320CDI water pump drive

[R W]

I am thinking of buying a E320CDI 2001 from a local auction. The car in question is a hire purchase reclaim. The car was transported into the auction as a none runner.The auction transported it to a repair workshop to have new belts fitted & was driven back( they say it drove back OK). The engine starts & seems to run perfect,but I am wondering if the previous owner could have overheated & done some damage to the engine.If the car had been run with the belts broken. Can anyone advise me if the water pump drive on the 320CDI is gear driven or belt. If the belts only drive the alternator then I have no wurries, but if the belts drive the water pump then it could be a potential problem. Any advice will be welcome.

 

[television]

The belt drives the water pump and alternator, I think that if the engine had been run to a point of boiling, there would be water staines in the engine bay and engine.

Malcolm

 

[R W]

320CDI pump drive

Thanks Malcolm.Your right,there would be evidence of boiling water. There is no indications of boiling & the engine bay is clean. Unlike the rest of the car that needs a good valet & is overdue a service by 1800mls. The fact that it is a HP reclaim, & overdue a service all points to a neglectfull owner. I am probably being over cautious. I think if the price is right it still could make a tidy car with a bit of TLC.
Thanks
R W

 

[television]

Thanks Malcolm.Your right,there would be evidence of boiling water. There is no indications of boiling & the engine bay is clean. Unlike the rest of the car that needs a good valet & is overdue a service by 1800mls. The fact that it is a HP reclaim, & overdue a service all points to a neglectfull owner. I am probably being over cautious. I think if the price is right it still could make a tidy car with a bit of TLC.
Thanks
R W

I have bought 100's from auctions and have always done well, good luck, very nice cars, and they really shift.

Malcolm

 

[OlafMaxwell]

As far as I recall the belt is referred to as a Serpentine belt. I know mine was replaced at about 95k and although there was no sign of slippage the garage replaced it as a normal wear item due to mileage/age. I prefer replace before failure but there was still plenty of life left in the belt that came off. I think these belts do last a long time so its a little unusual for it to have gone. As for the water pump issue I don't know but I do wonder if the computer would have put it into safe mode?

If you get a chance check the air con is blowing cold quickly, it goes wrong. The condenser radiator is located under a cover behind the passenger side wheel strut, if it does not blow cold it means no gas but the usual cause of no gas is that this radiator is leaking. Expect no more than about 65k before this goes. Also under bonnet have a good look at the ESP/ABS pump under the bonnet, located in front of the passenger side wheel strut. Any sign of brake fluid out of these joints is trouble. Make sure rear seat backs fold down, they also give trouble, see it regularly here but have never seen the fix on the site. Also, if you can get to start the car, check the pixels on the speedo for time and temperature. They go and its expensive. Check glow plug light stays off, if not then it means glow plugs need replacing life expectancy is max 65k.

Visor mirror covers when opened turn on visor lights, but the covers snap off. Just means you don't get the lights to work, to fix you replace the whole visor, about £150 each.

Check under door seals all round, all 4 doors, they have a well documented rust problem and if there is no proper service history you will not get it done under warranty.

Have a look to see if there is any service history, if you get the reg number an MB dealer should be able to check it out for you.

They are a nice car to drive, lots of power.

 

[R W]

Thanks for your advice Malcolm & Olaf. Sorry I didnt reply sooner.I did manage to buy the 320cdi from the auction. I only had 1 day of driving it,then returned to Russia to work. The car seems to be OK & everything works as it should appart from a shudder on the brakes.The discs are rusty as though it has not been used for a long time.When I get home next I will be changing all the discs,pads & have a service done by a local indie as it indicates it is 1800mls overdue a B service.I would also like to contact the previous owner when I get home.Although it may not be a good idea as it was reposessed.Overall I am happy with the car,although I may have paid a little too much for it,taking into account its high milage of 164k. (I got carried away with the biding frenzy & my determination to buy the car.)
Thanks again for your advice
R W