Four years ago, I sought advice from these boards on purchasing a W140, to which several members provided cogent advice. This was parallel to reading everything I could about these cars, and at the last moment flailed primarily because I was ambitious enough to consider a W140 as my only car. Crazy. So reason had me purchase a reliable Mitsubishi truck.
My cojones have now expanded in size, and consequently reignited my long love affair with w140 (I first fell in love back in ~1992, seeing a V12 coupe). I looked at three examples of this beautiful car this past weekend (successfully managing to restrain myself from making any impulsive decision to drive the car home), and they have various things going for them and not going for them, and so need your kind opinions on them. Aside from being checked by a mechanic, which I will, but I'd like to get the forums view on how they'd prioritize the selection, based on some of the points I list below, as well as other considerations.
I'd like to give a bit of context though. In the Philippines, the prices of these cars are much higher than many other countries. There are not too many mechanics seasoned with this specific MB, and PPI equates to having "your friendly mechanic" taking a look at it. It will also be unusual (like a lottery jackpot) to have service records. So, there is much risk to take.
Car #1: S320 | 1998 | 102,000km | ~USD11,500.00
- The car is in its 3rd owner, who is a general car guy but has no idea of the specificities of this beast.
- Soft close isnt working, and the side mirrors arent either
- Car leaks coolant, about half a litre a week, if the seller is to be believer
- Owner isnt sure if the evaporator has been replaced
- Aircon blows cold, but one can only increase the temps till it cycles back to the lower temp. i.e. the "down" control does not work
- the fire retardant material (?) in the hood lid is torn in several places - if it is indicative of care, but I sometimes judge a book by its cover
- I saw the car upon exiting a restaurant with the Mrs, and ambushed the owner (I had seen the car posted for sale), and as it was late at night, I could not really assess
- Car sits on 19/20in Brabus rims
- The ride was not too great, but it might be the low profile tires and/or the suspension needs work
- The owner is a salesperson, so this makes me more focused on what I need to check and challenge
https://www.olx.ph/item/mercedes-benz-s320-ID7rggT.html?p=23&h=c8adb9ec8e#c8adb9ec8e
Car #2: S320 | 1996 | 60,000 km | ~USD11,000.00
- Owned by a benz enthusiast, owns a R129 and a W210
- Done his research of the known issues, and has fixed the mechanical issues
- Had his mechanic re-surface (?) the head and replace the gasket
- Transmission has been flushed, as well as some other bits and parts
- Removed the heater T altogether, apparently its only useful if you need a heater, which in will never be required in the Philippines
- Replaced the coil packs
- Previous owner to him cut the springs to lower it, but the current owner replaced them with H&R lowering springs
- Riding on 20in (?) Lorinsers
- Interior (gray) is tired, and he has been slowly replacing them
- Car has been repainted from white to black by the previous owner - apparently because he liked it
- Engine bay could do with better cleaning - the machining of the head was evident, the fire retardant material torn all over the place
- 96 US-Spec model (imported from California), its got 5 speed, the new climate control facia, but no side airbags.
- Evap has apparently been replaced
- ride was smooth, though did not get the opportunity to gun it
- I attempted to check the wiring harness but could not recall how best to check it (I now re-learned that the coffin box is one place, another is under the engine cover, near the spark plugs)
https://www.olx.ph/item/1996-merced...ase-ID7vDSb.html?p=12&h=5791e72ba6#5791e72ba6
Car #2: S320 | 1995 | 40,000 km | ~USD12,000.00
- 2 owner car, second owner has not abused the car - this is very evident in the condition of the car.
- Tan interior is marvelously kept.
- The fire retardant material is pristine
- Truth is that they have about 9 cars and so rarely gets to use this car, due to size and the fact that it isnt anonymous
- owner has had the car for 8 years, and only used for special occasions, which is now down to starting the car every few days, as the owner is too old to drive, and
- Everything stock, except the rear tail lights have been updated to the post 96 clear corners
- All vacuum systems are working, but didnt feel anything moving when I fiddled with the lumbar dial
- the side mirrors were not adjusting but I could hear the motor moving
- the key "body" is broken, i.e. only the metal part remains, but the car starts
- Driver door lock apparently does not work, and the owner is afraid of locking the car - not sure why. I know driver door problems are a known issue
- The signal lights do not work, according to the owner this began with the wipers not working. When I tried the signal the wiper went active, but not the indicator. And then I couldnt get it to repeat
- Aircon blows cold. Owner is not sure if the evap has been changed. Owner's driver says a specialist did something with HVAC, by working on something under the centre arm rest.
- Car drives smooth
- I attempted to check the wiring harness but could not recall how best to check it (I now re-learned that the coffin box is one place, another is under the engine cover, near the spark plugs). I checked
-
https://www.olx.ph/item/1995-mercedes-benz-s320-ID7Ez3C.html?p=10&h=5791e72ba6#5791e72ba6
Now, when I was researching and prepping for a purchase years ago I made a list of the known issues and what to check, but when I checked the cars I didnt have the list, nor was I systematic about it. Truth be told, it has been over the last 3 weeks that I restarted my search, and hadnt planned to check them this weekend, till I saw the second apple of my eyes after having lunch with the the first, Mrs SuperQuest. I am going to take car #1 this weekend to an indy benz shop to do a more systematic assessment, though I am not confident in the expertise on W140 of the local shops in general - these cars are not very popular in the PI, and instead these shops work mostly on 123s, 124s, 126s, 210s, etc. This is the risk one must take. I have heard there are a few specialists here and there but they are not advertising themselves, and referrals do not turn up these unicorn mechanics.
Next weekend, I will take the car #3 to the indy shop, as the owner is unavailable this weekend. My heart is really towards this unit due to the apparent condition of the car. I understand that this means seals, gaskets, etc, may have gone brittle over time. I felt it had the smoothest drive of the 3, but this could be perception, and the fact that I had the longest drive in it. I did not however get to 80kmh, as Metro Manila traffic is quite special.
Another thing I noticed amongst the 3 cars was that the brake pedals required more substantial force to depress, as did the accelerator pedal. I am unsure if this is by design, but my only comparison is with Japanese cars (in recent memory).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
in addition to whatever the mechanic checks, I will have them check this (not all applicable to the model).
Checklist
1) A/C Evaporator
2) Wiring Harness
a) Upper
b) Lower
c) Body Harness
3) Vacuum Pumps
a) Rear Seat
b) Boot
4) Motor Mounts
5) Window Regulators x4
6) Mass Airflow Filter (MAF)
7) Suspension
a) Bushes (esp lower control arms)
b) Front springs
c) Self Leveling Suspension / Adaptive Damping Suspension
8) Timing Chain & Tensioner (esp 420)
9) Upper timing guides
10) ESP / ASR
11) Blowser
12) Front springs
14) Head Gasket (Esp the inline 6's)
15) Valve cover gasket
16) Self Leveling Suspension
17) Thermostat
18) Brakes
19) Catalytic Converters - x2
20) Transmission
a) Reverse
b) Flush, seals, etc
21) Serpentine Belt
22) Serpentine Belt Tensioner
23) Radiator
24) TT Fitting that split between the engine and heater core
25) Distributor Caps
26) Rotor
27) Water pump
28) Cooling System overhauled?
29) Flex Disk
My cojones have now expanded in size, and consequently reignited my long love affair with w140 (I first fell in love back in ~1992, seeing a V12 coupe). I looked at three examples of this beautiful car this past weekend (successfully managing to restrain myself from making any impulsive decision to drive the car home), and they have various things going for them and not going for them, and so need your kind opinions on them. Aside from being checked by a mechanic, which I will, but I'd like to get the forums view on how they'd prioritize the selection, based on some of the points I list below, as well as other considerations.
I'd like to give a bit of context though. In the Philippines, the prices of these cars are much higher than many other countries. There are not too many mechanics seasoned with this specific MB, and PPI equates to having "your friendly mechanic" taking a look at it. It will also be unusual (like a lottery jackpot) to have service records. So, there is much risk to take.
Car #1: S320 | 1998 | 102,000km | ~USD11,500.00
- The car is in its 3rd owner, who is a general car guy but has no idea of the specificities of this beast.
- Soft close isnt working, and the side mirrors arent either
- Car leaks coolant, about half a litre a week, if the seller is to be believer
- Owner isnt sure if the evaporator has been replaced
- Aircon blows cold, but one can only increase the temps till it cycles back to the lower temp. i.e. the "down" control does not work
- the fire retardant material (?) in the hood lid is torn in several places - if it is indicative of care, but I sometimes judge a book by its cover
- I saw the car upon exiting a restaurant with the Mrs, and ambushed the owner (I had seen the car posted for sale), and as it was late at night, I could not really assess
- Car sits on 19/20in Brabus rims
- The ride was not too great, but it might be the low profile tires and/or the suspension needs work
- The owner is a salesperson, so this makes me more focused on what I need to check and challenge
https://www.olx.ph/item/mercedes-benz-s320-ID7rggT.html?p=23&h=c8adb9ec8e#c8adb9ec8e
Car #2: S320 | 1996 | 60,000 km | ~USD11,000.00
- Owned by a benz enthusiast, owns a R129 and a W210
- Done his research of the known issues, and has fixed the mechanical issues
- Had his mechanic re-surface (?) the head and replace the gasket
- Transmission has been flushed, as well as some other bits and parts
- Removed the heater T altogether, apparently its only useful if you need a heater, which in will never be required in the Philippines
- Replaced the coil packs
- Previous owner to him cut the springs to lower it, but the current owner replaced them with H&R lowering springs
- Riding on 20in (?) Lorinsers
- Interior (gray) is tired, and he has been slowly replacing them
- Car has been repainted from white to black by the previous owner - apparently because he liked it
- Engine bay could do with better cleaning - the machining of the head was evident, the fire retardant material torn all over the place
- 96 US-Spec model (imported from California), its got 5 speed, the new climate control facia, but no side airbags.
- Evap has apparently been replaced
- ride was smooth, though did not get the opportunity to gun it
- I attempted to check the wiring harness but could not recall how best to check it (I now re-learned that the coffin box is one place, another is under the engine cover, near the spark plugs)
https://www.olx.ph/item/1996-merced...ase-ID7vDSb.html?p=12&h=5791e72ba6#5791e72ba6
Car #2: S320 | 1995 | 40,000 km | ~USD12,000.00
- 2 owner car, second owner has not abused the car - this is very evident in the condition of the car.
- Tan interior is marvelously kept.
- The fire retardant material is pristine
- Truth is that they have about 9 cars and so rarely gets to use this car, due to size and the fact that it isnt anonymous
- owner has had the car for 8 years, and only used for special occasions, which is now down to starting the car every few days, as the owner is too old to drive, and
- Everything stock, except the rear tail lights have been updated to the post 96 clear corners
- All vacuum systems are working, but didnt feel anything moving when I fiddled with the lumbar dial
- the side mirrors were not adjusting but I could hear the motor moving
- the key "body" is broken, i.e. only the metal part remains, but the car starts
- Driver door lock apparently does not work, and the owner is afraid of locking the car - not sure why. I know driver door problems are a known issue
- The signal lights do not work, according to the owner this began with the wipers not working. When I tried the signal the wiper went active, but not the indicator. And then I couldnt get it to repeat
- Aircon blows cold. Owner is not sure if the evap has been changed. Owner's driver says a specialist did something with HVAC, by working on something under the centre arm rest.
- Car drives smooth
- I attempted to check the wiring harness but could not recall how best to check it (I now re-learned that the coffin box is one place, another is under the engine cover, near the spark plugs). I checked
-
https://www.olx.ph/item/1995-mercedes-benz-s320-ID7Ez3C.html?p=10&h=5791e72ba6#5791e72ba6
Now, when I was researching and prepping for a purchase years ago I made a list of the known issues and what to check, but when I checked the cars I didnt have the list, nor was I systematic about it. Truth be told, it has been over the last 3 weeks that I restarted my search, and hadnt planned to check them this weekend, till I saw the second apple of my eyes after having lunch with the the first, Mrs SuperQuest. I am going to take car #1 this weekend to an indy benz shop to do a more systematic assessment, though I am not confident in the expertise on W140 of the local shops in general - these cars are not very popular in the PI, and instead these shops work mostly on 123s, 124s, 126s, 210s, etc. This is the risk one must take. I have heard there are a few specialists here and there but they are not advertising themselves, and referrals do not turn up these unicorn mechanics.
Next weekend, I will take the car #3 to the indy shop, as the owner is unavailable this weekend. My heart is really towards this unit due to the apparent condition of the car. I understand that this means seals, gaskets, etc, may have gone brittle over time. I felt it had the smoothest drive of the 3, but this could be perception, and the fact that I had the longest drive in it. I did not however get to 80kmh, as Metro Manila traffic is quite special.
Another thing I noticed amongst the 3 cars was that the brake pedals required more substantial force to depress, as did the accelerator pedal. I am unsure if this is by design, but my only comparison is with Japanese cars (in recent memory).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
in addition to whatever the mechanic checks, I will have them check this (not all applicable to the model).
Checklist
1) A/C Evaporator
2) Wiring Harness
a) Upper
b) Lower
c) Body Harness
3) Vacuum Pumps
a) Rear Seat
b) Boot
4) Motor Mounts
5) Window Regulators x4
6) Mass Airflow Filter (MAF)
7) Suspension
a) Bushes (esp lower control arms)
b) Front springs
c) Self Leveling Suspension / Adaptive Damping Suspension
8) Timing Chain & Tensioner (esp 420)
9) Upper timing guides
10) ESP / ASR
11) Blowser
12) Front springs
14) Head Gasket (Esp the inline 6's)
15) Valve cover gasket
16) Self Leveling Suspension
17) Thermostat
18) Brakes
19) Catalytic Converters - x2
20) Transmission
a) Reverse
b) Flush, seals, etc
21) Serpentine Belt
22) Serpentine Belt Tensioner
23) Radiator
24) TT Fitting that split between the engine and heater core
25) Distributor Caps
26) Rotor
27) Water pump
28) Cooling System overhauled?
29) Flex Disk