W211 e500 buying

[E55BOF]

I only ever had two S211s with original and perfect rear arches; one was a 2003, the other a 2007, both with over 110K on them. Bit of a lottery if you ask me...

 

[bolidemichael]

It's an odd one as UK cars don't seem to have suffered from corrosion too much. I had a spot on the rear tailgate.

When in Germany on the ramp at an MB dealership, the tech told me that the 211s were as bad for rust as the 210s, which stumped me.

 

[bolidemichael]

Early W211 E500’s had the five speed and they worked well together.

Are you certain? I don't believe that this is the case and. never heard of that before. I believe that the M113K equipped AMG were mated to the five speed, which for me is a clear benefit of the 500's seven speed, with respect to the long distance cruising for which I use the car a lot.

 

[E55BOF]

The M113Ks did all have the five-speed, because the seven-speed could not cope with the torque of the supercharged engine. Very early W211 500s also had the five-speed, but it was superceded by the seven-speed after a few months.

 

[John]

This fifth-generation transmission was the first seven-speed automatic transmission ever used on a production passenger vehicle. In all applications this transmission is identified as the New Automatic Gearbox Generation Two, or NAG2. It initially debuted in Autumn 2003 on five different eight-cylinder models: the E500, S 430, S 500, CL 500, and SL 500. It also soon became available on many six-cylinder models. Turbocharged V12 engines, four cylinder applications and commercial vehicles continued to use the older Mercedes-Benz 5G-Tronic transmission for many years.

Wikipedia

W211s started on 52 plates as far as I am aware so a good year of the 5g in E500s.

 

[bolidemichael]

That's very interesting, as my build (release) date was 22/10/2003 (04 plate). However, when the gearbox failed, I couldn't replace the transmission board alone as I was told that it was a very early iteration of the 7G-Tronic, so had to shell out for the valve body too, at £988+VAT.

 

[John]

That's very interesting, as my build (release) date was 22/10/2003 (04 plate). However, when the gearbox failed, I couldn't replace the transmission board alone as I was told that it was a very early iteration of the 7G-Tronic, so had to shell out for the valve body too, at £988+VAT.

If your car was built 22/10/2003 (would make it 53 plate rather than 04 unless your car was not registered for 4.5 months?), you could be up to 2 months into the 7g gearboxes (assuming they were released at the start of September).

There were all the cars built in 2002 and early 2003 released on 52 plates and 03 plates which in theory had 5g.

Unless that's not what you meant?

 

[bolidemichael]

If your car was built 22/10/2003 (would make it 53 plate rather than 04 unless your car was not registered for 4.5 months?), you could be up to 2 months into the 7g gearboxes (assuming they were released at the start of September).

There were all the cars built in 2002 and early 2003 released on 52 plates and 03 plates which in theory had 5g.

Unless that's not what you meant?

I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. If that's what you meant?

In all seriousness, it's a good point that you raise and it never occurred to me. The car was first registered on 6th April 2004.

 

[Gbrowncls55]

I rather thought the 7 speed was introduced on the 211 for the 04 MB model year....could be wrong

 

[MD5]

That's interesting about build dates. I've seen 03 210 E classes but don't think I've ever seen earlier 211s than that. Wikipedia lists S210s produced until 03 and S211s starting from 2004, but that's Wikipedia and Michael's S211 would contradict that, but only just!

 

[E55BOF]

2004 model year cars would be coming off the production line from September/October 2003, I would have thought. 805 builds are reputed to be an improvement on the 804 builds, but I don't recall ever seeing anything about 803 builds.

 

[merc85]

i had a 2002 (52) e55k, aka Brutus

 

[MD5]

i had a 2002 (52) e55k, aka Brutus

I remember Brutus by name but can't remember if it was a W or an S?

 

[merc85]

DAM! lol Beast!!

 

[bolidemichael]

2004 model year cars would be coming off the production line from September/October 2003, I would have thought. 805 builds are reputed to be an improvement on the 804 builds, but I don't recall ever seeing anything about 803 builds.

By 'model year', do you mean, 'registration year'?

Also, what is an 804 and 805 build?

 

[Gbrowncls55]

By 'model year', do you mean, 'registration year'?

Also, what is an 804 and 805 build?

I think he means Mercedes model year which is what 804 and 805 refer to. MB model year generally starts around mid Sept production I think but somebody on here will know for sure

 

[E55BOF]

By 'model year', do you mean, 'registration year'?

Also, what is an 804 and 805 build?

Mercedes (and for all I know every other volume car maker as well) practice is to introduce modifications for a particular model year on the production line in September of the previous year. My last E500 came off the line on 11 November 2003, and in the datacard the YOM (Year of Modification) code is 804, i.e. it is a 2004 model. If the car had sat on a parking lot until, say, January 2005 before being sold, that would have been its year of registration, but not its year of manufacture.

( My Yamaha FJR 1300 was advertised as a 2013 bike, but it wasn't; it had been bought by British Transport Police as part of a batch of 2010 model year bikes which were imported in 2010, but sat, still in their crates, unsold until 2013).

 

[John]

My old CL was a 63 plate but was actually a 2011 car which had the 2014MY revisions applied to it on the build sheet - but wasn't sold until late 2013.

So you may see later-registered W210s but I wouldn't expect to see an 02 plated W211 (unless on a private plate).

I've not seen a lot of 52 plate W211s but quite a few over the years... not to mention Gav's E55K above.

Alps mentioned 803, 804 and 805 builds here:

W211 e55 | General Discussion

My E55 was an 805 and was built 10/2004. So it would make sense an 804 build was late 2003 and 803 build was late 2002.

Quick check on AT reveals one 52 plate registered in 11/2002.

 

[bolidemichael]

Well, I've checked -- lo and behold at the bottom of the page is listed '804 Year if Modification'

 

[cp3377]

Well, I've checked -- lo and behold at the bottom of the page is listed '804 Year if Modification'

View attachment 121360

I understand that each new model year starts when the factory resumes production after the summer break. I think 7-Speed was introduced in 804 models so from cAugust 2003. My 52-plate November 2002 E500 was an 803 year and had the 5-Speed. I never found a 6th or 7th cog in 130,000 miles anyway… The E55 stayed with the 5-Speed I believe because the 7G couldn’t handle its torque output.