Mercedes-Benz E320 (W211) | Shed of the Week
Hang on, a rust-free big Merc from the early 2000s, at Shed money? They do exist...
Why, when decent steel was being made in Persia 3000 years ago, have we still not found a foolproof way of preventing corrosion? Maybe it's because the main component of steel is iron, and iron likes being rusty. That's its thermodynamically favoured natural state. So, while you motor serenely on, your steel-based car is constantly working on a foul plot to dump you through the floor.
Some cars have been very successful at this. The Lancia Beta that Shed once owned, his Dad's Vauxhall Viva HA (which actually did provide several views of the road through the floor), and quite a few Mercedes-Benzes built around the turn of the last century. That included, but was not limited to, a large number of E-Classes.
Theories abound as to why the quality control went so wrong for Mercedes at this time. Let's not get into all that. Let's just say that finding a clean, rust-free E-Class from this era could be seen as some kind of happy miracle in 2019. Praise your chosen Lord then, because that's what we appear to have in this week's Shed.
The owner assures us there is no rust, and no mention of it appears anywhere on the MOT history other than in the usual places (brake pipes). It should help that this 2003 specimen is an early-ish W211 rather than a late W210, although you might think that rust should not have been a problem for owners of either car as Mercedes brought in a 30-year Mobilo-life warranty against bodywork corrosion as long ago as October 1998.
At the time, M-B boss Dieter Zetsche said something along the lines of the high quality of materials, standards of workmanship and corrosion protection of the bodywork and underfloor structures allowing such a warranty to be put in place. The conditions of Mobilo-life were that if a customer had the car serviced regularly (at least every two years) at an authorised Mercedes-Benz dealership, anti-corrosion coverage would continue for another 26 years beyond the regular four-year warranty. If the body was perforated due to corrosion from the inside out any time within 30 years, Mercedes-Benz would repair the damage at one of its workshops, at no cost to the owner.
Wow. So, in theory at least, assuming the servicing criteria have been adhered to, you should be able to chuck in a Mobilo-life claim on a 2003 W211 E-Class even now, or even a 1998 W210. In reality of course you'd have about as much chance of getting somewhere with your local M-B dealer as Shed would have with the village postmistress, unless you could somehow prove that the car's body was perforated due to corrosion 'from the inside out'. Good luck with that.
Anyway, it's all moot-ish for the time being at least, because there is no trace of the brown stuff anywhere here. The mileage is low and the car seems to reflect that outside and in. Not everyone will be a fan of the resale silver that permeates the entire car, relieved only by fillets of Mercedes Wood®, but you have to admire the way it's stood up to the passage of time. You might be pleasantly surprised by the easy thrunge of the 3.2-litre petrol motor too, and the generally bargealicious all-round experience of a mid-sized Merc unbarried by the curse of too-thin tyres and 'sports' suspension.
Early 211s suffered from their fair share of maladies though, mainly electrical. These weren't really sorted out until the 2006 facelift, but the owner of this 2003 car reports no dash lights, which on an afflicted car would typically be for the BAS (Brake Assist System) and ESP, often caused by brake light switch failure. Dampness getting into the seat weight sensors can activate the SRS light.
Under the bonnet, crank position sensors are known to fritz, and it's worth checking to see if it has a Valeo radiator. These leak, allowing coolant into the automatic transmission and potentially knackering the torque converter. Changing the Valeo unit is a sensible bit of preventative maintenance.
The pump for the Sensotronic Brake Control is another weak point. SBC was a clever thing but if you planned on pressing the brake pedal more than 200,000 times the pump could go. Rather than trying to count up your brake presses, it might be simpler just to get a new pump. Replacement units should carry a yellow label with a date.
Finally - well, never finally, but finally for this story - the bags for the Airmatic self-levelling suspension can leak, lowering the car when it's left switched off for a while. This usually happens at the back, so you don't even get that cool low-nose gangster look by way of compensation. You will however get a not so cool STOP, YOUR CAR IS TOO LOW warning on the dash, requiring a prompt visit to the garage. Not sure how you would get there with a too-low car, a lot of scraping would presumably be involved, but that's your problem.
On the plus side, our Shed has a nearly full MOT and a nice set of alloys. At £1295 or less this looks like a bargey bargain for somebody. Worth buying surely if only for the fun of keeping it until September 2028 and then bunging in a Mobilo-life claim for rusty wings.
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