Coming from someone who used to own a few German cars and one German ex-wife, I can confirm simplicity and common sense is a foreign concept to all of them
I used to have a 1995 SL500. It was a beautiful, well-maintained car and I intended to keep it, but someone came along and offered me a great price if I would sell it. I had it for six years and sold it for $2000 more than I paid for it. I really miss that car!!
We own a 1984 MB 300 SDL having acquired it in 2005 with 95,000 miles. It is a daily driver and currently has 180,000 miles. Other than a fresh paint job and recovering the driver's seat it has been a relatively trouble free car. It just runs and with it fresh paint looks as good as it did back in the 80s. Mercedes built great cars up to the early 90s. Then the bean counters took over and the quality dropped significantly. My point is, your point is well taken, but I feel needs clarification as to what era of cars we are talking about.
1990 seems to be the magical cutoff date for Euro vehicles, as a group. The Honda/Toyota models OTOH; I'm skittish about them after about 2006, the 2007+ spook me as well
@@feandil666 There's a lot more anecdotes out there from people who own, or have owned old Mercedes, like me. Five of them. All from the 70's and 80's an all excellent.
No shame fuel lines going brittle etc. Pays to learn diy mechanics to own a classic as wizards a Genuis but 170 dollars per hour. Do the basic jobs and attain wizards skills expertise for deep engine repairs. Otherwise you will need deep pockets. Lot of Mercedes classic forums some owners are ex retired techs or smart diy ers help each other out with repairs.
My dad owned one in silver colour comes with hardtop and softtop. I drove it and it is an amazing car to be honest, it is better than today's Mercedes.
I have a 2003 W211 that is always needing something, has broken down twice this year, crank sensor and tensioner pulley. It is a spare car and more of a toy now. I need for it to convince me it will not sit on the side of the road again. Just repaired my 90 year old parents 1997 W202, specialty German car shop had them spend...... $14,000+ on it and it still wasn't fixed, parents almost got rid of it. I diagnosed and replaced the MAF, Front HEGO sensor and the main culprit, a broken Resonator valve. Discontinued by Mercedes, found one on EBay. They are back in love with the car again and will never give another dime to that repair shop.
W211 is actually a reliable Mercedes. Harmonic balancer and crank sensor failures happen to nearly all of them, but these really aren't major repairs that break the bank.
Hello Wizard! I like your videos and respect your professional attitude and knowledge. Not only German cars, but all European cars, and Japanese, French, South-Korean, etc... have planned maintenance schedules where you have to change described parts, fluids. I assume same processes are valid for US cars too. German engineers are quite keen about their engineering and manufacturing skills, the quality and experience their cars present, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, etc... For that 'German car experience' the owners have to provide the car with the planned maintenance, then the car will serve them for a long time. I had several German cars in the last 28 years of my life (when I owned cars and used them) and saw mileage between 300-600.000 miles, without serious issues, just by maintaining properly my(our) cars. Of course not as luxury cars as this Mercedes, but I had Audi A6 level cars.... Proper maintenance (and the lack of ignorance) is key to almost all mechanical equipment, especially for a complicated one as a road vehicle.
Americans usually go to Yosemite Sam & Co to repair their cars, while Germans always have a highly qualified auto technician to service their cars. There is the difference. Greetings from a North European.
I have a 1989 560SL and have had the same fuel leak problem. I think the use of ethanol fuel is what causes that O ring at the crimp to shrink. When those cars were new we didn't have 10% ethanol in the fuel.
Agree. Ethanol really killed and squezed the last fart out of those old cars, both physical and the attractiveness. You have to abandon and get past those oldish fossil fuel cars before the Boomer Collector gets you. Greetings from a North European.
@@gergelyturcsanyi6743 yep, it came in later but E10 is very much the standard coming out of euro pumps now, E5 is the best you will find. and E5 has been standard in europe for 20-odd years now.
Just to let Mrs. Wizz know: The R129 only has two power windows, not four. The two similarily designed switches in the center console are for the heated seats :)
Hi wizard I have a bunch of old ones 79 300 CD, 80 300 SD, 84 300 SL 91 300 sel 95 e320, 99 s420, But I also have a 2015 n 23 Vw that are my primary ones, I love the old ones, I drive em to work or the store, on and off few days a week or few times a month. shuffle em around. For the most part no major issues. While I agree that it shouldn’t be a primary car, at same time it could be. Just need to have a good shop or guy on stand by. Preventive maintenance is key too in my opinion on some things
I told my parents that my next car needs to be a toyota (still had my rogue at the time) because of you and scotty. And because i see plenty of 90s toyotas that look beat to death yet STILL ON THE ROAD! After i totaled my rouge. My parents caved in and bought me a 2021 venza. Im happy with it and even replaced the hybrid fan filter underneath the rear passenger seat because i dont know how the previous owner treated it.
2 місяці тому+1
Scott says to buy a 20 year old Toyota, not the new garbage
If you want to keep something that old on the road as a daily then buy the simplest MB E-class you can find instead. Then you dont have to drive around in a tin can. They are not going to break any more than a Toyota. They've had the highest miles on them of all bands before junked here in Europe.
I've got 40,000 miles on my tires, but they are 11 years old. The car is garage kept, so there is no cracking from UV degradation. I just had to replace the battery, a month ago, after the same 11 years. When I had the battery replaced, the dealer said that my belts and hoses looked like new, even after 11 years.
@@jimtaylor431 thank you for that comment! Yes, these cars are complex as you would expect from a luxury car but it is very well engineered and good to work at.
I remember my nephew bought a used bmw after he graduated in the 90s it didn't take long for him to realize how expensive it was to keep it on the road. Didn't take him long to get rid of it.
So, there is maintenance. These cars are so much cooler than anything out there today with little to no computer/electronic problems. My 2015 car has obsolete electronics. Plus, seen what a new car sells for today? Ya got maintenance, but I’m betting you can still get out of this down the line cheaper than what a new car would cost.
I have a 2008 VW rabbit, 2.5L engine, manual. Been a great car, bought it new, me as well as everyone else I know with a VW has another car, usually a toyota, so they have something to drive when the fun car is broken. This is my 4th vw i've owned. My other car is a 2006 Scion XB, great car, not fast, but cheap to drive and maintain and reliable.
@@petrosaguilar8916 Also, telling a customer "replace everything I tell you to, or come get your car". Um, you bet ill come get my car. And find a new mechanic. And let all my freinds know that this guy is a DICK and don't do business with him. I appreciate my mechanic telling me everything that *should* be replaced, but making that a condition of doing the work and telling me in a tone like "come get your car"? F*ck you dude, I WILL come get my car.
When I started out years ago as a lube and tire tech at the local Goodyear store I brought an early 80’s Mercedes in with a fuel leak to look at. I found it had a similar set up and was leaking in the same spot. That became something I would automatically look at whenever I had a Mercedes in for service. Since I’m in an area that uses a lot of road salt I would start cautioning my customers whenever I saw a lot of corrosion on the assembly that it could be a potential failure and if they start smelling or seeing gas in that area to get it towed in to someplace for service. Most of the customers appreciate the heads up of what to look for.
normaly im with you wizzard,even with the top of the r129!but the rest over german cars is not complete right!the difference between the german and american people is,we germans take care of our cars,the americans ride it to death and do nearly nothing until its broke! i had a W126,no rust,nothing drips,same with the E38 BMW 740i,not one drip under the car,no rust,nothing wrong with over 160000miles (330000km),greetings from germany
As example,we prevent a new car by using "dinol".we put it inside the holes of the body so everything is covered.Or mike sanders at older cars!In winter we clean everthing under the car as much as possible,so salt cant stay there.And we change technical parts,before they brake down,like the wizzard show!We dont ride parts with rubber to death.We change a gasket,when it starts leaking and not,when the oil is running down the hole car!Stuff like that i mean.Greetings from germany
@@piercehawke8021 Different philosophies I guess. *Germans* Our buyers will take good care of their car and maintain it properly *Japanese* Build it idiot proof so any idiot can handle it.
I've seen a video where someone (an enthusiast) bought a special edition Corvette(?) with tailor-made matching trailer and speedboat, convertible, red paintwork and leather throughout. Looks the business. It's a present he gave himself. Yes it takes work, time, money to keep it good shape and it's garaged during the winter and he wonders why he keeps it. Then the spring comes around and he takes out to the water, and he knows again why he keeps it.
Thanks so much for this vid on the R129! These have always been one of my favorite Mercedes, though one of the few models I have never owned. Smiled to myself on your coverage of the back-and-forth mental gymnastics of justifying ownership. In my humble opinion, and given my experience with multiple Mercedes of the '99 through 2002 model years, I absolutely think they are worth it!!
Sounds a bit like getting married a second time after a divorce. There won't be a second time for me. Not even a first yet because I am getting to old for that
Those are the type of cars that can always be found in the used car classifieds for cheap because the owner just wants to get rid of the headache. In a recent episode of Buddy's DIY, he bought a perfect example of a Nissan Altima for just $500 because it would not start. The only thing wrong with it was a loose starter cable. He then cleaned it up and flipped it for $5,000.
Not sure I agree - I drove my 993 Twin Turbo as my primary car for many years. I also drove my BMW 740il to 155K miles and aside from a front suspension issue, that was very expensive, it never let me down. I just got sick of the size of the 740il and traded it for an AMG C43. I think it depends on how well the car is maintained. My mother had a 2001 VW Passat that she just traded in last year (well over the 100K mile mark).
Maintenance is definitely a key. All of the German luxury brands call for oil changes every 10,000 miles on their cars for at least the last 10 years. That’s a prescription for a blown engine (or at least major work) at 100,000 miles. If one can afford a luxury car, you can afford oil changes every 5,000 miles.
14 MB e550a black cabrio with 70k in excellent condition. In Last 2 years, babied with quarterly wax and leather treatment application, plugs, trans & rear end fluids, primary and secondary coolant replacement, tires, cam phaser sensors, brakes, wiring harness inspections, backup battery, convertible top lube, filters, 5k oil changes, safety inspections. Still enjoy it. Approximately $7-8 k to keep it almost new.
I've been lucky so far. I have a 2014 Mercedes E350 Coupe and it's now at 133k miles and never had an issue. Just kept up with routine maintenance. Oil changes every 5k miles. Transmission service every 35k. Spark Plugs and cleaning out intake valves since it's a direct injection engine, at 100k miles. Still drives good as new. And was a primary car until recently. As I now have a 2021 Tacoma TRD Offroad that I primarily use now and the Merc is more of a fun weekender. These cars do keep a timeless design to them. And what's amazing to me, for a 10 year old Merc at 133k miles, not a single oil leak. Still on the factory valve cover gaskets and it's bone dry.
Of course you can have an older German car as a daily. Mine is a 1998 Mercedes CLK320, which has not the best reputation. But: It is all a question of maintenance. Change the oil and filters when the car tells you, have a look at the spark plugs (not too often, changing interval of the plugs at the M112 engine is 120Tkm) and fix it when there is a leak. I got mine very cheap in a reasonable condition and since then I let my shop do all the necessary work (buying oil and filters and brake parts on my own). We made some prophylactic work (crankshaft balancer, serpentine belt, air mass and crankshaft sensor - not too expensive at all). In 10 years I had no breakdown. It is just running well. And of course this car is no way comparable to a 1998 American car.
I had an '01 CLK55 and it was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. The only thing that ever went wrong was a faulty brake switch, something to blame the vendor on and not Mercedes.
Ill never understand the guys that call these cars "junk" and will get into a 1975 Ford LTD and say "Oh ya, this thing right here is a beaut! You can keep all that German and Japanese trash, ill drive this baby tille the wheels fall off." Like, they actually think those things are better looking than a Mercedes or Toyota. And there's a lot of guys like that. I dont get it at all.
I drive my 2000 VW Jetta GLS VR6 every day and it has 180k on it. I drove it from Washington State to Alabama then to Arizona and back to Alabama all within 5 week's in the dead of summer. That was 5 years ago . I got the car for free because it "didn't run". I changed one 30 amp fuse and it runs fine to this day.
Wizard I have 2 Mercedes with over 200k on each, I purchase them with 185k. I have a 2006 cls500 And a 2013 e350 red, once I purchased the vehicles I go through and change all the fluids, belts tensioners and all the potential failure parts, I do the work myself and I’m not a mechanic I watch a lot of your videos and other UA-cam videos like legit street cars and samcrac. The cars runs almost perfect and like you said I don’t let the repairs pile up. Love your videos.
Exactly right..Mercedes are great cars and will outlast most others if they are given correct maintenance. I do the same as you ,,I have a 2005 CLK55 AMG Coupe which runs and drives perfectly ..in six years the only time I have taken it to a shop was for a wheel alignment.
I don't understand what he's talking about. Here in Germany, everybody buys a Mercedes-Benz, even with over 100,000 miles. Even our taxis are E-Class models with 400,000 miles. Older models like the W124 or Mercedes diesels are very reliable. Our E-Class 220 CDI from 2009 has 200,000 miles without any issues. I don't know what Americans are doing to these cars to have so many problems with them.
I own a X5 4.4 with 175000 miles, a e90 335i with 145000 and a e93 328i with 120000. They all run perfectly. I do all the work on these cars, mechanical or electronics.They are no different from other cars. Just just do the regular maintenance an learn how to fix them yourself or find a good an honest mechanic to do the work for you.
It's very simple. Here, most buy these cars for status and to impress others. If leased, the original owners take care of them till the lease runs out (maintenance is mandatory), if financed most basically don't. Then most buyers buying used also don't maintain them, and many can't afford the repairs. There's no appreciation for money spent on maintenance as an investment on longevity and reliability. Then you end up with cars with a huge list of issues that have piled up.
I know a taxi driver here in Ireland who has an E220 with over 300k miles. My own 2013 Mercedes C250 has 120k, full service history, oil changes every 7-8000 miles, runs perfectly. My mechanic, who is a Mercedes specialist, reckons it has easily another 100k miles left.
Most fuel pumps are in-tank now for solid engineering reasons to do with efficiency and cooling. Obviously that conflicts with ease of maintenance, but unless you are very unlucky, most cars do not go through fuel pumps particularly rapidly - most owners will never have to deal with it.
Yup looks to me like a guy could do that job in the driveway without too much grief, and most definitely the valve cover. Not as easy as my old '86 Corolla SR5 for sure with a mechanical fuel pump bolted to the engine (under about $40 all told if I remember right) but a lot better than a lot of newer cars as well!
Fix things when they are small is for any car. Had a 2000 Neon that I traded in because of rust not mechanical. Ran perfectly and never left me stranded other than a weak battery. Saw some tranny fluid on garage floor but I didn't let it go. Needed a new gasket but it was about time to change fluid anyways and never observed tranny fluid in garage again. Saw some coolant on the floor, the hose started cracking. Only paid for hoses, fluid and same thing. Both cases small fixes that could have cooked an engine if I let them go.
If only I understood why you value European cars so different than we do here in Europe. Mercedes, Audi and BMW are known to be very reliable here in Europe and Germany where I am living.
Many states in the US have no inspection requirements like TUV, so people who buy Euro cars second or third hand will often neglect maintenance and repairs that would normally get the car banned from use. Everyone wants to show off a fancy Audi or BMW, but most cannot afford to buy one still in warrantee, so the cost of ownership gets away from them and they degrade fast. It doesn't help that shops specializing in Euro cars charge more for their ability to work on what is considered a "special" car here, and many will offer to buy neglected cars from owners unable to afford repairs, because the shop can easily fix and flip them for profit.
It’s about driving conditions , in Canada it’s normal to drives thousands of kilometres in a single trip on roads of questionable quality in ALL weather boiling hot and arctic cold plus daily commutes of 80 km in heavy traffic, I don’t think many Europeans do this kind of severe driving on a regular basis so they’re cars last longer.
Its 50$ from MB, the aftermarket ones usually leak even worse than the old original. Also you need to change the bolt seals which are 10$ per from MB, and I think the job needs atleast 12 of those so 120$. Also theres these half moons at the back that love to leak unless installed properly. Also again these valve covers have some weird paint that loves to bubble, you most likely need to scrape that off from the sealing surface and possibly repaint or use RTV (if Aluminium cover, you can paint, if Magnesium I would RTV), add couple hours of labour. Its a DIY job but not for the beginners.
Same thing happened to me in a Volvo 240, it is only one pump under the car but you have no idea how much torque you have to give to those metal gaskets in order to not to leak. Great video! Greetings from Argentina!
Some vehicles are considered a labor of love. Many years ago, 2008ish, I knew someone who had always wanted a mid 1990's Range Rover. They loved it, but every time they turned around, it was $800, $1500, $2000, one thing after another. They sold it after 1.5 years because they just couldn't afford it anymore.
Having owned a 1989 S class and then moving to Lexus I have a few questions. Why did it cost a minimum of $1200 every time the dealer looked at the Mercedes? The Mercedes had it’s polymer parts returning to their original chemicals almost from day one. My 18 year old Lexus still has most of it’s plastic parts still intact. I do all of my own work now. I replaced that 2 pump system with a one pump and a better fuel filter and it never gave trouble again. The windows always broke on the Mercedes at a cost of $1200. The little plastic part to fix it cost $7 on ebay with a half hour of work. Why does Mercedes use 10 screws where 1 will do. Why did the Mercedes rattle and creek after 100,000 miles and the Lexus have 200,000 miles without a single rattle and never a broken window or switch. Don’t forget to change the timing chain(skinnier than a bicycle chain} before 100,000 miles or scrap the engine when it breaks.That Mercedes was a money pit. I have owned a 65 VW bug that was fun but I had to work on it all the time but I only needed the tools in a little box in the trunk and a few parts. The 1970 BMW 2002 held up better but the parts were 50 times the price of standard parts and proprietary. I will never own a German car again even though they are much prettier than Toyota in all it’s guises.
I had a mid-1990s Mercedes 400SE, bought "inexpensively" from my company's chairman after his lease expired at 48,000 miles. It was the most troublesome and expensive car to keep fixed that I have ever owned (and I have owned 20 cars, at least). Never going to get another Mercedes, ever.
That must have been a lemon! Or bad luck. I have a 99 s420, took 23 years and 170,000 miles for original parts to start to go bad, motor and transmission mounts, struts, power steering, coolant hose, Bunch of hit me at once but once I saw it was all factor parts, I couldn’t be mad!! But I do agree that it is expensive to keep up with and not for everyone
Wow, a cheap Mercedes that was probably only minimally maintained by someone who had no financial need or interest in maintaining the vehicle because he knew it only had the last through the lease and it ended up being problematic! What were the chances?
I have a 1983 MB 300 TDT, 5 cylinder diesel, with 384,000 miles. Driven it for decades with no major issues and wouldn’t hesitate to take it cross country. I wish I could buy a new one exactly like it.
Solid and honest advice. I love my old Mercedes but I would never recommend them to anyone that is not willing to delve into their wallet for maintenance.
I've heard of "AMG tax" but I'm sure this is an example of "SL tax". They're all beautiful cars but not practical as an everyday car. I've seen an identical car (1994 320SL in the same colour with a hard top) on the UK Auto Trader website for £2396 with just over 78K miles on the clock that needs a respray.
I think like the Wizard implied, if they are kept up on maintenance, they are a much less painful car to own. I've owned four "vintage" Mercedes, and by and large they were very reliable. Unlike my BMWs, several of which left me stranded at various times.
Ok , its a 94 that needs fuel system repairs. After 30 years I don't see that as being crazy repair. Seems that the "german" part is what hits the click-baity title.
Wizard...I am an industrial electrician that trouble shoots and repairs heavy equipment in a factory. I also fix my own vehicles because I like it and I'm cheap. All of the equipment in the plant that we have that is German is over designed, unnecessarily complex and difficult to troubleshoot.and whose replacement parts are though the roof. Sound familiar? I think Helmut and Wolfgang back in Wolfsburg try to out design each other daily!
Someone once said , If you couldn’t afford it when it was new you probably can’t afford it now. I suppose there’s some truth to that. Just because the value of the car has dropped over time, not always . That doesn’t mean the parts and specialized service have . In fact they have gone up. Any older car , European, American, Asian all will require a certain degree of maintenance on a yearly basis. If your not prepared to do this than don’t own one. Many fall into the trap of buying one of these cars “cheap” and soon realize that they are in way over their head. They got it cheap because the previous owner(s) did not maintain it. Like any older car , buy the best one out there , with service records and possibly long time ownership. It will be cheaper in the long run.
Surprised to see the oil leak was just the valve cover, Usually on the M104 it's always the actual cylinder head that leaks. It'll start along the back of the engine, hopefully this guy can avoid the expensive repair in the future.
I bought a VW Beetle it was a 2001 it had 119,000 miles as soon as I bought it I told my wife I was putting in a new water pump and timing belt. If your going to buy a car my advice is know what your buying and fix the problem areas before you depend on it. Soon I will replace all the plastic coolant parts, they degrade its best to replace them before it goes bad. This is what its like owning a European car. You either maintain them or pay a very high repair bill.
I took his advice and bought a Lincoln Town Car 2008. It had really low miles on it since it was owned by old people. That car is great. I've only had to do basic maintenance to it. Got rid of my money pit Mercedes and don't miss it.
if yout a japanese car kind of person and want to "upgrade" to a used premium German car. dont you wont be happy in the long run. Mercedes are great cars long as you can keep up with all that it needs. there really is nothing elese in the world that can match them. ive worked on them for 20 years and own a 15 glk 350 and it an awsome vehicle.
Just an advice, you should check around for a new parts supplier. Original Bosch fuel pumps are about $50. Try Rock Auto, i just did the same service for $200. Of course i did it myself but your parts prices are crazy!!!!
I daily in Spring and Summertime a 1991 Honda Beat, 33 year old JAPAN MARKET ONLY car meaning no 1000$ a month shop info subscription networks will have any diagrams or ability to order parts. I do the research, I get the diagrams, I order the OEM parts from Japan. I have a dependable mechanic to do necessary maintenance and provide him the diagrams, site links, and parts. It has been quite a dependable little tiny sports car outside of age related wear. And the maintenance it does need, parts are really cheap. an OEM waterpump is only 120$ all metal, no plastic propellers here. I HIGHLY Doubt the said can be said for a 30+ year old German car.
In my opinion, if you are going to buy an older Mercedes, you need to be able to do the maintenance yourself. Regular service parts are really not that expensive. Toyota parts are just about the same price. Follow the schedule to a T and keep up with it and you will have a fantastic, reliable car. I have 2, a 2011 E350 and a 2012 GLK350. I have done all the services myself and it's so easy. The Germans gave me so much room to work and it's all very straightforward. Replacement parts are everywhere, including brand-new interior pieces. Do your research, make sure it's been taken care of, or get a really great deal. Nothing compares to a German car. I also have a 06 Tacoma with 188k miles that I've had to do WAY more to keep running. Including having the whole frame swapped out due to rust. I'ts never left me stranded, but every time I've done a road trip, something failed when I got home. It doesn't even compare to Mercedes's quality. So again, do your Service A's and B's, keep an eye on things and they will treat you right. Also, get a $100 scanner on Amazon and you'll be set. These fall apart because people just want to run them and never do maintenance. It's really not hard to swap some fluids and plugs.
I bought a 1990 MB 300E in 2003 w/ 122,000 miles. Fixed minor problems that previous owner didn't fix including new tires as it had 3 brands on it. Drove it for over 3 yrs w/o any problems until in 2007 when my son put it dead center into a tree.
I definitely appreciate your videos,,a few years back I was interested in buying a 1998 Mercedes sl600 v12 AMG,,,, After watching your video I found out the wiring harness disintegrates and they don't sell an aftermarket harness,, It all has to be rewired by hand....very good information!!!!
What a beautiful car. You can buy these for very little money with the understanding that you can easily spend more than the purchase price on repairs to get everything sorted out. Buy one for $4k, spend $5k in the shop and you have a sub $10k convertible where everything works. For now. Today. 🙂 If the 320 engine is the same as in the ML320 SUV, it is easily good for 200,000 miles and more.
The engine in this car is the M104 inline 6. The ML320 has the M112 V6. Both are mechanically almost indestructible. The SL got the V6 with the 1998 facelift.
$175/hr. to service a German automobile? Wish you were closer to me - I just had my 2003 Corvette fluids flushed/changed at my local GM dealership, and their labor rate (on a Chevy) is (wait for it...) $299/hr. I was shocked, but wanted to get the fluids changed and don't know of a mechanic other than the dealer I can trust. I won't be doing that again - I'll search out a trusted mechanic for my next service. I am in south Florida.
I would rather have any of my 4 foxbody mustangs than a 320 or 500sl. However I agree it does look the same shape as one. I do like those Mercedes! Just not reliable enough. The Foxbody Mustangs are the ONLY car to have as far as reliability and style and easy to work on with unlimited parts available to keep them running. 79-93 Mustangs are my religion
Anything worth doing, is worth doing right, I'm like everyone else and need to save money, BUT I don't want my vehicle getting towed into a shop again for the same problem, anytime the mechanic shop says it also needs this, then I will always say go ahead, if they say it can wait for awhile sometimes I still will say do that now
$175 an hour for your labour... that's why people decline extra work. In Australia... that would be about $240 an hour. That is a lot of money for the average worker. I don't know how much they charge here. Afraid to ask i spose.
But the wizard is a top notch mechanic he does great work from everything iv seen he doesn't short cut the work and he is very intelligent about automotive your paying for that experience there are other shops that charge less around but your not going to get the attention to detail the wizard does here
Very true, don't keep issues piling up. Fix them as they come. In the end amount fixing all of them comes too high. I thought in my country was expensive, but $175 hour😭With that I wouldn't ever enter to a shop.
I have 1999 SL500 with 29k miles, I'm the 2nd owner. Doing around 1-2k miles per year. The only thing that needs attention is valve cover gasket. I will probably do this as a weekend project one day, bc shop quoted me $700 for this 1 hour job with $20 part. It drives beautifully.
Owned three different M-B all great cars but they were 80's models in the 90's. Still it's a job to keep up with the detailed maintenance. And yeah, they take "mountains out of molehills" very seriously, extremely complicated systems that perform simple tasks.
4 years ago I bought a MB GL450 for $13,000 that had 97,000 miles on it. The car fax shows 2 previous owners and surprisingly both owners serviced the vehicle correctly. It currently has 117,000 miles. Other than routine maintenance I had the oil cooler seal repaired due to it starting to leak, accessory belt and the main battery replaced. 9 months ago I also bought a 2011 MB E350 sedan for $10,000 with 138,000 miles. It currently has 141,000 miles. It was serviced correctly as well. MB is my favorite auto manufacturer but I am aware of the issues with owning higher mileage German vehicles. I know that getting them serviced at the MB dealer and using OEM parts is expensive but I have been rewarded with 2 vehicles where the way they both run and drive hasn’t diminished due to their age.
My brother owns two old 911 and a Mercedes 300 wagon , his maintenance costs are astronomical . I drive a 2000 Camry I bought brand new , yes it went through two starters and three sets of struts but it’s still on the original exhaust system , AC ,all accessories like pw,ps,at cruise control never touched just keep working and is only now starting to rust . I finally had to replace the original key($5) There’s no comparison on the build quality , Toyota knows what they’re doing, Porsche and Mercedes are building for the high end buyer who doesn’t care about repair bills it’s all about status and performance.
The M104 came out of the factory with a leaky valve gasket.. most of them suffer from that.. mine did as well. Oil gets all over the place. Fuel pumps are common too. It's all part of the star life..
I love these rigs. Very true in that this is a TOY. The weight distribution on the 6 cyl. in my opinion is preferable and the car handles better. This 320 provides plenty of power for a car of this size. Beautiful
I feel like I could daily my W211. Like you said it's about doing the maintenance before everything goes to shit all at once. I definitely think I could get by with it if I didn't have my $538 dollar a month payment on my newer "more reliable" Merc! I don't take either of them in without mentally preparing myself to spend at least a grand.
I protest, it's when they sit and they don't have annual inspections and you let it stack up. R129's are no less dependable than the W140's in my experience as a shop. Daily driven aircooleds and R129's are great if you make sure you drive to keep all the parts fresh. It costs money though, but money isn't what makes something dependable or not if you're on top of it. But yes I do agree, theyre not for someone who isn't about the life.
The only exception would be a VW with a TDI engine. Those can last forever provided that EGR, DPF and DEF are removed. Plenty of them with high mileage with no problems.
I worked on a few old Volos. Many of them didn't run. Took the Injection system apart. Swapped out fuel pumps. Eventually I found they were sucking air. Fuel pick-up corrosion.
Cherish and enjoy such beautiful, well engineered, machinery. Thank you for showing and enlightning us Car Wizard. I like your video's a lot! Greetings form Helmond, Netherlands
All cars in my household ae German and all are quite reliable and the youngest one (with 210k miles on it) is 17 years old. The oldest (with 130k miles on it) is 22 years old. It just depends on how they were maintained, and for whatever reason German cars attached 2nd owners who do not perform basic maintenance.
I bought a W211 for my love of its looks and design from a 2nd owner who had it ever since it was offered for off lease sale. But it constantly needed work to the amount of the money I had spent on buying it. It was enough for me to sell then.
I very much like your balanced perspective. German cars have their strong pros, but you need to be prepared and tolerate the unreliability after some years. Unfortunately it became sooo bad recently with the new models.
I drove one when it was new, 30 years ago. Even then it was not as bulletproof and trouble-free as the legends say now about these last real MB series cars. It did need a few repairs once and then. About the high maintenance costs, it's to be expected. It's quite a complex car, and it's not getting younger. Some parts are also getting hard to find. BTW, yours have a back then very rare 5-speed? A big plus! So, you will be spending more money, too, just to keep it going. But after all, it's not a Tesla to drive it for free almost.
Wow! I’ve been driving my 88 560sl for twelve years as a daily driver, plus long trips, the car is very dependable. Of course I have the maintenance done. My only complaint is the air conditioning, working as it should, is weak at best.
@@jessebaldwin2661 honestly yeah lol, I mean that is easier said but yeah, people should stop only going after "hotness" which is what almost everyone does lol. Then you end up with someone who only wants you for money and legit will not care about you after you get broke, Idk how do they accept and sleep with these people knowing all of this every night
I've had a 1996 SL 500 since 2013. I bought it for $7000 and I probably easily put over $20,000 into it A lot of it was just old parts. Although this was the first year of the newer five speed transmission and it started going out at about 150,000 miles. So I got a factory reman. And of course in this car sooner or later those top hydraulic cylinders will start leaking so that was done But I've told people as long as you stay away from the V12 and the air suspension it's a pretty simple car Oh and my car only has one fuel pump not all of them have the dual fuel pump set up I replace that too years ago Fuel filters are supposed to be changed on that car every 60,000 miles When I got it a simple hose going to the fuel pump was leaking and I was told it's because of the ethanol As far as buying one of these cars and relying on it for every day transportation some of them are 30 years old. I've brought mine up to a status that I took it on a 6500 mile road trip a few years ago. That engine is almost bulletproof It's the only car I've had that I still get occasional thumbs up from other motorist particularly when I have the hardtop off and the convertible top down Btw it was designed by Bruno Sacco's team and he said it's one of his best works. And he was inducted into the automotive Hall of Fame I don't see a fox body Mustang there but to each his own The car design was based on the W124 which was the 80s E class My SL is not a garage queen now with 232,000 miles It's had mobile one in it since it was new and if I could post pictures here I'd show you a picture of the valve train and the oil pick up when I had to replace the oil pan a few months ago They look absolutely spotless like they were just out from the factory
Back in my 20's (in the 90's) I bought a used Audi V8 Quattro--which at that time was their flagship vehicle... for about $10,000. It retailed for about $40k new... about 7 years prior. And at that time had no known mechanical issues. Over the next few years however it had problem after problem--each costing $1000 to $2000... and eventually I had spent more on repairs than I spent for the fvcking car. The factory brakes were a proprietary nightmare that kept failing over and over again--with no after-market solution available. Also the hydraulic rack / power steering system in those cars (and many Audis) was complete shit and leaked from every possible place over time. That taught me a valuable lesson that I haven't forgotten about used German cars.
Coming from someone who used to own a few German cars and one German ex-wife, I can confirm simplicity and common sense is a foreign concept to all of them
Exactly stay with honda and toyota
You sound like you need a Japanese wife! Responsive, obeys every instruction, reliable, simpler and no-nonsense! Spare parts cheaper too.
Haha...Ive always known better than to buy a German car, but had to learn the hard way about the German wife.
@user-hk9pn1iy8g Subaru and Mazda seem to be OK as well; Nissan not so much
That was a Freudian slip if I ever heard one!
I used to have a 1995 SL500. It was a beautiful, well-maintained car and I intended to keep it, but someone came along and offered me a great price if I would sell it. I had it for six years and sold it for $2000 more than I paid for it. I really miss that car!!
its not all about money.
We own a 1984 MB 300 SDL having acquired it in 2005 with 95,000 miles. It is a daily driver and currently has 180,000 miles. Other than a fresh paint job and recovering the driver's seat it has been a relatively trouble free car. It just runs and with it fresh paint looks as good as it did back in the 80s. Mercedes built great cars up to the early 90s. Then the bean counters took over and the quality dropped significantly. My point is, your point is well taken, but I feel needs clarification as to what era of cars we are talking about.
I have a 1985 300 D that I drive quite often. 310,000 miles and still going strong. It's the 2014 A4 that I worry about (with only 56,000 miles too).
1990 seems to be the magical cutoff date for Euro vehicles, as a group. The Honda/Toyota models OTOH; I'm skittish about them after about 2006, the 2007+ spook me as well
anecdote is not data
@@feandil666 There's a lot more anecdotes out there from people who own, or have owned old Mercedes, like me. Five of them. All from the 70's and 80's an all excellent.
@@feandil666 Its not an anecdote lol. Everyone knows nothing beat the old MB:s.
And it's not the first time these cars have caught fire due to old fuel lines. Definitely not a right place to save money
Replacing the fuel lines/hoses is very cheap fire insurance indeed.
No shame fuel lines going brittle etc.
Pays to learn diy mechanics to own a classic as wizards a Genuis but 170 dollars per hour.
Do the basic jobs and attain wizards skills expertise for deep engine repairs.
Otherwise you will need deep pockets.
Lot of Mercedes classic forums some owners are ex retired techs or smart diy ers help each other out with repairs.
My dad owned one in silver colour comes with hardtop and softtop. I drove it and it is an amazing car to be honest, it is better than today's Mercedes.
I agree completely. Although I never owned this model, I have driven the V8 version and it was sublime! Modern MBs look like used bars of soap now.
I have a 2003 W211 that is always needing something, has broken down twice this year, crank sensor and tensioner pulley. It is a spare car and more of a toy now. I need for it to convince me it will not sit on the side of the road again.
Just repaired my 90 year old parents 1997 W202, specialty German car shop had them spend...... $14,000+ on it and it still wasn't fixed, parents almost got rid of it. I diagnosed and replaced the MAF, Front HEGO sensor and the main culprit, a broken Resonator valve. Discontinued by Mercedes, found one on EBay. They are back in love with the car again and will never give another dime to that repair shop.
W211 is actually a reliable Mercedes.
Harmonic balancer and crank sensor failures happen to nearly all of them, but these really aren't major repairs that break the bank.
So name the shop.
@@Islandcitymedia Carmines Import Service in Kernersville,NC
Sorry mate , you got smoked on your parents car! And crank sensor and tensioner pulley are small maintenance items which you could actually do diy!
@@c-teamtrading9690 My parents have a 1997 C280 W202, I own the 2003 E320 W211. I do everything on my W211.
Hello Wizard! I like your videos and respect your professional attitude and knowledge. Not only German cars, but all European cars, and Japanese, French, South-Korean, etc... have planned maintenance schedules where you have to change described parts, fluids. I assume same processes are valid for US cars too. German engineers are quite keen about their engineering and manufacturing skills, the quality and experience their cars present, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, etc... For that 'German car experience' the owners have to provide the car with the planned maintenance, then the car will serve them for a long time. I had several German cars in the last 28 years of my life (when I owned cars and used them) and saw mileage between 300-600.000 miles, without serious issues, just by maintaining properly my(our) cars. Of course not as luxury cars as this Mercedes, but I had Audi A6 level cars.... Proper maintenance (and the lack of ignorance) is key to almost all mechanical equipment, especially for a complicated one as a road vehicle.
One of the key promlems with the 'regular' US motorist is that he/she considers car maintenance to be optional.
Americans usually go to Yosemite Sam & Co to repair their cars, while Germans always have a highly qualified auto technician to service their cars. There is the difference. Greetings from a North European.
I have a 1989 560SL and have had the same fuel leak problem. I think the use of ethanol fuel is what causes that O ring at the crimp to shrink. When those cars were new we didn't have 10% ethanol in the fuel.
Agree. Ethanol really killed and squezed the last fart out of those old cars, both physical and the attractiveness.
You have to abandon and get past those oldish fossil fuel cars before the Boomer Collector gets you. Greetings from a North European.
@@trondsimonsen4025No…. get the hoses etc. replaced with modern equivalents and uses and enjoy them NOW…..
Also no ethanol in Europe fuel
@@VerdoVeriThere is.
@@gergelyturcsanyi6743 yep, it came in later but E10 is very much the standard coming out of euro pumps now, E5 is the best you will find. and E5 has been standard in europe for 20-odd years now.
Just to let Mrs. Wizz know: The R129 only has two power windows, not four. The two similarily designed switches in the center console are for the heated seats :)
Hi wizard
I have a bunch of old ones
79 300 CD, 80 300 SD, 84 300 SL
91 300 sel
95 e320, 99 s420,
But I also have a 2015 n 23 Vw that are my primary ones, I love the old ones, I drive em to work or the store, on and off few days a week or few times a month. shuffle em around. For the most part no major issues. While I agree that it shouldn’t be a primary car, at same time it could be. Just need to have a good shop or guy on stand by. Preventive maintenance is key too in my opinion on some things
Only gems 😎👌
I told my parents that my next car needs to be a toyota (still had my rogue at the time) because of you and scotty.
And because i see plenty of 90s toyotas that look beat to death yet STILL ON THE ROAD!
After i totaled my rouge. My parents caved in and bought me a 2021 venza.
Im happy with it and even replaced the hybrid fan filter underneath the rear passenger seat because i dont know how the previous owner treated it.
Scott says to buy a 20 year old Toyota, not the new garbage
If you want to keep something that old on the road as a daily then buy the simplest MB E-class you can find instead. Then you dont have to drive around in a tin can. They are not going to break any more than a Toyota. They've had the highest miles on them of all bands before junked here in Europe.
I've got 40,000 miles on my tires, but they are 11 years old. The car is garage kept, so there is no cracking from UV degradation. I just had to replace the battery, a month ago, after the same 11 years. When I had the battery replaced, the dealer said that my belts and hoses looked like new, even after 11 years.
Well done Wizard. I drive an 83 BMW 320iS. Not my daily and I fix everything as it comes up. A pleasure to own if you have the funds.
I was always partial to the V8. But seeing that I6? I think I would rather have a sixxer. What a clean and serviceable engine bay.
Cars from Mercedes and BMW of that era are tremendously maintainable by a home mechanic.
@@jimtaylor431 VW too even. My 12 VR6 MKIV GTI is quite enjoyable to work on.
@@russelljacob7955 Indeed.. I used to own a bunch of Corrado's :-)
@@jimtaylor431 thank you for that comment! Yes, these cars are complex as you would expect from a luxury car but it is very well engineered and good to work at.
i have a w140 with the I6 and service is insanely easy, so much room in the engine bay
I remember my nephew bought a used bmw after he graduated in the 90s it didn't take long for him to realize how expensive it was to keep it on the road. Didn't take him long to get rid of it.
I’ve had insane luck with all of my 3 series
So, there is maintenance. These cars are so much cooler than anything out there today with little to no computer/electronic problems. My 2015 car has obsolete electronics. Plus, seen what a new car sells for today? Ya got maintenance, but I’m betting you can still get out of this down the line cheaper than what a new car would cost.
I have a 2008 VW rabbit, 2.5L engine, manual. Been a great car, bought it new, me as well as everyone else I know with a VW has another car, usually a toyota, so they have something to drive when the fun car is broken. This is my 4th vw i've owned. My other car is a 2006 Scion XB, great car, not fast, but cheap to drive and maintain and reliable.
Thank you for being an honest mechanic in a world full of dishonest people!
I tip my cap to you Wizard
Charging $175/hr labor is not honesty in my world.
@@petrosaguilar8916 Also, telling a customer "replace everything I tell you to, or come get your car". Um, you bet ill come get my car. And find a new mechanic. And let all my freinds know that this guy is a DICK and don't do business with him. I appreciate my mechanic telling me everything that *should* be replaced, but making that a condition of doing the work and telling me in a tone like "come get your car"? F*ck you dude, I WILL come get my car.
@@petrosaguilar8916 There are dealers charging over $200 now
When I started out years ago as a lube and tire tech at the local Goodyear store I brought an early 80’s Mercedes in with a fuel leak to look at. I found it had a similar set up and was leaking in the same spot. That became something I would automatically look at whenever I had a Mercedes in for service. Since I’m in an area that uses a lot of road salt I would start cautioning my customers whenever I saw a lot of corrosion on the assembly that it could be a potential failure and if they start smelling or seeing gas in that area to get it towed in to someplace for service. Most of the customers appreciate the heads up of what to look for.
normaly im with you wizzard,even with the top of the r129!but the rest over german cars is not complete right!the difference between the german and american people is,we germans take care of our cars,the americans ride it to death and do nearly nothing until its broke! i had a W126,no rust,nothing drips,same with the E38 BMW 740i,not one drip under the car,no rust,nothing wrong with over 160000miles (330000km),greetings from germany
how do you do rust prevention in Germany?
Washing it often, over and under.
As example,we prevent a new car by using "dinol".we put it inside the holes of the body so everything is covered.Or mike sanders at older cars!In winter we clean everthing under the car as much as possible,so salt cant stay there.And we change technical parts,before they brake down,like the wizzard show!We dont ride parts with rubber to death.We change a gasket,when it starts leaking and not,when the oil is running down the hole car!Stuff like that i mean.Greetings from germany
Yet mid 1980s to about 2006 Japanese cars and trucks seem to last forever here in the USA; even with less than proper maintenance. 😮
@@piercehawke8021 Different philosophies I guess.
*Germans* Our buyers will take good care of their car and maintain it properly
*Japanese* Build it idiot proof so any idiot can handle it.
15:28: "Every time I turn around something's broke!" See what happens to people who turn around?
If you turn in the opposite direction............it's fixed!
@@guzzijack9714 I didn't think of that! Thanks!!
I've seen a video where someone (an enthusiast) bought a special edition Corvette(?) with tailor-made matching trailer and speedboat, convertible, red paintwork and leather throughout. Looks the business. It's a present he gave himself.
Yes it takes work, time, money to keep it good shape and it's garaged during the winter and he wonders why he keeps it.
Then the spring comes around and he takes out to the water, and he knows again why he keeps it.
do maintenance PREVENTATIVELY, don't wait for your fuel and ignition systems to break before you replace old parts.
Thanks so much for this vid on the R129! These have always been one of my favorite Mercedes, though one of the few models I have never owned. Smiled to myself on your coverage of the back-and-forth mental gymnastics of justifying ownership. In my humble opinion, and given my experience with multiple Mercedes of the '99 through 2002 model years, I absolutely think they are worth it!!
Whenever you sell a vehicle out of frustration, you're truly trading one set of problems for another.
Sounds a bit like getting married a second time after a divorce. There won't be a second time for me. Not even a first yet because I am getting to old for that
Those are the type of cars that can always be found in the used car classifieds for cheap because the owner just wants to get rid of the headache.
In a recent episode of Buddy's DIY, he bought a perfect example of a Nissan Altima for just $500 because it would not start. The only thing wrong with it was a loose starter cable. He then cleaned it up and flipped it for $5,000.
Not sure I agree - I drove my 993 Twin Turbo as my primary car for many years. I also drove my BMW 740il to 155K miles and aside from a front suspension issue, that was very expensive, it never let me down. I just got sick of the size of the 740il and traded it for an AMG C43. I think it depends on how well the car is maintained. My mother had a 2001 VW Passat that she just traded in last year (well over the 100K mile mark).
Maintenance is definitely a key. All of the German luxury brands call for oil changes every 10,000 miles on their cars for at least the last 10 years. That’s a prescription for a blown engine (or at least major work) at 100,000 miles. If one can afford a luxury car, you can afford oil changes every 5,000 miles.
The Car Wizard is a great man!
14 MB e550a black cabrio with 70k in excellent condition.
In Last 2 years, babied with quarterly wax and leather treatment application, plugs, trans & rear end fluids, primary and secondary coolant replacement, tires, cam phaser sensors, brakes, wiring harness inspections, backup battery, convertible top lube, filters, 5k oil changes, safety inspections.
Still enjoy it.
Approximately $7-8 k to keep it almost new.
I've been lucky so far. I have a 2014 Mercedes E350 Coupe and it's now at 133k miles and never had an issue. Just kept up with routine maintenance. Oil changes every 5k miles. Transmission service every 35k. Spark Plugs and cleaning out intake valves since it's a direct injection engine, at 100k miles. Still drives good as new. And was a primary car until recently. As I now have a 2021 Tacoma TRD Offroad that I primarily use now and the Merc is more of a fun weekender. These cars do keep a timeless design to them. And what's amazing to me, for a 10 year old Merc at 133k miles, not a single oil leak. Still on the factory valve cover gaskets and it's bone dry.
All cars and Trucks suck - Planes are the way to go.
Our E220cdi has 200K miles, everbody knows these cars for realibilty. He is talking shit, after 30 years every o ring will fail.
Cool to hear you mention Alpharetta as an Alpharetta native (and DC MotorWerks customer!)
I will be visiting him soon
Of course you can have an older German car as a daily. Mine is a 1998 Mercedes CLK320, which has not the best reputation. But: It is all a question of maintenance. Change the oil and filters when the car tells you, have a look at the spark plugs (not too often, changing interval of the plugs at the M112 engine is 120Tkm) and fix it when there is a leak. I got mine very cheap in a reasonable condition and since then I let my shop do all the necessary work (buying oil and filters and brake parts on my own). We made some prophylactic work (crankshaft balancer, serpentine belt, air mass and crankshaft sensor - not too expensive at all). In 10 years I had no breakdown. It is just running well. And of course this car is no way comparable to a 1998 American car.
Yeah most American 1998 cars are in the junkyard 😂😂😂😂
I had an '01 CLK55 and it was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. The only thing that ever went wrong was a faulty brake switch, something to blame the vendor on and not Mercedes.
Ill never understand the guys that call these cars "junk" and will get into a 1975 Ford LTD and say "Oh ya, this thing right here is a beaut! You can keep all that German and Japanese trash, ill drive this baby tille the wheels fall off."
Like, they actually think those things are better looking than a Mercedes or Toyota. And there's a lot of guys like that. I dont get it at all.
I drive my 2000 VW Jetta GLS VR6 every day and it has 180k on it. I drove it from Washington State to Alabama then to Arizona and back to Alabama all within 5 week's in the dead of summer. That was 5 years ago . I got the car for free because it "didn't run". I changed one 30 amp fuse and it runs fine to this day.
Wizard I have 2 Mercedes with over 200k on each, I purchase them with 185k. I have a 2006 cls500 And a 2013 e350 red, once I purchased the vehicles I go through and change all the fluids, belts tensioners and all the potential failure parts, I do the work myself and I’m not a mechanic I watch a lot of your videos and other UA-cam videos like legit street cars and samcrac. The cars runs almost perfect and like you said I don’t let the repairs pile up. Love your videos.
Exactly right..Mercedes are great cars and will outlast most others if they are given correct maintenance.
I do the same as you ,,I have a 2005 CLK55 AMG Coupe which runs and drives perfectly ..in six years the only time I have taken it to a shop was for a wheel alignment.
I don't understand what he's talking about. Here in Germany, everybody buys a Mercedes-Benz, even with over 100,000 miles. Even our taxis are E-Class models with 400,000 miles. Older models like the W124 or Mercedes diesels are very reliable. Our E-Class 220 CDI from 2009 has 200,000 miles without any issues. I don't know what Americans are doing to these cars to have so many problems with them.
I own a X5 4.4 with 175000 miles, a e90 335i with 145000 and a e93 328i with 120000. They all run perfectly. I do all the work on these cars, mechanical or electronics.They are no different from other cars. Just just do the regular maintenance an learn how to fix them yourself or find a good an honest mechanic to do the work for you.
It's very simple. Here, most buy these cars for status and to impress others. If leased, the original owners take care of them till the lease runs out (maintenance is mandatory), if financed most basically don't. Then most buyers buying used also don't maintain them, and many can't afford the repairs. There's no appreciation for money spent on maintenance as an investment on longevity and reliability. Then you end up with cars with a huge list of issues that have piled up.
No value These old cars in USA
Japanese cars easily last 300K miles here in the US. It’s European over engineering vs. Japanese superior engineering.
I know a taxi driver here in Ireland who has an E220 with over 300k miles. My own 2013 Mercedes C250 has 120k, full service history, oil changes every 7-8000 miles, runs perfectly. My mechanic, who is a Mercedes specialist, reckons it has easily another 100k miles left.
A fuel pump thats easy to change and troubleshoot, because its not inside the tank...imagine that! Take note automakers!!
Most fuel pumps are in-tank now for solid engineering reasons to do with efficiency and cooling. Obviously that conflicts with ease of maintenance, but unless you are very unlucky, most cars do not go through fuel pumps particularly rapidly - most owners will never have to deal with it.
Yup looks to me like a guy could do that job in the driveway without too much grief, and most definitely the valve cover. Not as easy as my old '86 Corolla SR5 for sure with a mechanical fuel pump bolted to the engine (under about $40 all told if I remember right) but a lot better than a lot of newer cars as well!
So... back to leaded fuel, no crumple zones etc ?????
@@peterroach3377 none of those things dictate where the fuel pump can be mounted
VW/Audi vehicles have a hatch to access the fuel pump in tank. American cars require dropping the entire tank.
That Mercedes-Benz gauge cluster is my favorite one in any vehicle. Beautiful and tasteful simplicity.
Fix things when they are small is for any car. Had a 2000 Neon that I traded in because of rust not mechanical. Ran perfectly and never left me stranded other than a weak battery. Saw some tranny fluid on garage floor but I didn't let it go. Needed a new gasket but it was about time to change fluid anyways and never observed tranny fluid in garage again. Saw some coolant on the floor, the hose started cracking. Only paid for hoses, fluid and same thing. Both cases small fixes that could have cooked an engine if I let them go.
If only I understood why you value European cars so different than we do here in Europe. Mercedes, Audi and BMW are known to be very reliable here in Europe and Germany where I am living.
Remember Toto, "you are in Kansas now"!
Reliable just like a fisher karma is lol 😆 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😮
Many states in the US have no inspection requirements like TUV, so people who buy Euro cars second or third hand will often neglect maintenance and repairs that would normally get the car banned from use. Everyone wants to show off a fancy Audi or BMW, but most cannot afford to buy one still in warrantee, so the cost of ownership gets away from them and they degrade fast. It doesn't help that shops specializing in Euro cars charge more for their ability to work on what is considered a "special" car here, and many will offer to buy neglected cars from owners unable to afford repairs, because the shop can easily fix and flip them for profit.
It’s about driving conditions , in Canada it’s normal to drives thousands of kilometres in a single trip on roads of questionable quality in ALL weather boiling hot and arctic cold plus daily commutes of 80 km in heavy traffic, I don’t think many Europeans do this kind of severe driving on a regular basis so they’re cars last longer.
What is sad is that the valve cover is about $16, takes about 1 hour, and is very straight forward. Perfect DIY project.
Most cannot do the job
i about to do mine myself. I was quoted $700
@@CarWizard right, most people can't even change their own oil
Its 50$ from MB, the aftermarket ones usually leak even worse than the old original. Also you need to change the bolt seals which are 10$ per from MB, and I think the job needs atleast 12 of those so 120$. Also theres these half moons at the back that love to leak unless installed properly. Also again these valve covers have some weird paint that loves to bubble, you most likely need to scrape that off from the sealing surface and possibly repaint or use RTV (if Aluminium cover, you can paint, if Magnesium I would RTV), add couple hours of labour.
Its a DIY job but not for the beginners.
@@Mortalomena I'm gonna be doing that gasket pretty soon here on my E320, any other tips?
I have a 1997 E420 has over 250,000 miles with a 2nd battery, 2nd radiator and 2nd AC compressor that's it. Yep, each battery has over 100,000 miles.
Rock solid car....mine has 189k miles, 1997 too
Holy mackerel, your batteries last 13 years? Amazing.
@@guzzijack9714 Yea, it is an OEM huge battery that sits in the bottom of back seats.
Same thing happened to me in a Volvo 240, it is only one pump under the car but you have no idea how much torque you have to give to those metal gaskets in order to not to leak. Great video! Greetings from Argentina!
Some vehicles are considered a labor of love.
Many years ago, 2008ish, I knew someone who had always wanted a mid 1990's Range Rover. They loved it, but every time they turned around, it was $800, $1500, $2000, one thing after another. They sold it after 1.5 years because they just couldn't afford it anymore.
Having owned a 1989 S class and then moving to Lexus I have a few questions. Why did it cost a minimum of $1200 every time the dealer looked at the Mercedes? The Mercedes had it’s polymer parts returning to their original chemicals almost from day one. My 18 year old Lexus still has most of it’s plastic parts still intact. I do all of my own work now. I replaced that 2 pump system with a one pump and a better fuel filter and it never gave trouble again. The windows always broke on the Mercedes at a cost of $1200. The little plastic part to fix it cost $7 on ebay with a half hour of work. Why does Mercedes use 10 screws where 1 will do. Why did the Mercedes rattle and creek after 100,000 miles and the Lexus have 200,000 miles without a single rattle and never a broken window or switch. Don’t forget to change the timing chain(skinnier than a bicycle chain} before 100,000 miles or scrap the engine when it breaks.That Mercedes was a money pit. I have owned a 65 VW bug that was fun but I had to work on it all the time but I only needed the tools in a little box in the trunk and a few parts. The 1970 BMW 2002 held up better but the parts were 50 times the price of standard parts and proprietary. I will never own a German car again even though they are much prettier than Toyota in all it’s guises.
Obviously not this specific model but Mercedes are the standard taxi in Germany.
I like that they keep their taxi cabs impeccably clean in Germany.
Wrong...all of western Europe. LOL I've been in Mercedes taxis in Germany, Denmark, Italy and probably more countries.
I had a mid-1990s Mercedes 400SE, bought "inexpensively" from my company's chairman after his lease expired at 48,000 miles. It was the most troublesome and expensive car to keep fixed that I have ever owned (and I have owned 20 cars, at least). Never going to get another Mercedes, ever.
That must have been a lemon! Or bad luck.
I have a 99 s420, took 23 years and 170,000 miles for original parts to start to go bad, motor and transmission mounts, struts, power steering, coolant hose,
Bunch of hit me at once but once I saw it was all factor parts, I couldn’t be mad!!
But I do agree that it is expensive to keep up with and not for everyone
Wow, a cheap Mercedes that was probably only minimally maintained by someone who had no financial need or interest in maintaining the vehicle because he knew it only had the last through the lease and it ended up being problematic!
What were the chances?
I have a 1983 MB 300 TDT, 5 cylinder diesel, with 384,000 miles. Driven it for decades with no major issues and wouldn’t hesitate to take it cross country. I wish I could buy a new one exactly like it.
Sadly that ship has long sailed. Even with diesels.
Solid and honest advice. I love my old Mercedes but I would never recommend them to anyone that is not willing to delve into their wallet for maintenance.
I've heard of "AMG tax" but I'm sure this is an example of "SL tax". They're all beautiful cars but not practical as an everyday car. I've seen an identical car (1994 320SL in the same colour with a hard top) on the UK Auto Trader website for £2396 with just over 78K miles on the clock that needs a respray.
I think like the Wizard implied, if they are kept up on maintenance, they are a much less painful car to own. I've owned four "vintage" Mercedes, and by and large they were very reliable. Unlike my BMWs, several of which left me stranded at various times.
Ok , its a 94 that needs fuel system repairs. After 30 years I don't see that as being crazy repair.
Seems that the "german" part is what hits the click-baity title.
Agree!
100%
True! A little fuel leak isn‘t an issue after 30 years.
Wizard...I am an industrial electrician that trouble shoots and repairs heavy equipment in a factory. I also fix my own vehicles because I like it and I'm cheap. All of the equipment in the plant that we have that is German is over designed, unnecessarily complex and difficult to troubleshoot.and whose replacement parts are though the roof. Sound familiar? I think Helmut and Wolfgang back in Wolfsburg try to out design each other daily!
Someone once said , If you couldn’t afford it when it was new you probably can’t afford it now. I suppose there’s some truth to that. Just because the value of the car has dropped over time, not always . That doesn’t mean the parts and specialized service have . In fact they have gone up. Any older car , European, American, Asian all will require a certain degree of maintenance on a yearly basis. If your not prepared to do this than don’t own one. Many fall into the trap of buying one of these cars “cheap” and soon realize that they are in way over their head. They got it cheap because the previous owner(s) did not maintain it.
Like any older car , buy the best one out there , with service records and possibly long time ownership. It will be cheaper in the long run.
Surprised to see the oil leak was just the valve cover, Usually on the M104 it's always the actual cylinder head that leaks. It'll start along the back of the engine, hopefully this guy can avoid the expensive repair in the future.
I bought a VW Beetle it was a 2001 it had 119,000 miles as soon as I bought it I told my wife I was putting in a new water pump and timing belt. If your going to buy a car my advice is know what your buying and fix the problem areas before you depend on it. Soon I will replace all the plastic coolant parts, they degrade its best to replace them before it goes bad. This is what its like owning a European car. You either maintain them or pay a very high repair bill.
I took his advice and bought a Lincoln Town Car 2008. It had really low miles on it since it was owned by old people. That car is great. I've only had to do basic maintenance to it. Got rid of my money pit Mercedes and don't miss it.
Those older Lincolns are incredible cars. They will last 400,000 miles if taken care of.
if yout a japanese car kind of person and want to "upgrade" to a used premium German car. dont you wont be happy in the long run. Mercedes are great cars long as you can keep up with all that it needs. there really is nothing elese in the world that can match them. ive worked on them for 20 years and own a 15 glk 350 and it an awsome vehicle.
Love my Volvo 240 from 91.. just coming home from a 5000km or 3106 miles drive.. greetings from Norway.. No problems..
Just an advice, you should check around for a new parts supplier. Original Bosch fuel pumps are about $50. Try Rock Auto, i just did the same service for $200. Of course i did it myself but your parts prices are crazy!!!!
I daily in Spring and Summertime a 1991 Honda Beat, 33 year old JAPAN MARKET ONLY car meaning no 1000$ a month shop info subscription networks will have any diagrams or ability to order parts. I do the research, I get the diagrams, I order the OEM parts from Japan. I have a dependable mechanic to do necessary maintenance and provide him the diagrams, site links, and parts. It has been quite a dependable little tiny sports car outside of age related wear.
And the maintenance it does need, parts are really cheap. an OEM waterpump is only 120$ all metal, no plastic propellers here.
I HIGHLY Doubt the said can be said for a 30+ year old German car.
So cool to hear Wizard mention Alpharetta. That’s where I live lmao
That’s funny why?
Ill be visiting in the future
In my opinion, if you are going to buy an older Mercedes, you need to be able to do the maintenance yourself. Regular service parts are really not that expensive. Toyota parts are just about the same price. Follow the schedule to a T and keep up with it and you will have a fantastic, reliable car. I have 2, a 2011 E350 and a 2012 GLK350. I have done all the services myself and it's so easy. The Germans gave me so much room to work and it's all very straightforward. Replacement parts are everywhere, including brand-new interior pieces. Do your research, make sure it's been taken care of, or get a really great deal. Nothing compares to a German car. I also have a 06 Tacoma with 188k miles that I've had to do WAY more to keep running. Including having the whole frame swapped out due to rust. I'ts never left me stranded, but every time I've done a road trip, something failed when I got home. It doesn't even compare to Mercedes's quality. So again, do your Service A's and B's, keep an eye on things and they will treat you right. Also, get a $100 scanner on Amazon and you'll be set. These fall apart because people just want to run them and never do maintenance. It's really not hard to swap some fluids and plugs.
I bought a 1990 MB 300E in 2003 w/ 122,000 miles. Fixed minor problems that previous owner didn't fix including new tires as it had 3 brands on it. Drove it for over 3 yrs w/o any problems until in 2007 when my son put it dead center into a tree.
I definitely appreciate your videos,,a few years back I was interested in buying a 1998 Mercedes sl600 v12 AMG,,,, After watching your video I found out the wiring harness disintegrates and they don't sell an aftermarket harness,, It all has to be rewired by hand....very good information!!!!
What a beautiful car. You can buy these for very little money with the understanding that you can easily spend more than the purchase price on repairs to get everything sorted out. Buy one for $4k, spend $5k in the shop and you have a sub $10k convertible where everything works. For now. Today. 🙂 If the 320 engine is the same as in the ML320 SUV, it is easily good for 200,000 miles and more.
The engine in this car is the M104 inline 6. The ML320 has the M112 V6. Both are mechanically almost indestructible. The SL got the V6 with the 1998 facelift.
$175/hr. to service a German automobile? Wish you were closer to me - I just had my 2003 Corvette fluids flushed/changed at my local GM dealership, and their labor rate (on a Chevy) is (wait for it...) $299/hr.
I was shocked, but wanted to get the fluids changed and don't know of a mechanic other than the dealer I can trust. I won't be doing that again - I'll search out a trusted mechanic
for my next service. I am in south Florida.
I would rather have any of my 4 foxbody mustangs than a 320 or 500sl. However I agree it does look the same shape as one. I do like those Mercedes! Just not reliable enough. The Foxbody Mustangs are the ONLY car to have as far as reliability and style and easy to work on with unlimited parts available to keep them running. 79-93 Mustangs are my religion
Anything worth doing, is worth doing right, I'm like everyone else and need to save money, BUT I don't want my vehicle getting towed into a shop again for the same problem, anytime the mechanic shop says it also needs this, then I will always say go ahead, if they say it can wait for awhile sometimes I still will say do that now
R129’s are fabulous! Thank you Wizard, we love the Benz energy!
$175 an hour for your labour... that's why people decline extra work. In Australia... that would be about $240 an hour. That is a lot of money for the average worker. I don't know how much they charge here. Afraid to ask i spose.
Take into account the exchange rate of 1US dollar being worth around 65 AU cents and your comparison works out around the same.
@mikevale3620 I worked it out at 65 cents to US 1 dollar. We are 2/3rds of your $.
But the wizard is a top notch mechanic he does great work from everything iv seen he doesn't short cut the work and he is very intelligent about automotive your paying for that experience there are other shops that charge less around but your not going to get the attention to detail the wizard does here
Today in germany they take up to 375 Euros per our
@@Haffschlappe wow.
Very true, don't keep issues piling up. Fix them as they come. In the end amount fixing all of them comes too high. I thought in my country was expensive, but $175 hour😭With that I wouldn't ever enter to a shop.
I have 1999 SL500 with 29k miles, I'm the 2nd owner. Doing around 1-2k miles per year. The only thing that needs attention is valve cover gasket. I will probably do this as a weekend project one day, bc shop quoted me $700 for this 1 hour job with $20 part. It drives beautifully.
Just saw the Hoovie video with the Fiat EV, very much looking forward to see what you're able to do with it as I'm sure many DIYers are.
Owned three different M-B all great cars but they were 80's models in the 90's. Still it's a job to keep up with the detailed maintenance.
And yeah, they take "mountains out of molehills" very seriously, extremely complicated systems that perform simple tasks.
Really appreciate your honesty and opinion.
I am on my 4th E class Mercedes, recently had 2004 with 160.000 and since 133, I only did tires and oil changes!
Many Mercedes use two pumps. When normal driving only one is working. When "flooring" it. Vacuum controlled solenoid activates second pump.
4 years ago I bought a MB GL450 for $13,000 that had 97,000 miles on it. The car fax shows 2 previous owners and surprisingly both owners serviced the vehicle correctly. It currently has 117,000 miles. Other than routine maintenance I had the oil cooler seal repaired due to it starting to leak, accessory belt and the main battery replaced. 9 months ago I also bought a 2011 MB E350 sedan for $10,000 with 138,000 miles. It currently has 141,000 miles. It was serviced correctly as well. MB is my favorite auto manufacturer but I am aware of the issues with owning higher mileage German vehicles. I know that getting them serviced at the MB dealer and using OEM parts is expensive but I have been rewarded with 2 vehicles where the way they both run and drive hasn’t diminished due to their age.
This is an instant classic wizard video. Awesome! ❤
My brother owns two old 911 and a Mercedes 300 wagon , his maintenance costs are astronomical . I drive a 2000 Camry I bought brand new , yes it went through two starters and three sets of struts but it’s still on the original exhaust system , AC ,all accessories like pw,ps,at cruise control never touched just keep working and is only now starting to rust . I finally had to replace the original key($5) There’s no comparison on the build quality , Toyota knows what they’re doing, Porsche and Mercedes are building for the high end buyer who doesn’t care about repair bills it’s all about status and performance.
The M104 came out of the factory with a leaky valve gasket.. most of them suffer from that.. mine did as well. Oil gets all over the place. Fuel pumps are common too. It's all part of the star life..
Can't go wrong listening and learning from the wizard's
I love these rigs. Very true in that this is a TOY. The weight distribution on the 6 cyl. in my opinion is preferable and the car handles better. This 320 provides plenty of power for a car of this size. Beautiful
I feel like I could daily my W211. Like you said it's about doing the maintenance before everything goes to shit all at once. I definitely think I could get by with it if I didn't have my $538 dollar a month payment on my newer "more reliable" Merc! I don't take either of them in without mentally preparing myself to spend at least a grand.
These days $538 a month payment's chicken feed, sorry to say
I protest, it's when they sit and they don't have annual inspections and you let it stack up. R129's are no less dependable than the W140's in my experience as a shop.
Daily driven aircooleds and R129's are great if you make sure you drive to keep all the parts fresh. It costs money though, but money isn't what makes something dependable or not if you're on top of it. But yes I do agree, theyre not for someone who isn't about the life.
The only exception would be a VW with a TDI engine. Those can last forever provided that EGR, DPF and DEF are removed. Plenty of them with high mileage with no problems.
I worked on a few old Volos. Many of them didn't run. Took the Injection system apart. Swapped out fuel pumps. Eventually I found they were sucking air. Fuel pick-up corrosion.
My Ford Focus with 294k miles and manual transmission has a great looking (new looking)dash
Cherish and enjoy such beautiful, well engineered, machinery. Thank you for showing and enlightning us Car Wizard.
I like your video's a lot! Greetings form Helmond, Netherlands
All cars in my household ae German and all are quite reliable and the youngest one (with 210k miles on it) is 17 years old. The oldest (with 130k miles on it) is 22 years old. It just depends on how they were maintained, and for whatever reason German cars attached 2nd owners who do not perform basic maintenance.
I own a 1997 40th Anniversary Edition SL-500 Looks very similar to this one .
This man speaks the truth, comming from a guy that own 6 classic german cars.
Its almost the opposite with older MB:s. The more you drive them the less problems you will have. Driving them often is the best you can do.
I bought a W211 for my love of its looks and design from a 2nd owner who had it ever since it was offered for off lease sale.
But it constantly needed work to the amount of the money I had spent on buying it.
It was enough for me to sell then.
I very much like your balanced perspective. German cars have their strong pros, but you need to be prepared and tolerate the unreliability after some years. Unfortunately it became sooo bad recently with the new models.
I drove one when it was new, 30 years ago. Even then it was not as bulletproof and trouble-free as the legends say now about these last real MB series cars. It did need a few repairs once and then. About the high maintenance costs, it's to be expected. It's quite a complex car, and it's not getting younger. Some parts are also getting hard to find. BTW, yours have a back then very rare 5-speed? A big plus! So, you will be spending more money, too, just to keep it going. But after all, it's not a Tesla to drive it for free almost.
Wow! I’ve been driving my 88 560sl for twelve years as a daily driver, plus long trips, the car is very dependable.
Of course I have the maintenance done. My only complaint is the air conditioning, working as it should, is weak at best.
"... (she's) very beautiful, but comes with high maintenance... but I married her anyway!"
Almost every beautiful woman I have met is 'high maintenance' and self-centered. Find yourself an average-looking woman with good cooking skills.
@@jessebaldwin2661 honestly yeah lol, I mean that is easier said but yeah, people should stop only going after "hotness" which is what almost everyone does lol. Then you end up with someone who only wants you for money and legit will not care about you after you get broke, Idk how do they accept and sleep with these people knowing all of this every night
Love the "inline 6" audio insert @0:31. :)
Hey - I have a 2000 R129 V8 as my fifth car. My other cars include a 2017 BMW M2, a 2004 BMW Z4, a 2006 BMW X3 and a 2020 Audi Q5.
You're a brave human being and/or has the $$$ to keep your fleet up and running
I've had a 1996 SL 500 since 2013. I bought it for $7000 and I probably easily put over $20,000 into it
A lot of it was just old parts. Although this was the first year of the newer five speed transmission and it started going out at about 150,000 miles. So I got a factory reman.
And of course in this car sooner or later those top hydraulic cylinders will start leaking so that was done
But I've told people as long as you stay away from the V12 and the air suspension it's a pretty simple car
Oh and my car only has one fuel pump not all of them have the dual fuel pump set up
I replace that too years ago
Fuel filters are supposed to be changed on that car every 60,000 miles
When I got it a simple hose going to the fuel pump was leaking and I was told it's because of the ethanol
As far as buying one of these cars and relying on it for every day transportation some of them are 30 years old.
I've brought mine up to a status that I took it on a 6500 mile road trip a few years ago.
That engine is almost bulletproof
It's the only car I've had that I still get occasional thumbs up from other motorist particularly when I have the hardtop off and the convertible top down
Btw it was designed by Bruno Sacco's team and he said it's one of his best works. And he was inducted into the automotive Hall of Fame
I don't see a fox body Mustang there but to each his own
The car design was based on the W124 which was the 80s E class
My SL is not a garage queen now with 232,000 miles
It's had mobile one in it since it was new and if I could post pictures here I'd show you a picture of the valve train and the oil pick up when I had to replace the oil pan a few months ago
They look absolutely spotless like they were just out from the factory
Back in my 20's (in the 90's) I bought a used Audi V8 Quattro--which at that time was their flagship vehicle... for about $10,000. It retailed for about $40k new... about 7 years prior. And at that time had no known mechanical issues. Over the next few years however it had problem after problem--each costing $1000 to $2000... and eventually I had spent more on repairs than I spent for the fvcking car. The factory brakes were a proprietary nightmare that kept failing over and over again--with no after-market solution available. Also the hydraulic rack / power steering system in those cars (and many Audis) was complete shit and leaked from every possible place over time. That taught me a valuable lesson that I haven't forgotten about used German cars.
To me, it does not sound like you learned anything at all.
@@ClaudeSac Then apparently you cannot read or comprehend the English language very well.
@@Big_Island_Boi It's the non verbal part that you do not appear to get. Again.
@@ClaudeSac Nope.
@@Big_Island_Boi Giggity.