@@redplague2133 I agree, it's more the people, than the car. Reliable doesn't mean only take it to the mechanic when something actually goes wrong like it's a 90s Honda lol. Mercs come with a little more required commitment.
@@BrianOfAteionas But they also provide more - in terms of comfort, driving experience and reliability. If you leave most elements unchecked for 15+ years - what else do people expect as an outcome?))) Used to own an older Benz for 6 years - loved that car, took care of it as much as I could. Loved to make fun of mechanics, who began whining about rusty bolts and etc. without even seeing the car.))) It’s almost a shame I had no use for 2nd vehicle and sold it when I decided to get myself something with more ground clearence. It made a 1000 mile trip to the new owner’s home without a single issue.))
@@redplague2133 Better to let someone enjoy it than let it sit. Hope the new owner appreciates it and takes care of it :) Me? I was the boring guy with the overvalued "reliable" 2005 corolla that was the sole reason a stolen truck spun out and crashed during a police chase LOL. Reliable? Yeah only about as far as a Toyota Tacoma can throw it xD. Don't worry, I'm fine. It was boring and drove like crap. Bought it $4K, drove it for a couple years, and got $5K from insurance. Went out and got a 2003 Acura CL-S for 3,800. Great car as long as the warranty work has been done to the trans and you replace the ATF twice as often as you'd normally think. And it's actually capable and fun. And has side airbags lol
For her it's a win-win. Robert has to fix the problems until there's none left to fix or he buys her a new one (car, hopefully not problems), _and_ she gets to say I told you so. Wives love to say I told you so.
If Robert had no trouble he’d have no material. If he had no material he’d have no videos. If he had no videos he’d have no views. If he had no views he’d get no UA-cam income. I suspect his wife understands this.
@@michaelfisher9671 You're right, it's a win-win-win! At the moment anyway. Robert said he loves the car, but we'll see if he still loves it after living with it for some time.
@@michaelfisher9671 Are you saying videos about a nice Lexus GS350 that just works don't get any views? :( "Well I drove it for another year and nothing happened, time for an oil change." "I took my GS350 for an uneventful trip where it just ran perfectly."
The twist in the plot about why you were shooting in an open dirt lot was the exact icing that cake required! Love the Merc! A great and appropriate addition to the fleet.
@Jim jibroni Well, its not reliable. But when it works, ITS WONDERFUL. When it's broken, it's a nightmare. Other brands are typically, "good enough" when they work.
Old Japanese cars are generally designed to be worked on by an illiterate 3rd world mechanic with only a hammer, adjustable wrench and screwdriver while sunk into a mud hole. German cars require a lisenced professional engineer, clean room and factory diagnostic mainframe to repair.
TBF 80s bmws are great. I own an e30 (actually on my second e30 after hitting a deer with the first one about 2 years into ownership) and an e24 and both are fantastic cars. Neither have let me down yet.
Up to now, I could service all my German and French cars by myself. Although speaking of 'quirky': I once found a 5 sided 'hex' screw on a Citroën (AX rear brakes) that took me a longer time to realize.. ;-)
The wrench being the same for the lug nuts as well as the bolt under the hood is brilliant. Is it the same for any other parts of the vehicle, as well?
I wonder if it was an intentional design choice, though. Could've been a coincidence? A quick Google suggests that the Merc uses M14 lug nuts, and maybe M14 was chosen for belt tensioner for other reasons.
@@robzyb pretty sure its a pure coincidence lol, I've seen other cars using the same bolt size but without any room to fit said tool, or generally you got an eccentric to remove first. Plus I doubt Mercedes in the mid 2000s were engineering their car for quick road side maintenance
no, most new american cars have as many different bolt patterns possible so it cant be easily serviceable by the owner., but rather the dealer-ship can. Capitalism i guess.
My '97 Range Rover had near constant issues (the standard Rover owner greeting is "what's broken?") but one of the best was the night the water pump seized, which tore the fan belt, which took out the alternator, radiator fan, PS pump and tweaked the front engine cover enough to cause an oil leak. Oh and the time the rear driveshaft fell out on the highway. That was actually the cheapest issue we ever had with that car.
The joys of owning a Range Rover. In the mid 90's a buddy of mine was the service manager at our local MB/Land Rover/Jaguar dealer. He said the new LR's being transported to the dealership were in such bad condition from the factory that they were routinely refused. As you would imagine this caused no end of problems for the dealership. The cars that actually managed to find a buyer were maintenance nightmares from the start, even after a through going over by the dealership service department. Complaints to LR management fell on deaf ears.
This is my favorite car channel. The weird weird cars I've never heard of, the hilarious jokes and editing, and the other various hobbies that are pointless, or super not necessary. I love it!
Every car enthusiast goes through a phase where they buy a big Merc with a V8 (or V12 for the rich kids), realise what a huge and expensive mistake they've made, sell it, and then miss it dearly for the rest of their lives. This is what happened to me and my CL500. I still miss that car dearly. The worst and the best car I've ever had.
I miss my W211 and still dream about it, even though it cost me so much and broke down so many times my partner was afraid of talking about it while in it, in case the car would sentiently break down just to spite her
If you can find a single-owner well-maintained model, Mercedes *can* be a very reliable manufacturer. Unfortunately, all cars have their own issues. At least with Mercedes, they usually come with cleverly engineered solutions. Just don't ask me how to get the brake rotors off. I never managed to get that figured out before some asshole pulled out in front of me and totalled my car. It did do an admirable job braking, since I was trying to replace the pads and get the rotors turned well in advance of them actually requiring replacement, but it's still infuriating, since I rather liked that car and quite dislike car shopping in a hurry.
I have an 06! A few quick things: Never have the key in the ignition when it is lifted off the ground. If you start the car or even turn it on accessory power when it is off the ground without using the Mercedes STAR system to put it into service mode, the airmatic will overpressurize and you will likely lose an airbag or line. Ask me how I know haha. If they haven't been replaced yet, you should look at the condition of the engine and transmission mounts as well as the flex disks. If you have any front end driveline vibrations, you might be looking at replacing the axles. I also have the staggered AMG wheels on mine, and I run Achilles ATR Sport 2 in 245/40/R18 and 275/35/R18 front/rear. Your's has the hood star delete but if you would like to have a hood star, I have a spare that I could send you.
oh no someone going to rear end me he floors it that only works if you see that someone coming if your not watching behind you when they come up behind you then that's no good
@@olik136 Are you ok? The W124 and 190E are some of the most reliable cars ever produced. They were both from the 80's. Mercedes went wrong after the mid 90's.
Having owned the same car, be prepared to deal with the air suspension (Arnott was who I used), brake pad wear sensors, shuddering tcase clutches (a teardown/clean/fresh oil was the ultimate fix, though I bought a spare and converted to RWD, never used it), never ending various brake system warnings to "visit workshop" only to find no actual faults, as well as other quirks like the alarm randomly going crazy or finding the interior lights magically turned on in the middle of the night. It was a love/hate car. My wife DD’d it and once the brake system decided to fail in traffic (because the SBC pedal count had been exceeded), I took it off the road and got rid of it. I wish you better luck with yours. Thanks for sharing!
Guess it doesn't matter now since you got rid of it but SBC is warrantied 25 years on these cars as of about 3 or 4 years ago. You can take it to the dealer and they'll replace the entire SBC system under that warranty, no cost to you. You can also be reimbursed if you have receipts having the SBC pump replaced before the warranty was extended.
You should have taken the Trabbi instead. None of those faults would have occured in a Trabant... because it doesn't have anything like that level of technology.
Have you ever been in a Trabi? I have. Not that I drove it because I can't get my knees below the dashboard, even with the seats all the way back. It's the kind of car governments make when they _really_ hate the people.
If the C30 is too small for the trip, I doubt the diminutive Trabant would have been the ideal car for the journey. Not to mention, it would have taken significantly longer, even with the Mercedes' breakdown taken into account.
engine goes BRRRRR...for many, many hours because the car can't go past 60mph even on a straight road. Trust me, you'd hate yourself if you did something like that :P
Your relationship with your wife is so good man. The fact she supports these endeavours is so cool, really seems like shes an unseen sidekick to this channel!!!
I read more than half the comments (before getting bored) waiting for the outraged Mercedes faithful to totally nail you for using the "wrong" coolant. Pleasantly surprised no one went off the deep end with that.
I used to work for a dealership delivering Mercedes, BMW and Land Rover parts. This video filled me with a a dark sense of foreboding and I wish you the best of luck with that.
Being a Mercedes guy myself, and having almost the same car (well, mine is a 2004, it is blue not silver, and has the V6 not the V8, and mine is not 4-Matic) there is a LOT to like about these cars. The transmission issues you had are very common, and easy/cheap to DIY repair. These cars were made during the Diamler/Chrysler era, and share many parts with some Chrysler cars. I believe you will come to like the car even more as the weeks, months, and years go by. Also, do yourself a favor and get an ICarsoft MB II scanner. They are specifically made for Mercedes-Benz (Smart and Sprinter as well), and is very helpful when diagnosing problems with this car.
I own a w203 with the m122 V6. I love that car. I'm really not afraid that the car will break down with some catastrophic engine failure. It's all been little things here and there.
Buying a used car typically means you also get overdue maintenance the previous owner neglected as they were “getting rid of it” So you tend to get the effects of that early on like belts, fluid leaks and replacement, and tires. A reputable dealer would’ve caught most things like that on inspection, but raise the price accordingly.
When my parents bought a used MB B150 used with 70k km the thing was like brand new. The past owner literally done every maintenance on time and has like a 5cm thick maintenance binder.
Honestly, idk how hard you try, but you're funny as shit. You are EXACTLY the type of humor that destroys me at every turn. Also I have no clue how you manage it, but you always have a car I've never heard of before
That squarespace advert was SOOOOOOO Blue Peter. Americans will need to google. Older Brits will remember John Noakes, Peter Purvis, Valerie Singleton, and... that elephant.... Also.... HAMMERWAGON!!! I just bought a W210 chassis at the start of December and absolutely love it. Your car needs a name!
I can totally understand him. I got a '99 E430 8 cylinder e Matic and I already had a 2CV and a DS21. The Merc is mainly for hauling stuff, it can pull heavy loads, is all wheel drive (it's snowy here from time to time) and very smooth on the Autobahn. So it's totally different from the other cars but a great supplement. And it's also a little weird as it has hydraulics on the rear axle like the DS :-)
I really love this channel. The editing is always top notch, and the casual "I'm stuck here, may as well film a segment for the video I've been working on" mindset is phenomenal. Most folks I know would be far too upset (at the car, at the clip, at themselves for not putting the clip in right the first time - you name it) to be have that mentality.
You can see the respray issues in the video - the doors don't match. But hey, that's the least of your issues. You bought an MB, out of warranty. I expect a flood of good content to follow. Good times!
Here is my prediction given it is an older mercedes wagon. This car is going to have so many hilarious issues in the first year it is going to blow your channel up to a million subscribers.
2:05 "...This is a 2005 Mercedes..." You might as well have stopped right there. I've seen enough of Tyler Hoover's videos to know where this is going! 😆😆😆
If it shredded it’s belt, I’d recommend to check the water pump - the pump axle slides outwards quite a bit when reaching the end if it’s service. (Had this happen to me on my 190E W201) And check for rust underneath, especially around rear subframe. W210 bodies are well known for rust issues. Mercs are very pleasant to drive, but mostly poorly taken care of (due to high reliability). Repairs might get costly, but whatever you repair in them won’t trouble you for next 5 years minimum.
If only you could have found a "Griswold special" type like a Ford/Mercury or GM station wagon with the fake wood grain. That would have fit the "Aging Wheels" theme more. Great video as always, Robert!
Mismatched tires- is this legal in the US? In Germany they need to match at least per axis. And mismatched sizes on a 4-wheeler also is not a really good idea :-)
That's not the check engine light, it's the Mercedes logo. Understandable mistake, both symbols mean you're about to spend thousands of Euros in parts and labor.
My experience with Mercedez in general has been similar to your experience with the wagon. My best experience? the only Mercedez that I actually attempted to purchase (other examples, were owned by others and I just happened to be driving when they started literally falling apart.) A 1967 sedan ... owned by a company I worked for, and occasionally got to drive using it as a service / delivery car, by various tech's. The owner decided to sell it, offered it to me at a stunning price, and spent $2k to replace brakes, fix cooling system, have valves adjusted, new tires, etc. The day I was to purchase, (already having stopped at the bank to get the cash) I got a ride from a friend, to pick the car up. I got to my bosses home, and found the car not there ... a tech had borrowed it, to pick up a client at the airport. Well ... to make a long story even longer ... leaving the airport, a semi truck slammed on the brakes ahead of him, he hit the brake pedal, the pedal went to the floor with no stoppage ... and the Mercedez attempted to squeeze under the truck. The car stopped as the grill wrapped around the rear end, as the angle iron frame work of the truck, slide across the hood, to within an inch of the windshield. The insurance and settlement from the repair shop which had just replaced the brakes ... got the owner a lot more than the $600 he was selling me the car for ... so I dodged a bullet, ended up adding a little money and almost bought a Jaguar XKE ... (another incredible story) and ended up with a Datsun B510.
You didn't buy the Jag? What's the matter with you? I always wanted the Jag XKE, but financial means were never there. Did you regret not getting it for the rest of your life?lol
Well at least the long hood served as a safety feature. But all three brake systems not working... That was certainly a serious workshop problem. The car has separate front and rear brake cylinder compartments/tubing and a foot operated parking brake, too.
I want to see what the actual repair is. (Been watching too many South Main Auto videos and discovering that the various codes may or may not be the actual problem just a symptom, e. g., many codes to one ground issue in some Jeeps.)
I'm absolutely useless with cars and mechanics and stuff, but this channel is awesome. I only came across it from being subscribed to Technology Connections.
Oh it's probably just the rusty butt disease that affected early 2000s Mercedes. They messed up something with drainage or galvanic process or both i don't know and didn't figure it out, until years later, every single car turned into a sieve back there. Peugeot owners were laughing at these rust buckets by 2010.
Who gives a shit, paint and body mean nothing. As long a the car is reliable is all that matters. The car could be painted like a rainbow, or just 5 different colors of primer.
@@mikeworkman3593 Mercedes are horribly unreliable from about 1995 to 2007. I can’t for the life of me figure out why but they were almost as bad as American cars from that era. 🤔
a while back friend had bought a bmw 7 from 2006 and the first thing he had to do was to refill the air condition gas about a week into owning the car. apart from that I didn't hear him complain. of course, there's the fact that the car's first owners were an elderly couple. he was actually a bit regretful after selling it and buying a tesla due to the loss of comfort. I guess you've couple more random problems within the next month and then you're golden. keep it clean and engine correctly lubricated and those things run for years.
Never buy a used Mercedes unless it's from the original owner and he hands you a two inch thick folder of service records and only if it's been dealer serviced. You are begging for problems otherwise.
Take a look into your engine control module. That might be were the transmission oil went. They're notorious for leaking their oil into the cables which then find their way into the engine control module etc.
4:30 i work in a shop with 2 other dudes.... and for our size, we keep about 400 tires on hand deliveries 3 times a week.... and we just have some ODD BALL sizes from mis-orders / customer didnt show up kinda shocking what we have (like a tire for a C5 vette) . but ya.... most shops have a CRAP ton of 225-60R16s....275-50/55/60 R20s...... and various 17s and 18s . im glad they told you about the tire size issue as well that also could have been causing / caused some trans issues and wear . . . . and ya, i hate telling people their 4 day old tire has a hole in the side wall and cant be patched you can go home and do it...... but no way im putting my name on that
6:41 "This hood release is beautiful" .... until the lever snaps ... as it did on my 300D back when I had it. My genius dad replaced it with part of a folded over coat hanger.
It's better to clip ONE wing. Not both. When both are clipped, the bird just flaps harder and still catches air. But; with only one wing clipped, the bird can still gain some air, but has no navigation, so he gives up trying to fly. He keeps going in the wrong direction. It works. Thanks for the content. Keep up the good work. BS'D
Check under the front passenger footwell carpet for the missing fluid. These had a tendency to via capillary action ... fill their transmission controllers with fluid. . Protip. FCP Euro is your friend.
@@jakekiedaisch2279 I think 360 cameras are pretty impressive. I knew a student who interned at a company developing them. The student was majoring in nuclear physics at Cambridge University, helped develop an operating system in their spare time, and took time out of that to develop an SBC, including Verilog for the FPGA in the SoC. Wouldn't have taken a simple job, I don't think. :) So when I see a 360 camera shot, however cheesy it is, I go "wow!" XD
Love the ending. "Hopefully the rest of my ownership experience is less eventful than it has been so far. Although, I doubt it, because the check engine light just came on." Truly an AW video at its finest! Keep up the good work!
If the belt is squeaking at all please replace the tensioner before it shreds the belt again. I only know this because this happened to me on the way to school a few months ago.
While I let the ads play, for that sweet revenue, I gotta take the time to say that buying a V8 Merc wagon is the least Robert Dunn thing you've ever dunn. 😂
Fun toy! Looks like there may be paint work on the side as well. The profile shots where you got stuck the front and rear of the car are different paint.
literally happened to me this morning... on my '88 VW Bus... worst thing about the clutch pedal not working is that you can't get the car to a shop easily
You don't expect the Mercedes to not reveal quite a few extra flaws, do you? I do think the Volvo will actually be the workhorse for the time being while this one is being put back into shape.
I had the same experience just now with a Volvo V70. Bought it for a Christmas road trip. Ended up having to cram four grownup reletives in a tiny loaner. Congrats on the shout-out on Making It btw!
My 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid just made the intercontinental trip from Anchorage Alaska to Savannah Georgia without a hiccup, other than some bad gas in Canada. I must have got lucky or Toyotas are just that good. I feel like you were asking for trouble when you got an old European Wagon.
Your channel is seriously the funniest channel to follow here on UA-cam. And that comes from somebody not the least interest in cars 😄 Your sense of humor is second to none!!!!
When you're pointing out the flaws in the paint you might want to add on the fact that on the driver's side the front of the car is a different color than the back of the car :-)
This is apparently normal for a mercedes manufactured between... apparently between 92 and early 2004, not even worth mentioning. Not that they came out of factory like that no, but... things happened. They usually had seeds of rust straight from the factory directly under the paint, and seeds bloom eventually, so Mercedes would have to throw in a few fresh panels and doors over the years, and the state of paint fading would naturally no longer match.
Congrats on the new vehicle. Sounds like a really fun and spurious engine. I've even heard those Benzes can be pretty damn reliable if you maintain them properly, which I guess is true of almost any car, but proper maintenance is probably not a term most Benz owners are familiar with, given how much crap those cars get. I guess you'll show us :) Happy holidays!
I got lil Sisters 06 Charger Hemi RT to replace my 95 Neon coupe that finally died last summer. It too is the fastest car I have ever owned. It also is very thirsty and averages about 12 mpg in town even driving it really nice. I love the pig and it sounds awesome when you get on it and it sets you back in the seat. I have figured out how to completely turn off the traction control so I can have it try to kill me, great fun. I would bet you going to have the same fuel economy issues but I also totally understand the thrill of driving it and the wonderful noise it makes. Luckily I only drive about 10 minutes to work and we have moms old PT Cruiser that gets good mpg and is low miles she willed to us. Enjoy it and fix the Volvo so you don't have to feed it every day 😉
These cars are pretty good but there are several things to look out for. 1. SBC brakes. Make sure the SBC pump has been checked or replaced. It is under extended warranty up to 25 years after the production of the vehicle. 2. Air suspension. Do not turn on the car, even to accessory position, with the car up in the air or you'll blow out the air struts. The air suspension needs to be turned off in order to do so and you need the Mercedes STAR system to do so. Arnott assemblies are great, maybe better than OEM. 3. Axles. Front axles seem to be a common issue on these. Do not get anything but OEM or GKN axles or you're wasting your time. If you have the driver's side axle out, it's a good time to replace the intermediate shaft bearing, that shaft goes through the oil pan. Easy job to do but seems few people have done it. 4. Rear hatch lift struts. If you have the electronically opening tailgate, you have to drop the headliner to change the struts so probably just something you'd have to life with. If not, the struts can be changed much more easily by removing the brackets that the cargo net hooks into at the back. 5. Electrical gremlins. My brother's E500 wagon doesn't have any electrical gremlins but my C320 did for a while. If you have random error codes, I would suggest unplugging the battery then going around to the different modules in the engine bay and inspecting the connectors for corrosion. 6. Crank position sensor. Just go ahead and replace the CPS if there's no history of it being replaced. It's easiest to do this when the driver's side valve cover is off so do it when replacing valve cover gaskets. These cars can be very reliable. However, some aspects of yours suggest it may not have been taken the best care of. That transmission has the conductor plate fault, which is an easy fix, but otherwise is about one of the most bulletproof automatics in existence. They are used in drag racing a lot for a reason. The M113 engine is one of the most reliable V8s out there, same goes for the M112 V6, not much goes wrong besides valve cover gaskets and coils if the spark plugs have been left in too long. I personally think the best of these Mercedes to own is the RWD V6 with the standard suspension as the parts are much cheaper and easier to service, they still ride incredibly well. Get a good scanner, the iCarsoft MB II is pretty good for these cars. If you need the dealership software for all of the repair manuals, shoot me a message.
I love the idea of these cars, but the maintenance costs on a car like this and of this vintage scares the crap out of me. I suspect that the only to afford something like this is to do what you’re doing: monetize the issues. It’s brilliant, really.
These aren't too bad, but the best bet in terms of reliability and simplicity with this vintage of Mercedes wagon would be an E320 non-4Matic with the non-adjustable airmatic suspension as it gets rid of the relatively expensive bits. E350 non-4Matic would be a bit nicer but the engines can have some issues (read into them if interested, they can still be very good, reliable cars). They did have RWD E500 wagons so that does get rid of the relatively expensive 4Matic parts but I think they all had the adjustable airmatic and seem to be somewhat rare. Even cheaper would be a non-4Matic w203 C-Class wagon (C240 or C320) as they have standard suspension rather than airmatic, are better on gas, and have the simpler 722.6 5-speed auto versus the 7-speed 722.9.
Ruin him? You're underestimating him. He's getting some nice sponsorships here, and you get videos out of this sort of thing. Besides it's not like he'll send it off to a mechanic, and he has frugal and perhaps ever so slightly unprofessional ways of getting things done. Perfect opportunity to acquire new fresh skills in shaping metal and welding as well, after he finds the chicken wire and bondo holding it together. The mismatch in paint condition all over the place suggests that he lucked out on getting a rust plague sample here..
he now owns properly one of the worst E-class series ever produced. The car w211 was developed and manufactured in the ChrsyslerDaimler-Ara which was notorious for quality cuts on top the model was prerelased half a year early due to spy pictures of the prototyp and the resulting sales drop of the w210. For the w211 series several recalls were necessary. The Facelift should be better but the pre-facelift car - I would avoid especially because Daimler parts are not cheap. Luckly after Daimler droped Chrysler the quality improved again.
3:15: You answered you own question. The dipstick was missing. It blew out of/burnt off through the dipstick tube. The oil cap on my beater car vibrated off one time and it puked and smoked off a whole quart through the valve cover. That's a cool car, but the Benz learning curve is too steep for me. I prefer to stick to pre-2006 BMWs.
I always heard the best way to clip a bird so it can't fly is to only clip ONE wing. Am I crazy? Did I make that up in my head? The reasoning I had always heard (or made up in my head) is that a bird can compensate more easily from two clipped wings than one.
Another person here suggested that the bird can injure itself as it may keep trying to fly with both wings clipped. With one wing intact the bird will take off but will be forced to glide in a bit of a semicircle until it lands back home, and will learn that flying is dumb and pointless, won't even try any longer then. I have no clue, i'm not a bird person.
A wife that a) stays up with you until 2am doing car work on the car you are driving in the morning and 2) puts up with your decision to buy said car so soon before your road trip deserves the biggest bouquet of flowers and her own drawer in your tool chest. ;). Love the stories! Felt like I was there with you because I have been.
You had more problems with that car, within one week, then I've had in total for 24 years of owning aging Toyotas. 1 x water pump, and 1 x speedo cable = 24 years. But what an awesome car to get, given that you can work on it yourself so readily.
where are you from then? In Germany used cars (and new cars) are mostly a lot more expensive than in the US and the running costs including gas is way more... so most cars also come with a small engine to begin with
I'm from the UK. $7,000 for an old, expensive to service car with poor bodywork and engine issues would be a rip off. I also recall being amazed at what Robert had to pay for that very high mileage (by UK standards) C30, although I can't remember the exact figure now
@@robhardie6687 Not really, this is actually cheap here too. I'm also from the UK, where the cheapest E500 wagon on Autotrader at the moment is a 2004 model with 105,000 miles on the clock, and up for £5,995... Which is more than $8,000 US. Next cheapest is a 2005 with 140,000 miles, up for £6,450... Near enough $9,000 US. I appreciate that the "quite old, but not that cheap to buy and quite expensive to run" market is somewhat niche but you can't compare a V8 uber-machine with some Ford/Skoda/VW/Peugeot-type car. I've actually owned a 2004 E500 for domestic duties since it was a couple of years old, it's now done over 110,000 miles, the bulk of that in my ownership. Some years I spend almost nothing on it, just do an oil and filters service myself. Other years something needs to be fixed, I have to take it to a specialist and it's generally a £2k or £3k bill for something big and a couple of "while it's on the ramp" jobs... this is on top of the things like petrol and tyres that you can't get away from whatever you buy. Overall, it would be a lot cheaper for me to get a brand new Ford Focus or similar, and nothing new under £100k ticks all the boxes the E500 does. But... no matter of taste is always going to be the same for everyone. Why do some people spend a lot of money on good wine when they could drink cheap white cider? Why eat fillet steak when you can have a doner kebab? Those other cars aren't going to make me smile, I'm not going to be able to drive to the south of France and still feel fresh when I arrive, I'm not going to be able to cruise at 150mph on the autobahn with excursions to over 170mph, and... this is important... they aren't going to make fruity V8 noises when I give it some stick.
I used to own a 2001 C220 Wagon. Here's what was wrong with it at no particular time during my 2 years of owning it. Suspension rods needed new fittings. Clunked over speed bumps Water pump was dying. Diesel pump leaked, cost me 2 belts before I had it fixed. Auto gearbox got stuck in first gear. Replaced the front brakes. I loved that car, so nice to drive.
The one thing this video has taught me is that cars are stupidly expensive in The US, over here a 2005 auto Merc with transmission problems is a £1000 car MAX and that's not to mention the straight pipe which would decrease the resale value even more.
When you are buying a second hand car and all 4 tires are different or some Chinese brand do not buy it. This tells you the last owner did not maintain the car properly and many more problems will pop up.
Sure, if you are looking for a reliable used car. But if you want V8 power for cheap and have a tolerance for catastrophic failure like Robert does, who cares!
See this is why you should have gone with a Buick Roadmaster from the 90's. Those things were bulletproof. My family had two and used one to tow our pop up camper for 12 years every summer coast to coast - through most of the 48 continental states. Same V8 as the corvette, and auto inflating suspension airbags. I learned to drive in those things; and there's a certain amount of joy in just driving something that big and also fast!
Good thinking, buying a used Mercedes will ensure that you will never run out of repair videos to make.
Well these e classes are pretty reliable i own a similar car but its an diesel i didnt have any issues with it
Wrong.)
Mostly it’s age and lack of care.
If you repair it - it won’t bother you for years.
@@redplague2133 I agree, it's more the people, than the car. Reliable doesn't mean only take it to the mechanic when something actually goes wrong like it's a 90s Honda lol. Mercs come with a little more required commitment.
@@BrianOfAteionas But they also provide more - in terms of comfort, driving experience and reliability.
If you leave most elements unchecked for 15+ years - what else do people expect as an outcome?)))
Used to own an older Benz for 6 years - loved that car, took care of it as much as I could. Loved to make fun of mechanics, who began whining about rusty bolts and etc. without even seeing the car.)))
It’s almost a shame I had no use for 2nd vehicle and sold it when I decided to get myself something with more ground clearence.
It made a 1000 mile trip to the new owner’s home without a single issue.))
@@redplague2133 Better to let someone enjoy it than let it sit. Hope the new owner appreciates it and takes care of it :) Me? I was the boring guy with the overvalued "reliable" 2005 corolla that was the sole reason a stolen truck spun out and crashed during a police chase LOL. Reliable? Yeah only about as far as a Toyota Tacoma can throw it xD. Don't worry, I'm fine. It was boring and drove like crap. Bought it $4K, drove it for a couple years, and got $5K from insurance. Went out and got a 2003 Acura CL-S for 3,800. Great car as long as the warranty work has been done to the trans and you replace the ATF twice as often as you'd normally think. And it's actually capable and fun. And has side airbags lol
Him, on the phone: "Hey, Honey."
Wife: "The Mercedes broke again?"
Him: "Yes..."
Wife: "What caused it this time?"
Him: "Me..."
LMAO
I'm crying laughing.
There is a reason Mercedes made that hood so easy and convenient to open.
😂😂 true
Volkswagens do the same thing
Because you'll be doing it alot?? As in more than normal??
I must have a very reliable car then 😅
There is also a reason why most americans should not own a mercedes, they don't how to treat it!
Your wife sounds like she's as goofy as you at times, glad she approves of the new car even though it's been trouble.
For her it's a win-win. Robert has to fix the problems until there's none left to fix or he buys her a new one (car, hopefully not problems), _and_ she gets to say I told you so. Wives love to say I told you so.
If Robert had no trouble he’d have no material. If he had no material he’d have no videos. If he had no videos he’d have no views. If he had no views he’d get no UA-cam income. I suspect his wife understands this.
@@michaelfisher9671 You're right, it's a win-win-win! At the moment anyway. Robert said he loves the car, but we'll see if he still loves it after living with it for some time.
@@michaelfisher9671 Are you saying videos about a nice Lexus GS350 that just works don't get any views? :( "Well I drove it for another year and nothing happened, time for an oil change." "I took my GS350 for an uneventful trip where it just ran perfectly."
@TassieLorenzo I might watch one video like that - just for ironic laffs - but I doubt I'd watch two.
The twist in the plot about why you were shooting in an open dirt lot was the exact icing that cake required! Love the Merc! A great and appropriate addition to the fleet.
10 bucks say he wanted to do some donuts for filming.
It's not the first time he's recorded there. I believe it's just a preferred filming location and the car broke down after he got there.
@@austinisaperson6093 looks about the same location where he did the Coda and Reliant introductions.
No four-wheel burnouts once he refilled the coolant? Sad face
@@Happymali10 it’s AWD and Mercedes’ usually have traction controls that can’t turn 100% off
I (as a german) am so proud of our Cars... Giving thousands of mechanics a constant job around the globe. Thats ... sad ... :D
@Jim jibroni Well, its not reliable. But when it works, ITS WONDERFUL. When it's broken, it's a nightmare. Other brands are typically, "good enough" when they work.
Old Japanese cars are generally designed to be worked on by an illiterate 3rd world mechanic with only a hammer, adjustable wrench and screwdriver while sunk into a mud hole. German cars require a lisenced professional engineer, clean room and factory diagnostic mainframe to repair.
TBF 80s bmws are great. I own an e30 (actually on my second e30 after hitting a deer with the first one about 2 years into ownership) and an e24 and both are fantastic cars. Neither have let me down yet.
Up to now, I could service all my German and French cars by myself. Although speaking of 'quirky': I once found a 5 sided 'hex' screw on a Citroën (AX rear brakes) that took me a longer time to realize.. ;-)
Indeed! If it wasn't for Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi, I'd be unemployed as a mechanic...
The wrench being the same for the lug nuts as well as the bolt under the hood is brilliant. Is it the same for any other parts of the vehicle, as well?
I wonder if it was an intentional design choice, though. Could've been a coincidence? A quick Google suggests that the Merc uses M14 lug nuts, and maybe M14 was chosen for belt tensioner for other reasons.
@@robzyb pretty sure its a pure coincidence lol, I've seen other cars using the same bolt size but without any room to fit said tool, or generally you got an eccentric to remove first. Plus I doubt Mercedes in the mid 2000s were engineering their car for quick road side maintenance
no, most new american cars have as many different bolt patterns possible so it cant be easily serviceable by the owner., but rather the dealer-ship can. Capitalism i guess.
Sometimes the spark plug is the same size as the oil drain plug, I've been saved by that a couple times.
@@JohnJaggerJack meanwhile, a classic VW can be torn down to the bare crankshaft with just a 10, 13, and 17mm combo wrench...
My '97 Range Rover had near constant issues (the standard Rover owner greeting is "what's broken?") but one of the best was the night the water pump seized, which tore the fan belt, which took out the alternator, radiator fan, PS pump and tweaked the front engine cover enough to cause an oil leak. Oh and the time the rear driveshaft fell out on the highway. That was actually the cheapest issue we ever had with that car.
The joys of owning a Range Rover. In the mid 90's a buddy of mine was the service manager at our local MB/Land Rover/Jaguar dealer. He said the new LR's being transported to the dealership were in such bad condition from the factory that they were routinely refused. As you would imagine this caused no end of problems for the dealership. The cars that actually managed to find a buyer were maintenance nightmares from the start, even after a through going over by the dealership service department. Complaints to LR management fell on deaf ears.
What a eventful breakdown lol
Thats y im blessed 2 own a 66 series 2 Landy
This is my favorite car channel. The weird weird cars I've never heard of, the hilarious jokes and editing, and the other various hobbies that are pointless, or super not necessary. I love it!
I agree, this is so awesome to watch!
Bob made his Squarespace ad by wingclipping a naughty Turkey, how can you not just love him?
Every car enthusiast goes through a phase where they buy a big Merc with a V8 (or V12 for the rich kids), realise what a huge and expensive mistake they've made, sell it, and then miss it dearly for the rest of their lives. This is what happened to me and my CL500. I still miss that car dearly. The worst and the best car I've ever had.
Same but '01 Audi S4 manual wagon
Same, but I still have my 4.3L V8 E430 4matic.
I miss my W211 and still dream about it, even though it cost me so much and broke down so many times my partner was afraid of talking about it while in it, in case the car would sentiently break down just to spite her
That«s an adventure I'd love to have and my wife would kill me for having. End of story. Amazing, that car looks amazing!
The drivers door and the door behind it don't match. By eye it doesn't eyeball straight either.
If you can find a single-owner well-maintained model, Mercedes *can* be a very reliable manufacturer. Unfortunately, all cars have their own issues. At least with Mercedes, they usually come with cleverly engineered solutions. Just don't ask me how to get the brake rotors off. I never managed to get that figured out before some asshole pulled out in front of me and totalled my car. It did do an admirable job braking, since I was trying to replace the pads and get the rotors turned well in advance of them actually requiring replacement, but it's still infuriating, since I rather liked that car and quite dislike car shopping in a hurry.
I have an 06!
A few quick things: Never have the key in the ignition when it is lifted off the ground. If you start the car or even turn it on accessory power when it is off the ground without using the Mercedes STAR system to put it into service mode, the airmatic will overpressurize and you will likely lose an airbag or line. Ask me how I know haha. If they haven't been replaced yet, you should look at the condition of the engine and transmission mounts as well as the flex disks. If you have any front end driveline vibrations, you might be looking at replacing the axles. I also have the staggered AMG wheels on mine, and I run Achilles ATR Sport 2 in 245/40/R18 and 275/35/R18 front/rear.
Your's has the hood star delete but if you would like to have a hood star, I have a spare that I could send you.
oh no someone going to rear end me he floors it that only works if you see that someone coming if your not watching behind you when they come up behind you then that's no good
@@raven4k998 thanks for comin out
I love that the best compliment a Mercedes can recieve is that the hood opens easily...I mean, it has to, right? :)
It's designed that you feel welcomed fixing it all the time
Mercedes built high quality cars- way above average... until somewhere in the early 80s...
@@olik136 Are you ok? The W124 and 190E are some of the most reliable cars ever produced. They were both from the 80's. Mercedes went wrong after the mid 90's.
@@Viking2dk The W211 is also dead nuts reliable if it's taken care of.
Mine has done just under 300k km's and it still feels like new, amazing car.
These cars regularly do 1 million km's without any significant maintenance, you hardly ever need to open the hood.
Having owned the same car, be prepared to deal with the air suspension (Arnott was who I used), brake pad wear sensors, shuddering tcase clutches (a teardown/clean/fresh oil was the ultimate fix, though I bought a spare and converted to RWD, never used it), never ending various brake system warnings to "visit workshop" only to find no actual faults, as well as other quirks like the alarm randomly going crazy or finding the interior lights magically turned on in the middle of the night. It was a love/hate car. My wife DD’d it and once the brake system decided to fail in traffic (because the SBC pedal count had been exceeded), I took it off the road and got rid of it. I wish you better luck with yours. Thanks for sharing!
Guess it doesn't matter now since you got rid of it but SBC is warrantied 25 years on these cars as of about 3 or 4 years ago. You can take it to the dealer and they'll replace the entire SBC system under that warranty, no cost to you. You can also be reimbursed if you have receipts having the SBC pump replaced before the warranty was extended.
@@EdwardM104, in which countries? They tend to warranty less in places that use road salt.
@@questioner1596 not sure about elsewhere but that's the warranty on the pump in the US
You should have taken the Trabbi instead. None of those faults would have occured in a Trabant... because it doesn't have anything like that level of technology.
Have you ever been in a Trabi? I have. Not that I drove it because I can't get my knees below the dashboard, even with the seats all the way back. It's the kind of car governments make when they _really_ hate the people.
Nah, for Trabis just stall
If the C30 is too small for the trip, I doubt the diminutive Trabant would have been the ideal car for the journey. Not to mention, it would have taken significantly longer, even with the Mercedes' breakdown taken into account.
@@yottaforce welp I figured out where Nissan got the inspiration for the micra from
engine goes BRRRRR...for many, many hours because the car can't go past 60mph even on a straight road. Trust me, you'd hate yourself if you did something like that :P
Your relationship with your wife is so good man. The fact she supports these endeavours is so cool, really seems like shes an unseen sidekick to this channel!!!
SHE'S BEEN SEEN...WITH A BAG OVER HER HEAD.
Aging Wheels, the channel that will boldly show you its host with his pants soaked in warm yellow liquid.
Please let that liqud be car fluids and not.
🤣🤣
On that exact moment I was thinking to myself “this guy really doesn’t care”. I love that, it cracks me up.
I read more than half the comments (before getting bored) waiting for the outraged Mercedes faithful to totally nail you for using the "wrong" coolant. Pleasantly surprised no one went off the deep end with that.
I usually skip over everyone's sponsorship segments, but yours are always so entertaining!
SAME here! 😅😅 Awesome Bob commercials!
Zero shits given by Rob on that advert. Brilliant.
That is so true!!!
@@mediocrefunkybeat And somehow, weirdly, unlike when everyone else does the same, it kinda works, on a product retention level! 😂
Same. AW and Tier Zoo are the only sponsorships I watch. They're just so well placed and produced.
I used to work for a dealership delivering Mercedes, BMW and Land Rover parts. This video filled me with a a dark sense of foreboding and I wish you the best of luck with that.
Being a Mercedes guy myself, and having almost the same car (well, mine is a 2004, it is blue not silver, and has the V6 not the V8, and mine is not 4-Matic) there is a LOT to like about these cars. The transmission issues you had are very common, and easy/cheap to DIY repair. These cars were made during the Diamler/Chrysler era, and share many parts with some Chrysler cars. I believe you will come to like the car even more as the weeks, months, and years go by. Also, do yourself a favor and get an ICarsoft MB II scanner. They are specifically made for Mercedes-Benz (Smart and Sprinter as well), and is very helpful when diagnosing problems with this car.
The prices for cars you have in the us are insanely low
I own a w203 with the m122 V6. I love that car. I'm really not afraid that the car will break down with some catastrophic engine failure. It's all been little things here and there.
Sorry to inform you that he got rid of that POS.
Buying a used car typically means you also get overdue maintenance the previous owner neglected as they were “getting rid of it”
So you tend to get the effects of that early on like belts, fluid leaks and replacement, and tires. A reputable dealer would’ve caught most things like that on inspection, but raise the price accordingly.
When my parents bought a used MB B150 used with 70k km the thing was like brand new. The past owner literally done every maintenance on time and has like a 5cm thick maintenance binder.
Honestly, idk how hard you try, but you're funny as shit. You are EXACTLY the type of humor that destroys me at every turn. Also I have no clue how you manage it, but you always have a car I've never heard of before
SAME, it's like he absolutely knows his audience
@@TJDunaway its proper car guy humor.....its like watching Roadkill, "yup been screwed on the side of the road by that bs too"
That squarespace advert was SOOOOOOO Blue Peter. Americans will need to google. Older Brits will remember John Noakes, Peter Purvis, Valerie Singleton, and... that elephant.... Also.... HAMMERWAGON!!! I just bought a W210 chassis at the start of December and absolutely love it. Your car needs a name!
Do love me some open exhaust Mercedes V8 noise... when they run... which is seldom.
That Merc V8 does sound good...
8:15 Front half of car is a different shade of silver than the rear half.
Out of all of the cars I expected you to get, this wasn’t it.
Yea, I was kind of shocked at this one... cool car, no question.. .dependable, not that...lol
I can totally understand him. I got a '99 E430 8 cylinder e Matic and I already had a 2CV and a DS21. The Merc is mainly for hauling stuff, it can pull heavy loads, is all wheel drive (it's snowy here from time to time) and very smooth on the Autobahn. So it's totally different from the other cars but a great supplement. And it's also a little weird as it has hydraulics on the rear axle like the DS :-)
I really love this channel. The editing is always top notch, and the casual "I'm stuck here, may as well film a segment for the video I've been working on" mindset is phenomenal. Most folks I know would be far too upset (at the car, at the clip, at themselves for not putting the clip in right the first time - you name it) to be have that mentality.
You can see the respray issues in the video - the doors don't match. But hey, that's the least of your issues. You bought an MB, out of warranty. I expect a flood of good content to follow. Good times!
At least is not a audi or land Rover
@@apprenticefelix7740 Audi is the same, Land Rover is even worse...
You know, you and Internet Historian are the only channels that I don't skip sponsorship segments. Bring more birds because clearly it's working!
Here is my prediction given it is an older mercedes wagon. This car is going to have so many hilarious issues in the first year it is going to blow your channel up to a million subscribers.
About right!
Robert: “ignore the 2” deep pile of sawdust under the car lift.”
Regular viewers : “Oh, totally. Consider it forgotten.”
What sawdust ? ;-)
There was sawdust on the shop floor? 😜
The floor is spotless
2:05 "...This is a 2005 Mercedes..."
You might as well have stopped right there. I've seen enough of Tyler Hoover's videos to know where this is going! 😆😆😆
Exactly
That car is an e63 amg and that engine is an piece of shit but the e55 amg is an very reliable engine i have the same car with an diesel engine
If it shredded it’s belt, I’d recommend to check the water pump - the pump axle slides outwards quite a bit when reaching the end if it’s service. (Had this happen to me on my 190E W201)
And check for rust underneath, especially around rear subframe. W210 bodies are well known for rust issues.
Mercs are very pleasant to drive, but mostly poorly taken care of (due to high reliability). Repairs might get costly, but whatever you repair in them won’t trouble you for next 5 years minimum.
Looks like it’s had a repaint on the driver side wing and door.
Came to say this
So It wans't just me. I was thinking, 'why is the front half a diffrent sliver to the back'
It's a beautiful colours
Yeah the paint match is bad
maybe it is becuause of the way the sun hits the paint. let's hope it is because it is the way the sun hits the paint.
If only you could have found a "Griswold special" type like a Ford/Mercury or GM station wagon with the fake wood grain. That would have fit the "Aging Wheels" theme more. Great video as always, Robert!
"You might hate it now, but wait till you drive it!"
My parents 72 Plymouth station wagon would be right for him. It had fake wood trim.
Nothing says reliable like a relatively inexpensive German wagon :)
and mismatching shades of silver
@@olik136 add some mismatched tires to that, bondo everywhere and ziptied bumpers, and you have a recipe for financial disaster
An aging, poorly maintained German wagon at that.
Mismatched tires- is this legal in the US? In Germany they need to match at least per axis. And mismatched sizes on a 4-wheeler also is not a really good idea :-)
@@uwekall6281 it's not legal per se, but the inspections there are very laxed, there's no TÜV or MOT kind of thing, so it's often unchecked.
Looks like a difference in the paint color on the drivers side from the front of the rear door back. 5:50 Love wagons.
That's not the check engine light, it's the Mercedes logo. Understandable mistake, both symbols mean you're about to spend thousands of Euros in parts and labor.
Lmao
My experience with Mercedez in general has been similar to your experience with the wagon. My best experience? the only Mercedez that I actually attempted to purchase (other examples, were owned by others and I just happened to be driving when they started literally falling apart.) A 1967 sedan ... owned by a company I worked for, and occasionally got to drive using it as a service / delivery car, by various tech's. The owner decided to sell it, offered it to me at a stunning price, and spent $2k to replace brakes, fix cooling system, have valves adjusted, new tires, etc. The day I was to purchase, (already having stopped at the bank to get the cash) I got a ride from a friend, to pick the car up. I got to my bosses home, and found the car not there ... a tech had borrowed it, to pick up a client at the airport. Well ... to make a long story even longer ... leaving the airport, a semi truck slammed on the brakes ahead of him, he hit the brake pedal, the pedal went to the floor with no stoppage ... and the Mercedez attempted to squeeze under the truck. The car stopped as the grill wrapped around the rear end, as the angle iron frame work of the truck, slide across the hood, to within an inch of the windshield.
The insurance and settlement from the repair shop which had just replaced the brakes ... got the owner a lot more than the $600 he was selling me the car for ... so I dodged a bullet, ended up adding a little money and almost bought a Jaguar XKE ... (another incredible story) and ended up with a Datsun B510.
You didn't buy the Jag? What's the matter with you? I always wanted the Jag XKE, but financial means were never there. Did you regret not getting it for the rest of your life?lol
Oh lord imagine the kinds of problems the Jag would've had...
Well at least the long hood served as a safety feature. But all three brake systems not working... That was certainly a serious workshop problem. The car has separate front and rear brake cylinder compartments/tubing and a foot operated parking brake, too.
Can’t wait to hear what the check engine light is for
He opened the easy-open hood, took one look, and said:
"Yep, there's an engine in there! I checked!".
Probably something insignificant. I mean it's a Merc, how bad can it be?
Being a german car its probably a little sensor on the engine that you can only access by dropping the subframe assembly
@@VeyronBD It's a Merc, not an Audi. :p
I want to see what the actual repair is. (Been watching too many South Main Auto videos and discovering that the various codes may or may not be the actual problem just a symptom, e. g., many codes to one ground issue in some Jeeps.)
I'm absolutely useless with cars and mechanics and stuff, but this channel is awesome. I only came across it from being subscribed to Technology Connections.
What happened to the rear quarter? The paint mismatch between the front and rear doors is hurting 🤣
I was going to ask - then Robert started talking about all the bondo.... I have fears about what is lurking under all that.
Oh it's probably just the rusty butt disease that affected early 2000s Mercedes. They messed up something with drainage or galvanic process or both i don't know and didn't figure it out, until years later, every single car turned into a sieve back there. Peugeot owners were laughing at these rust buckets by 2010.
Who gives a shit, paint and body mean nothing. As long a the car is reliable is all that matters. The car could be painted like a rainbow, or just 5 different colors of primer.
@@mikeworkman3593 Mercedes are horribly unreliable from about 1995 to 2007. I can’t for the life of me figure out why but they were almost as bad as American cars from that era. 🤔
@@RustOnWheels Yeah, that car down here in FL is worth maybe $800
a while back friend had bought a bmw 7 from 2006 and the first thing he had to do was to refill the air condition gas about a week into owning the car. apart from that I didn't hear him complain. of course, there's the fact that the car's first owners were an elderly couple. he was actually a bit regretful after selling it and buying a tesla due to the loss of comfort.
I guess you've couple more random problems within the next month and then you're golden. keep it clean and engine correctly lubricated and those things run for years.
Never buy a used Mercedes unless it's from the original owner and he hands you a two inch thick folder of service records and only if it's been dealer serviced. You are begging for problems otherwise.
Take a look into your engine control module. That might be were the transmission oil went. They're notorious for leaking their oil into the cables which then find their way into the engine control module etc.
Yes, heard that, too. But I thought this only applies for automatic transmission.
@@uwekall6281 which he has. E500 always has Automatic and the 4 matic in the W211 also is always a 5 speed automatic
Straight piped wagons are one of my favorite “genres” of used cars. Glad you have such a great attitude about it and can’t wait for the tour!!
4:30 i work in a shop with 2 other dudes.... and for our size, we keep about 400 tires on hand
deliveries 3 times a week....
and we just have some ODD BALL sizes from mis-orders / customer didnt show up
kinda shocking what we have (like a tire for a C5 vette)
.
but ya.... most shops have a CRAP ton of 225-60R16s....275-50/55/60 R20s...... and various 17s and 18s
.
im glad they told you about the tire size issue as well
that also could have been causing / caused some trans issues and wear
.
.
.
.
and ya, i hate telling people their 4 day old tire has a hole in the side wall and cant be patched
you can go home and do it...... but no way im putting my name on that
9:14 I've always wanted to make a ''webshite'' for my portfolio
I've watched cartoons that were less chaotic (think desert scene and a certain wild dog and bird characters). LOVE IT! Great fun to watch.
6:41 "This hood release is beautiful" .... until the lever snaps ... as it did on my 300D back when I had it. My genius dad replaced it with part of a folded over coat hanger.
I fairly certain Mercedes translated to English is "check engine light"
It's better to clip ONE wing. Not both.
When both are clipped, the bird just flaps harder and still catches air. But; with only one wing clipped, the bird can still gain some air, but has no navigation, so he gives up trying to fly. He keeps going in the wrong direction. It works.
Thanks for the content.
Keep up the good work.
BS'D
Check under the front passenger footwell carpet for the missing fluid. These had a tendency to via capillary action ... fill their transmission controllers with fluid. . Protip. FCP Euro is your friend.
I'm impressed with your camera shot of the tailpipes where it rotates from right to left. Must have been an interesting set-up. Nice job!
It was most likely just a 360 camera, and the pan was done in post.
@@jakekiedaisch2279 I think 360 cameras are pretty impressive. I knew a student who interned at a company developing them. The student was majoring in nuclear physics at Cambridge University, helped develop an operating system in their spare time, and took time out of that to develop an SBC, including Verilog for the FPGA in the SoC. Wouldn't have taken a simple job, I don't think. :) So when I see a 360 camera shot, however cheesy it is, I go "wow!" XD
Glad to hear you made it over to our very exciting state of Kansas.
I especially love the Two_tone silver paint. Obvious lack of blending on drivers side with two car doors 6 shades different
It's the "Fifty shades of grey" special edition
Props to the nicest O'Reilly person ever! Gold Star Service!
Love the ending.
"Hopefully the rest of my ownership experience is less eventful than it has been so far. Although, I doubt it, because the check engine light just came on."
Truly an AW video at its finest! Keep up the good work!
If the belt is squeaking at all please replace the tensioner before it shreds the belt again. I only know this because this happened to me on the way to school a few months ago.
While I let the ads play, for that sweet revenue, I gotta take the time to say that buying a V8 Merc wagon is the least Robert Dunn thing you've ever dunn. 😂
Fun toy! Looks like there may be paint work on the side as well. The profile shots where you got stuck the front and rear of the car are different paint.
Should have chosen the Toyota.
Also I really felt that "clutch, where are you clutch?" moment, though it happened to me in traffic. Not fun at all.
literally happened to me this morning... on my '88 VW Bus... worst thing about the clutch pedal not working is that you can't get the car to a shop easily
This is a perfect video. Editing, scripting, information delivery, 10/10 no notes.
ahh german cars where everything on it will swing from wildly intelligent design to completely boneheaded every time you look at it
I know this is an old video, but it has, BY FAR the best ad segment I've ever seen. I actually watched through it
Personally I would go back to an old Volvo XC90. I had a V8 for a few years. Best car I ever have.
You don't expect the Mercedes to not reveal quite a few extra flaws, do you? I do think the Volvo will actually be the workhorse for the time being while this one is being put back into shape.
I had the same experience just now with a Volvo V70. Bought it for a Christmas road trip. Ended up having to cram four grownup reletives in a tiny loaner. Congrats on the shout-out on Making It btw!
My 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid just made the intercontinental trip from Anchorage Alaska to Savannah Georgia without a hiccup, other than some bad gas in Canada. I must have got lucky or Toyotas are just that good. I feel like you were asking for trouble when you got an old European Wagon.
Yeah that gen Highlander is tough. My 2012 limited has 220k miles on it and yeah it's just needing a new transmission. (I'm pretty rough on it)
I feel like he was asking for subscribers when he bought it lol
@@rkan2 Yeah, that too if you have an audience. I got nobody following my dumb car purchases.
Never have I EVER encountered a sponsor segment and actually NOT FF till the end. Bravo sir, Bravo.
This brings back my first car vibes with my 91 cutlass. Broke everything, zip ties everywhere, left me stranded. Great fun!
Your channel is seriously the funniest channel to follow here on UA-cam. And that comes from somebody not the least interest in cars 😄 Your sense of humor is second to none!!!!
When you're pointing out the flaws in the paint you might want to add on the fact that on the driver's side the front of the car is a different color than the back of the car :-)
This is apparently normal for a mercedes manufactured between... apparently between 92 and early 2004, not even worth mentioning. Not that they came out of factory like that no, but... things happened. They usually had seeds of rust straight from the factory directly under the paint, and seeds bloom eventually, so Mercedes would have to throw in a few fresh panels and doors over the years, and the state of paint fading would naturally no longer match.
I don't own any old cars, I don't work on my cars. But I love this channel....I laugh, I learn, and my day is better.
Congrats on the new vehicle. Sounds like a really fun and spurious engine.
I've even heard those Benzes can be pretty damn reliable if you maintain them properly, which I guess is true of almost any car, but proper maintenance is probably not a term most Benz owners are familiar with, given how much crap those cars get.
I guess you'll show us :)
Happy holidays!
I got lil Sisters 06 Charger Hemi RT to replace my 95 Neon coupe that finally died last summer. It too is the fastest car I have ever owned. It also is very thirsty and averages about 12 mpg in town even driving it really nice. I love the pig and it sounds awesome when you get on it and it sets you back in the seat. I have figured out how to completely turn off the traction control so I can have it try to kill me, great fun.
I would bet you going to have the same fuel economy issues but I also totally understand the thrill of driving it and the wonderful noise it makes. Luckily I only drive about 10 minutes to work and we have moms old PT Cruiser that gets good mpg and is low miles she willed to us.
Enjoy it and fix the Volvo so you don't have to feed it every day 😉
Love the new car! I was hoping it was a Dodge Magnum, but that was essentially a Mercedes.
These cars are pretty good but there are several things to look out for.
1. SBC brakes. Make sure the SBC pump has been checked or replaced. It is under extended warranty up to 25 years after the production of the vehicle.
2. Air suspension. Do not turn on the car, even to accessory position, with the car up in the air or you'll blow out the air struts. The air suspension needs to be turned off in order to do so and you need the Mercedes STAR system to do so. Arnott assemblies are great, maybe better than OEM.
3. Axles. Front axles seem to be a common issue on these. Do not get anything but OEM or GKN axles or you're wasting your time. If you have the driver's side axle out, it's a good time to replace the intermediate shaft bearing, that shaft goes through the oil pan. Easy job to do but seems few people have done it.
4. Rear hatch lift struts. If you have the electronically opening tailgate, you have to drop the headliner to change the struts so probably just something you'd have to life with. If not, the struts can be changed much more easily by removing the brackets that the cargo net hooks into at the back.
5. Electrical gremlins. My brother's E500 wagon doesn't have any electrical gremlins but my C320 did for a while. If you have random error codes, I would suggest unplugging the battery then going around to the different modules in the engine bay and inspecting the connectors for corrosion.
6. Crank position sensor. Just go ahead and replace the CPS if there's no history of it being replaced. It's easiest to do this when the driver's side valve cover is off so do it when replacing valve cover gaskets.
These cars can be very reliable. However, some aspects of yours suggest it may not have been taken the best care of. That transmission has the conductor plate fault, which is an easy fix, but otherwise is about one of the most bulletproof automatics in existence. They are used in drag racing a lot for a reason. The M113 engine is one of the most reliable V8s out there, same goes for the M112 V6, not much goes wrong besides valve cover gaskets and coils if the spark plugs have been left in too long. I personally think the best of these Mercedes to own is the RWD V6 with the standard suspension as the parts are much cheaper and easier to service, they still ride incredibly well.
Get a good scanner, the iCarsoft MB II is pretty good for these cars. If you need the dealership software for all of the repair manuals, shoot me a message.
I got an e320cdi in my w211 sedan i love my car
@@Nikola_W211 that's my favorite w211 but they're very hard to find now
@@EdwardM104 mine is the facelifted with the never v6 cdi and mine dosent have sbc breaks
I love the idea of these cars, but the maintenance costs on a car like this and of this vintage scares the crap out of me. I suspect that the only to afford something like this is to do what you’re doing: monetize the issues. It’s brilliant, really.
If you do your own work it usually isnt that big of an issue. Paying somenone else to do it would bankrupt you real quick though.
These aren't too bad, but the best bet in terms of reliability and simplicity with this vintage of Mercedes wagon would be an E320 non-4Matic with the non-adjustable airmatic suspension as it gets rid of the relatively expensive bits. E350 non-4Matic would be a bit nicer but the engines can have some issues (read into them if interested, they can still be very good, reliable cars). They did have RWD E500 wagons so that does get rid of the relatively expensive 4Matic parts but I think they all had the adjustable airmatic and seem to be somewhat rare. Even cheaper would be a non-4Matic w203 C-Class wagon (C240 or C320) as they have standard suspension rather than airmatic, are better on gas, and have the simpler 722.6 5-speed auto versus the 7-speed 722.9.
I know this is an older video but I just love the quikyness of his collection and has become one of my favorite channels
Mercedes once had a reputation for good quality cars, however that stopped in the mid 90's. That car is gonna break your bank if you keep it
I disagree these w211 mercedes are pretty reliable car i have an similar one but mine is an diesel didnt have major issues on it
Ruin him? You're underestimating him. He's getting some nice sponsorships here, and you get videos out of this sort of thing. Besides it's not like he'll send it off to a mechanic, and he has frugal and perhaps ever so slightly unprofessional ways of getting things done. Perfect opportunity to acquire new fresh skills in shaping metal and welding as well, after he finds the chicken wire and bondo holding it together. The mismatch in paint condition all over the place suggests that he lucked out on getting a rust plague sample here..
he now owns properly one of the worst E-class series ever produced. The car w211 was developed and manufactured in the ChrsyslerDaimler-Ara which was notorious for quality cuts on top the model was prerelased half a year early due to spy pictures of the prototyp and the resulting sales drop of the w210. For the w211 series several recalls were necessary. The Facelift should be better but the pre-facelift car - I would avoid especially because Daimler parts are not cheap. Luckly after Daimler droped Chrysler the quality improved again.
@@DoomWarriorXFacelifts are better but pre facelift w211 engines and transmissions are known to be ultra reliable.
3:15: You answered you own question. The dipstick was missing. It blew out of/burnt off through the dipstick tube. The oil cap on my beater car vibrated off one time and it puked and smoked off a whole quart through the valve cover.
That's a cool car, but the Benz learning curve is too steep for me. I prefer to stick to pre-2006 BMWs.
I always heard the best way to clip a bird so it can't fly is to only clip ONE wing. Am I crazy? Did I make that up in my head? The reasoning I had always heard (or made up in my head) is that a bird can compensate more easily from two clipped wings than one.
Another person here suggested that the bird can injure itself as it may keep trying to fly with both wings clipped. With one wing intact the bird will take off but will be forced to glide in a bit of a semicircle until it lands back home, and will learn that flying is dumb and pointless, won't even try any longer then. I have no clue, i'm not a bird person.
A wife that a) stays up with you until 2am doing car work on the car you are driving in the morning and 2) puts up with your decision to buy said car so soon before your road trip deserves the biggest bouquet of flowers and her own drawer in your tool chest. ;). Love the stories! Felt like I was there with you because I have been.
For 7k you could have rented a Mercedes for your trip and fixed the Volvo after and saved almost 6k...
Awesome video, loved the Turkey ad break; really great camera angles too. I was well impressed with the "reveal" about losing the coolant.
You had more problems with that car, within one week, then I've had in total for 24 years of owning aging Toyotas. 1 x water pump, and 1 x speedo cable = 24 years. But what an awesome car to get, given that you can work on it yourself so readily.
What a friendly dealer you have. Selling you a car that he very well knew had issues (at least he should have known).
He did know
He bought a part to fix the issue
The issue was disclosed before the purchase
@@itsmejak7888 but not all of the issues. a multi belt is not something from the last couple of miles. someone forgot to change it in time
You clearly learned nothing being friends with Tyler Hoover lol
No matter how much sponsorships/ads annoy me, I’m glad you’re getting them. We need you to stick around for as long as possible
That windscreen tint is dark AF. Is that legal and/or actually helpful?
It is when you're doing nefarious activities.
It's so the cops can't seen you getting road head while doing your road coke.
Every time I hear 'Squarespace' the 'Square Pegs' theme pops into my head for a solid 5 minutes.
Always shocks me how expensive used cars are in the US!
Its especially bad right now. The production issues for new cars has made the used car market go insane.
where are you from then? In Germany used cars (and new cars) are mostly a lot more expensive than in the US and the running costs including gas is way more... so most cars also come with a small engine to begin with
I'm from the UK. $7,000 for an old, expensive to service car with poor bodywork and engine issues would be a rip off. I also recall being amazed at what Robert had to pay for that very high mileage (by UK standards) C30, although I can't remember the exact figure now
@@robhardie6687 In UK and Ireland used cars are the cheapest around the world probably, except maybe for Japan...
@@robhardie6687 Not really, this is actually cheap here too.
I'm also from the UK, where the cheapest E500 wagon on Autotrader at the moment is a 2004 model with 105,000 miles on the clock, and up for £5,995... Which is more than $8,000 US. Next cheapest is a 2005 with 140,000 miles, up for £6,450... Near enough $9,000 US.
I appreciate that the "quite old, but not that cheap to buy and quite expensive to run" market is somewhat niche but you can't compare a V8 uber-machine with some Ford/Skoda/VW/Peugeot-type car.
I've actually owned a 2004 E500 for domestic duties since it was a couple of years old, it's now done over 110,000 miles, the bulk of that in my ownership. Some years I spend almost nothing on it, just do an oil and filters service myself. Other years something needs to be fixed, I have to take it to a specialist and it's generally a £2k or £3k bill for something big and a couple of "while it's on the ramp" jobs... this is on top of the things like petrol and tyres that you can't get away from whatever you buy. Overall, it would be a lot cheaper for me to get a brand new Ford Focus or similar, and nothing new under £100k ticks all the boxes the E500 does.
But... no matter of taste is always going to be the same for everyone. Why do some people spend a lot of money on good wine when they could drink cheap white cider? Why eat fillet steak when you can have a doner kebab? Those other cars aren't going to make me smile, I'm not going to be able to drive to the south of France and still feel fresh when I arrive, I'm not going to be able to cruise at 150mph on the autobahn with excursions to over 170mph, and... this is important... they aren't going to make fruity V8 noises when I give it some stick.
I used to own a 2001 C220 Wagon. Here's what was wrong with it at no particular time during my 2 years of owning it.
Suspension rods needed new fittings. Clunked over speed bumps
Water pump was dying.
Diesel pump leaked, cost me 2 belts before I had it fixed.
Auto gearbox got stuck in first gear.
Replaced the front brakes.
I loved that car, so nice to drive.
Всем привет! Супер.
The one thing this video has taught me is that cars are stupidly expensive in The US, over here a 2005 auto Merc with transmission problems is a £1000 car MAX and that's not to mention the straight pipe which would decrease the resale value even more.
When you are buying a second hand car and all 4 tires are different or some Chinese brand do not buy it. This tells you the last owner did not maintain the car properly and many more problems will pop up.
Sure, if you are looking for a reliable used car. But if you want V8 power for cheap and have a tolerance for catastrophic failure like Robert does, who cares!
@@adammiller8133 Shitboxes are great!
See this is why you should have gone with a Buick Roadmaster from the 90's. Those things were bulletproof. My family had two and used one to tow our pop up camper for 12 years every summer coast to coast - through most of the 48 continental states. Same V8 as the corvette, and auto inflating suspension airbags. I learned to drive in those things; and there's a certain amount of joy in just driving something that big and also fast!
I think it’s a right of passage for an automotive content creator buy a Mercedes wagon.
Explains why you and Hubnut get on, you share the same definition of practical and economical cars..... 🙂