New bug with first m-b

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E55BOF

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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
 
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Good luck with your new car.. I also just bought my first, had a few company ones but this is the first one that is mine...

Before I bought it, I went to my local main dealer service dept with the reg number and asked them if they could tell me the history of the car, they were happy to provide me with a complete set of print outs detailing every time mercedes saw the car during its life time, free of charge, which is a good way to know if it has a full main dealer service history, so it may be worth taking the licence number to your local official merc dealership and simply ask.


If my local dealer is anything to go by, they will be only too happy to help you, and don't forget to ask for a free health check while you are there, then when you pick the car up you can take it to mercedes and they will give it a complete once over and let you know if it needs, or is likely to need, anything in the near future, the health check is also free.


Hopefully, someone more knowledgeable than I will comment on your model, I cant as mine is a c class, but your local main dealer may be a good source of free info for you.
 

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