Hello all.
My Mother-in-law has become interested in a 1998 S420 that I found on craigslist. It's got ~150,000 miles on it.

We haven't gone to drive it yet, but and I was hoping the folks on this forum could help me out with common problems, and things to look out for for this generation of S-Class.

I've never dealt with a German car before, is there any special maintenance that needs to be performed? Is there a place online to find the maintenance schedule?

Thanks!
-Jeremy

 

be careful what you buy..the parts are outragously expensive .. and the car is very heavy and is hard on the suspension. you should have it checked out at a benz dealer. it might be affordable to buy but maintaining it is another issue. there are soo many people out there that buy these cars but cant really afford them and the car just go to ****. that car is fairly reliable but only after its had most of the repairs already done.

 

i agree with him always better to have it checked by a mechanic, i seen some of these cars with 200K+ miles on them that were in great condition and i seen some that had lower milage but were in bad condition. if you need to do repair to the car then stay away from it if the condition seems really good then definetly worth it

 

As noted above, they are reliable if well maintained. 150k miles is quite high for a 10 year old s-class, I've seen many for sale with maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of that for sale.....

A obvious few things to look out for..from my experince of the W140:

1. Check for oil leaks around the head gaskits, they being after about 100k miles. Not a major problem as long as its slight.

2. Oil leaks from the stearing box - again normal, car is heavy.....

3. Check the air-con, set to 5 dec Cent, and see if cold air comes out (press the blue button on the air vent). If you dont get ice cold air, the gas has leaked out of the air con system. Two reasons, 1. 10% leaks our each year by design, and it needs refilling, 2. There is a leak - forget any ideas of getting it fixed, will be about £1500 plus - not worth it. Is a good indicator of how well its been serviced.

4. Do the mirrors fold in and out ok. Fold them in, and look inside them (down the exposed bit) - are the wires insulated, or bare, this is a poor design part of them, the wire insulation degrades over time, and the wire shorts out with the metal, blowing the fuse. They are about £300 each, installed.

5. Check it idols under 1000 rpm after 30s

6. Start the engine, put in neutral and press the gas pedle slight, check if there is any blue smoke coming out of the exaust or not, if there is, walk away.

7. Check the service history, how much work has been done, have the services been done at the correct interval. How close is it to its next service? I would be happier to buy one thats just had a service and came as ok, than one that is just about to need one.


They are great cars, but from experience, don't expect to have any change at all from £1000 for each service - and thats if not much needs doing. Parts are expensive but generally last a long time.

p.s don't take one to a merc garage, they will smile, lick their lips and rip you off as much as they can! Take it to a 3rd party merc specialist - they will probably service it better anyway!

 

Thank you all so much for your help!

We may go to look at the car soon, but I doubt she'll buy it. Mom didn't realize how large an S-class was, she's use to driving sub-compact cars and small 2wd trucks. Also, as you guys helped me point out the maintenance will likely be more than is feasible on her budget.

Thank you again!
-Jeremy

 

A good idea. If you want the honest truth, its not the length I notice, its the width!! Narrow two way roads are a bit more tricky, and old multi story carparks offer less room than is ideal. Most cars can zoom though narrow gaps or traffic calming measures here in South London, I can't, I have to take a bit more care as there is often very little clearance!

No disrespect to your mother-in-law intended, but I would say forget it if it doesn't have parking sensors fitted going by what you say. If she is used to a very small car, and if she is not keen on precise parking, or only usually has tight parking spaces to get into then an S-Class could be more of a pain than an enjoyment. If she loves to park in tricky spots and has great spacial awareness then go for it!

I think you are wise to consider/budget maintenance costs, all I will say is don't underestimate them!

If you think a good small practical city run around is idea, with enough room for grandchildren and is safe, and your preference is for a mercedes, maybe consider taking a peep at the A-Class that they stopped making around 2005. They are good little cars, are holding their value well even in todays market, are economical to run, and servicing is much much less expensive. Insurance should be cheap, and you have a nice high up driving position, you can also park them so easily. I'm not sure what your budget is, but if it could stretch to say £3000-4000 you could get a very nice later year example, with lower milage and looked after well. Yes you don't get as much car for your money, but the general running costs will be much lower! There is also a long wheel base version, which gives a bit of extra leg room in the back, which is good for tall adults.

If she wants something bigger, then the next step up is the C/E class of course. The biggest difference is the higher running costs (excluding differences in the car of course!!). These will cost a lot more than an A-Class to run/insure/tax, but less than a S-Class (possibly the same to insure though). Also its probably fair to say a later model E class will give you more trouble than an A-Class as build quality has been a bit of an issue. I am sure she would love a nice CLK convertible. An E-Class is a very good car, with loads of space inside, and over the years tended not to have as much electronics as the BMW 5-series so in that respect can be more reliable. I've always thought that the older E classes don't hold their values so well, so there is often a good bargain out there! E-Classes never did it for me I'm afraid, hate to say it but for years I think the 5 series was a better buy new, just my opinion, but I'm not going to argue too much as they are still good cars! Though an E-Class estate, in silver, with a golden retriever in the back (guarding it for when the alarm goes wrong), well thats much better!

I know its a Merc forum, but I always like to tell it how it is, so don't forget Audi and BMWs, there are some great bargains out there at the moment to because of the credit crisis.

Though, as with all situations involving the in-laws, its best to tread very very carefully!!!! I do hope she finds something nice, there are a lot of great cars out there for little money, if you have cash in hand, now is a great time to buy!

 

I've got a '99 bought it with 32000 miles. Worst car I have ever owned. Cup holder broke, window regulators broke, needed new engine mounts, front springs cracked, driver's heated seat doesn't work now,rubber is giving out all over the car, its the pits. Don't do it.

 

Damn a 99 is usually a pretty good car.
I have to tell you if that's your complete list, it's not that bad for an S class.

 

We ended up getting a 2000 VW Passat V6 FWD Wagon, with 130,000 miles on the OD.
It's needed some maintanance, but it's served us well so far

 

Congrats on the new ride!!