ML420 - Nice but Leggy...

[E55BOF]

The seller comes across extremely well - company director, lives in an affluent area, set up his own company fourteen years ago and it's still trading, and replacing the car with a CL500 4.7. Just talking to him, he's not some gobby little sh!t of a Bradford scrote; I'd say he's very particular about his cars - the sort of seller most people would be very happy to buy a car from.

The only fault code is that the fog light bulbs (aftermarket) are the wrong ones. The clincher was the new MoT done today; one of the advisories was "Emissions too low to measure"... I've never seen that before, but I reckon it's a good sign on a diesel.

Deposit paid.

 

[DavidL]

So has it arrived yet?

 

[E55BOF]

Not yet; the seller is still waiting for the new V5C. He may come down this way to look at CL500s in this area, and if so, and he buys one of them, we can sort it out so that I don't have to go up there.

It needs to be quite soon. I'm taking a risk; if they do go wrong, doing anything on the engine or gearbox is megabucks in labour to fix. I'm getting cold feet a little, but not enough to change my mind - yet...

 

[Sam87]

The seller comes across extremely well - company director, lives in an affluent area, set up his own company fourteen years ago and it's still trading, and replacing the car with a CL500 4.7. Just talking to him, he's not some gobby little sh!t of a Bradford scrote; I'd say he's very particular about his cars - the sort of seller most people would be very happy to buy a car from.

The only fault code is that the fog light bulbs (aftermarket) are the wrong ones. The clincher was the new MoT done today; one of the advisories was "Emissions too low to measure"... I've never seen that before, but I reckon it's a good sign on a diesel.

Deposit paid.

Congrats! I hope it turns out to be a great car. It does look very nice!
I've read the comments about the gearbox, I guess with today's technology older cars don't seem as good but as a daily car I dont think the slow gear changes will ruin the experience of that lovely V8 engine it has.

As for the emissions, I wouldn't worry about it. I used to be an mot tester and many times I added the same advisory because some cars only rev up to 2500rpm on neutral or park and the smoke meter doesn't detect anything. I would take that as a good sign as I've seen 220cdi and 320cdi mercedes that rev up to 2500 rpm and still smoke as they've built up so much soot in the exhaust system where as this ML is probably very clean and doesn't smoke at all

 

[E55BOF]

The previous owner dropped it off today. It drives beautifully, smooth as silk and bags of torque. The peak torque is actually the same as on a stock E55K, but it is very much a peak, where the 55K's is more of a plateau, but it's more than enough even so.

Absolutely everything works, the car could pass for a 50k miler inside and out, and even the satnav disc is up to date. 30 mpg over the 230-odd mile journey, where the ML500 did 22 mpg.

Happy bunny? Yes, I think so; read on...

There's a slight rattle at the front offside, which the previous owner and his indie (Gary Warburton in Fleetwood) think must be the strut, because nothing showed up on the MoT, and he just had the top link replaced to try to cure it, without success. He brought a brand new Aerosus strut down with it, and volunteered to pay 60% of the labour for fitting. Now that's the sort of owner I wish I could buy my cars from every time...

 

[merc85]

Wow good find buddy, Please keep us updated as its a model id love to try

 

[E55BOF]

Wow good find buddy, Please keep us updated as its a model id love to try

I had a good poke round today, and put the iCarsoft reader on it. Stored codes suggest there has been water ingress in the boot at some time, so that known W164 weak point has presumably been sorted. Nothing else of note came up, other than the front fogs, and I knew about those; non-standard bulbs.

There's always something, though; one of the keys needs new batteries, the centre washer nozzle won't stay attached to the rear of the bonnet, the washer fluid needed topping up, and, er, that's it!

At some point some ratbag has swapped the 19" staggered wheels for standard 18" ones, and half-inched the load area cover, but apart from that, it's as it came out of the factory. Everything works. again.

I'll get it into Terry Gates for a check-over, and engine oil change and a gearbox service, and assuming he doesn't find anything horrendous, it looks like it's a good 'un. Buying a high-mileage Mercedes, I expect to spend some money no matter how honest the seller is, but so far, it's looking good. I'll keep you posted.

It's really nice to drive; noticeably better than the W163 ML500 in most ways, with much more of a quality feel to it.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I had a good poke round today, and put the iCarsoft reader on it. Stored codes suggest there has been water ingress in the boot at some time, so that known W164 weak point has presumably been sorted. Nothing else of note came up, other than the front fogs, and I knew about those; non-standard bulbs.

There's always something, though; one of the keys needs new batteries, the centre washer nozzle won't stay attached to the rear of the bonnet, the washer fluid needed topping up, and, er, that's it!

At some point some ratbag has swapped the 19" staggered wheels for standard 18" ones, and half-inched the load area cover, but apart from that, it's as it came out of the factory. Everything works. again.

I'll get it into Terry Gates for a check-over, and engine oil change and a gearbox service, and assuming he doesn't find anything horrendous, it looks like it's a good 'un. Buying a high-mileage Mercedes, I expect to spend some money no matter how honest the seller is, but so far, it's looking good. I'll keep you posted.

It's really nice to drive; noticeably better than the W163 ML500 in most ways, with much more of a quality feel to it.

Are you sure it would have had staggered wheels?

 

[E55BOF]

Yes, it did have staggered wheels from the factory. From the datacard: 19" LIGHT ALLOY WHEEL 10-SPOKE DESIGN MIXED TIRES.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yes, it did have staggered wheels from the factory. From the datacard: 19" LIGHT ALLOY WHEEL 10-SPOKE DESIGN MIXED TIRES.

Every day is a school day. I’ve never encountered an ML with staggered set up from the factory.

 

[E55BOF]

It was actually an option on all the W164s, according to the owner's manual. It seems a bit pointless on an SUV, but I suspect there are a few ML63s out there with them, particularly the ones with very large wheels. Merecedes offered a 20" wheel fitment, and Brabus went as large as 22".

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

It was actually an option on all the W164s, according to the owner's manual. It seems a bit pointless on an SUV, but I suspect there are a few ML63s out there with them, particularly the ones with very large wheels. Merecedes offered a 20" wheel fitment, and Brabus went as large as 22".

Are you sure? As far as I’m aware:

The W164 ML63 AMG didn’t have staggered wheels, they were the same front and rear, both size and offset.

Brabus wheels for the W164 weren’t staggered either although they recommended different offsets for front and rear.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

How’re you finding the gearbox Dennis?

 

[E55BOF]

Are you sure? As far as I’m aware:

The W164 ML63 AMG didn’t have staggered wheels, they were the same front and rear, both size and offset.

Brabus wheels for the W164 weren’t staggered either although they recommended different offsets for front and rear.

I was sure, but now I'm not; here are pages 488 and 489 of the 2006 printing of the owner's manual:


You're right about the ML63s not having staggered wheels, but this chart (which is the top sticky on the Wheels & Tyres forum) Mercedes-Benz Fitting Chart and Wheel Fitment Guide | Alloy Wheels Direct shows the staggered fitment for AMG 19" wheels; presumably that's just to cover the AMG Package cars, though.

How’re you finding the gearbox Dennis?

Nothing unusual at all so far. I guess over the years I've grown used to the little quirks of MB gearboxes.

 

[kid-jensen]

I would stick with the 18" wheels...

The agricultural suspension needs all the sidewall flex you can give it to avoid the "tyres filled with concrete" ride quality...

285/50's should do nicely...

Coincidentally, I've had the same sidewall problems (and the same solution) with my Electric Skateboard!

 

[E55BOF]

It has Airmatic. It rides rather well. The wheels are only 8 inch width, so 285s might be a bit too wide.

You have 285/50s on your electric skateboard? Wow!

 

[kid-jensen]

I'm glad to hear that the air suspension is doing a good job, but it would have to be "magic-carpet" quality before I ever bought an air suspended car again!
I did check rim widths first, 8 inch rims are within the 8"-10" recommended range for 285/50, and they have the side-advantage of giving your alloys the kind of rim protection that "Rim protectors" can only dream of. You'll be able to parallel-park like a legend!

The electric skateboard has tyres of slightly more modest dimensions, but if anything, is even more sensitive to sidewall height.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

On the W164 the Airmatic completely transforms the ride, it really is virtually a different vehicle from those without.

 

[kid-jensen]

I bow to your experience, though I hear you didn't keep the ML very long?.
I reckon the most irritation suspension failings are only felt over a long period of time....the overloud crashings and bumps on certain road surfaces that you might not notice in the honeymoon period, start to really grind after a year or so.

When I bought my ML, I insisted on conventional suspension because of the aggravation and expense with my Audi Allroad. The ML ride quality was vastly superior and it didn't have tons of additional active hardware going wrong all the time.
After a good while, the ML suspension shortcomings became apparent, and still irritate me, but I've had ALL the suspension components off at one time or another, and they sure could do with a reduction in unsprung mass. In fact, the ML rides EXACTLY like a car with overweight suspension components!

I guess the designers were calculating for off-road forces, but it has to be said that on today's English roads, they didn't do a thorough enough job...

I also have to say that I've been in cars with a worse ride, but not many..

 

[Petrol Pete]

It has Airmatic. It rides rather well. The wheels are only 8 inch width, so 285s might be a bit too wide.

You have 285/50s on your electric skateboard? Wow!

I think 255 is as wide as you should go on an 8.5 inch wheel, unless of course that only applies to low profile tyres and not 'balloon' type hoops. ?