[MPM77]

Well my lease is just about up (3 payments left) and it is time to start searching for that new car. After reading through this forum and others I have acquired a great deal of information about some of the problem areas of the W140 and feel confident as a knowledgeable buyer. I narrowed my search down to a 97 S500 sedan preferably white/tan, silver/black or black/black (in that order- while black is my favorite my current car is black and having two black cars in a row is like taking on a second full time job). The only option I really want is the Parktronic system. Knowing that this option is few and far between I figure three months should give me adequate time to find one. Anyway, my brother is a car dealer so I will purchase the car through a dealer auction. Last week I was at the auction checking a few w140s and noticed that when I pushed the trunk release button the trunk flew open. Is this normal? Should the trunk just pop and then you manually open it with the handle that pops out? Just curious with all the closing assist pump issues.

Also, most of the posts in these forums tend to look at the negative aspects of a vehicle or questions about how to repair something. Can anyone share some of the positive aspects of owning a W140?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Ed Mclass]

Comfort and Safety

If for no other reason you will have the comfort and safety of the last great sedan that Mercedes-Benz manufactured. You may want to look around for a dealer "Starmarked" model. They can still be found. I think it would be a good idea to have a warranty regardless of where you purchase the car. The wiring harness was $800 and $300 labor when mine melted prematurely. For driving comfort you will not find a better car made by anyone.[8D]

 

[W140Gill]

it flies open on mine. The springs are very tight - be careful 'n' watch your chin
[8)]...

it flies open on mine. The springs are very tight - be careful 'n' watch your chin
[8)]

 

[Peter Guenther]

140

I hope by now they have sorted out all the problems on this model. The 99 was the last year, and its replacement had issues of its own. I have had most of the issues on my 92, but it is still a great car!

 

[Mr. Goodwrench]

I have a '99 S600. It is normal for the trunk lid to open fully when the button is pres...

I have a '99 S600. It is normal for the trunk lid to open fully when the button is pressed. This works in conjunction with the trunk release button on the remote. This is a good feature. However, If I were you I wouldn't pass up a good S500 that doesn't have Parktronic. I also have that on my S600. I find it a nuisance and usually shut it off. It will come on every time you start the car. It is very sensitive and the alarm goes off too many times to suit me when there isn't any car in front. The traffic control wires in the road at intersections even set it off. I also think that it detracts from the looks of the car.

 

[MPM77]

Thanks for the input about the parktronic system. I drove a 97 S600 coupe and it didn't s...

Thanks for the input about the parktronic system. I drove a 97 S600 coupe and it didn't seem to work that well in comparison to a friend that has it on a 740il. Where the 740 gives you an audible warning, which increases as you move closer to an object I found that the S600 (was not in good shape) only gave a visual indicator (via above the rear glass) until you were actually only inches away from an object, then an audible cue could be heard. Does your car work the same way? If so, I guess it was just counterintuitive to my driving habits. I tend to look in my side view mirrors when reversing instead of the rearview mirror so I did not see the visual cue. However, any parking aid would be useful since I would be doing a lot of parallel parking since I live in the city. Not that I am a bad driver, but it would help when squeezing into those tight spots.