Buying a Car - MOT reveals slight play in a number of suspension ball joints.

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Stocho

Active Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
414
Hi,

I am looking for 56 - 09 E320CDI saloon with features such as heated leather, bi-xenon, memory seats, through loading etc.

One car I came across has MB service history and not too high mileage - just over 100k. MOT history contains a number of waarying signs of bad ownership such as tyres being close to legal limit / cords exposed. One MOT (done by MB dealer) has a particularly large number of fails and advisories.

How serious and expensive are these ones (especially the suspension related)?

Reason(s) for refusal to issue Certificate

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)
Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)
Nearside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Advisory Notice issued

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)
Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)
Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)
Offside Front Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)
Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)
Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)
Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
 
If you have doubts then walk away, there are no shortage of cars out there.

The only potentially expensive issue is the headlamp aim. If the car has Xenon lights then these must have self levelling, it is possible a sensor has broken. Ask the MB dealer that carried out the MOT to quote

As for the tyres, well you can find prices for replacement tyres on line and use this to negotiate the price down accordingly.

The rest are just advisories for "slight play" not unexpected in a car at this mileage and not in need of replacement at this stage and certainly not serious.
 
Avoid, its not like its a rare classic is it? Plenty more out there.
 
Hi,

I am looking for 56 - 09 E320CDI saloon with features such as heated leather, bi-xenon, memory seats, through loading etc.

One car I came across has MB service history and not too high mileage - just over 100k. MOT history contains a number of waarying signs of bad ownership such as tyres being close to legal limit / cords exposed. One MOT (done by MB dealer) has a particularly large number of fails and advisories.

How serious and expensive are these ones (especially the suspension related)?

Reason(s) for refusal to issue Certificate

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)
Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)
Nearside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Advisory Notice issued

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)
Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)
Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)
Offside Front Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)
Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)
Offside Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)
Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Iam sure jay at mercland has one! Ring him and if it's sold he will lookout for one.
 
Thanks a lot to all four posters for the reply. It looks like the opinion is that there are lots of cars out there ... well I have been looking for almost half a year without success. About 30-50% have either "oil leak" on MOT history or on inspection there is either an oil leak or the engine bay is heavily sooted. Others also had serious problems either on MOTs or on inspection (example service history completed in exactly the same handwriting, exactly the same pen ink, exactly the same stamps ink and defects spanning many years).

While there are lots of cars out there when the population is filtered using my criteria there have been times when there was no single car in 50 miles:
1. W211 E320CDI facelift saloon late 2006 to 2009.
2. Colour either black or potentially grey - not silver
3. Memory seats - at least for driver
4. Real leather seats - not Artico, ideally heated.
5. Through Loading
6. Bi-Xenons
7. Mileage ideally not greater than say 130K.

Price range 6-8.5k based on sale prices that I have seen (some on cars that I would buy, however was not able to get to them as quickly as others who probably do not work full time / can take time off work).

The Spcec for the car in question is below and it does have Full MB service history ... though last service was done about a year / 18K miles ago. The car has done just 108K miles.

SA code

170U - COLUMBITE BLACK - METALLIC FINISH
205B - OWNERS MANUAL AND SERVICE RECORD - ENGLISH
213 - SPEED-SENSITIVE POWER STEERING/VARIO STEERING
241 - FRONT SEAT LH ELECTRIC ADJUSTABLE WITH MEMORY
244 - SPORTS SEATS, FRONT
249 - INSIDE AND OUTSIDE MIRROR AUTOMATIC DIMMING
250B - MOBILO LIFE/EUROPE SERVICE PACKAGE
265 - LINES-NO.PLATE DISCONTINUED
275 - MEMORY PACKAGE (DRIVER SEAT, STRG. COL., MIRROR)
280 - LEATHER STEERING WHEEL AND LEATHER GEAR SHIFT KNOB
283B - AIRBAGLABLE - ENGLISH
287 - THROUGH-LOADING FEATURE
354 - ANTENNA FOR TELEPHONE D/E-NET
386 - MOBILE PRE.-INSTALLATION (MTUS)
427 - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 7-SPEED
428 - STEERING WHEEL SHIFT BUTTONS/GEARSHIFT PADDLES
461 - INSTRUMENT WITH MILES IND. AND ENGLISH LEGEND
477 - TIRE PRESSURE LOSS WARNER
486 - SPORTS SUSPENSION
500 - OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR LH AND RH FOLDING
527 - COMAND DVD APS WITH NAVIGATION
537L - GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
543 - SUN VISOR WITH MAKE-UP MIRROR L. AND R., BE-
551 - ANTI-THEFT/ANTI-BREAK-IN WARNING SYSTEM
580 - AIR CONDITIONER
5XXL - EUROPE
600 - HEADLAMPS - CLEANING EQUIPMENT
618 - BI-XENON HEADLAMPS FOR LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC
619 - CORNERING ILLUMINATION
666 - PRODUCT PROT.F.TRANSPORT VEH. W/O TIE-DOWN HOOKS
673 - HIGH-CAPACITY BATTERY
690 - EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE (MINI SPARE)
732 - WOOD VERSION,BIRD'S EYE MAPLE BLACK/ANTHRACITE
807 - YEAR OF MODIFICATION
819 - CD CHANGER
820A - AMARETTA/LEATHER/NAPPA/SEMI-ANILINE
821A - AMARETTA/LEATHER/NAPPA/SEMI-ANILINE - BLACK/ANTH.
873 - SEAT HEATER FOR LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SEATS
875 - HEATED SCREEN WASH SYSTEM
882 - INTERIOR SAFEGUARD
910 - DYNAMO WITH HIGHER CAPACITY (FFO)
915 - FUEL TANK WITH LARGER CAPACITY
926 - EXHAUST GAS CLEANING WITH EURO 4 TECHNOLOGY
94V - SPEED- + LOADINDEX 93Y+97Y XL
952 - SPORTS PACKAGE
954 - EQUIPMENT PACKAGE FOR AVANTGARDE VEHICLES
983 - COC PAPER EURO 4 TECHNOLOGY W/O REG. CERT. PART II
989 - IDENTIFICATION LABEL UNDER WINDSHIELD
A22 - NEW CONVERTER GENERATION
A24 - JOINT FLANGE, 4-ARM 120
A38 - M - VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY WITH VGS 2
A44 - SOFTWARE 3
A49 - CONVERTER WITH 3 FRICTION DISKS
F211 - SERIES PRODUCTION 211
FW - LIMOUSINE
G902 - TRANSMISSION CODE VERSION 02
GA - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HA - REAR AXLE
J52 - ADDITIONAL CODE FOR DAMPING MAT
K11 - ADAPTIVE STOP LIGHT FLASHING
K12 - STEUERCODE FUER SERVICEINTERVALL
K13 - STEUERCODE FUER SERVICEINTERVALL 25000 KM
M002 - ENGINES WITH EXH.TURBOCHARGER WITH INTERCOOLER
M30 - DISPLACEMENT 3.0 LITER
M642 - V6 DIESEL ENGINE OM642
Q24 - GV - EPDM-RIEMEN
R - RIGHT-HAND STEERING
R01 - SUMMER TIRES
R68 - LA 18" 10 DOUBLE SPOKE DESIGN
U18 - AUTOMATIC CHILD SEAT RECOGNITATION (AKSE)
VL - FRONT AXLE HALF, LEFT
VR - FRONT AXLE HALF, RIGHT
170U - COLUMBITE BLACK - METALLIC FINISH
821A - AMARETTA/LEATHER/NAPPA/SEMI-ANILINE - BLACK/ANTH.
M642 - V6 DIESEL ENGINE OM642
 
Need to widen your range from 50 miles - I went over 200 for mine
 
Thanks a lot for the replies, the car appeared on Autotrader, yesterday... Could not view it yesterday due to rain (even my SORNed rusting W210 looks like almost a brand new car when wet).

Made arrangements to view today after work, but when phoned to confirm the arrangement - another viewer beat me to it.... Probably a 4th of 5th car I loose by a matter of 1-2 hours... So can't afford to hesitate or walk away... There is no other suitable car to view at all despite living just north of London in the Mercedes belt... There is a great shortage of E320CDIs with extras at reasonable prices. When they appear on sale they do go within hours or days at most... But some, while not too bad, but low spec priced at higher end linger for months, like this one for almost half a year (originally priced at 9k :) ). http://www.olympic-motors.co.uk/used-cars/mercedes-benz-e-class-3-0-e320-cdi-avantgarde-7g-tronic-4dr-east-london-201412039410071
 

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