E CLASS what car report

[bikerfrenzy]

Hi everybody
I found a nice 320 cdi E class estate at the motor auctions on a 53 plate and 50,000 miles. Being skint and having to beg borrow and steal to get it i thought i better do my home work.
What car says its the best used estate buy but also says it suffers from problems with software for the auto gearbox and notchy changes.
I have come to understand that the software problems relate only to the 7 speed auto with the v6 engine and is easily fixed but cars maufactured before october 03 with the straight 6 engine and 5 speed auto box had a problem with the radiator which cools the engine and the transmission fluid. it leaks between the two and with the coolant being at a higher pressure it blows water into the transmission fluid causing glycol(white sludge) to get into the torque converter. this can manifest itself as juddering under power or poor fuel economy and reduced power. I went to the dealers and they told me that that car had had a warranty repair at 30,700 miles for a radiator and hoses with some unspecified work to the gearbox being done, it had also had a recall done.
So has anybody had the radiator replaced for this reason and how was your auto box after the work had been done?
I welcome comments on any aspect of this information because i'm not certain how accurate it is.

 

[television]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

The Rad problem that we refer to as the Valeo problem affected the 211 up to 09-03 and only the cars with this rad had some problems. The cars fitted with the BEHR rad are OK.

When the rad leaked the car hummed and vibrated at engine revs of 1600-2000 rpm and the car juddered when pulling lightly.

The fix was a new rad and torque converter for 99% of the cars,, the torque converter was replaced as the glycol raised the surfaces of the clutches inside.

In general they are great cars

 

[bikerfrenzy]

same radiator

i was told the replacement radiators were made by the same manufacturer so you couldn't tell if it had been done or not and an independant specialist said you can run around with the problem for thousands of miles...i'm worried they didn't replace to torque converter and it might have a developing problem

 

[jberks]

Is it juddering?
There are great many 211s of that age that are fine so don't get too paranoid about it.
You can have a glycol check done on the gbox fluid if you are concerned.
I'd imagine that Valeo and MB know the serial numbers of the rads that were affected so MBUK should be able to advise - or at least tell you when yours was manufactured.

 

[television]

An experienced MB techie would know if it has been changed as it was the crimping that caused the troubles, modified rads have a little white circle sticker on the rad on the oil cooler.

Also if there is no juddering or humming then the torque converter has been replaced and no one would do this leaving a faulty rad in the car

 

[bikerfrenzy]

I know the radiator has been replaced so i'm resonably sure that it will be a good one but its the torque converter i'm not sure about..i cant test it as you don't get an oppertunity in the auction. if they changed the transmission fluid and just tried to clean the converter then i might be buying a heap of trouble.

 

[bikerfrenzy]

and i could do with getting my spelling/typing problem fixed

 

[television]

MB cannot disclose info on a car that does not belong to you.

They have said that certain things were done to the gearbox, so I think that covers it really. , these post hardly come up anymore as it is something that has been fixed some time back

 

[jberks]

it does depend. The other fault that affects the gearboxes is a leaky electrical connector. I had mine replaced last year so its a common fix, often done at the same time as the gearbox oil and filter change (was on mine anyway). This may be what was done.

If it drives ok then you should be ok. Once you have the car you can confirm whether this has been done or even if it should be done as a precaution. The rads aren't expensive so if it were mine and I was unsure I'd just have it done anyway.

 

[Mercedes 190E]

Hi all
Daft question, and a bit of a thread hijack (Sorry !)
My Wife's 320 CDi was delivered in Dec 2003 (2004 model year) and we are told it is a V6 as opposed to a straight 6. How can I check if this is true ?
Thanks.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Open the bonnet and look at the engine. If there is an exhaust manifold on each side then it's a V6 if not then it's a straight 6.

 

[230K]

Eh.... lift the bonnet and have a look?? And if you cant tell by looking do you really need to know???

Sorry for the sarcasim it seems funny to me just.

It will be a straight 6 though if it is 2003. What are the first 6 digits of your VIN

230k

 

[bikerfrenzy]

if it looks like this it's a straight 6http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/MediaNav/articleId=101837/firstNav=Gallery/photoId=14315

 

[Mercedes 190E]

Thanks-particularly to bikerfrenzy-yes, our engine is the same as that so it is a straight six.
The sarcasm was unhelpful-firstly, I cannot see the exhaust manifolds at all because of the extensive plastic covers over the engine, and secondly, yes I do want to know because otherwise I wouldnt have asked, now would I ?

 

[230K]

Hi

According to this months Mercedes Enthusiast the V6 cdi was not introduced in the 211 until June 2005.

230K

 

[bikerfrenzy]

numbers

when you talk about w210 and 211 what do the numbers refere to is it the engine or the model and if so is there a list for all mercs i can look at and why on the government website can i not find the straight six car to look at the official figures for mpg?
must go i'm busy thinking of more questions

 

[230K]

when you talk about w210 and 211 what do the numbers refere to is it the engine or the model and if so is there a list for all mercs i can look at and why on the government website can i not find the straight six car to look at the official figures for mpg?
must go i'm busy thinking of more questions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mercedes-Benz_cars#1990s

 

[bikerfrenzy]

thanks for that..still having problems with the official 6l mpg for the 320 cdi

 

[television]

thanks for that..still having problems with the official 6l mpg for the 320 cdi

Well I have never got over 29.9 in spite of the makers claim for 32 in my SL500