Hit or Miss?

4278 Views 14 Replies 5 Participants Last post by mistertonyn, Dec 29, 2012

eurolover

Discussion Starter · Oct 7, 2012

Hello forum,

I currently drive a CLS550 (4.7 TT) and of course I love it!:bowdown: Anyway my work truck has been a Chevy Silverado which I had used as an everyday vehicle. Recently though my job has assigned me to a different position in which I will be traveling the country frequently. The truck is great but I really would like to drive something that has some character and gives me pleasure to drive. I will be driving from Chicago to Michigan, Canada, Boston and some parts of Indiana.

This brings me to a find I made recently. A 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 4-Matic (W221)
I found a great deal!

Driving around the country in these vehicles is a dream come true as I am sure most of you who have owned these beauties can imagine.

Now here is the biggest con, it has over 131k miles.

The car was an in-laws step brothers car out in New Jersey. He is a CEO of some company and has babied that thing like no other. The mileage is mostly all highway. Car was driven from Jersey to Florida. Here is a list of what I have seen done to the car.
-Clean Carfax (No need for any major work under warranty):thumbsup:
-New tires
-New Rotors+Pads (All 4)
-New Filters+Fluids
-New Bulbs
-New Belts
-Wipers

Basically all top notch repairs as he was planning to give this car to his son.

My question to you good folks is should I go for this or should I pass this one by? He has offered to pay for any mechanic of my choice to overlook the car for any potential problem. He is very honest in the selling of his car. Car has only had minor scratch from suitcase at airport which I'm sure can be buffed out.

Reading previous posts from both benzworld and benzforum many have said this car is simply bulletproof and some on both forums have claimed that they expect 500k+ out of this model!

The W220 is said to not even be compared to this new W221. The only issue I have heard is of a "balance shaft" repair. Some codes on the engine bay supposebly determine if this work has been done.

Maybe a picture could help?

Thanks for your time guys, I really do appreciate any feedback about this matter as I'm sure many of you too dream of driving this beauty around the country!

(As always maintenance will be religiously done if bought):bowdown:

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 7, 2012

Jwxspoon said:
Its a wonderful car. However, absolutely DO NOT buy the vehicle unless you have a very good warranty.

Everything on this car is hideously expensive to work on.

jw

I will be purchasing a warranty, however my main concern is on the reliability. I would be traveling with this car frequently. I would cry if it just stopped on the highway or would not start on a chilly morning.

A car that has been maintained all its life with these many miles seems to be a better choice compared to a car with lower miles and has mediocre maintenance. That been my thinking perspective on cars.

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 2, 2012

Bought her! She's gorgeous as well.

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 2, 2012

Here are some pics. I would like to note that for 131k miles the only issue was some sagging leather on the arm rest and door arm rest. Nothing horrible, but somewhat noticeable.

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As you can see, very well kept engine bay. One complaint is about the LED lights that run under the wood panels on the doors and dashboard. Can I change it to blue some way by use of the COMMAND system? Also, they look like they are getting dull, is it normal or should I seek into replacing them? I will search about this topic and comeback to it here then.

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 11, 2012

Camshaft Solenoid Recall for W221

Just thought I would update this incase anyone happens to stumble upon this thread but the W221 S-class models from I believe 07 and 08 have been recalled for a camshaft solenoid problem. You can call a dealership and tell them your car VIN # and they should be able to tell if you are in need of this update.
The service is free and is to be done by dealers i suppose, not quite sure about private mechanics.

Anyway here are some links about the matter:

Camshaft Solenoid Recall for W221 - MBWorld.org Forums

Camshaft Solenoid Service Campaign - MBWorld.org Forums

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 11, 2012

xrayaz said:
I have a 2008 S550 and you will love it. What a great car for the highway. No, there is noway to change the color of the ambient light strips (amber is it for 2008) but you can change the brightness via Command.
Michael in Arizona

Agreed! Is there anyway I can replace the LED? Mine as you can see in the pics are dim and burnt looking. That is also in the brightest setting.

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #13 · Dec 29, 2012

Mercedes>Bmw said:
If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for this S550? How does it compare to the CLS550?

I paid more than the average price for a car of this year and mileage.
KBB has some value of $30k. I paid $33500 since I know the owner and the dealership folks. A bit high but it has documented every service tht has occured since the day it was bought.
I use the car everyday, I would hate driving it worried about how it was driven by the previous owner or even if maintainence was done on time as tooling around the car is a big hit on my time. The extra $3500 is my assurance I guess you could say.

I have seen some go for $29000. If you have good credit, know the owner/maintainence records and a have worked on european cars b4, this should be your slice of cake :thumbsup:

ClS550 is faster but for a car that weighs a good ton and handles speeds of 130mph on I-90/80 easily, this is amazing. :bowdown:

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eurolover

Discussion Starter · #14 · Dec 29, 2012

mistertonyn said:
The manual says the first one should be done at 39K.
I will do mine every 40k after that just to be on the safe side.

Can I DIY this? I read that you need to pump tranny fluid back through the use of a special machine which keeps the tranny fluid at a specific temp.

Is any of the 4-Matic drivetrain done through special tools or can I do this with some tools in the garage?

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