I am going to buy a E320 coupe auto any tips?

[doc_aardvark]

I currently have an Audi GT coupe 2.2 auto and boy its one fast and great car but as im pushing 33 i thought id go for something a bit better with more comfort so ive whittled it down to the following car with the following features :

E320 (about a L,M,N reg)
Silver
Automatic
Electric Seats (Memory)
Leather (Black)
Electric sunroof
Electric windows

It will have other things (hopefully every available extra) but these are the main things id like help with any hints or tips on what to look out for.

So far i have seen 1 E320 coupe auto and i found

1-the offside rear window controller in the center console did not work at all although the rear button did work

2-the wind deflector got stuck when trying to close the sunroof and the flap had to be held down to close the roof

3-the passenger headrest did not go up or down

4-the black strip between the 2 side windows was chipped as was the window

5-when reving the car in park to see if it sounded ok it would not rev higher than 4500 revs?


Also ive a few questions about the car

1-all the electrics stopped working after a few minuets without the engine running even with the keys in the ignition (just wondering if this is alwasy the case"

2-how many speakers does the stero have (i counted 4)

3-is it easy to replace the tape stero with a decent front loading stereo

4-are the electric seats reliable as this is a very important point as being in a wheelchair i rely on them to get in and out of the car

Well not bad for my first visit so if anyone could help id be very gratefull, or if anyone has seen one in silver with black leather and auto let me know

cheers

The Doc

 

[GrahamC230K]

Can only help with question no. 5 (first list!)

Totally normal. My car is limited to approx. 4000 rpm at standstill.

 

[heckflosse]

Hello,

Wise choice which (if choosen carefully) will last you for years.

Firstly as Graham says the rpm in park is limited to around 4000, this is to prevent damage to the gearbox if say somebody drops it into 'D' whilst reving the engine.
The coupes all have power windows and a tilt & slide roof as standard. The window issue is probably a bad switch and the sunroof deflector may just want a spray of WD40. Never noticed if the electrics cut out or not after a few minutes when not running but could check if you wish?
The stereo has four paper speakers which will no doubt be perished by now. The original stereo is a Blaupunkt Verona. I replaced my with a Blaupunkt Casablanca front loading CD unit, £125 from http://www.eurocarparts.com/ (also good source of spares). The fitment was easy as it uses all the same connections as the old stereo, just a case of pulling the old unit out swaping the multi-plugs over and pushing the new unit in.
Can't comment on the seats as I've only got cloth but have never heard of any problems with them.
Their are however problems with the wiring harness. Post '93 was made from a new bio-degradable material which often degrades long before the car does . So check any wires under the bonnet to see if they look brittle or perished, if needs replacing expect a bill of around £1000.
The OVP part no. 000-540-52-45 can cause problems. A new updated replacement OVP part no. 000-540-67-45 is available. The OVP is under the black plastic cover on the firewall side of the battery.
The head gasket often leaks at the rear side corner and the timing cover seal some times leaks, no big deal unless excessive amounts of oil is being lost.

 

[doc_aardvark]

Cheers guys for the help.

Im looking everywher for one and ive found a nice one in bedford (17 miles away according to autotrader)

its got amg sports suspension & 17" amg alloys and is a 1996 (N) with 60,000 FSH in blue with all the toys for £9,000

id love it in silver as silver makes the car look much newer than it actually is but this blue one has the lot and he said he has had 145mph out of it which is important as i drive fast.

i was looking at a (T) volvo c70 T5 GT as this is a 2.3 turbo and does 155mph but the merc suits me and is a mans car

cheers

the doc (the white blur on the M11 doing 130)

 

[heckflosse]

A word of caution!

As far as I recall the only real W124 AMG is the E36 AMG. Most of the time cars advertised as AMG are just standard ones fitted with a set of monoblock alloys and lowering springs. As well as AMG, Brabus also produced the E36 in coupe form, but I think these were all pre-facelift.

Mercedes did however offer the 'sportline' edition which as well as being lowered also had uprated shocks and sway bars, a closer ratio steering box and wider wheels & tyres. The genuine 'sportlines' can be identified by the smaller sports steering wheel and special logo on the gearstick.

 

[doc_aardvark]

thanks again for your info, i looked at the e220 but a few people have told me that the engine is 2199cc 4 cylinder and this is too small for such a big car

so ive gone for the 1995 N e320 but do you know if this is the v6 or normal 6?

i reckon a normal 6 as the v6 was only with the 95 onwards new e class

the doc

 

[fuzzer]

I think you will find that the V6 was late 97 onwards in the W210.

The E320 in the coupe would be a streight 6

 

[kid-jensen]

If you enjoy driving, the Volvo is to be avoided like the plague.

If you can imagine a 1959 Mini on crossplys, but with 250 BHP, it will give you an idea of how much understeer you will get........ Alternatively, you could just buy the Mercedes and attack the front tyres every weekend with an angle-grinder :wink:

Your list of niggling problems on the car you saw could be fixed cheaply if you are repared to get your hands dirty, if not they could cost you a fortune. If you like the rest of the car, they could be used to barter the price down.

There are almost perfect 320CEs out there, but there are a lot more that are dogs. Keep looking, the more you see the more you will know what to avoid.....

 

[doc_aardvark]

PAUL G :

Thanks, nice description of the volvo.

What do you have to say about the 1988 & 1989 audi g.t coupe fq 2226cc 5 cylinder automatic?

one red one white!

ive had the white for 6 years and had 15" alloys and a straight through stainless exhaust with performance air filter & plugs and always run with full sinthetic (spelling).

just curious as im selling these to get the merc

the merc is rear wheel drive ?

i had a bmw 320 coupe auto (1988 e) and when i flored it as it at speed it dropped down a gear and the rear wheels spun and this was very scarey will the merc e320 auto do this and will i die?

the doc (zig zagging roung the ring road) :wink:

 

[kid-jensen]

doc_aardvark,

Well, yes, with rear-wheel drive, if you kick-down in the wet, chances are the back end will come round............

But as the only man to be a Motorcycle AND Formula 1 World Champion (John Surtees) is fond of saying: "the throttle goes both ways".

If you did the same in a Front drive car, you will just spin the wheels uselessly anyway.

Front wheel drive is an abomination and has no place in any car where you expect to enjoy the driving

Sorry to say, that as much as I like some aspects of Audis, they HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE A CAR HANDLE.

With so many fine-handling cars around, you are missing-out by driving one of these........a 320CE is in a different league to these "understeering underwhelmers".

Also, any MB, and the 320CE in particular, will depreciate at a much lower rate than an equivalent Audi. If you intend to keep the car for a few years, this becomes very important.

You're moving in the right direction..........

 

[sidpick]

Wiring Harness

I echo opinion of HECKFLOSS. Stay away from models with defective wiring harness.