 is super low viscosity, meaning borderline lubricity. Maintenance calls for 70kMi interval... but 30kMi helps keep clean solenoids screens from spent clutch friction. Tranny is super sensitive to pressure change. CAN Bus networks arbor 3rd party module incompatibilities that ensure plenty of busy work chasing stupid software bugs. Thanks Mercedes for this well organized money-pit chaos 😉
My 2001 C320 is stalling out when idle. It's happened once at a stop sign. I just replaced the sparkplugs and I don't think it's the battery/alternator but I'm going to test those tomorrow. Any ideas why my engine is dying?
@@alexanderstevens145 I finally got it down a couple weeks ago. Took it to a MB certified shop and they diagnosed the crank position sensor as the problem. It shorted and wasn't able to time the crankshaft correctly, hence the stalls at low speed/idle. It was about $350, but definitely something I wouldn't have been able to do on my own even if I did know about it. With these cars, it is best to take it to the professionals for the big things.
So I have a c230 sport 2006 it will crank and all my lights are on like normal it just keep cranking and doesn’t what to turn on idk what it can be can anyone help me out?
My e500 4matic has 97k miles on it and it’s going through a qt of oil every two weeks I just dropped it off at the Mercedes dealership what could this be?
Failed PCV system... its all plastic and designef to go south in a hurry 🙄 There is a cenyrifugal spinner that wears into a shaft seal, then the centrifugal cover has an economy O-ring that fails in a hurry on top if hot exchaust. Parts are cheap, doctor brings in the beacon/beef. Else 2 cheap plastic plug covers near firewall leak on schedule. 10mn job. Use good 5w40 oil instead of thinner to prevent the undersized PCV system from plugging up with oil junk. Next... "oil heat exchanger" loves to regularly blow up its hardened elastomeric seals. ... the list goes on 😉
Appreciate this video! I have a quick question as I’m a new Mercedes owner. I bought a 2000 clk 320 with 92,000 miles. I have a slight shake when idle also I hear a weird sound when I put the car in drive or reverse any ideas?
2004 E-320 wont go into Park or Reverse at times. I would have to put in Neutral - turn off engine - Go into Park - Start back engine....Have 302,000 miles......What can I look at to fix issue?
Do you use 5w40 engine oil instead of 10w30 ?? If so timing components will be pleased, w30 is borderline too thin to lubricate timing chain and passenger camshaft rear journals 😉
I own a 2004 m/ 320 e.and has 194000 milese on t My gas milages around town is only 19.5 miles to the gallon. They advertised these models to get 25 miles to the gallon . What happened ?
@@ericbitzer5247 certain things I can find, others are proving to be near impossible. I rejoined Facebook with the primary goal of finding parts, but the issue is, so many scammers and dubious types. I’d be willing to pay good money for some things, but ye the two interior trim parts I require most are not available through dealership. :(
I would never buy a newer Mercedes, my friend has a 2019 with 35k miles and SO MANY things have went wrong already. As of lately the AWD just quit working, sport mode stopped and it misfires on accel. 😳
I own an 03 E500, and I’ve come to find my air suspension lowers itself when I exit the car, or when I enter. But not when I lock the car. I understand this is possibly some sort of easy entry feature they incorporated into the air-ride?
