The monarch has been assassinated; may he live forever!

[Samantha_Jones83]

I've decided to provide some information on my most recent Mercedes purchase as well as some background on the model that came before it. A little bit of a story, I'm afraid, but it could be of interest to you if you're having trouble falling or staying asleep!!!

In 2003, I made my first Mercedes purchase, which was an S210 320CDI model. This decision was influenced by my desire for a large estate vehicle that had a massive cargo area and the capacity to transport me quickly and in luxury from one end of the nation to the other. During that time period, the 210 was held in high esteem, especially when equipped with the 320CDI engine. I was able to track down a one-owner FMDSH automobile that had been well maintained by its previous owner. Despite the fact that it was pricey, I assumed that it would be preserved for the long term since Mercedes automobiles had a reputation for having a high build quality and being quite durable (at the time). I had no idea that the 210 model was going to have such a bad reputation for rusting, but little did I realize what was in store for it!

In the beginning, everything went well, and we had many memorable and delightful long drives with the automobile. Routine maintenance at the nearby primary dealer was all that was required. The vehicle has front ortho seats, which are seats that have many airbags in them and let the driver to modify practically all regions of the seat. Because to these seats, I was able to drive for more than 300 miles without stopping and yet arrive at my destination feeling refreshed and rested. The following describes the vehicle throughout the first few years of ownership
There were other repairs that were not normal that needed to be done sometimes, such as a high pressure fuel pump and a new instrument cluster (lost many of the lcd matrix dots), and I continued to use the primary dealer for these works. However, following that, there was an incident in which ESP BAS ABS malfunction warnings appeared at start up and then vanished after 'turning off and putting back on' again (!). This was really strange. The dealer most likely reasoned that this would be an excellent chance to begin changing a variety of components over the course of a number of trips, with the expectation that this would eventually address the issues. Although there was a wide price range for the components (a lateral acceleration sensor was, I think, one of these items), there was still no solution to the problem. In the end, they left it there for the night to test it when it turned on in the morning, and when it failed, they suggested getting a new battery. Since then, I've learned that these systems are sensitive to voltage, and that if the battery doesn't deliver the appropriate level when the vehicle is started, then the problem alerts are shown. Therefore, after spending money to repair a number of sensors that were not necessary, the problem was solved by installing a new battery. At this time, I had completely lost trust in primary dealers and had begun searching for a reliable independent contractor with whom I might do future non-routine maintenance.

After some time, the automobile reached a steady state, and from a mechanical standpoint, it remained in good shape for many years. Tinworm had established its presence in the 210, which brought about an unpleasant development. It was located on the wings, doors, and tailgate of the vehicle. In point of fact, the only pieces that were rust free were the bonnet and the roof! The primary dealer did not seem to have the slightest interest in honoring any kind of warranty or goodwill repair; in fact, at one point, they made a statement along the lines of "it's just an old car." Regardless, not all primary dealers are created equal. My independent mechanic advised that I take the vehicle to the big dealer in the area, and despite the fact that I had never stepped foot inside their establishment before, they were really helpful. The ultimate result was that all of the repairs were completed, and the only additional cost I incurred was to have the hood sprayed to remove the stonechips.

Despite these initial problems, I was satisfied with my Mercedes after the better part of 15 years of ownership. It continued to provide effortless high-speed cruising, load lugging (request trips taking the offspring to university, etc.), and reasonable economy; I believe I once managed to get into the high 40s MPG, although with my leaden right foot that was uncommon. In point of fact, it has only been in the last year that anything else has gone wrong. The panel that controls the temperature and humidity in the car's cabin stopped working (around $500 from Mercedes? There will be no £45 from eBay!).

Tin worm has reappeared, despite the fact that the automobile has been stored in the garage at home and its usage has been limited as much as possible throughout the winter months when the roads have been grated. This time, the damage is limited to the lower corners of the doors and a few scabs on the front bonnet of the vehicle. I brought it to the bodyshop that was suggested to me by my independent, but unfortunately the price would have been more than what she was really worth. It is time to go.

So, what should one do? The E-Class's capacity to transport a lot of cargo and provide a comfortable ride over long distances, as well as its estate's cargo space, were both highlights for me. In addition to that, I was a huge fan of the 320CDI's power and oomph. But was it really what I wanted to do to have to upgrade to a newer model and then go through the hassle of fixing any flaws or issues that the previous owners hadn't taken care of? I went back and forth trying to make a decision, looking at BMWs, Audis, Range Rovers, and other luxury automobiles, but I simply couldn't decide. My independent automobile dealer was a wealth of information and assistance about the Mercedes automobiles that I was considering purchasing. In the end, the emphasis landed on a late S211 320CDI because I wanted to avoid locking up a lot of wealth in another asset that was degrading and because I already had three other vehicles that I could use. In addition, I was aware that I already had three other cars that I could use. After taking a look at a few, I decided that the greater performance of the V6 engine over the IL6 engine, along with the appearance and features of the Sport version, was the best option for me.

In the end, I was successful in finding one that met all of my requirements, despite the fact that it did not have ortho seats but did have FMDSH and did not need any major repairs that were not considered normal. It had an excellent MOT history, and it drove really well. Wheels have recently undergone refurbishment, and in addition, all four tires, as well as the front discs and pads, were replaced during the most recent service at the dealer. There were no evidence of accident damage since the body was in good condition (there was not even a trace of rust) and it had all of its original glass and paint. The bad news was that the previous owners had all of the service and repair work done at the major dealers, but they did not make maintaining the vehicle clean a priority in their life. This was a problem since the automobile was in terrible condition. The paint was harsh to the touch, and there was green mold growing in all of the cracks and seam lines within the building. In addition to the fact that it had been used for carrying dogs, the carpeting in the load area, in particular, was covered in a sea of short dog hairs, and abundant quantities of dog hair could be seen everywhere throughout the remainder of the vehicle. I've used the vacuum cleaner on it three times already, and each time it appears like all of the hairs have been removed, but then a few days later I find that there are still more on the surface than there were before. It goes without saying that there was also a strong scent of dog present across the whole area.

Therefore, a decent vehicle mechanically (STAR merely exhibited exhaust oxygen sensor codes; they have since been reset, and there has been no recurrence to date); the body is sound; all it needs is a thorough cleaning. After having one of the rear doors with a significant damage repaired at the body shop, it was time to take the vehicle to the detailer. The final outcome is as follows

I cleaned up the engine compartment, coated the entire wheels, and had a large scratch in the NSR door glass polished out. You can see posts about these things in the detailing section. The only things that are left for me to accomplish are a repair to the carpet on a side trim panel in the load area, as well as a repair to three lines of the heated rear screen components, which were damaged when some fool removed a dealership label with a razor blade! I'll do my best to document the steps involved in carrying out those responsibilities here in due time.

I'm hoping you like it.

[Lucy_Wilson2002]

Wonderful tale, and no, I'm not having trouble falling or staying asleep. The most recent model of your automobile looks quite nice. Rust, in all seriousness, ought to be another four-letter cuss word. I have experienced something similar over the years on other marques despite taking the utmost care, keeping them in a garage, not using them in the winter, etc.

[almamater78]

It had been 15 years, and how many kilometers had they traveled? That was fairly decent going. It's a shame that the tin worm was the one to put an end to it since it's quite probable that the mechanicals still had a lot of miles left in them (and if it was sold to a scrappie, they are most likely still in operation). However, this should not have occurred since the majority of manufacturers had the rust issue under control even as far back as 2003...When I relocated to Manitoba in 2018, I sold my 2003 Audi A6 1.9 TDI Sport, which had the anodized steel body even back then and was still rust free when I sold it. Therefore, MB made a serious error in their design back then. A friend of mine and his wife, who both have a soft spot in their hearts for canines, go everywhere with their fully grown Great Dane, even when they go shopping. (no one has ever tried to get into the vehicle while the dog was in it.) However, the disadvantage is that there are hairs....lots of them, as you have found out!!! They tested a variety of different vacuum cleaners before settling on Shark vacuum cleaners, which were a complete and utter success.
I have high hopes that driving the new automobile will be an even more enjoyable