New 2003 E Class 320 CDi owner saying Hi...

Noddy 99

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Did he do it twice?
I know I'm out of touch but that feels like big inflation.
I was there for something else recently and an elderly guy at the desk was saying Mercedes in Shrewsbury had quoted him £900 for a gearbox service. I don't know what model that was, though.

The poor bloke didn't really know what to do as the dealer was saying that if he didn't have all the service work done at Mercedes, they wouldn't give him the best trade-in price when he went to replace his car.

I kept quiet but was ready to lend him my middle finger if he needed it...
 

Noddy 99

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Thanks for all the reply's :)

I haven't had chance to give it a good check over yet, but it's got a full MB service history, the last service only 3,000 mile ago at MB Aylesbury, and from the look of them, it's been recently fitted with new discs and callipers all round, (so hopefully they sorted any brake pump problems at the same time), and the only advisory's on the full MOT was 1 brake pipe slightly corroded and one of the front wheel wheel bearings with slight play, (with me not being able to hear it or feel it when driving).

As to me thinking that it's already been mapped, (to me it's too fast to have not been), I'm looking to get it on a dyno in the next couple of weeks to see exactly how many pony's are under the bonnet and I'll report back after that, but can anybody confirm that as a car that was sold to a Fire and Rescue Service, if it is mapped, it is likely it was mapped from the factory, (as I understand police vehicles are), and if so, what that remap is likely to have been?
I can't confirm that is standard practice but it is likely to be up to E500 output (275 bhp, I think). However, the E500 has a bigger turbo so I'm not sure that Mercedes would let an E320 leave the factory with that map...
 
OP
Holmey

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I can't confirm that is standard practice but it is likely to be up to E500 output (275 bhp, I think). However, the E500 has a bigger turbo so I'm not sure that Mercedes would let an E320 leave the factory with that map...

E500? Surely that's a petrol, and the E400 a V8? Did they do a higher output version of the straight 6 with a higher power output?
 

Blobcat

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Hello and welcome
 

Noddy 99

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E500? Surely that's a petrol, and the E400 a V8? Did they do a higher output version of the straight 6 with a higher power output?
My bad - I meant the E350... :(

Rest of comment applies, though...
 

supernoodle

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I can't believe that Mercs would do specials like that. It'd need a separate part number and homologation, not cheap. If they received an order for a few hundred vehicles it might be worth their while.

Why would they need to do it when faster variants were available anyway?
 

Wighty

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Thanks for all the reply's :)

I haven't had chance to give it a good check over yet, but it's got a full MB service history, the last service only 3,000 mile ago at MB Aylesbury, and from the look of them, it's been recently fitted with new discs and callipers all round, (so hopefully they sorted any brake pump problems at the same time), and the only advisory's on the full MOT was 1 brake pipe slightly corroded and one of the front wheel wheel bearings with slight play, (with me not being able to hear it or feel it when driving).

As to me thinking that it's already been mapped, (to me it's too fast to have not been), I'm looking to get it on a dyno in the next couple of weeks to see exactly how many pony's are under the bonnet and I'll report back after that, but can anybody confirm that as a car that was sold to a Fire and Rescue Service, if it is mapped, it is likely it was mapped from the factory, (as I understand police vehicles are), and if so, what that remap is likely to have been?
I doubt it will have had a gearbox service on a 2003 car , I think that was when MB had their gearbox sealed until it dies period .
As ex fire myself I’ve never heard of a car owned by them being mapped at factory or not , there was never any need .
If it was individually senior officer owned then that person themselves may have mapped it , but he would have paid for it himself .
 

fabes

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I can advise, but not confirm, that service, non pursuit vehicles are NOT mapped.
There is no need and therefore no business case for doing it (even back in 2003). It's essentially a perk car. Won't have gone to a fire / scene of crime intentionally.

Second owner may have done it as the forums advise they map well.

Report back from either a Star session (as that should know) or a reputable rolling road.

Classy looks though
 

00slk

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Hello and welcome
50mpg, blimey I'm lucky to get 42 out of my 320cdi on a long journey, mine averages 37mpg.
Our SLK250 cdi averages 42.1
 

Blobcat

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I can't believe that Mercs would do specials like that. It'd need a separate part number and homologation, not cheap. If they received an order for a few hundred vehicles it might be worth their while.

Why would they need to do it when faster variants were available anyway?
Mercedes did a Brabus chip option on 320’s, reduced the warranty to 100k miles but was a factory option
 

mioba

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Bit optimistic on the gearbox service price there, Wighty. My E280 at an indy cost £386 to have the box and the torque converter done...

Welcome to Holmey! Be prepared for some bills. It's worth it, though...
mine cost 230,

To the OP you most probably fall with the sealed from service schedule on the gbox. I would recommend a gbox service asap and then every 40k.

OP dont think you are mapped tbf it was around 7s (0-60)
 
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LostKiwi

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The SBC pump should be viewed as a consumable item.
They typically run 80-120k miles with no issue then the internal counter will time out with a white SBC message. Mercedes subsequently determined the counter was set too low and adjusted the setting (you can get yours reset but more on this later). The counter effectively counts motor operations so motorway cars tend to last better than cars used in cities.

Once you get to the point where the brushes wear out you'll get a red SBC warning at which point the brakes become extremely heavy (some say non-existent).

The problem with resetting the counter is you have no idea of the condition of the brushes so could end up with a red error message with absolutely no warning.

At 130k miles it may still be on the first count (and very close to it's limit) or may have had the pump reset (in which case you really need know by whom and when) or had a new pump.

It would be worth asking MB for the service records to see if they've done it or not and what was done. If they have no record budget a pump rebuild (johnnySBC on here does them) or new pump.
 
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Holmey

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I can't believe that Mercs would do specials like that. It'd need a separate part number and homologation, not cheap. If they received an order for a few hundred vehicles it might be worth their while.

Why would they need to do it when faster variants were available anyway?

I doubt it will have had a gearbox service on a 2003 car , I think that was when MB had their gearbox sealed until it dies period .
As ex fire myself I’ve never heard of a car owned by them being mapped at factory or not , there was never any need .
If it was individually senior officer owned then that person themselves may have mapped it , but he would have paid for it himself .

I can advise, but not confirm, that service, non pursuit vehicles are NOT mapped.
There is no need and therefore no business case for doing it (even back in 2003). It's essentially a perk car. Won't have gone to a fire / scene of crime intentionally.

Second owner may have done it as the forums advise they map well.

Report back from either a Star session (as that should know) or a reputable rolling road.

Classy looks though

Mercedes did a Brabus chip option on 320’s, reduced the warranty to 100k miles but was a factory option

I understood that there was an almost tick box when ordering higher power output option that I was once told by a Mercedes Benz fleet sales rep was an option the police selected for their vehicles and considered that perhaps Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service had ticked that option when ordering the car, with perhaps as Blobcat suggests, it could be the Brabus option.

As for the gearbox service, would I be right in assuming that all it is is a transmission fluid and filter change? If so, I've got access to full workshop facilities and I should be able to do it myself.

Hello and welcome
50mpg, blimey I'm lucky to get 42 out of my 320cdi on a long journey, mine averages 37mpg.
Our SLK250 cdi averages 42.1

When it nudged just over 50 MPG that was around 150 miles, almost all of it motorway, (M6/M55), and for at least half that distance the speed limit was limited to 50/60 MPH due to roadworks which I think contributed to the great economy, although the other half of the trip was with the cruise control set at 80 MPH and the economy was still rising as I got to the end of the M55.

OP dont think you are mapped tbf it was around 7s (0-60)

Over the years I've driven some fast cars Mioba, (XKR & M5 to name just a couple), and believe me, this car is fast with a capital F, with the 6.8 seconds 0 - 60 time being done with very little effort before I found the sport button so it will have been pulling off in second gear from what I understand. From experience my guess is in S and a 1st gear start, with a couple of try's, (that I really don't want to do, I don't like thrashing cars), I could easy knock half a second from that time.

I'm up in Edinburgh where I've got a friend who's got a dyno next week and very interested in seeing the results from that and will get a print out and post it up here.
 

Noddy 99

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"As for the gearbox service, would I be right in assuming that all it is is a transmission fluid and filter change? If so, I've got access to full workshop facilities and I should be able to do it myself."

I did initially try to get a quote from my local (non-Mercedes; not-Indy) garage and he wouldn't quote for it - said it needed to be done by a Mercedes specialist...
 

LostKiwi

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Over the years I've driven some fast cars Mioba, (XKR & M5 to name just a couple), and believe me, this car is fast with a capital F, with the 6.8 seconds 0 - 60 time being done with very little effort before I found the sport button so it will have been pulling off in second gear from what I understand.
Is that button marked S and W? If so W is Winter mode (2nd gear start, earlier upshifts). S is summer mode.

On my 350cdi with the 7 speed gearbox there is little difference between S (sport) and E (economy) modes in 0-60 terms. The S mode tends to hang into gears longer but does feel it hangs on too long so dropping off the wave of torque. The only benefit I've found to S mode so far is the gearbox feels a bit less dimwitted when you put your foot down. You may find the same with the 5 speed.
 

LostKiwi

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"As for the gearbox service, would I be right in assuming that all it is is a transmission fluid and filter change? If so, I've got access to full workshop facilities and I should be able to do it myself."

I did initially try to get a quote from my local (non-Mercedes; not-Indy) garage and he wouldn't quote for it - said it needed to be done by a Mercedes specialist...
I suspect he just didn't want the work (assuming yours is a 5 speed).
It is just oil and filter change but you do need a transmission dipstick (the car won't have one) and replacement sealing cap.
 

Styles997

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It's been mentioned, but get a g/box service done to baseline it.
Brake lines are notorious, so be sure to inspect.
Heavy engine and high torque can munch engine mounts, specifically LH.
Usual bushes, joints etc on front suspension, but pleasantly made and put together.
I have same running gear but a few more miles and recently had to do driveshaft donuts/dampers.
 

Styles997

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one of the front wheel wheel bearings with slight play, (with me not being able to hear it or feel it when driving).
Nice simple design on these to check and adjust
 

LostKiwi

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one of the front wheel wheel bearings with slight play, (with me not being able to hear it or feel it when driving).
They are supposed to have a small amount if play to allow for heat. If you have zero play the bearings will overheat and fail quicker. They're adjustable so be sure not to adjust too tight (zero play then back a tad is about right - you should just be able to feel it).
 

supernoodle

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Mercedes did a Brabus chip option on 320’s, reduced the warranty to 100k miles but was a factory option
Available through the MB dealer, but you were buying a Brabus with a hefty premium over standard. I'm sure they are badged as such too?
 


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