W210 e55

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500E

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
1,770
Location
London / Dubai
Car
1994 E500 Limited / 2008 C63 AMG
Hello all,

Since my last posts about the W211 E55, I ended up settling with a mint W210 E55, 56,000 miles from new, black on black, avantgarde spec. Only looks to be missing the sat nav as an option so quite well specc'd otherwise. Very nice car for Dubai and after an AC regas just after I bought it the car has been running great! Even the door sills still have the stickers on from new :eek:

The car is a Japan import, I am the first UAE owner. Since i've bought the car it's had the oil and oil filter changed, air filters changed, charcoal and AC filters replaced and the plugs replaced with Bosch parts. All parts removed were MB but very old/worn which means it has been a while since the service.

Brake discs out in the UAE ended up being £400 a piece and I couldn't find decent aftermarket parts anywhere! Brakes desperatly needed changing - I was close to buying a set for safety purposes but at £800 a pair I did some shopping around and ended up scoring a brand new OEM MB pair on eBay UK for £130! Had them collected, looks like they've been on the shelf since 2013! I am currently in the UK, I will take them back to Dubai with me and buy the pads, sensors and rear discs from the main dealer out in Dubai as they're not too expensive, not sure why the front discs were so much - I think they're only for the E55/C43?

Apart from the brakes the pre purchase inspection I had shows the engine mounts need changing along with the AC compressor which has a slow leak. I am also getting all the fluids done however they look quite fresh tbh. Gearbox oil and filter should be changed too but will use a specialist for all that.

Anyway the car has a few issues, main ones I had questions on:

- The car has air seats but neither of them work. No noises when the switches are pressed - any ideas?
- The cubby below the stereo is damaged behind the lid, seems to be broken up for some reason - can these be replaced? I can't find the right part online.
- The car has 235 front and 255 rear Dunlop tyres fitted - they are due to be replaced so will be fitting a new set of Michelin pilot sports - can anyone confirm whether the correct tyre size for 2001 E55 is 245/40 and 265/35 ?

I have ordered a new toe hook cover, MB star and a fog light from MB as they're broken/missing.

The car is a 2001 facelift so has a few nice bits like the uprated steering wheel, indicators on the mirrrors, etc. Any recommended mods for this car?

I don't really have any decent photos at the moment but once I've cleaned the car and had it detailed I will get some uploaded - for now I hope these will keep you guys satisfied!!! :thumb:

















Cheers

Bill
 
Nice looking car, 56000 miles is pretty low miles but you're going to need to take care of a few rubber bits which will rot regardless of whether the car is driven or not.

Inspect the drive belt for cracks as it's probably time to replace, while you're at it, replace the idler pulley because it will be old too and will likely break and take a new belt out before too long.

You'll probably need to replace the lower control arm bushings, you'll know when you drive the car and if it feels like the wheels are out of balance.
The sway bar bushings will also need changes if you hear a rattle from the front end and ball joints if you hear a click.

Use only Lemforder parts as most other aftermarket suppliers (including TRW) have now outsourced to China and the quality has gone down.

Surprised that the brake discs cost so much but replace the hoses and flush the brake fluid while you're at it.

Lastly, check the fan clutch is operating correctly as they tend to fail which would be OK in the UK with just the electric fans going, but a real struggle in Dubai.

When you flush the ATF, try to find Shell ATF 134 to replace it with or another ATF which meets MB 236.10 requirements. This is important as any other transmission fluid that does not meet spec can ruin the transmission. There's no drain on the torque converter so if you're going to replace all the fluid, you'll need to flush through the transmission cooler lines.

Good luck with the shake down and looking forward to updates.

This is my silver 02 and black 00

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Cheers Al will take that on board

Any thoughts on the air seats or tyres sizes mate?
 
Cheers Al will take that on board

Any thoughts on the air seats or tyres sizes mate?

The tyres sizes are 235 /40/18 and 255/35/18 .
 
The air bladders fail often, I cannot tell you what can cause it, but I suspect that a connection failed and as a result the bladders are not holding air. You'll have to take the covers of the seats to find out.

I'm not sure if tire sizes are different in the UK, on my cars they are 245/40R18 in front and 275/35R18 in the rear. This is the OE spec for the W210 E55.
 
I'm not sure if tire sizes are different in the UK, on my cars they are 245/40R18 in front and 275/35R18 in the rear. This is the OE spec for the W210 E55.

Pretty sure it's a 265 section on the rear for a W210.
 
How about the data plate on the car?

14947964_10157817237755165_3536047251936510100_n.jpg
 
Maybe country variant?
 
Post more pics when detailed, but nice looking car, envy you the performance and no doubt low fuel costs in UAE. Enjoy.:thumb:
 
Cheers guys. Costs about 20 quid to fill up from reserve:)

Will get more pics once I've had a few bits done on it
 
500E said:
Cheers guys. Costs about 20 quid to fill up from reserve:) Will get more pics once I've had a few bits done on it

Nice car B congratulations pal.
 
500E, how do you like the E55 compared to the 500E? I'd be really interested in hearing from someone who owns both as I've kicked around buying a 500E a couple of times.
 
I have to admit Al the E55 is a better car in more ways than one. The power delivery, handling and dynamics run rings on the 500E. I was in London earlier the week and drove the 500E for a few days so practically had them back to back. It truly felt like I was driving a classic, not a modern classic as the technology and driving dynamics are dated. Much prefer the E55 as a regular driver as it's friendlier to live with and much more fun. Brakes are on par but the steering in the E55 is miles ahead.

Saying that, I prefer the looks of the 500E (oh those wide fenders) and the solid cabin feel. The W124 series is truly built well and you can feel the difference driving them back to back. The 500E is a real collectors car now and the type of car you turn back to and admire when you park up, don't get that with the E55.

Back to the E55, the spec obviously trumps the 500E, especially the cooled seats, tilt and telescoping steering, parking sensors and the comfy AMG seats. The M113 power delivery is miles ahead of the M119 too although I'd say the M119 is silky and effortless, especially in the 124 body, having its own personality in a way.

Anyway in summary as you'd expect the E55 is a much better drivers car however it lacks that special feel the 500E has. I love my 500E and it's a great example in mint condition however let's just say while I've got the E55 I'm not missing it much (sorry 500E fans).

Hope this helps. If you have specifics let me know.

Cheers

Bill

P.s. the 500E will always be the apple of my eye
 
Bill, thanks for a detailed response. I should have bought a 500E a couple of years ago when they were still reasonably priced. Now crashed damaged models with 300k miles are 5 figures so I'll wait to see if there is a bubble and if it will burst.

In the meanwhile, I'll get my M119 kicks from my 98 SL500. Agreed on your impression of the engines, the M113 is a bruiser whereas the M119 is like silk.

The other nice thing about the E55 is that it's Toyota reliable. very little seems to go wrong with them. The older cars by contrast seem to nickle and dime me.

Enjoy!
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My 500E has its fair share of issues so I'd have to agree with you there.

Just had 235 front and 265 rear Michelin PS4s fitted. Al the 245 and 275 setup is US specs. This shop just happened to have the European spec tyres in stock.
 
Sounds good, I spoke a kid that does some side work for me every now and then. He indicated that he had replaced the seat bladders on an E55 for another guy in the MB club.

He had indicated that they seem to split everywhere but replacement was not expensive and the process was pretty easy. Hope this helps.
 

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