04-06 MB E55: what should i know about them?

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Have always wanted a E55 and it seems the ones in my budget 20-25k are 04-06 models. So what should i look for when looking at one and are they a reliable vehicle?
 
Reliability is not their strong suit. M113K engine and 722.6 transmission are strong and durable.

Electronics, DBW brakes and pneumatic suspension are problematic and hugely expensive to repair.

Budget accordingly as ‘reasonable’ Mercedes-Benz have tempting pre-amortized depreciation built into the purchase price for just those reasons.

You’ll love the torque though!

Full disclosure = I’m a mod on MB World.org
 
repairs such as the ac evaporator and heater core are beyond expensive. plus when you fix one thing 3 others break.it takes a special person to work on a mb. im not that special and we dont have the necessary equipment so we refuse to work on them.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
repairs such as the ac evaporator and heater core are beyond expensive. plus when you fix one thing 3 others break.it takes a special person to work on a mb. im not that special and we dont have the necessary equipment so we refuse to work on them.


what does this sentence mean?
and is an E55 an engine or body type?
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
repairs such as the ac evaporator and heater core are beyond expensive. plus when you fix one thing 3 others break.it takes a special person to work on a mb. im not that special and we dont have the necessary equipment so we refuse to work on them.


I get that specialty systems need special tools and can be difficult, but AC??!?

How is a dash pull on an E55 THAT different than any other car with nag, dual zone climate control, etc.?

I find that hard to believe. AC service, if anything, should be pretty consistent with other vehicles.

Other stuff, I totally get.
 
we dont work on any mb.i do specialize in ac but we do other car repairs.we send mb's to a specialist in town.let him have the headachs.

yes the ac is the same regardless of brand but you fix a hose on a mb and then another blows.fix that then the compressor blows etc.the customers think im breaking things on purpose.im not i didnt want to work on it in the first place! too many issues with mb so we no longer do any work on them.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
For less than $24,000 you can buy a 2014 Accord Sport sedan without the headaches of MB repairs.

And also without that nice 5.4 liter supercharged V8 engine.

You could buy two of those Accords and still not have as much HP as that E55.

Apples to oranges.
 
For about $24K, you can buy a nice, 2-3 year old Charger R/T, and get a nice Hemi.

Or, you can get a fire-breathing 2009 Charger SRT8.
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
For less than $24,000 you can buy a 2014 Accord Sport sedan without the headaches of MB repairs.


There are very reliable and easy to repair MBs out there -- but you have to go back before the DC era to find them. No, they are not Honda cheap to keep. But they shouldn't destroy your wallet if you keep up on the maintenance.

Some of them can still haul the mail pretty swiftly.

Just ask any R129 owner without a V-12.

I wouldn't go near a lot of W211s, or any R230 for that matter.
 
If a car cost $100K new, most likely its maintenance and repairs would be commensurate with that price regardless of the price you pay for the used one.
 
If you're willing to do the wrenching yourself I can't imagine these cars would destroy your wallet if you're creative about sourcing parts.

Also, typically for luxury German cars like these there tends to be a very healthy internet following with many detailed how-to guides for the most common issues.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
For less than $24,000 you can buy a 2014 Accord Sport sedan without the headaches of MB repairs.


Good joke!


Another plus side to the E55 is with a few minor mods that motor can put out all kinds of power. 470 isn't so much these days stock, heck the S550 isn't that far off that. But they really do respond well to mods.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
we dont work on any mb.i do specialize in ac but we do other car repairs.we send mb's to a specialist in town.let him have the headachs.

yes the ac is the same regardless of brand but you fix a hose on a mb and then another blows.fix that then the compressor blows etc.the customers think im breaking things on purpose.im not i didnt want to work on it in the first place! too many issues with mb so we no longer do any work on them.


Sorry, not trying to be argumentative, but also don't get it. A Delco or sanden or nippondenso or whatever other compressor brand is not that different from manufacturer to manufacturer. I'd get it if a low-tier company saved a few nickels by reducing some spec, but I doubt here.

134a is 134a. Pag and Poe oils are what they are, unless the manufacturer specs a lower amount.

So what is it? Poorer quality hoses, receiver dryers and other components? Less metal in the evaporator a and condensers to save mass?

I'm still not getting how an AC system on an MB is that different that issues arise. I get other parts...

Cascading issues point somewhere else, IMO.
 
It is Mercedes...why use one part when they can use 2 actuators, three rheostats, four solenoids, and a touch screen?
 
Jaraxle,

My first comment was more with a smile, so don't take it too seriously.

I think the problem with the newer Mercedes is that their engineering eventually became infected with the same cost bug (right before the time of the DC merger, and much more thereafter) that has dominated most automakers these days, especially as Mercedes has moved "down market" to compete at lower price points. That was not the case 25-30 years ago with Mercedes.

The reason I mentioned the R129 (and the reason I own one, and not a R230 or later, which I could also own), is that it was the last big Mercedes roadster where the engineers were given total design freedom without today's cost constraints. The vehicle was close to a decade in development. At the time it was introduced, it was the first completely automatic top system with integrated roll bar system. The whole shebang works with just one rocker button. The system is an enormously complex electromechanical and hydraulic setup that would cost a fortune to fix. But the thing is, unless the system is abused and neglected (no fluid changes), it hardly EVER breaks. The same is true about most of the rest of the car. This is a case where the vehicle is well over-engineered, but to a high level of durability and performance, not to a cost point.

Many of the older Mercedes shared this design philosophy. They are not necessarily harder to fix or more trouble prone. Granted the parts sometimes cost more, but that is why the cars from that period and before were so durable and reliable. The focus of the engineering was different.

I think that Mercedes to some extent is trading on its past reputation, particularly with some of the cheaper new models. It might also explain why they felt compelled to push its Maybach line during the DC era.

I find it interesting that DB is now killing Maybach, which is either a signal that it intends to improve the quality of the core product . . . or more likely that it is abandoning the pretense of the old quality gestalt altogether. I guess that makes the older ones all the more desirable, even if they don't have the latest touch screens and exotic creature comforts.
 
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