W164 ML320 CDI Pre Purchase tips

[Deleted member 156365]

Hello everyone,

I am planning purchasing the ML320 CDI (2008 - 2010) in the spring of next year. I have done my research as to maintenance costs and 2 of my family friends who are not mechanically inclined (basic and sometimes irregular maintenance) have praised it for its reliability and durability.

I would be buying one around the 100k miles mark and wanted to hear other users experiences with this vehicle? are there any things to watch out for when purchasing? I would be buying one without the air suspension..

Thank you everyone in advance!
Milo

 

[Bert_W164]

W164 owner here, things to look out for:
- water leaking in through third brake light and rear drivers side lights, this results in the rear Sam frying itself, it's a £650 repair from Mercedes and requires coding (I'm going through it right now)

I think my issues are simply due to an aging performance car and negligent previous owners, I regret buying one with 83k on the clock and rather would have bought one with a bit more miles as generally at that point most items show their weaknesses and would be replaced. These are the things that have cropped up for me in two years ownership of a ML63:
- PCV pipe
- Bad alternator
- Bad air compressor
- Bad power steering pump
- Bad pulleys and tensioners
- ABS wheel speed sensors
- Wheel bearings

In terms of the W164 model the universal thing from my knowledge appears to be the rear Sam issue I've highlighted. The rest of the stuff is simply down to an aging performance vehicle needing new parts.

I'm not sure which engine the 320 has, but it's worth doing a search on the engine on both UK and US forums to get an informed point of view.

The positives:
- having owned over 20 cars the ML by far is my favourite because it's damn comfy, literally the only car I can drive all day long without feeling uncomfortable, but then again I do have AMG seats. With that said before I bought the 63 what set me off was in fact driving a 320, I instantly fell in love with the form factor
- the driving position, field of view, practical placement of equipment is amazing
- Airmatic is awesome, my Mrs has a Range Evoque which is 4 years younger than mine with similar milage and there's no competition, the Airmatic is just that much smoother
- it wafts along
- stock sound system is really good and I don't even have the HK extra
- I've recently changed my pcv, sparks etc. myself and it's got good access and space in the engine bay even with my massive engine

 

[Deleted member 156365]

@Amin

Thanks for sharing! I was in high school when my dad bought one new and ever since I have wanted one for myself, now that I'm working and saving up, the time has come to make my dream come true!

The ML320 CDI has the OM642 engine which has been widely used across the range for 320/ 3.0 V6 models from what I've read - the water pump and alternator seem to be common after certain mileage which isn't too bad and to be expected but otherwise has proven to be reliable. The transmissions has also proven to be reliable (just need to make sure that regular atf changes have been done.

Upon purchase I will change most the filters myself (incl. engine oil etc) just to be sure everything on the maintenance side is looking good as well as taking it to a mechanic for an ATF flush and change.

I was planning on upgrading the lights to Phillips LED (dipped beam) and maybe getting a sunroof fitted aftermarket as this will be my roadtrip car for all of Europe and plan to keep it for 5+ years regardless of if it eventually becomes a money pit.

Just waiting on ULEZ in London to kick in where many 4x4 owners will be selling their euro 4 cars en masse next year - hopefully some bargains will be found..

 

[Smart320]

Have had 2 ML's, a 2007 320 cdi Sport , no DPF and then a 2011 350 Cdi Sport ( DPF ) . My daughter has a 2012 model , with DPF and adblue .
All were / are very reliable except for wheel speed sensors, no other mechanical problems over the 4/5 years I had my two, both had covered under 80 k miles.
Actually I preferred the engine in the earlier 320 , just a bit quieter, but my daughter' s 2012 onwards model is the one I like most, think that there was an engine power upgrade with the addition of adblue and more bells and whistles, better Command version.
If I could find one ( I couldn't ) I would have air suspension , tried a 420 cdi with it , lovely ride ; while my 320 had 19 inch rims the 350 had 20 inch , ride was slightly harder but not too bad generally but not a patch on the air.
Didn't think it needed a sunroof but would have loved to have found a light colour interior, not black.
Mind you now I have a convertible with cream leather so understand your desire for a sunroof.
As Amin said they are really comfortable cars and make great long distance cruisers.
Only other tip is if you are using a garage make sure it is a MB specialist , I always use either an Indi recommended on the forum or as currently a MB dealer for servicing using a a service plan, as my current SLK still has a MB warranty, luckily my local dealer is very good but would be expensive if I had to pay for repairs out of warranty. As you are in London you have good Indi's on your doorstep according to forum members. Good luck with your future purchase, keep an eye on the market , I can recommend Mercland , who are a forum sponsor and often advertise ML 's for sale and my second one came from them and was a great buy.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

W164 owner here, things to look out for:
- water leaking in through third brake light and rear drivers side lights, this results in the rear Sam frying itself, it's a £650 repair from Mercedes and requires coding (I'm going through it right now)

I think my issues are simply due to an aging performance car and negligent previous owners, I regret buying one with 83k on the clock and rather would have bought one with a bit more miles as generally at that point most items show their weaknesses and would be replaced. These are the things that have cropped up for me in two years ownership of a ML63:
- PCV pipe
- Bad alternator
- Bad air compressor
- Bad power steering pump
- Bad pulleys and tensioners
- ABS wheel speed sensors
- Wheel bearings

In terms of the W164 model the universal thing from my knowledge appears to be the rear Sam issue I've highlighted. The rest of the stuff is simply down to an aging performance vehicle needing new parts.

I'm not sure which engine the 320 has, but it's worth doing a search on the engine on both UK and US forums to get an informed point of view.

The positives:
- having owned over 20 cars the ML by far is my favourite because it's damn comfy, literally the only car I can drive all day long without feeling uncomfortable, but then again I do have AMG seats. With that said before I bought the 63 what set me off was in fact driving a 320, I instantly fell in love with the form factor
- the driving position, field of view, practical placement of equipment is amazing
- Airmatic is awesome, my Mrs has a Range Evoque which is 4 years younger than mine with similar milage and there's no competition, the Airmatic is just that much smoother
- it wafts along
- stock sound system is really good and I don't even have the HK extra
- I've recently changed my pcv, sparks etc. myself and it's got good access and space in the engine bay even with my massive engine

We've just had our rear SAM replaced on our GL, I paid less than £400 using a genuine refurbished part from a Mercedes dealer and a specialist to fit it, worth asking if they can supply you with the reconditioned part as it comes with the same 2 year warranty.

Our front SAM has now also gone, headlamp washers not working, MOT failure, so that'll be the same again.

Funny gear changes could be the gearbox plate, again refurbished components are available, common problem.

We have a GL, which is essentially the same as the ML, but a bit bigger, it has air suspension and I would highly recommend this as has been said, the ride is just amazing and it is an extremely relaxing cruiser, very little noise of any kind, we get just over 30mpg from our 350CDI, I guess an ML would be slightly better.

 

[Bert_W164]

We've just had our rear SAM replaced on our GL, I paid less than £400 using a genuine refurbished part from a Mercedes dealer and a specialist to fit it, worth asking if they can supply you with the reconditioned part as it comes with the same 2 year warranty.

Our front SAM has now also gone, headlamp washers not working, MOT failure, so that'll be the same again.

Funny gear changes could be the gearbox plate, again refurbished components are available, common problem.

We have a GL, which is essentially the same as the ML, but a bit bigger, it has air suspension and I would highly recommend this as has been said, the ride is just amazing and it is an extremely relaxing cruiser, very little noise of any kind, we get just over 30mpg from our 350CDI, I guess an ML would be slightly better.

Hey, thanks for that. I asked them about exchanging it and they said no, they only offer a new unit. The unit itself is approx £264 labour is £304, I could have an independent code it, but talking to my local garages they're either inundated with work or I'd rather not have my car at theirs..

@milo95 - if you do need any more convincing, and fancy a passenger ride in a ML63 just PM me, I'm not very far from London and always happy to demo the car/share my unhealthy passion/obsession for the ML (much to my wife's annoyance hehe)

 

[Deleted member 11979]

Hey, thanks for that. I asked them about exchanging it and they said no, they only offer a new unit. The unit itself is approx £264 labour is £304, I could have an independent code it, but talking to my local garages they're either inundated with work or I'd rather not have my car at theirs..

@milo95 - if you do need any more convincing, and fancy a passenger ride in a ML63 just PM me, I'm not very far from London and always happy to demo the car/share my unhealthy passion/obsession for the ML (much to my wife's annoyance hehe)

Thats amazing for MB main dealer, our local dealer, Mercedes Exeter, wanted an hour to diagnose the problem, even though I knew what is was, £186, an hour to fit, £186, and an an hour to code it, £186, needless to say I declined their kind offer!

 

[Bert_W164]

Thats amazing for MB main dealer, our local dealer, Mercedes Exeter, wanted an hour to diagnose the problem, even though I knew what is was, £186, an hour to fit, £186, and an an hour to code it, £186, needless to say I declined their kind offer!

Ah ha, so my local mercs has asked for £99 to diagnose, which I forgot to mention, so add that to the bill otherwise they'd do the work but not guarantee it to fix anything - if it wasn't due to the fact that my first born is due in the next six weeks, and I really want to transport her home in a 507bhp AyyyMG, I would have waited this out/gone independent. But the Mrs is also on my case that we need a working 4 door car (her Evoque is two door, what sort of crazy person buys a 2 door SUV??? One I married it seems...I digress...) So I've had to bite the bullet this time round and pay the stealership.

I never go to dealers and like to maintain my car's through independent/myself but without STAR/Xentry I'm buggered.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

As stated above, the rear SAM is probably the most (in)famous issue on these. Also seats and steering wheel don’t wear or age particularly well.

I’m on to my third W164; first was 2007 ML420 Sport, second 2010 ML350 Sport and currently running around in a facelift 2009 ML320 that I bought during lockdown as a spare vehicle.

Try and find one with Airmatic, the difference is noticeable but there is the added maintenance costs involved going forward.

Out of the complete range I think the 420 V8 TT CDI is the pick of the bunch - not much difference in fuel economy versus the V6 CDI yet has enough power to scare the ML63, but it ultimately depends on what you want from it.

 

[Bert_W164]

Out of the complete range I think the 420 V8 TT CDI is the pick of the bunch - not much difference in fuel economy versus the V6 CDI yet has enough power to scare the ML63, but it ultimately depends on what you want from it.

Did you remap your 420 to close the gap between it and a 63? Or is this a case of bucket loads of torque/midrange warrior which does amazingly in rolling runs?

I ask as I considered a 420 myself but felt the stated power wasn't enough for what I was after (just wanted something really unexpected)

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Did you remap your 420 to close the gap between it and a 63? Or is this a case of bucket loads of torque/midrange warrior which does amazingly in rolling runs?

I ask as I considered a 420 myself but felt the stated power wasn't enough for what I was after (just wanted something really unexpected)

No, mine was standard.

I went to buy the 2007 ML63 about 6-12 month after (it was a while ago) and it just didn’t “feel” that urgent but, to be fair, on reflection the 420 mid-range torque was ridiculous which is a completely different to the ‘63.

I’m a FI guy at heart so there would always have been a bit of bias but when I got back from a test drive that showed 11mpg when the 420 would have done at least double that, it made my mind up for me so instead of going “backwards” to a diesel I gave up and bought an XFR instead!

Photo of my ML420:

 

[Bert_W164]

No, mine was standard.

I went to buy the 2007 ML63 about 6-12 month after (it was a while ago) and it just didn’t “feel” that urgent but, to be fair, on reflection the 420 mid-range torque was ridiculous which is a completely different to the ‘63.

I’m a FI guy at heart so there would always have been a bit of bias but when I got back from a test drive that showed 11mpg when the 420 would have done at least double that, it made my mind up for me so instead of going “backwards” to a diesel I gave up and bought an XFR instead!

Photo of my ML420:
View attachment 101022

Cheers. I hear you about FI, I miss my s13, s14a, ST185, 330D and so forth, but I hadn't scratched the V8 itch at the time of buying the ML...

MPG totally sucks, I can get down to 4-6 without trying too hard...but then again I knew that buying it and fortunately we have a second car when needed.

Thank you.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Cheers. I hear you about FI, I miss my s13, s14a, ST185, 330D and so forth, but I hadn't scratched the V8 itch at the time of buying the ML...

MPG totally sucks, I can get down to 4-6 without trying too hard...but then again I knew that buying it and fortunately we have a second car when needed.

Thank you.

I think if I’d not owned the ML420 beforehand I’d have more than likely bought that ‘63 but - the 420 CDI has around 20% more torque than the ‘63 - I had, so I didn’t!

It’s worth forgetting all that for the exhaust note though...

 

[Deleted member 156365]

@Smart320 Thanks for sharing, I agree, I think the 2008 - 2010 models are starting to become bargain purchase as I am already finding some with 90k miles going for around £6.5k - £7.5k. I have come across a few with beige interior and black exterior which I agree would make the perfect lounge on wheels.

I am quite inclined to do DIY repairs/maintenance where possible as I would be storing it in the communal car park which is conveniently underground so plenty of space with car enthusiast neighbours

@SPX The main reason I am inclined on getting one with stock suspension is the maintenance involved (much cheaper than having to repair airmatic faults if or when they go wrong). Having mainly driven BMW 3 series (with rock solid m sport suspension) and currently driving the company A class, the ML ride height and spring suspension setup for me is more than enough taking into account my intention of long term ownership.

One thing I will definitely pay extra for is having the steering wheel re-trimmed as they in most ads I've seen do age quite bad.

@Amin
Thanks for the offer, might take you up on it once this covid nonsense calms down a bit.

I think the 3.0 V6 Diesel is the perfect one for me as when I go on my roadtrip it will be country lane driving majority of the time, more than enough torque in my opinion given that I have driven my friend's ML320 CDI (2006).

Some Ideas I have had upon purchase in list form for those interested:
- LED interior lights
- Aftermarket Ambient lighting (nothing too bright or loud) for evening cruises
- Dye the headliner and pillars to Black (whether seats are beige or black regardless)
- LED bulbs for front and read assemblies (dipped/main beam and stationary lights and indicators)
- Apple Carplay system upgrade (need to research the unit size requirement for a perfect fit)
- Maybe upgrade the door speakers (front and back) to Pioneer (woofer and tweeter) (but since @Amin says they are good enough I will sleep on that one once I purchase the vehicle).
- Steering wheel re-trim (full nappa leather)

Since this would be my first purchase of a car I am crazy about, I feel it is a perfect project car for minor tweaks and improvements to make it feel that little bit more special!

 

[Bert_W164]

I've got a bit of a bass head/SQ background, from running RE XXX subs, to Nakamichi CD400 headunits, Focal subs and all that razz when I was younger...

The stock system is surprisingly balanced and bassy, it doesn't get stupidly loud but then I'm not 18 anymore so like to hear my engine/passenger/worldly noises. I think what helps it is acoustics, the ML is roomy, sound is able to travel well, good enclosure space for speakers and so on.

With that said I haven't heard a HK unit, my comparisons would be based on my wife's Evoque which has a Meridian setup with a woofer, and my MLs setup is fat better for mids, the sound signature is warm, where as the Range is bright/on the harsh side. The range does get louder but volume isn't my measurement of good sound quality.

I had installed 2 x JL Audio 8" woofers in the boot, I barely used them and didn't like how it made things rattle and eventually took them out. I think I've aged

I used a JL line converter/processor into an old school Rockford Fosgate BD1000 AMP. Sure it did give some nice low lows, but I don't know, I just felt dirty with having my car rattle and seeing my rear view mirror vibrate.

 

[Deleted member 156365]

@Amin I drove a E300d 2019 reg a few weeks back to the lake district, it had the Burmester optional extra sound system, it was perfect, like sitting inside a music studio (bass felt enough but doesn't cause an earthquake whilst vocals were crystal clear.. I'm not that mad about having best in the range. My comparison to the E300d's sound system would be my stock A180 AMG line which I thought was decent, but after hearing the best Burmester had to offer, I'm a little depressed now when driving around town ahah.

I'm leaning more towards having it look as stock as possible but full of pleasant surprises and additives. I have seen that on some ML's which came with the OEM upgraded sound system (H&K) that there is an additional subwoofer in the rear left wheel well in the boot, would stock ML's also have the wired ready for plug and play or would it be a wiring installation job?

 

[Bert_W164]

When buying my ML this was one of the things I too had to consider. From what I've read up, it seems it's a whole separate amp and speakers and perhaps extra speakers so would not only require the amp and possibly fabrication to hold the extra speakers. So we have to factor in a class D amp I'm assuming, as long as the amp drive all the speakers.

It might make more sense just specifically finding a ML with the HK system and having a listen to make an informed decision. I've driven cars at dealers with certain options and have been honest about I'm not sure I even want to buy the car, but if there is a chance that I will, it'll be from getting a feel for the car, as long as you're respectful and not taking the mick most dealers are happy to oblige.

I looked into retrofitting for a while (just because why not) and generally found a few issues:
- finding the amps and associated items are pretty expensive
- there's not a lot of information or examples of people fitting them by DIY
- cost justification
- very mixed reviews about how good the HK system is

Instead I found a ML with a rare option; cooled seats (which were a god send during the heatwave) and forgot about HK entirely.

 

[Bert_W164]

And here's a company in the UK that'll retrofit the HK in a W164 for a very affordable £2400, have a read of the description it gives clues to what I've suggested in terms of extra speakers/channels.

Harman Kardon Audio Upgrade for ML Class 164 (2009-2012) - Braybrooks

Retrofit Harman Kardon to Mercedes ML Class for superior sound. Using genuine Mercedes parts we can retrofit this premium sound package.

www.braybrooks.co.uk