ML 270 advice

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got one on sat silver history up to 78k and 108k on the clock now has all the AMG kit on it front rear park command sat nav trip computer hid black leather drives very nice will need bits and bobs to make her the way I want,
paint was the bit that lets it down but don't mind spending a few quid to tidy that up.
looks like it has had injector seals done at some point to so will keep the covers off for now and keep an eye on it.
looking for a rear load cover for the boot and its missing a middle rear head rest if anyone has anything?
colin
 
colinp said:
thanks for the info will be doing any work myself just wanted to know what people thought about them tbh no matter what you look at buying there is bad reports, 35-39 isn't that bad my mapped Passat pd130 returns 40-45 on a run its done 262k and I love it but simply will not pull the trailer. colin

35-39 is a rediculous claim. I had one before I brought an x5 (now have a w164) it is an ancient car with an ancient engine that on a run would scrape 30 and in town never returned more than 20mpg it was notmally around 17 being very careful and calculating not looking at the inaccurate trip computer

If I was buying an older 4x4 it would definitely be a 53+ x5, my ml was owned by my dad then me and was well cared for and still spent most of its life in the shop, the engine was shockingly slow and bad on fuel, the ride felt like a dodgy boat. I was stunned at the x5 and kept it til it hit around 180k it felt just as current as the2007 ml that replaced it, and was 2 yrs older than the w163 ml I had, and never once had anything replaced apart from consumables. There are many better old 4wd vehicles that are leaps and bounds ahead of the w163.
 
35-39 is a rediculous claim. I had one before I brought an x5 (now have a w164) it is an ancient car with an ancient engine that on a run would scrape 30 and in town never returned more than 20mpg it was notmally around 17 being very careful and calculating not looking at the inaccurate trip computer

If I was buying an older 4x4 it would definitely be a 53+ x5, my ml was owned by my dad then me and was well cared for and still spent most of its life in the shop, the engine was shockingly slow and bad on fuel, the ride felt like a dodgy boat. I was stunned at the x5 and kept it til it hit around 180k it felt just as current as the2007 ml that replaced it, and was 2 yrs older than the w163 ml I had, and never once had anything replaced apart from consumables. There are many better old 4wd vehicles that are leaps and bounds ahead of the w163.

But obviously you wouldn't say that to someone who has just bought one. :fail



I have had both, and as much as I liked the X5 at the time, as they get older I think the W163 has actually aged better. Because they are softly damped they tend to feel less tired and crashy, get in a 15 year old E53 X5 and unless every bush, strut and spring has been replaced it will feel tired.

Also, the ML always felt like a 4x4, the E53 always felt like one of my 530i touring that was jacked up, when I was younger I loved that, now I'm not such a fan. I have a w163 and new X3 and it is the same with that, and as great as the X3 is in many ways, I still take the keys to the ML more often than not, took the ML this morning in fact.

But I'm also one of those strange ones who doesn't like the W164 for many of the reasons you are praising it, I find it too low, noisy, cheap plastics, far too firm a ride for a 4x4 and a real step backwards overall quality wise. I love the gearbox and engine, but find it a bit soulless. I did around 10k miles in the old mans 2010 ML350 last year, and on teh motorway it is great, but as soon as I am off the motorway it is W163 for me.


So Colin, I wouldn't worry too much what others say, I have loved my W163, I bought it off a forum member on here when I sold my E350cdi estate that I really didn't like, it was a stop gap, something I could drive while deciding what to buy, that was 2 years ago and I am still in it.
As I got my X3 before xmas I was selling this, in fact have a buyer lined up, but after spending 2 weeks looking for a replacement I have yet to find anything I prefer, it really is that good.

I think if you have a car with problems it will put you off for life, I did all the known ML, or rather 270cdi, issues before they happened. My ML is now on 119k miles, and so far nothing has gone wrong other than track rod arm, and lock actuator in passenger door, and I have done the bushes and suspension as you would expect to do every few years.

I had an ML270 inspiration back in 2003 when they first came out, and at the time I found it too wallowy, but after being in 4 BMWs it was a shock, that's when I got the X5, and I loved that then, but now? Nah W163 beats the X53 X5....for me.
 
not put off in the slightest tbh think the x5s are over rated/priced and rather ugly looked at them discovery 2 and Mitsubishi's but in the end bought the ml,
any repair work will be carried out by me so the expensive garage costs will not be an issue,
had just under 1/4 tank of diesel in it when I picked it up and I put £20 took it to 1/2 tank ive done 100 miles round twisty coast roads and motorway @60-70 and its used under 1/4 tank
colin
 
A family member has an ML270, which I drove recently, I have a Range Rover TD6 and I have to say the Merc has the nicer engine, quieter, smoother and a little more economical, I won't lie the RR has the nicer interior and ride, but to be fair the ML rides well, I'd say handles a bit better and overall I was pretty impressed with it. Obviously they're not as good off road as an RR but from what I've heard and seen they're not bad at all. For value compared to a similar age RR or X5 theyre miles ahead.
 
I have to say that off-road, I'd bottle a lot sooner than the ML would!!

I've taken mine up a 30 degree hill in the mendips on grass, had it up to it's axles in mud and it's just gone and gone and that's on normal road tyres.
 
I have to say that off-road, I'd bottle a lot sooner than the ML would!!

I've taken mine up a 30 degree hill in the mendips on grass, had it up to it's axles in mud and it's just gone and gone and that's on normal road tyres.

The ML is ok off road, certainly better than the X5.
 
I will not be using it off road unless I pull my off roader in to a muddy field or car park that's what I bought it for to pull the car trailer.
I agree Oli looked at same year x5 and they were very over priced,
my mate drove it home for me and he has a VW Toureg and says the ml auto feels smother and nicer to drive.
gave it a good check over last night rear disks and pads are new, front pads are half worn disks are good, re fitted a front cv gator, front and rear suspension all looks fine nothing worn or split boots, adjusted the tracking as its out, usual worn accelerator pedal, and swirl flaps have play in the shafts and some oil around them so that's the next task de flap fix pedal replace thermostat and fuel lines.
 
De flapping the manifold, nasty job!!

I have a spare manifold here, if you want it so you can blank it off so you can just swap give me a shout. You can then clean up your old one and send that back to me.

When everyone said it is a 10 hour job I thought they were nuts, thought we can easily do that in 5, think it took us over 12 hours in the end. Everything has to come out to get it out.

While doing it I would also do the oil separator, thermostat, EGR clean and blank and think about a decat as well, that combo made the car feel really peppy and took my average mpg from around 25/26 to 29/30. You could really feel it could finally breathe, and my cats looked like new.

But if you want the manifold I have let me know, just promise me you will send yours back to me when you've done the job, or pass it onto someone else who is about to do theirs.
 
thanks for the offer but im not using the car until the end of the month so will put it in the garage and spend some time on it.
Colin
 
removed the intake last night its in a tight space and just about everything is attached to it lol tok me about 2 hrs to remove it, 1 swirl flap was disconnected front side of the engine the rest are still in place, shafts are a little worn and oily but not as bad as expected same with the inlet manifold it was fairly clean all the electrics have been removed from the manifold and its soaking in the ultrasonic bath from last night, ordered all the fuel lines from merc and the inlet gaskets all was in stock, ordered the thermostat from Germany merc was less than a non genuine one.
happy days
colin
 
You going to remove the swirl flaps and put bolts through the spindle holes?
 
yes that's the plan don't wanna have to remove it later will run it then cosider a remap and egr delete.
colin
 
Good idea.

I would take the flap motor off the manifold and cable tie it on the back to the bulk head as well, or just put a resistor across the pins to on the cable.

I took mine off and a month after blanking the manifold the motor failed, and I didn't have much oil dripping down the block either, so pleased I had kept it accessible.
 
sounds like a plan will do that,
you got the cats out?
 
Yeah, made a world of difference. You can feel it breathing so much better. Mine were like new inside as well.
 
ok cool will look at doing this after I get the inlet back together, did it make it louder with the cats out.
 
Not really, not that I have noticed. Although I did get a slight droning at around 80mph, so if doing it again I think I would decat the front one first and see how it goes. Not bad droning at all and I no longer notice it, but did when I first did it.
 
got most of the usual ML problems sorted out swirl flaps removed, acc pedal sorted, all fuel lines under bonnet replaced new merc thermostat.
still to do wheel alignment front and rear, tyres are not cheep 285 50 18 £115 a corner for budget. and head light washers don't work that's about it.
 
I would not replace the tyres with that size.

I would look at 235/60/18, the car handles so much better on the narrower tyre and economy is increased as well.
 

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