Help! $6000 work list

[1999ML320]

It worked and I have sent it

Got it. Thanks!

 

[1999ML320]

Thanks all - especially Malcolm for promptly sending me the service information. I have spent some time Sunday afternoon checking front and rear disks and transfer case (hey, now I know the correct name!) that is leaking. Here are what I have found:

(1) Front disks. They look completely OK to me. As I do not have caliper gauge I could not measure in a professional manner, but using caliper dial it has a little thinner than 25mm, which is almost new.

(2) Rear disks. They look thinner. Here my caliper dial did not work, so I cannot tell.

(3) Transfer case. It is leaking, but it looks minor to me. I have wiped it out and see how it goes for a week.

(4) Air filter. I may have very low standard, but it looked OK. I blew some dust out by air, and will leave it for a while.

(5) Fluids. When I asked the dealer if they have checked fluids by visual they said yes, but I noticed transfer case plug untouched (no sign on dust). I ran out of time, but it looks like I'd better check fluids myself before I replace. Will do them next weekend.

Thanks all again. Will report the rest next weekend after some homework at my end!

 

[1999ML320]

I'd question how much (if any) of this really needs doing.
Brakes - check them yourself. I suspect they'll be fine for another 10,000 miles (Mine is now 16,000 miles past the dealers replace warning).
Oil leaks - how bad? Probably nothing worse than a slight seep, perfectly normal for a car of that age and fine to ignore. I have a coolant leak on my E class allegedly - can't say I've noticed it. Slight trace of something around the power steering pipes but I never have to top anything up. Dealers report everything, no matter how normal and no matter how minor. Unless its pouring out, ignore it.
Plugs due - ok, they're due every 40-60k but unless its misfiring it can wait. Easy DIY job anyway.
Air filter and oil changes - just normal service items and perfectly DIYable. If its had a patchy service history probably worth considering.
Fuel injector flushing - not worth having a dealer do it and probably not worth doing at all. Maybe buy some fuel additive from your local spares place. I generally put some in every few tank fulls as a matter of course anyway.

Thanks - yes I did check brakes myself, and front seems OK. I need to get caliper gauge for the rear, as they seem thinner. I may need to replace them (not sure if DIYable). Transfer case leak - I will see how bad it is as you said. Plugs - not misfiring, so I would wait as you said. Air filter - it looked OK to me. Oil changes - probably I would do, after checking myself. Fuel injector - I will wait as you suggested.

Will keep you all posted!

 

[television]

If you need any more info please ask

 

[muller1]

ML in the US

When I brought my 1999 ML320 (80K miles) to a Mercedes dealer nearby for an oil change, they have come back with an impressive (of course this is a sarcastic comment - just to be sure) list of work totalling $6000+:

1. Front pads and rotors
2. Rear pads and rotors
3. Rear main seal leaking oil
4. Need four tires
5. Valve cover gasket leaking oil
6. Spark plugs due
7. Engine air filter dirty
8. Transmission fluid dirty
9. Coolant dirty
10. Front and rear axle fluid dirty
11. ATF dirty
12. Fuel injector (flushing?)


REPLY
Firstly does the Merc have a current DMV sticker?, if it has a recent one they check the brakes, rotor and pad thickness in the test. If they are badly worn and thin I think Auto Zone or similar should be able to help with this.
It might be worth having a your local garage do a DMV retest as this is only about $15 to $20,

If the rear main seal is leaking how much mess is it making on the parking place, and how much are you having to top up each 1000 miles, this will tell you how much it is leaking and it may be possible to live with if the leak/mess is almost zero.
If it is leaking a lot then it will need looking at and this is not a usual Do It Yourself job.

You can tell if they ar needing replacing just by looking it seems odd that ALL 4 need replacing at the same time anything over 4mm tread depth is good. If they are bad try Sears Auto if there is one near you, and you can ask them about the coolant change, transmission and axle oils also as they do good work and there is a warranty on work they do.

Valve cover gasket is an easy fix but you may have to get the gasket from MB.

Spark plugs, remove and check them if they are OK leave them, if not gap and stick in a new set, Auto Zone again.

Engine air filter is a simple fix good old Auto Zone.

Transmission Fluid is easy to check by sight as the oil should not have a burnt smell and should should be a clear ruby red color, if not any garage will do this and I would have the sump dropped and a new filter fitted and joint fitted also. I would try Jiffi Lube or similar.

Coolant is also easy if it is quite bad drain and fill with a mild solution of caustic soda and and take it for a gentle run of about 20 or so miles then drain and flush it out a few times to remove all of the caustic solution then refill with an antifreeze /anti gelling anti corrosion mix possibly 50/50. If it is not so bad a couple of flushes with radiator flush will be good enough. This is also a do it yourself job.

Front and rear axle dirty, this is a strange on to me, drain and refill but leave it to drain overnite before refilling Auto Zone will have the correct oil for this and again it is an easy job to do. Before changing it loosen the plug and check the oil with your finger or let a little drop in to a glass and this will show you if it is dirty. The machanic must have x-ray vision to tell this as I am sure they never even looked.

ATF dirty, this is what should be in the tranny, and I am not sure how many transmissions your ML has as No.8 and 11 are the same.

I take it your ML 320 is petrol aqnd the injectors either work OK or not.
Is the car running sweet or rough and is the gas consumption ok or not.
If in doubt run some injector cleaner through with adding a double dose to the gas tank.
If you are happy with the car I do not think it would be a bad thing to give it a little Tender Loving Care as it should last you a long time or until you are fed up looking at it.
I have an ML 270 Diesel and it was built in Kentucky and I had some work done on it and I love it and hardly ever use my Diesel S type Jaguar at all now.
Hope this helps, Mike

 

[jberks]

Thanks - yes I did check brakes myself, and front seems OK. I need to get caliper gauge for the rear, as they seem thinner. I may need to replace them (not sure if DIYable). Transfer case leak - I will see how bad it is as you said. Plugs - not misfiring, so I would wait as you said. Air filter - it looked OK to me. Oil changes - probably I would do, after checking myself. Fuel injector - I will wait as you suggested.

Will keep you all posted!

On the disk subject. The disks normally have a reasonable amount of leway. I've never heard of one shattering and whilst heat efficiency will be reduced, unless you're rallying it or doing speed trails I doubt it will be an issue.
I work on a ratio of 2 sets of pads to one set of disks. Hence, my front pads are nearing the end now and when they do I will be popping a new set of disks on as I didn't last time. Unless the disks are badly worn and the pads new (I don't have a gauge but the lip normally tells you all you need to know) then I'd wait until the pads are gone then replace the lot. After all, the pads will need replacing with the disks anyway.

 

[1999ML320]

If you need any more info please ask

Thank you. Will do.

 

[1999ML320]

When I brought my 1999 ML320 (80K miles) to a Mercedes dealer nearby for an oil change, they have come back with an impressive (of course this is a sarcastic comment - just to be sure) list of work totalling $6000+:

1. Front pads and rotors
2. Rear pads and rotors
3. Rear main seal leaking oil
4. Need four tires
5. Valve cover gasket leaking oil
6. Spark plugs due
7. Engine air filter dirty
8. Transmission fluid dirty
9. Coolant dirty
10. Front and rear axle fluid dirty
11. ATF dirty
12. Fuel injector (flushing?)


REPLY
Firstly does the Merc have a current DMV sticker?, if it has a recent one they check the brakes, rotor and pad thickness in the test. If they are badly worn and thin I think Auto Zone or similar should be able to help with this.
It might be worth having a your local garage do a DMV retest as this is only about $15 to $20,

If the rear main seal is leaking how much mess is it making on the parking place, and how much are you having to top up each 1000 miles, this will tell you how much it is leaking and it may be possible to live with if the leak/mess is almost zero.
If it is leaking a lot then it will need looking at and this is not a usual Do It Yourself job.

You can tell if they ar needing replacing just by looking it seems odd that ALL 4 need replacing at the same time anything over 4mm tread depth is good. If they are bad try Sears Auto if there is one near you, and you can ask them about the coolant change, transmission and axle oils also as they do good work and there is a warranty on work they do.

Valve cover gasket is an easy fix but you may have to get the gasket from MB.

Spark plugs, remove and check them if they are OK leave them, if not gap and stick in a new set, Auto Zone again.

Engine air filter is a simple fix good old Auto Zone.

Transmission Fluid is easy to check by sight as the oil should not have a burnt smell and should should be a clear ruby red color, if not any garage will do this and I would have the sump dropped and a new filter fitted and joint fitted also. I would try Jiffi Lube or similar.

Coolant is also easy if it is quite bad drain and fill with a mild solution of caustic soda and and take it for a gentle run of about 20 or so miles then drain and flush it out a few times to remove all of the caustic solution then refill with an antifreeze /anti gelling anti corrosion mix possibly 50/50. If it is not so bad a couple of flushes with radiator flush will be good enough. This is also a do it yourself job.

Front and rear axle dirty, this is a strange on to me, drain and refill but leave it to drain overnite before refilling Auto Zone will have the correct oil for this and again it is an easy job to do. Before changing it loosen the plug and check the oil with your finger or let a little drop in to a glass and this will show you if it is dirty. The machanic must have x-ray vision to tell this as I am sure they never even looked.

ATF dirty, this is what should be in the tranny, and I am not sure how many transmissions your ML has as No.8 and 11 are the same.

I take it your ML 320 is petrol aqnd the injectors either work OK or not.
Is the car running sweet or rough and is the gas consumption ok or not.
If in doubt run some injector cleaner through with adding a double dose to the gas tank.
If you are happy with the car I do not think it would be a bad thing to give it a little Tender Loving Care as it should last you a long time or until you are fed up looking at it.
I have an ML 270 Diesel and it was built in Kentucky and I had some work done on it and I love it and hardly ever use my Diesel S type Jaguar at all now.
Hope this helps, Mike

Thanks, Mike for the detailed reply, and US names such as Auto Zone, Sears, and Jiffy make me comfortable. Yes it does have DMV. I will check them again next weekend with caliper gauge, but front set seems OK, and I would follow your advice and wait until pads wear out for rear. For transfer case I did not notice oil on the floor of my garage, and I will check for a while before going for $1K plus job. Valve cover, if I do, would be my first under the hood project. I will check visual anyway next week. I checked air filter and it looked OK to me. After blowing off some dust with air, I decided to use for a while. Tires - OK for the time being. Thanks for your advice on fluids - will check and decide if I replace them myself or have them done at Jiffy. Yup. I like the car and I would need little Tender Loving Care as you said. Thanks for your advice.

 

[1999ML320]

On the disk subject. The disks normally have a reasonable amount of leway. I've never heard of one shattering and whilst heat efficiency will be reduced, unless you're rallying it or doing speed trails I doubt it will be an issue.
I work on a ratio of 2 sets of pads to one set of disks. Hence, my front pads are nearing the end now and when they do I will be popping a new set of disks on as I didn't last time. Unless the disks are badly worn and the pads new (I don't have a gauge but the lip normally tells you all you need to know) then I'd wait until the pads are gone then replace the lot. After all, the pads will need replacing with the disks anyway.

Thanks. For rear I will wait until pads wear out, then replace disks wit pads. I am not rallying.

Thanks for you all - it looks like you guys have saved me $6000. Well, it may be too early to say $6000, but I would say majority of them. Cheers!

 

[muller1]

Ml 320

If there is anything I can help you with just let me know.
Malcolm is a fund of knowledge on ALL Mercs, or MBs or Mercedes Benz or whatever you want to call the love of your life, I call mine Merc or The ML.
I think they are a great car and I believe they go on for a LOOOOOOOOONG
time, My neighbor has a 300e Diesel with 258,000miles and sounds like it has only done a few thousand.

My e-mail address is muller1@mysurf.org


Regards.

Mike

 

[1999ML320]

If there is anything I can help you with just let me know.
Malcolm is a fund of knowledge on ALL Mercs, or MBs or Mercedes Benz or whatever you want to call the love of your life, I call mine Merc or The ML.
I think they are a great car and I believe they go on for a LOOOOOOOOONG
time, My neighbor has a 300e Diesel with 258,000miles and sounds like it has only done a few thousand.

My e-mail address is muller1@mysurf.org


Regards.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. Will do.

 

[roadhog]

Just found this handy place while looking for something else. If you enter your car it will show you the dimensions of the disc, new and minimum.

 

[television]

Just found this handy place while looking for something else. If you enter your car it will show you the dimensions of the disc, new and minimum.

That is useful and thank you,,it saves me from printing off the info

 

[kebo57]

Hi I've been here before with the discs

front disc minimum thickness on 2001 ml 270

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=22528

I did 60,000 miles after the garage advised about worn discs

Kevin

 

[television]

Hi I've been here before with the discs

front disc minimum thickness on 2001 ml 270

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=22528

I did 60,000 miles after the garage advised about worn discs

Kevin

You could have had 3 changes in that time:roll: with MB doing the work

 

[turbopete]

Before you commit to open wallet surgery for the rear seal you could try something like this .
It won't cure all leaks but it's worth a try. I know of a couple of people who've used it to good effect but it was on cars that hadn't been used for a while. I'm guessing the seals had dried out on theirs rather than actually been damaged.

i used that for a leaking rear crank seal on my sierra years ago. it stopped the leak and i never lost a drop of oil out of that seal for the whole time i had the car!

 

[Myros]

cheap tip for conditioning the fuel system

buy a 5 litre ( sorry, liter over the pond) fuel can. Fill with 5 litres of super duper diesel fuel at your filling station, ( sorry gas station).
Every other tankful, before you go to fill up, measure out 1 litre ( 2 us pints) of diesel, pour it into your tank, and then go and fill up, or 1 us pint every fill up.
This will "lube" your fuel pump, injectors, and help lubricate your upper cylinders.
I do this with my SL, and have been doing all summer as I've been using her. Keeps everything ticking nicely.
Or spend about five times as much on Redex or wynns or stp or something. Same result.

 

[xavierx]

I was a fleet manager for 5 years and I have never ever seen a single brake disk wear out on a car under normal fleet mileage (75-100k miles before car replacement) That is everything from VW golfs to big Lexus RX300s Of course at service the the dealers would often say that the disks needed changing, but they never did. The dealers also regularly said pads needed replacing when they had easily 20k+ miles left in them, so that shows how much they bend the truth. We used a good honest independant tyre/brake place for that sort of thing, and again they never advised of any disks needing replacement, and also replaced the pads thousands of miles after the dealers said pads needed replacing.

My VW has 98K miles on the clock on original disks and they are still fine. A colleauge of mine has a Seat Alhambra (big heavy people carier for people that don't know) with 210k miles on the clock and he swears he still has all 4 original disks on the car.

You have to either do a shocking number of miles, race a car with lots of heavy braking or leave a car for months/years to rust before a disk ever needs replacing.

 

[1999ML320]

Rear Disc

Thanks all. I measured my right rear disc and it was 12 mm (v 13 mm min). So it looks like I need to replace when the pads wear out, I guess. I will check the pads and front discs and pads tomorrow.

 

[1999ML320]

You could have had 3 changes in that time:roll: with MB doing the work

A mechanic at the Mercedes Dealer spoke as if we need to replace pads and discs in the same cycle. Is it so?....I guess not.