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Is it worth spending money on?

EDZ649

EDZ649

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 25, 2009
Messages
4,012
Location
1066 Country
Car
W210 E55 AMG
My partners W168 A140 Elegance has just been in for a service and the garage have reported back several things that need attending to.

1. Gearbox oil seals leaking both sides
2. Both front wheel bearings have play and are noisey
3. Steering column is knocking from the UJ
4. Road springs are badly corroded
5. Intermittent fault with starter motor

It's done 155,000 miles with full service history and has been a very reliable car. To be honest apart from the usual service stuff we haven't had to spend lots of money on it in three years of ownership and it's a manual so no auto gearbox issues.

The MOT is due in August so my dilema is do I keep it and get all the stuff done or cut my losses, look for a another car and sell this one on as it is with 7 months MOT left? I can get another A140 02/03 plate with 70-80K for around £2200-£2500 ish.

Condition wise it's ok, the interior is in great shape, the bodywork could do with a proffesional valet due to lots of tar spots etc. there are a few minor marks and a couple of small rust bubbles here and there. What do you think I would get for this one as it stands?
 
EDZ649 said:
My partners W168 A140 Elegance has just been in for a service and the garage have reported back several things that need attending to.

1. Gearbox oil seals leaking both sides
2. Both front wheel bearings have play and are noisey
3. Steering column is knocking from the UJ
4. Road springs are badly corroded
5. Intermittent fault with starter motor

It's done 155,000 miles with full service history and has been a very reliable car. To be honest apart from the usual service stuff we haven't had to spend lots of money on it in three years of ownership and it's a manual so no auto gearbox issues.

The MOT is due in August so my dilema is do I keep it and get all the stuff done or cut my losses, look for a another car and sell this one on as it is with 7 months MOT left? I can get another A140 02/03 plate with 70-80K for around £2200-£2500 ish.

Condition wise it's ok, the interior is in great shape, the bodywork could do with a proffesional valet due to lots of tar spots etc. there are a few minor marks and a couple of small rust bubbles here and there. What do you think I would get for this one as it stands?
Click to expand...
Difficult one to call,an a class with that mileage probably wouldn't get you much in a sale but probably a bit more in a part ex deal?The other option would be to take a chance & wait to see in 7 months if/what the car fails it's mot on,you could be suprised & only one or two of the items on your list come up or in the worst case there could be other things that need doing by then:dk:
 
1. Not sure

2. Not expensive to buy , not sure about fitting ...euromercwebstore: FRONT WHEEL BEARING W168

3. They all do this , but never stop working , there is a HOWTO on Loftys page that shows how to pack it with moly grease which stops it ( done ours , takes ten minutes ) Bert Rowe's-Mercedes-Benz 'A'-class info. Steering height adjustment Steering column, Power steering pump.

4. Springs are cheap. Think Nick has a set. Bert Rowe's-mercedes-Benz 'A'-class information. rear suspension and Bert Rowe's-Mercedes-Benz 'A'-class info. Front Suspension & Associated Components

5 Could be expensive , 3.5 hrs to fit and £250 ish for a non OEM part , again Nick may have one ... Bert Rowe's-mercedes-Benz 'A'-class info. Starter Motor Location & information. replacement

Personally , i'd hang on to it , always better the devil you know. If you can do some of the things yourself it would save money.
 
I guess to help everyone advise more accurately, is there any indication as to the cost of the above works?

Part of the outcome could come down to the 'devil you know, or devil you don't' scenario. 155k is quite a bit for an A-class, but then there's no guarantee that another car with 70-80k is going to be less troublesome.

I'd probably look to change, but only for a really clean/low mileage/good history car that you can check thoroughly first. Maybe get the important bits done now (UJ and starter motor?) and keep an eye open for a replacement over the next few months?
 
Remember if you know it has faults you have to declare it to any possible buyer, especially if they ask out right which will affect the value/saleability a bit.

If it's a workhorse i'd go with the better the devil you know aspect. Run it until repair costs are more than car value then scrap it. At the end of the day, changing it might actually cost you more money and if the car is reliable you can't really fault it for a bit of wear and tear.

m.
 
If you scrap it and it has a nice black leather interior , i'd be interested ( the vultures are already circling ) ... ;)

Personally i'd get it done and keep it though.
 
Howard said:
If you scrap it and it has a nice black leather interior , i'd be interested ( the vultures are already circling ) ... ;)

Personally i'd get it done and keep it though.
Click to expand...

No leather Howard, sorry ;)

Thanks for the input so far guys. Just to throw a spanner in the works, it's my partner's 50th Birthday in November and I was contemplating getting her another car as a surprise although it would mean letting her have the car much earlier than anticipated.

I know what you all say regarding better the devil you know etc but sometimes you just want a newer car for the hell of it :devil:
 
Unless the starter motor is a cheap as chips fix, for me, chop it pronto.
On the other hand the other things on the list all seem running repairs. 155k and thats all that is wrong. Not bad - Not bad at all.
If the Mrs like it as a daily runner, and it is not going to leave her standed in some lonely place (starter motor) no harm waiting for the big 50.
 
If you scrap it and it has a nice black leather interior , i'd be interested ( the vultures are already circling ) ... ;)



LOL:D
 
Buying used can be a minefield, and at a budget of 2-2500 even more so. Unless the starter is a mega ££'s job, I'd be inclined to stick with 'old faithful'.
 
I would also be interested. I won't scrap it, I will use it!
 
I would be suprised if the front wheel bearings are noisey. They rarely have any issues.

The starter is a simple fix. 4 hours labour plus the motor.

The rest can be advised. The corroded springs are not too much of a problem. Most have corrosion on them.

The knoocking column. They all do that Sir. They will knock forever and get worse but it does not harm anything and they rarely have excessive play in them.
 
BlackC55 said:
I would be suprised if the front wheel bearings are noisey. They rarely have any issues.

The starter is a simple fix. 4 hours labour plus the motor.

The rest can be advised. The corroded springs are not too much of a problem. Most have corrosion on them.

The knoocking column. They all do that Sir. They will knock forever and get worse but it does not harm anything and they rarely have excessive play in them.
Click to expand...

I think Olly is suggesting you keep it, perhaps then you can buy something else for your partner a tad more interesting?
 
you could keep it, fix all of that and then new things begin to surface.... it is a high mileage car, no one can guarantee another 10-20k hassle-free miles...

the only real issues that i would attend to if it were my car are the gearbox seals and + starter motor.

I'd keep it!
 
Re starter might be worth checking the relay k6 I think as these sometimes play up.
If not buy a brush/solenoid repair kit. I had a quote last year from gsf for £100 exchange unit.
 
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