Mercedes w210 E430 (no titivating allowed)
Discussion
I stuck the new rear shocks on tonight. This is a very easy job. I started at 10pm and was finished by 11.15pm. It is a bit physical for late at night but easy enough. Pull back the boot lining and loosen the top mounts, holding the piston with mole grips. Jack up the car. Pop the wheels off. Remove the control arm covers. Loosen the bottom mount. Support the control arm with a spare jack. Remove the top nuts (they fly off like bullets, must be under a lot of tension; tip for the future would be to lift the control arm). Remove the bottom nuts and bolts. Remove shock. Put new shock in. Fix bottom mounts loosely. Fix top mount tight. Tighten bottom mount. Repeat on side two. Replace control arm covers and wheels and lower car.
The shocks are TRW. They are OK. The bump stop and dust cover are integrated into a single piece item. The finish and the rubber components are as good as anything else I have seen. I haven't driven them yet. They cost £54.96 for the pair, delivered, including VAT. Not expensive. They did not include new lower fixings, so I cleaned up the old and added fresh thread lock.
New and old (rather obviously):
Near side top mount:
And near side in situ:
I have ordered TRW shocks for the front. They probably won't come until next week. Again, they were cheap. I do like this car. I have to make my mind up what to do about bodywork. The front wings are starting to go. New wings are £130 each but they will be £500-plus to fit if the paint is blended across the bonnet and down the doors. And then you might as well do the rest of the car...
The shocks are TRW. They are OK. The bump stop and dust cover are integrated into a single piece item. The finish and the rubber components are as good as anything else I have seen. I haven't driven them yet. They cost £54.96 for the pair, delivered, including VAT. Not expensive. They did not include new lower fixings, so I cleaned up the old and added fresh thread lock.
New and old (rather obviously):
Near side top mount:
And near side in situ:
I have ordered TRW shocks for the front. They probably won't come until next week. Again, they were cheap. I do like this car. I have to make my mind up what to do about bodywork. The front wings are starting to go. New wings are £130 each but they will be £500-plus to fit if the paint is blended across the bonnet and down the doors. And then you might as well do the rest of the car...
dme123 said:
What is frustrating is that for years and years they had fabulous powertrains in some questionable cars (P3 V70/S80 particularly), and now it's been entirely reversed. In particular a development of the extremely compact SI6 3.0 would be smashing in the S90/V90. A low pressure twin scroll turbo and 320bhp like the twincharged VEA engine but with actual refinement.
As I said before though, if significant numbers of people gave a flying f
k about engine refinement then the 520d and E220d wouldn't be the most popular "luxury" cars.
Both the 520d and e220 are much more refined than then the petrol volvo 4. it's a crying shame.As I said before though, if significant numbers of people gave a flying f
k about engine refinement then the 520d and E220d wouldn't be the most popular "luxury" cars.However titivation of old cars is frustrating, expensive and time consuming..so 300 per month is quite often the right thing to do..
Swapped the front shocks tonight. Again TRW items, JGT401 (JGT409 on the rear). Total cost £55.98. It took about an hour. Top and bottom mounts are very easily accessed. The w210 is a very easy car to work on; the design for maintenance is quite impressive. Shame they rust. The TRW shocks seem good quality, although again the design is different to what is on the car with an integrated skirt/bump stop. The price difference is too much to ignore given this car is a bit of a beater from which I only want another couple of years. Sachs would have cost three times as much at least.
So this was a very easy job with only two hiccups. First, when I unfastened the top mounts, the washer and nut flew off; one nut is lost forever under the ECU box, the others were fished out using a grabber. Second, on the nearside, the "cup" (at the top mount position into which the rubber buffer is seated) fell off, the first sign of structural rusting on this car. I don't think it is of vital importance. It is sandwiched in place between two rubber buffers under massive pressure so is unlikely to move; and the shock absorber does not perform any wheel location function on the w210 (and w140 which shares the same double wishbone front suspension design) unlike on the w124. I took the car for a quick spin and feels a lot more together; curiously better damped and more comfortable.
New and old:
Nearside top mount:
And bottom mount. Two 16mm nuts, so easy:
So this was a very easy job with only two hiccups. First, when I unfastened the top mounts, the washer and nut flew off; one nut is lost forever under the ECU box, the others were fished out using a grabber. Second, on the nearside, the "cup" (at the top mount position into which the rubber buffer is seated) fell off, the first sign of structural rusting on this car. I don't think it is of vital importance. It is sandwiched in place between two rubber buffers under massive pressure so is unlikely to move; and the shock absorber does not perform any wheel location function on the w210 (and w140 which shares the same double wishbone front suspension design) unlike on the w124. I took the car for a quick spin and feels a lot more together; curiously better damped and more comfortable.
New and old:
Nearside top mount:
And bottom mount. Two 16mm nuts, so easy:
r129sl said:
I do like this car. I have to make my mind up what to do about bodywork. The front wings are starting to go. New wings are £130 each but they will be £500-plus to fit if the paint is blended across the bonnet and down the doors. And then you might as well do the rest of the car...
Oh no the titivating is coming....Henry, I haven't returned to you about your E430, for which I apologise. I have been run off my feet at work, at home and in cars.
My car is showing 110k miles. I think the shocks were shot all round. But I'd be surprised if yours are gone at only 57k miles. The ride and handling and especially the directional stability are miles better on mine. The rear shocks were definitely shagged: they did not rebound at all when compressed.
I raked my E430 home tonight. It is a pretty fast car and has a lovely engine. It's also quite a nifty handler with the ESP switched off. An E55 motor in a 430 chassis I think would be superb.
My car is showing 110k miles. I think the shocks were shot all round. But I'd be surprised if yours are gone at only 57k miles. The ride and handling and especially the directional stability are miles better on mine. The rear shocks were definitely shagged: they did not rebound at all when compressed.
I raked my E430 home tonight. It is a pretty fast car and has a lovely engine. It's also quite a nifty handler with the ESP switched off. An E55 motor in a 430 chassis I think would be superb.
Good to hear it's proving a pleasurable mini project. 55 quid for a pair of socks is obscene, even if they were an annual service item that wouldn't be too much of a hardship!
Lots to love about the 210, but the rust is a bit sticking point for everyone really, I don't think they'll be as treasured as they should be.
Lots to love about the 210, but the rust is a bit sticking point for everyone really, I don't think they'll be as treasured as they should be.
r129sl said:
Henry, I haven't returned to you about your E430, for which I apologise. I have been run off my feet at work, at home and in cars.
My car is showing 110k miles. I think the shocks were shot all round. But I'd be surprised if yours are gone at only 57k miles. The ride and handling and especially the directional stability are miles better on mine. The rear shocks were definitely shagged: they did not rebound at all when compressed.
I raked my E430 home tonight. It is a pretty fast car and has a lovely engine. It's also quite a nifty handler with the ESP switched off. An E55 motor in a 430 chassis I think would be superb.
No problem at all. I've put it away for winter. When I bring it out of hibernation, may I invite you to have a look and drive? Would appreciate an opinion from someone who knows the W210 and especially the 430. Mine still rebounds fine but the ride doesn't seem as good as the newer Mercs and BMWs I've driven/ridden in. My car is showing 110k miles. I think the shocks were shot all round. But I'd be surprised if yours are gone at only 57k miles. The ride and handling and especially the directional stability are miles better on mine. The rear shocks were definitely shagged: they did not rebound at all when compressed.
I raked my E430 home tonight. It is a pretty fast car and has a lovely engine. It's also quite a nifty handler with the ESP switched off. An E55 motor in a 430 chassis I think would be superb.
Edited by Henry888 on Thursday 14th February 11:42
The service interval indicator announced the need for an oil change. Job done in 30 minutes tonight using a genuine MB filter (which is actually Mann) and genuine (WTF) MB oil. I bought a cardboard cube with a 20L bag of oil in it. You let the oil out of a tap. Quite ingenious. £62 for 20L of fully synthetic 229.5 spec 5W 40. Not bad at all. As usual, the hardest part of the job was removing the under tray.
I noticed the oil was very clean as I drained it. Updating the records this evening, I realised Baister did it 700 miles ago but obviously didn't bother resetting the indicator. Balls. What a waste of time and money. Still, kept me out of trouble.
Last night I had to change a rear brake/tail lamp. The car uses an odd spec, 21/4W. I didn't notice, used a 21/5W lamp which didn't seat correctly in the holder and promptly disappeared into the light cluster. My attempts to fish it out smashed it. So I had to remove the entire cluster. Why oh why am I so useless? Happily I had the correct bulb in the back of the garage.
The car is ever so slightly frilly around the edges these days. It is a w210, after all. I have had an offer at £1,500. It is showing 111,935 miles. Thing is, it is a very good car in very good order and will give us at least another year's motoring. As you know it has everything and is plenty fast and comfortable. I had 160mph out of it on the private test track the other day. So why would I prefer a 124 saloon?
I noticed the oil was very clean as I drained it. Updating the records this evening, I realised Baister did it 700 miles ago but obviously didn't bother resetting the indicator. Balls. What a waste of time and money. Still, kept me out of trouble.
Last night I had to change a rear brake/tail lamp. The car uses an odd spec, 21/4W. I didn't notice, used a 21/5W lamp which didn't seat correctly in the holder and promptly disappeared into the light cluster. My attempts to fish it out smashed it. So I had to remove the entire cluster. Why oh why am I so useless? Happily I had the correct bulb in the back of the garage.
The car is ever so slightly frilly around the edges these days. It is a w210, after all. I have had an offer at £1,500. It is showing 111,935 miles. Thing is, it is a very good car in very good order and will give us at least another year's motoring. As you know it has everything and is plenty fast and comfortable. I had 160mph out of it on the private test track the other day. So why would I prefer a 124 saloon?
Two paragraphs in and I felt that I was witnessing a sea change in your mechanical competency over enthusiasm. Thank goodness for us less pro-active types that you remain endearingly within touching distance of us!
Out of interest, do you keep an excel sheet for each vehicle (referring to the oil change by Baister 700 miles ago)?
Out of interest, do you keep an excel sheet for each vehicle (referring to the oil change by Baister 700 miles ago)?
r129sl said:
The service interval indicator announced the need for an oil change. Job done in 30 minutes tonight using a genuine MB filter (which is actually Mann) and genuine (WTF) MB oil. I bought a cardboard cube with a 20L bag of oil in it. You let the oil out of a tap. Quite ingenious. £62 for 20L of fully synthetic 229.5 spec 5W 40. Not bad at all. As usual, the hardest part of the job was removing the under tray.
I noticed the oil was very clean as I drained it. Updating the records this evening, I realised Baister did it 700 miles ago but obviously didn't bother resetting the indicator. Balls. What a waste of time and money. Still, kept me out of trouble.
Last night I had to change a rear brake/tail lamp. The car uses an odd spec, 21/4W. I didn't notice, used a 21/5W lamp which didn't seat correctly in the holder and promptly disappeared into the light cluster. My attempts to fish it out smashed it. So I had to remove the entire cluster. Why oh why am I so useless? Happily I had the correct bulb in the back of the garage.
The car is ever so slightly frilly around the edges these days. It is a w210, after all. I have had an offer at £1,500. It is showing 111,935 miles. Thing is, it is a very good car in very good order and will give us at least another year's motoring. As you know it has everything and is plenty fast and comfortable. I had 160mph out of it on the private test track the other day. So why would I prefer a 124 saloon?
£1,500 sounds too cheap for such a well cared for example, i'd think you would be better of keeping it. I noticed the oil was very clean as I drained it. Updating the records this evening, I realised Baister did it 700 miles ago but obviously didn't bother resetting the indicator. Balls. What a waste of time and money. Still, kept me out of trouble.
Last night I had to change a rear brake/tail lamp. The car uses an odd spec, 21/4W. I didn't notice, used a 21/5W lamp which didn't seat correctly in the holder and promptly disappeared into the light cluster. My attempts to fish it out smashed it. So I had to remove the entire cluster. Why oh why am I so useless? Happily I had the correct bulb in the back of the garage.
The car is ever so slightly frilly around the edges these days. It is a w210, after all. I have had an offer at £1,500. It is showing 111,935 miles. Thing is, it is a very good car in very good order and will give us at least another year's motoring. As you know it has everything and is plenty fast and comfortable. I had 160mph out of it on the private test track the other day. So why would I prefer a 124 saloon?
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff