OT, info on what the "special additon" package includes for a 1995 E320?

[CHILI]

Can anybody help? I'm thinking about buying a Mercedes-Benz E320 (nope, not gettin' rid of the P-car, don't worry). This would replace my 93 Accord as my daily driver.

I've tried a bunch of searches but no luck so far. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[RickM]

This may be a better place to ask..... http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/forumdisplay.php3?s=&forumid=1

[RickM]

And beware of this inevitable problem > http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=63512

THis part has been redesigned 13 times.

[CHILI]

Thanks Rick! I have posted the question over there. Let's see if they're as cool as all of you guys!

[Thomas Owen]

Chili - thanks for posting this - I am buying a '99 E320 this weekend. Very nice car...

[chuckw951]

I like the 1995 E class mercedes. I have a 1995 E300D.

Everything still works with 122K miles.

[turbo6bar]

My mom has a '95 E300D. Fabulous car. Last of the 124 series. Her's is limited edition/special edition/mackdaddy edition/whatever you wanna call it. It has stainless door sill covers, 5 spoke wheels, real burlwood trim. It also has nicer leather seats, but I'm not sure if that's an option or part of the SE trim. There may be other differences, but I never noticed or forgot when the salesman was lying, I mean talking.

If the car is clean, passes PPI, and you like it, grab it. '95 was the last year of the REAL Mercedes automobiles. Hmmm, I believe the E320 was still a 124 chassis that year.

Jürgen

[earossi]

Chili,

I went the other way! I have owned a 95 E320 for six years, and just bougt an 89 Carrera.

My E320 is the Special Edition, and I can't for the life of me tell you the difference between it and the standard car. So, when you find out, please let me know.

Be forwarned, though, if you are looking at a 94 or 95 E series car. There are two very costly items on these cars.........that should be reviewed before purchasing..........and factored into the price you pay.

First, the 94 and 95 cars have a very high failure rate (> 50%) on the engine head gasket. The gasket blows out on the right rear of the block.........not sure why there.........but that is where they fail. Once failed, you will immediately develop a sizeable oil leak! The repair is a top end rebuild on the motor.........which will cost you $1500 to $3000 dependent upon the use of an independent or dealer repair center. There is no fix other than to replace the head gasket. Beware. They have either leaked and been repaired.........or they WILL leak. The fix is a redesigned gasket that should last the life of the motor.

The second flaw in these cars is the main engine wiring harness. Mercedes utilized some new elastomer in manufacturing the harnesses for the 93 through 95 E cars. At about 50K miles, plus or minus, the individual wire insulation hardens and then crumbles. Externally, the harness looks fine.........but, you will experience any number of running problems and/or failures in various electrical systems. My first failed part was the Mass Air Flow sensor which shorted out...........that was a $400 repair! AFter that, the car developed, over about a year's time, various driveability issues. When I researched the item, I found that Mercedes had, in fact, through their good will customer program quietly replaced many of these defective harnesses.........however, they never issed a formal recall or bulletin. Why do I mention this? The harness carries a retail price of about $700, and the dealers want 6 hours to install it.....do the arithmetic, and you have yourself another $1500 bill.

When I finally got all the facts together, I went into my local Mercedes dealer and presented my case. It took them a week to get back to me, but in the end, they gave me the part, and we split the cost of labor to install. Incidentally, its a realitively easy weekend job for the DIY types.....but for the $375 offered by the dealer.........I was happy to take them up on the repair.

The punchline to my harness story is that the car had 150K miiles on it when I asked Mercedes to replace the part..........and they still stood behind their product.

Aside from the two problem areas mentioned above, the 3.2 motor in these cars is bullet proof and should run 200K to 300K miles with no problems.

Lastly, the 95 was the last year Mercedes used the OBDII computer diagnostic system on these cars. With a list of the codes (which you can get off the Mercedes Shopforum website) and the use of a cheaply made indicator light........you can essentially trouble shoot every failure code on the car. Again, the Mercedes Shopforum is a great site with as much participation as this Pelican site.

Good luck and sorry for the long post.

[CHILI]

Earossi,
No need to appologize for the long post. Actually it was ver helpfull. I'll keep an eye out for that.

Jurgen,
Yep, that's it from what the guys on the M-board said. Same thing. Wheels, wood, sills and specail colors (which I actually don't car for).

[CHILI]

Well, I chickened-out! I bought a 97 Toyota Avalon instead. I read all of your comments, comments of those on the Mercedes board and on-line reviews and decided I would stick with a Japanese car (remember it's replacing an Accord). But, the P-car stays with me until death, so that's a testiment to old world German engineering!

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for all of the help!