Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

Joes S500

9K views 55 replies 10 participants last post by  Joe-V12 
#1 · (Edited)
I bought this S500 sight unseen, I should have it within a week.

The Bad:
AC is not working.
Faded paint.
Scratches on front and rear bars.
17" W211 rims with undersized for a W140 tires.
Shit front grille.
Centre console wood lacquer peeling.
No rego.
Looks a touch rough here and there in the pics.

The Good:
September build MY96 with 722.6 trans & updated ignition system.
Black interior.
I like the dark grey colour, not quite black but...
Looks relatively unmolested, but who knows haha.
I got it for a good price.

Pics:
 

Attachments

See less See more
8
#2 ·
Hope you got a bargain there Joe . That paint looks like she just needs a good Buffing up . Airbag is not original .
I have the moonroof glass thank you ,lol.
I will inspect it close up when you get it hopefully (watch that moonroof doesn't disappear magically ) .
And now you got three again ,which one is for wrecking ,the S600 ,lol.:thumbsup:
 
#3 ·
No more wrecking! however I will pick the best of both black leather interior parts for the 600.

Definitely a fair few things need sorting out on this car and no doubt plenty of surprises to be had. With the bad AC it's even possible it needs an evaporator job!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4liter
#4 · (Edited)
Bored at work tonight so here is the option list and other info:

Delivery Date: 07 09 1995
Order number: 0 5 901 12550 (Destination: Australia)
721U Onyx Grey metallic paint
261A Black leather interior

241 left front seat electrically adjustable with memory feature
242 right front seat electrically adjustable with memory feature
249 automatically dipping inside rear view mirror
284 gearshift in wooden/leather combination
340 additional 3rd stop lamp
341 additional turn signal lamps
414 electric tilting/sliding roof in glass version
441 steering column electrically adjustable
501 outside rear view mirror with memory feature
524 paint coat preservation
613 head-lamp unit asymmetrically for left-hand traffic
625 Australia version
652 light alloy rims 8-hole
668 packing for transport
731 wood trim burred walnut root
806 model year 96
810 sound package Bose
883 servo locking system for doors and trunk lid
987 battery cut-off switch for vehicles to be shipped
 
#5 ·
Joe,

You are a crazy man...

Joe got a beater S500.

It looks like a EURO-Spec car with the 92 center arm rest, the VIN tag style, no Carbon Scrubber Button on climate control(nearly all S500 have this feature) as I have seen one 96 with the same 92(only that year) arm rest..

Looks like no rear Hydraulic Shocks- missing reservoir

A/C may be a can short to kick the compressor on

Martin
 
#8 ·
Chris I have that much on and I don't know what will need fixing so it may take a while before this beast is tailgating and pushing cars out of the way in the fastlane.



Yeah I think Australian delivered cars are quite spartan compared to USA delivered cars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MAVA
#6 ·
My guess for the AC is that it is just out of rc gas , since it is pretty expensive to refill that gas here ,depends where one takes the car to do the refill but ranges from $150 to $300, a lot of owners just ignore it , specially on a neglected car , I refilled mine twice in a year & don't even turn the ac on ever except sometimes just to re-circle the gas a bit ,just makes me feel better knowing the gas is full lol .
Also some owners knowing that when you turn the AC on , the engine temp jumps to over a 100c so that results in a complete neglect for the air condition maintenance .
I give Joe a few month if not weeks before we see this car like new or close to it , what am I saying ,a couple of days probably ,lol.:thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
#10 ·
Ballsy Purchase

I gotta admire someone who is willing to take on such a project. So many "enthusiasts" would run away from a vehicle that needs so many known issues addressed. :bowdown:

Good luck with the rebuild, Joe!
 
#40 ·
I gotta admire someone who is willing to take on such a project. So many "enthusiasts" would run away from a vehicle that needs so many known issues addressed. :bowdown:

Good luck with the rebuild, Joe!
Finally got here ~25 months later and ticked everything off the list, some jobs needed doing some were preventative. I won't be buying a car sight unseen ever again but to be fair these late model S500 W140s are just so hard to come by in Australia, especially in a desired colour combination if you are picky, so I don't mind the effort put into this car.

Hit list:

engine oil & filter,
metal oilers with new o-rings,
cam cover gaskets,
engine mounts,
trans mount,
air filters,
trans oil, filter & pan gasket,
trans connector,
diff oil,
new thermostat & associated hoses,
AC evaporator,
receiver/drier,
heater core,
metal heater lines behind dash/firewall,
coolant flush & change,
blower motor & resistor,
alt reg,
acc belt,
Akebono brake pads all around,
brake fluid flush & change,
shocks,
front swaybar bushes,
steering idler arm bush,
rebuilt PS pump,
inner & outer tie rods/ball joints,
RHS upper control arm (used),
rear view mirror frames (used),
central locking airpump (used),
interior temp sensor fan (used),
headlight switch (used),
right rear window reg (used),
radiator fan had a piece missing, replaced (used),
shifter (used),
shifter bushes,
replaced & resprayed front bar (used),
8x coils swapped out for the later black colored coils (used),
headlights dismantled to clean lenses & reflectors,
sunroof dismantled to clean, adjust & lube,
oil filler cap,
wiper blades,
proper sized battery,
all doorcards removed to fix up the rattles from those tiny nuts coming loose!

Encore...

disposed of those W211 rims,
disposed of that big MB star grille and installed a genuine S600 grille (not that chinese copy version),
disposed of those crappy tail lights & swapped in the geuine set off my previous S420,
flaky elec widows now sorted,
swapped out the centre console black lid for a woodgrain lid.
Contintental stereo,
dark tints,
painted all brake callipers, shields & rotors black.

Still needs a sunroof cover, a 2nd key, paintless dent removal & a full respray but unless something crops up this car is ready for a roadworthy with a view to be my daily driver.
 
#11 ·
Yes, but here in Australia there are not many 140 to choose from. Late model (MY96+) S500 sellers ask for well over twice what I paid for this car and command almost double what a similar condition S420 sells for. It's a strange market here.

I have some options for this car. A family member is able to utilise one of my 3 cars and if this car is rough I will slam the thing and have some fun with it.


I'm not sure what car they will end up on but I just ordered in this set of 19" Brabus, 8.5" front 9.5" rear:
 

Attachments

#12 · (Edited)
Joe you mention peeling wood on center console ,You have a spare for that ? , I think that's the worst problem that car has so far all the rest is easy fixed ,lets hope it wont need the Evap .
Watch those wheels don't magically disappear on our next drive ,lol.:thumbsup:

The Bad:
AC is not working.
Faded paint.
Scratches on front and rear bars.
17" W211 rims with undersized for a W140 tires.
Shit front grille.
Centre console wood lacquer peeling.
No rego.
Looks a touch rough here and there in the pics.

And btw : Watch that black horn pad with that nice chrome star in the middle doesn't go missing or walkabouts on next meeting .
 
#16 ·
Joe you mention peeling wood on center console ,You have a spare for that ? , I think that's the worst problem that car has so far all the rest is easy fixed.

Centre console wood lacquer peeling.
Looking at the spare I have here, it needs a hole made for the ASR switch.
 
#15 ·
I have a few of the console centers wood , exactly the same like your 600 burlwood , trouble is ,they are all two pieces not one big curved piece.
Early models have two piece console wood ,later only one piece wood ,I know you know but just to make sure ,unless this 500 still has the two piece ,who knows . :thumbsup:
 
#18 · (Edited)
^ turns out the lacquer is fine!

So it arrived today. It has seen some weather but overall it's fine and as expected. Body is straight as I had hoped and just oil seepage typical of this mileage. It needs cam cover gaskets and a PS pump rebuild.

It has the valve tick but I'll sort that out, air systems and AC need a look at, both rear view mirrors need love and the sunroof needs some maintenance but it works. I'll swap out some rubber parts that are due at this age and mileage, do fluids, get the paint sorted and it feels like it is due for shocks.

It's been sitting around so it needs a wash and a tidy up so no pics yet.

I already swapped the trans computer into the S600 to get it going haha.

:cool:
 
#22 ·
Update: This car is quite close to getting on the road. Just got to do RHS rear window regulator, change a light globe and it will pass roadworthy. I took it for a sneaky dive tonight and it feels excellent on the road, over bumps, corners, at speed, everything. ASR and ABS work which means all the sensors and everything is working 100%, and more power than the S420, she's healthy.

Work completed so far:

engine oilers.
engine mounts.
engine oil and filter service.
valve cover gaskets.
coolant flushed and replaced.
transmission mount.
inner and outer tie rod ends.
upper RHS control arm.
ceramic low dust brake pads all around.
flushed and replaced brake fluid.
regreased & adjusted front wheel bearings.
steering idler arm bush.
acc belt idler.
alternator voltage reg.
hot side radiator hoses.
replaced and resprayed front bar.
tinted windows nice and dark.
clear side indicators.
side mirror internal brackets & new convex mirrors.

I cleaned up the interior, wow, it came up REAL nice inside. Also the front has already been lowered about 1 inch, the same as my S420.

After I get it on the road I will address the AC, replace spark plugs, replace diff oil and look at servicing the transmission. If it proves to be a reliable and trustworthy car I will look at sorting out the paint properly.

:cool:
 
#23 ·
I don't know how but the TCU is not in 2nd gear limp mode any more. It engages smooth and shifts through all gears. I didn't do any reset, I don't have the proper scanner for that! Shifts are rough, but the TCU is out of the S600 that was slipping like mad so it will adapt I am sure.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Interior is now complete with the center console all back together although the steering wheel does need a freshen up or replacement.

AC system reads 1 bar. I've been putting it off but it's time to get the guy out. New receiver/drier here waiting.
 

Attachments

#29 · (Edited)
Well it seems to hold gas fine with a nice quiet compressor. I got the guy to top up the S600 while he was here.

AUX fans work, I never managed to make them engage before and was worried they were acting up.

Need two tires for the front, then will get it on the road.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Reverse lights & horn were dead & I thought I really better fix that before getting a roadworthy. I was seriously dreading some electrical work but it was just a fuse which has held up since I replaced it. Sunroof cover needs upholstering, as does the S600 sunroof cover so I removed both of them last night for fixing. (The S600 has all the tar insulation intact, on the S500 it has all fallen down and needs cleaning out from the sunroof cavity).


I took the S500 for a 50km test drive and really thrashed it. I'm really surprised at how much more power the S500 has over the S420 considering it only has an extra 800cc engine volume, the S500 weighs more being LWB and the diff ratio is taller. I guess the 500 version of the M119 engine has a much healthier torque curve (not talking about peak torque) and really the late versions of the S420 and S500 M119 versions use the same heads and manifold so that makes sense (I think the early versions have different heads).

MB probably designed these parts specifically for the 500 variant and whatever the 420 variant ended up as performance wise was signed off on with no expensive separately designed heads and manifold manufacturing. I recall once driving a LWB S320 and it also seemed a big jump up from my SWB S280, similarly, I'd say the M104 head and manifold is designed for the 320 version.

Anyway I'm selling the S420 to pave way for the S500 to become my daily driver hence the Eltanin 18" rims on the S500 rather than the S420. The S420 is listed for sale, the wait begins for the right buyer.
 
#31 ·
I'm in the process of doing a full sunroof remove, clean, lubricate and replace. As expected all the insulation had fallen off and was squashed in the back of the sunroof cavity.

Sunroof cover is still at the upholsterers.

Needs a new sunroof rubber outer seal, but that can wait.

New Continental Conticomfortcontact 6 for the front, used Dunlops removed off the S420 fitted to the rear on 18" Lorinser D93 that I repainted recently:
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Lilea
#32 ·
Update for this beast: AC re-gassed after an evaporator & heater core replacement and I really thought that was the last thing to do however when re-installing the centre console tonight & testing the switches I find that the power windows & sunroof have completely given up. Admittedly they were sometimes sketchy before but never completely dead. All fuses fine & I replaced K24 relay to no avail. Also the seat controls only work with the front door open.

So a bit more to do yet.
 
#33 ·
You've probably fixed this by now, but yesterday I discovered something interesting.
First, my driver's side seat adjustments would only work with the ignition on. Thought it was the door switch, but no. They'd work if I had the passenger door open. After troubleshooting and starting at the wiring diagram, I realized I'd removed the seat belt buzzer to figure out how to substitute a chime for the buzzer. Put it back in, and the seats work normally. Who knew?!

Second, I was replacing the inner door panels, and when I got done, the courtesy light on both door panels didn't work, nor did the rear seat lights. Seat controls didn't work either, ignition off. The front roof panel lights did work with the door switches. Checked all the front fuses, and all good. Had a beer, and studied the wiring diagrams some more. Found out a REAR fuse, fuse 11 in my case, also is somehow involved. Found it blown, apparently from accidently shorting out the courtesy light connections in the door panel. Replaced it, and things work again. The fuse panel says it controls the rear seat lights, but no mention of the door lights or seat controls.

I'd love to find the Mercedes engineer who came up with this wiring and ask his rationale for controlling things in this manner. I'm finding more and more that electrical items in cars are interconnected and/or computer controlled seemingly because engineers CAN do it, not because the SHOULD or is logical to do it.

Bottomline, I guess, is just don't check the obvious. The seat controls and lights are so interconnected that even seemingly totally unrelated issues can stem from a common source.
 
#34 ·
Your points are much appreciated & come to think of it the SRS light now appears then goes away after a couple of minutes which it never did before, it used to go out quickly.

I havn't looked at it again yet. Yes the convenience module is supplied by 3x different fuses, all look fine, however I have not busted out the multimeter yet.

I'll swap in a known to be working convenience module from the S600 which is the same year model, same build month to be exact, check some grounds and go from there.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top