Mercedes Owner Defined

[Conor]

That's about getting the cars out there, after the lease is over then comes the true ownership I'm referring to ownership for the long haul.

In response to this, have you seen my 4 year ownership update on my high mile E350 here?

I think it makes interesting reading.

 

[rich.g.williams]

In response to this, have you seen my 4 year ownership update on my high mile E350 here?

Hi Conor,

Yes interesting reading! I had a quick scan through it and will read in more detail later on when I have spare time. How would you feel about posting an update on your thread listing jobs that remain outstanding?

How about history for the car how did it do the high mileage (225K Miles)? Check any history you have for the car, check the gov.uk MOT history, how many previous owners and anything you can find out about the owners and where the car was based, for example there's a big difference between a car that was a company car for the first three years and did 150K on long motorway trips (low mechanical damage impact) and a car that has spent most of its life plodding stop start journeys around London (high mechanical damage impact). The MOT history will allow you to find out where the MOT was done. Might even help you decide whether to keep the car or move on to something entirely different.

Rather than spreadsheet everything I would tackle the "car improvement" in a different way. Its all about priority. Brakes, steering suspension - top priority, for example if you have corroded brake pipes as an MOT advisory get them replaced. Don't buy into any online dramas (for example the so called 722.6 conductor plate pilot bush drama, or the so called M271 timing chain drama).

Next is the engine because of the high mileage and the heavy oil consumption ( about 1 - 1.5 litres of oil per 700 miles). Where is the oil going. If you are certain there are no oil leaks accounting for it then as you say its between the valve guide seals and the piston seals. Engine experts can tell but I would go for checking the valve guide tolerances and replacing valve rubber seals. Check the piston bores for scoring during the valve work.

I do not think you will find any significant soot inside your engine or inside its manifolds etc.

If you have faulty engine management sensors replace them until the ECU reports no fault codes and the Engine Management light stays off. Don't worry about oil consumption damaging new sensors, it won't. As regards cost, used sensors are often sold on eBay, in the past I have bought O2 sensors for very little money, swopped the connector if needed, and they have been fine.

If I lived in London I would look around for a small to medium garage business that did MOT and Taxi work, share the mechanical jobs with them doing jobs that need a ramp etc.

I'm assuming the 7 speed transmission works well, if so just change the ATF and ATF filter. Change the Power Steering fluid (if the steering is not electric). Change the brake fluid (maybe something you want the garage to do).

This is worrying, I don't know your car and I don't understand "Ignition module is playing up and throws the car into park at low speeds" what is ignition module (use formal Mercedes terminology) how can the car go into Park without the selector lever being moved into Park? This business of selecting Park and the various safety interlocks have to work properly exactly as Mercedes intended for crucial safety reasons. The engagement of Park inside the transmission is a very reliable and well engineered sub-assembly and does not wear out as people might think but all associated with it must work faultlessly. It must not be possible to get out of Park without the formal procedure so to do.

rich