Talk to me about M-Class Mercs
Discussion
Evening folks.
I've decided that my current car just isn't big enough (C-Class Sport Coupe). For a start, it doesn't have enough doors, and my kids are getting bigger (and bigger, and bigger...)
Being a committed disciple of Bangernomics, I don't like to spend much on cars. My budget for the next one is circa £1,500.
Anyway, long story short, I've decided I fancy a Merc M-Class (petrol, automatic). Looking around, my budget will stretch to either a first generation W163, or a facelift version of the W163.
There seem to be loads around, in varying states of decay, so finding one shouldn't be too hard at all. What I am keen to avoid, however, is buying a lemon.
I'd be very grateful of any advice the good people of PH can provide, on what to look for, weak points of the ML W163, surprise and delight features, specification to go for/avoid, etc.
Over to you guys - I am in your hands.
I've decided that my current car just isn't big enough (C-Class Sport Coupe). For a start, it doesn't have enough doors, and my kids are getting bigger (and bigger, and bigger...)
Being a committed disciple of Bangernomics, I don't like to spend much on cars. My budget for the next one is circa £1,500.
Anyway, long story short, I've decided I fancy a Merc M-Class (petrol, automatic). Looking around, my budget will stretch to either a first generation W163, or a facelift version of the W163.
There seem to be loads around, in varying states of decay, so finding one shouldn't be too hard at all. What I am keen to avoid, however, is buying a lemon.
I'd be very grateful of any advice the good people of PH can provide, on what to look for, weak points of the ML W163, surprise and delight features, specification to go for/avoid, etc.
Over to you guys - I am in your hands.
I work at a second hand dealership and we've had our fair share of M class Mercs.
Nearly every single one will have faulty window switches, usually a bit rusty and also an annoying squeak from the rear end which IIRC is the rear shocks as they have a ball joint at the bottom and that is the cause and those shocks are fairly expensive.
Nearly every single one will have faulty window switches, usually a bit rusty and also an annoying squeak from the rear end which IIRC is the rear shocks as they have a ball joint at the bottom and that is the cause and those shocks are fairly expensive.
jsims1 said:
I work at a second hand dealership and we've had our fair share of M class Mercs.
Nearly every single one will have faulty window switches, usually a bit rusty and also an annoying squeak from the rear end which IIRC is the rear shocks as they have a ball joint at the bottom and that is the cause and those shocks are fairly expensive.
Cheers for that, nice bit of insider knowledge. Nearly every single one will have faulty window switches, usually a bit rusty and also an annoying squeak from the rear end which IIRC is the rear shocks as they have a ball joint at the bottom and that is the cause and those shocks are fairly expensive.
Do the window switches come back to life with a bit of a clean-up, or are replacement units always required? On the matter of the shocks, can the ball joints be renewed/replaced, or do the shocks themselves need to be swapped out?
Anything else you can think of that I should be checking on a test drive/tyre kicking session?
All advice gratefully received.
I've got a T reg 430 that has just ticked over 170k. Plastics inside are very brittle, bits snapped off everywhere, cupholders fallen out, but the oily bits have been sound.
Have gone through 3 window switches...just a crap design, chinese copies availiable on ebay for £40...treat it as disposable.
The rear shock/spring assembly has to be replaced in one go, £500 each from Merc, £165 a side from ebay (german made)
I've got rust starting on all four arches, all surface and none of it's gone frilly even though the paint came off months ago. That's a job for this summer.
It's worth nothing but the damn thing just soliders on. With a stainless system fitted and a couple of back boxes gone it even makes a proper V8 noise. Sadly the ML55 does not have 7 seat option due to the spare being in the boot not under where the exhaust goes.
Good luck!
Have gone through 3 window switches...just a crap design, chinese copies availiable on ebay for £40...treat it as disposable.
The rear shock/spring assembly has to be replaced in one go, £500 each from Merc, £165 a side from ebay (german made)
I've got rust starting on all four arches, all surface and none of it's gone frilly even though the paint came off months ago. That's a job for this summer.
It's worth nothing but the damn thing just soliders on. With a stainless system fitted and a couple of back boxes gone it even makes a proper V8 noise. Sadly the ML55 does not have 7 seat option due to the spare being in the boot not under where the exhaust goes.
Good luck!
MorganP104 said:
Cheers for that, nice bit of insider knowledge.
Do the window switches come back to life with a bit of a clean-up, or are replacement units always required? On the matter of the shocks, can the ball joints be renewed/replaced, or do the shocks themselves need to be swapped out?
Anything else you can think of that I should be checking on a test drive/tyre kicking session?
All advice gratefully received.
We have always had to replace window switch units (I'm pretty sure all the switches are on one board) but eBay usually helps out there! Never had luck trying to recover them unfortunately. Do the window switches come back to life with a bit of a clean-up, or are replacement units always required? On the matter of the shocks, can the ball joints be renewed/replaced, or do the shocks themselves need to be swapped out?
Anything else you can think of that I should be checking on a test drive/tyre kicking session?
All advice gratefully received.
IIRC the shock/ball joint unit is one unit and after recovering from minor heart attacks with replacement prices from Mercedes, we managed to find some on 247 spares second hand and they were ok, though we didn't know if they were going to be any good! (Luckily they were!) We check after by getting one of the larger guys at work to jump up and down on the tow bar as the squeak is very obvious if it is there.
As with any 1500 7 seater, trim bits and pieces are usually knackered from pesky children playing about with them and the like.
Also just remembered we actually have an old ml as a tow car! And though the gearbox is very tired now it drives ok apart from that
BlueMR2 said:
Flat6er said:
Get a cayenne. Unless you need occasional 7 seats. Even an older Cayenne is a far superior drive.
Can you hook us up with the details for those £1,500 cayennes..
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Actually. Can you really pick up a m class tonka truck for 1.5k?. That's as worrying as it is interesting. A whole pile of Bork ready to pop.
Flat6er said:
Actually. Can you really pick up a m class tonka truck for 1.5k?. That's as worrying as it is interesting. A whole pile of Bork ready to pop.
Agreed. Potential for bork is huge. Hence starting this thread, to get as much wisdom on these cars as possible. On that subject, thanks to everyone so far who've chucked in their two penn'eth - much appreciated.
MorganP104 said:
Flat6er said:
Actually. Can you really pick up a m class tonka truck for 1.5k?. That's as worrying as it is interesting. A whole pile of Bork ready to pop.
Agreed. Potential for bork is huge. Hence starting this thread, to get as much wisdom on these cars as possible. On that subject, thanks to everyone so far who've chucked in their two penn'eth - much appreciated.
If you must get a bigger Merc, i'd have though an E was the best choice.
daemon said:
I'd have thought a £1,500 ML would be a disaster waiting to happen.
If you must get a bigger Merc, i'd have though an E was the best choice.
If I were looking for a sensible large car for £1,500, I'd be getting a Mondeo. If you must get a bigger Merc, i'd have though an E was the best choice.
I like bangernomics, and I like living on the edge. Sinking a bag of sand (or so) into something that's not usually the default choice really does float my boat.
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