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New Bug with first M-B - Advice Sought
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm just about to collect my first (and probably last - I won't need such a big car when I retire soon) Benz, a 1998 E55 estate. It has 106K miles on it (supported by the DVLA MoT record), and (apparently - I haven't actually seen the paperwork yet) a full main dealer service history printout and sheaf of bills, though the actual service record book has been lost.
The vendor assures me that the front spring top mounts have been checked and are OK, and that the rear arches and tailgate have been resprayed to suppress the corrosion that was popping out there. It's a W210, so it rusts quicker than most, and the rust will come back, but I get the impression that it is cosmetic rather than structural rust that is the problem.
With that mileage, and a full history, I would expect the machinery on an E55 to be pretty much perfect. Am I kidding myself? I gather there is a possible problem with the gearbox oil leaking through a plug into the loom and thence to the ECU, and that the exhausts can corrode badly, but that it is a reasonable DIY proposition (I'm good with spanners).
It will replace a Saab 9-5 Aero estate. I've done a little research on t'net, and I'm hoping that, like the SAAB, it is basically a pretty bulletproof piece of machinery, though with a few foibles and Achilles heels to watch out for. Does anyone have any thoughts, for or against, or horror stories about what to look out for?
All the best
E55BOF
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm just about to collect my first (and probably last - I won't need such a big car when I retire soon) Benz, a 1998 E55 estate. It has 106K miles on it (supported by the DVLA MoT record), and (apparently - I haven't actually seen the paperwork yet) a full main dealer service history printout and sheaf of bills, though the actual service record book has been lost.
The vendor assures me that the front spring top mounts have been checked and are OK, and that the rear arches and tailgate have been resprayed to suppress the corrosion that was popping out there. It's a W210, so it rusts quicker than most, and the rust will come back, but I get the impression that it is cosmetic rather than structural rust that is the problem.
With that mileage, and a full history, I would expect the machinery on an E55 to be pretty much perfect. Am I kidding myself? I gather there is a possible problem with the gearbox oil leaking through a plug into the loom and thence to the ECU, and that the exhausts can corrode badly, but that it is a reasonable DIY proposition (I'm good with spanners).
It will replace a Saab 9-5 Aero estate. I've done a little research on t'net, and I'm hoping that, like the SAAB, it is basically a pretty bulletproof piece of machinery, though with a few foibles and Achilles heels to watch out for. Does anyone have any thoughts, for or against, or horror stories about what to look out for?
All the best
E55BOF
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