I am looking into a used '92 400E with 175,000 miles, as a temporary car (I plan on having it for 2-4 years before upgrading to something like a new E63). It has heated seats, but i don't know what other options it has (I will call later today, or tomorrow, to find out, once I know what else to ask). The car is almost a 5 hour drive from me, so I don't want to go look at it until I am relative sure that I want to buy it. Unfortunately, there is not much of a maintenance record. The seller does not know if the wiring harness has been replaced (speaking of which, do the replacements have better insulation, to not need further replacements?). Is there any visual way to tell if it has been replaced?

The blower motor does not work (probably not too major... could even be just the fusible link). Can I somehow check the a/c operation in cold temps, without the blower working? Supposedly it has one "rot spot" but the undercarriage is supposedly very good.

In the past, my parents had a 300TE 4matic wagon, which had all of the hydrolic lines rust out (that, plus an electrical issue draining the battery in 2 days and the 4matic not working (probably the seal between the trans and 4matic unit) pushed them over the edge, and they sold it). Is this a common problem, and should I expect it on a car from New York?

It has been garage kept and "lady owned".

It's advertised for $2500; how fair is this, considering no maintenance records? The tires are "good" and the brakes (no idea if it's just pads, or more) are almost new.

If I get the vin number, can I call Mercedes to get any records performed at their dealers?

Please tell me first: things I can ask over the phone, and second: things I can look for when I see it.

As I said, I did a lot of work on a 300TE, so I have some experience with these cars (although only the 300, not 400). I know maintenance on this kind of car is fairly expensive, but can someone give me an estimate of how expensive? My parents were lucky with the 300TE--until the hydryolics and 4matic went, they had very few problems, with over 200k. Also, my parents' 300TE burned oil, about 1 quart/600-800 miles: is this normal? Is there any way to check for oil consumption?

Other than the wiring harness, what other costly repairs should I be aware of, and if possible, how can i check to see if they have been done?

I have the w124 service manual (cds), from the 300TE, so that should apply to this too.

Thanks for your help!

 

That blower motor problem is probably the circuit controller. They are somewhat hard to change but can be done in an afternoon. The 400E is a super car, but other than the blower motor you want to check if the wiring harness has been changed and also if the radiator inlet (plastic and tend to break) has been upgraded. If not and it breaks, I used fiberglass to repair mine 3 years ago and its still working fine.

 

I have a 1992 400E for sale. I've owned it for 5 years, and my father owned it before me. Together, we've maintained it very well. I'm the third owner. I have ALL the maintenance records from 1992 to present. I agree with thos43, you need to buy one with a replaced wiring harness. It's a costly repair, but without it, the car is worthless. I had mine replaced two years ago. Call me if you like, I can tell you all about these cars, and may convince you to by mine. I have an ad posted on this site under "1992 Mercedes 400E" that has my phone number on it, and photos of the car.