So, i bought the 2004 320 cdi avantgarde with amg kit that i was looking at - a couple of niggles, but it was too pretty to not buy it..
1) stone chips - i think the lady who drove it must have tailgated a gritter, the whole of the front including screen is marked - i have a friend who runs a bodyshop, so could get it refreshed, but if it's a common thing then i won't bother and just live with it!
2) mpg - not as good as i was expecting - on the drive home, 100 miles of motorway, 70mph, got 36.7mpg on the computer - our 200slk (08) - gets 35mpg on the same run - is this indicative of dirty filters, MAF, etc? What's notmal for a e320 cdi driven in a relaxed fashion?
3) radio popping - when the stereo is on radio, there is a popping noise - kinda every 2-3 seconds and the reception is pretty poor - seems to be intermittent and doesn't happen when a cd is in so i'm guessing tuner, amplifier, aerial? Got some searching to do on here to find the answer! Incidentally, at some point when i have the money then i'm going to upgrade to ntg2.5 head unit, so i guess that removes some of the problematic stereo components from the mix
4) valeo - it was manufactured 03/2004 so i think i'm safe, but the crimping did look straight rather than wavy - but i just couldn't find a sticker (i guess because it's underneath) - the air con unit, or whatever it is in front of the radiator is behr, so did they mix and match these with valeo? i'll get it checkout out at an indy as soon as i get chance just to be sure.
5) faint pinging sound - sounds like a spring - originally thought it might be the suspension, but on investigation it actually appears to be the drivers seat! it's very very feint, and only because i'm being super sensitive that i could hear it!
Other than that, it's amazing. It's a 6 year old car, and given what people say about quality concerns, there's barely a whisper or rattle from the cabin - i'd say much quieter and better put together than the creaking rattling e60 5's that i tested..
1) stone chips - i think the lady who drove it must have tailgated a gritter, the whole of the front including screen is marked - i have a friend who runs a bodyshop, so could get it refreshed, but if it's a common thing then i won't bother and just live with it!
2) mpg - not as good as i was expecting - on the drive home, 100 miles of motorway, 70mph, got 36.7mpg on the computer - our 200slk (08) - gets 35mpg on the same run - is this indicative of dirty filters, MAF, etc? What's notmal for a e320 cdi driven in a relaxed fashion?
3) radio popping - when the stereo is on radio, there is a popping noise - kinda every 2-3 seconds and the reception is pretty poor - seems to be intermittent and doesn't happen when a cd is in so i'm guessing tuner, amplifier, aerial? Got some searching to do on here to find the answer! Incidentally, at some point when i have the money then i'm going to upgrade to ntg2.5 head unit, so i guess that removes some of the problematic stereo components from the mix
4) valeo - it was manufactured 03/2004 so i think i'm safe, but the crimping did look straight rather than wavy - but i just couldn't find a sticker (i guess because it's underneath) - the air con unit, or whatever it is in front of the radiator is behr, so did they mix and match these with valeo? i'll get it checkout out at an indy as soon as i get chance just to be sure.
5) faint pinging sound - sounds like a spring - originally thought it might be the suspension, but on investigation it actually appears to be the drivers seat! it's very very feint, and only because i'm being super sensitive that i could hear it!
Other than that, it's amazing. It's a 6 year old car, and given what people say about quality concerns, there's barely a whisper or rattle from the cabin - i'd say much quieter and better put together than the creaking rattling e60 5's that i tested..
