Impressions after first period of ownership.

[Telebass]

Bought my first MB, an S211 E320 CDI, in February this year. Ha\ve already racked up over 4000 miles!
1) Solid as a rock. Impressed by build quality.
2) Not as comfortable seat-wise as my previous car - MkII Renault Laguna.
3) Some niggly faults to fix, which, looking back, probably contributed to the bargain price! Nothing at all major, just irritating, and probably a DIY fix. Except the clock...:fail

Managing to average 38-40mpg, which is a pleasant surprise!

Overall? Love it. Can't see me ever returning to a manual box, either!

 

[grober]

Once "seduced by the sirens" of a good automatic torque converter box there is no going back.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Best car in the world, I've owned seven W211 saloons and estates and they've all been a joy to own.

 

[Telebass]

Once "seduced by the sirens" of a good automatic torque converter box there is no going back.

I think you're right!

 

[developer]

Best car in the world, I've owned seven W211 saloons and estates and they've all been a joy to own.

Yup.

 

[John]

Except the clock...:fail

Well, that could be the main battery / aux battery or both.

My clock packed up 6 / 8 weeks ago and I replaced the main battery yesterday.

Reset itself straight after although I was getting 'Convience features disabled' errors and my main battery was 5 years old.

I also don't agree the E320CDI is the best either...

 

[MUGGY]

Best car in the world, I've owned seven W211 saloons and estates and they've all been a joy to own.

Agreed. Absolutely love mine.

My car itch returns from time to time but so far nothing has come close.

 

[Telebass]

Aux battery? Wasn't a\ware there was one! Where might that be located? I know of the one in the tail end...

 

[Telebass]

OK, presume from research on here that the large black cover in front of passenger side bulkhead conceals the aux battery. Any gotchas before I start wielding spanners?

 

[GordonTarling]

Tele - You're right about the location of the aux battery, but opinions seem to vary wildly regarding its function. Personally, I think it's there as a backup battery for the SBC system - if there's no Volts, there's no brakes, so maintaining a healthy supply to it is essential. When they did away with SBC in the facelift model, they also did away with the aux battery. I'm thinking that your clock problem is most likely the clock itself, but if you can change the aux battery easily and at reasonable cost, then it's probably worth a try before you shell out for a repair or a replacement cluster.

I'm fairly certain that you need to disconnect the main battery before you change the aux battery, but do check this with someone who knows for sure.

 

[Troon]

Info on the dual battery system here.

 

[Telebass]

Righty ho, I've located and measured the voltage of both batteries. The aux battery is original (2004) and reads 12.67V. The main battery looks new, but I've no idea how to read the codes. It's an MB battery, but is made in the same factory as Varta - I just happen to have an almost identical Varta removed from my old Renault. The main battery reads 12.07V, as does the Varta which has been in my shed for four months.
Although that reading is a little low, I'm not inclined to replace it unless I discover it too is the original 2004 item. So, looks like the clock is simply duff!