E350 CGI - potential purchase - any quick pointers to look for?

[DSK]

I'm scheduled to go to look at a Merc E350 CGI 2010 shape later this week, as one of the C70 T5's that I gave to my mum, was hit on the side by a HGV and the driver did not stop, so a replacement car is needed ASAP. I was originally defaulting to a 2012/2015 Lexus IS model but a couple of E350 CGI's caught my eye.

It seems the 350 petrol didn't sell in big numbers. It seems good on paper in terms of running costs, so not silly on tax, not brutal on fuel etc.

- Are there any known issues/design flaws with these engines?
- Do they run a little warm like some other Mercs?
- Is there a way for a MB dealer to tap into the cars electronics to determine if its been clocked?

I'm buying this for my mum and due to the situation, I am prepared to pay over the odds for it but, as with any car I buy, I like to ensure that they are generally robust in terms of design flaws from the outset and then just keep on top of maintenance and then let them run for as long as possible, only changing when there is a genuine need to. So any help on this model would be vastly appreciated.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Would be helpful to add a link to the advert so that comments can be made

 

[JBell]

@Conor is the guy to ask as he has one

 

[DSK]

Link to car 1
Link to car 2
Link to car 3

 

[DSK]

Link to car 1
Link to car 2
Link to car 3

There's not much for sale but, all 3 are in contention. The mileages seem reasonable on all, the low owners is nice and a personal favourite of mine as I don't touch anything regardless of age with more than 2/3 owners on them. One the face of it, if they are legit and reliable, they could turn out to be a decent run around but, I'm always wary of how cars are also easily clocked in this day and age.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Number 2 looks promising, good spec and FMBSH

Bit of a rarity the rear heated seats - overall spec looks very good with real leather and sunroof - I don’t question the the ‘well looked after’ statement in the ad

 

[fabes]

No1 is a Coupe so access to the rear is not as easy as with the saloon, so if she has passengers, bare that in mind, especially if elder
No 2 is a saloon with the sunroofs and light leather which really lifts the interior
No 3 may have the later and better M276 engine (the above 2 having the older M271). I cannot recall if there is an issue with a certain range of the M271s (google it)

Does she need a V6 as there are plenty of good E200 petrols around......?

No2 gets my vote

 

[DSK]

Yes sounds nice but, not too fussed about dealer history as they tend be nothing more than an over priced, delayed oil change (but that's another rant) but, evidence of maintenance is key inline with schedules etc.

 

[DSK]

No1 is a Coupe so access to the rear is not as easy as with the saloon, so if she has passengers, bare that in mind, especially if elder
No 2 is a saloon with the sunroofs and light leather which really lifts the interior
No 3 may have the later and better M276 engine (the above 2 having the older M271). I cannot recall if there is an issue with a certain range of the M271s (google it)

Does she need a V6 as there are plenty of good E200 petrols around......?

No2 gets my vote

Not keen on a 2.0ltr E-class. IIRC the 4cyl had some known pricey issues.

3.0ltr should be a nice balance IMO. She doesn't need it but IMO an E-class needs a 3.0 petrol/diesel as a minimum.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Yes sounds nice but, not too fussed about dealer history as they tend be nothing more than an over priced, delayed oil change (but that's another rant) but, evidence of maintenance is key inline with schedules etc.

The thing about FMBSH is that the owner even as the car ages isn’t prepared to skimp on maintenance, haven’t seen the history but 7 stamps suggest the oil was changed <10k miles

 

[Droverunner]

I know nothing in particular about this model other than saying my wife has a CLK and the two long doors can be a real nuisance for tight spaces and older passengers so I might go 4dr.

But I know loads about judging cars from online info with a view to initial shall I view or not.

Car 1: Seems not to have been taxed since early 2020 and last log book change was same period... could it have been on the forecourt more than a year. Has only travelled 252mls in the past 18mths so that fits in with those miles being test drives etc. Dreadful MOT recent history with failure on rusted and leaking brake pipes. Also second occasion it has been presented for MOT with bald rear tyres. Other MOT issues have been thin brake pads and ball joint play. All the aforementioned would never have got as far as MOT issues had it been properly maintained. Finally the garage is local to me... known them decades... don't bother viewing!

Car 2: Previous owner for 7yrs is a good sign. Excellent pass with no advisories MOT history for that period. Like the light leather seats. MB service history if it checks out is good. I'd go an view that one.

Car 3: Don't like the look of the car or the... errr... "dealership". His phone number doesn't come up with any returns on Google as someone selling cars, neither does the garage name come up in Rainham. Spelling errors throughout the description. Still taxed so assume dealer using as a runaround. It's an import (around late 2020). Hence MOT history online missing before 2020 so that avenue for checking mileage is not available. Satnav shows location in Japan! Rear number plate holder is for a square rear plate. Claims only to have travelled 7mls over the 2/3mths prior to its last MOT... really? Rear bumper and driver's side front lower spoiler look to have been blown in with a poor paint match. I absolutely wouldn't view this one either.

 

[DSK]

The thing about FMBSH is that the owner even as the car ages isn’t prepared to skimp on maintenance, haven’t seen the hidtory but 7 stamps suggest the oil was changed <10k miles

Absolutely, my comment was tongue in cheek but, yes this to me shows, a typical owner who is happy to maintain a car but puts their trust in the dealer.

 

[Droverunner]

Yep re main dealer history of course they can make mistakes and miss stuff but by and large they will change the oil and will advise things that need doing. For me the worse history on a premium brand is a combination of KwikFit, village garages and blank spaces.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Correction - car 2 has 10 stamps

 

[Blobcat]

No1 is a Coupe so access to the rear is not as easy as with the saloon, so if she has passengers, bare that in mind, especially if elder
No 2 is a saloon with the sunroofs and light leather which really lifts the interior
No 3 may have the later and better M276 engine (the above 2 having the older M271). I cannot recall if there is an issue with a certain range of the M271s (google it)

Does she need a V6 as there are plenty of good E200 petrols around......?

No2 gets my vote

They’re M272 which can have balance shaft issues, although these are all late enough to not be in range of issues

 

[fabes]

Car number 2 it is then from that bunch....

 

[Conor]

Hi @DSK

Sorry to hear about the issue with your mum and her car.

I can't think of many issues with the car really. Mine has been "reliable" for the most part, considering it has 208k miles on it now. Things I have done since buying in January 2019, at 190k miles include:

* Alternator - brushes worn out (high mileage thing)
* PCV system, chasing down a vacuum leak - it ended up being the valve at the rear of the engine. Which was a pain to do. Thread here. The reason it was so difficult is that it was right up against the false bulkhead, which needed to come out.
* Spark plugs - these are a mega pain to do on this particular engine and you need a special spark plug socket, offering an extra angle on it. There is very space.
* Aux belt tensioner - was worn, throwing the belt slightly off and causing it to wear on the next pulley.

The car is also burning oil and has issues hinting at valve stem seals. This is a high mileage thing I would guess. That said, the cars are known to burn a bit of oil regardless.


All in all, it's a very nice engine. I quite like it. It has plenty of poke in it and when sitting at traffic lights you cannot feel it idling at at all. One thing I will say though is that when idling, mine ticks a little. Initially I thought this was due to high mileage and just the tappets in the valve train. I recently read somewhere that it's due to the high pressure element (common rail, like diesel) that makes it tick and sound like a diesel. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't feel like a diesel, just that tapping. I don't know if it's mileage related or they all do it, but my mates M272 non CGI 350, doesn't do it at all.

I would recommend buying it. Beware the earlier 200 CGI engines are not compatible with the new E10 fuels, but everything else is including the 350. One other thing when mileage gets on is that, due to it being direct (port) injection fuel.. no fuel passes over the intake valves resulting in coking/carbonisation which can cause issues over time (I think I have). Bit on lower mileage this shouldn't be an issue. In any case, the issue is walnut blasting the valves, which will probably set you back about 350-500 I would guess.

If I was to give one singular piece of advice - try and do some research on when the PCV valve needs to be changed, especially if you don't plan on doing yourself. I imagine a garage might charge you for 4 or 5 hours labour for this as it's a bit of a pig. The heat shielding needs to come out and that means disconnection the universal joint on the steering column. One way to check id the PCV is working well is to perhaps pull the hose connecting to it and see if there is oil residue in it. If there is it might need doing.. also if you had something like an iCarSoft MB V2.0, you would be able to see the fuel trims as live data, which would indicate if the ECU was adjusting fuel levels. I used always get engine light for running rich/lean and when I changed the PCV valve it has gone away. To be honest though, at the kind of mileage you are talking on these things, I wouldn't even bother worrying about it.

Bit of a brain dump there, but I say go for it. in some shape or form, everything has it's design flaws. If any more questions please ask.

See below for balance shaft checks - two two I could match are fine. I've scanned quite a few at this stage and my experience is that anything over 2009 is fine. Even some 08. 2007 Cars are usually problematic. I would not buy one that doesn't check out, but you seem to operating in the correct ballpark.

Car 1 engine number - could not match reg to car.
Car 2 engine number - 27298331504868 - Engine is safe from balance shaft issue.
Car 3 engine number - 27695230056036 - 276 Engine is ok.

Engine number found by running the plate on Opie Oils website.

Mercedes Benz balance shaft engine issues. How to check by VIN. M272/273 – MB Medic

www.mercedesmedic.com

 

[DSK]

@Conor

Thank you for the detailed reply. The local two Merc specialists and forum traders will do all the spanner work so, not fussed about a few hours of labour once in a while in terms of maintenance.

Good to hear that the E350 CGI overall sounds like a dependable lump.

I will provide an update accordingly after the viewings.

 

[DSK]

One question about the coking on the valves.

Is there a solution that one can easily add to the fuel tank or, spray into the intake once in a while etc. to help maintain them? As the only other solution is to dismantle accordingly to clean.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

One question about the coking on the valves.

Is there a solution that one can easily add to the fuel tank or, spray into the intake once in a while etc. to help maintain them? As the only other solution is to dismantle accordingly to clean.

The only thing you can do is not drive it like Miss Daisy direct injection engines like to be revved, not all the time of course but higher revs do tend to keep the valves cleaner