98 Mercedes ML320 Big Time Money Pit .
- Thread starter crazyoildude
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I know plenty of 1998 vehicles that would be money pits including domestic, Asian and European.
That is well past the average life of ANY vehicle so not surprised here.
The vehicle was free and is not a lifetime commitment like folks here view vehicles. If costs too much you junk it otherwise fix until it hurts too much and move on. Any 98 that is free is gambling with odds against you.
My friends own a Bmw 3 series and Honda CR-V both 1998. Guess which is a problem child?
You all are too Much!
That is well past the average life of ANY vehicle so not surprised here.
The vehicle was free and is not a lifetime commitment like folks here view vehicles. If costs too much you junk it otherwise fix until it hurts too much and move on. Any 98 that is free is gambling with odds against you.
My friends own a Bmw 3 series and Honda CR-V both 1998. Guess which is a problem child?
You all are too Much!
Actually rebuilt Alternator through my rebuild guy is $90.00
A/c Comp $111.00 with accumulator. Thats my wholesale price.
A/c Comp $111.00 with accumulator. Thats my wholesale price.
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
There is no more expensive car than an old, cheap Mercedes.
I was thinking an old cheap Italian car perhaps.
There is no more expensive car than an old, cheap Mercedes.
I was thinking an old cheap Italian car perhaps.
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Oh sure when the drive system goes he should take it apart and rebuild it himself.. He is a college kid getting ready for medical school.. He may know how to check his oil.. When i had the shop we did a number of those engines they are very sludge prone.. They kept up on all the oil changes because i used to tell them if they did not change the oil with synthetic oil every 5000 miles there could be problems.
Also he only has 1 key and Mercedes near where he lives wants a couple of hundred dollars if they can even make the key they say sometimes the ecm has to be changed and that will run much more than this thing is worth..
If he's a student he should be driving a Toyota Corolla, not a Mercedes. Is he seeking the status of driving a Mercedes because he's going to medical school? This whole car, as mentioned by others, it a money pit. This is not the kind of financial burden you want to stress over on top of 6-figure student loans. Also not all medical students graduate; but all must pay their student loans regardless.
If he's smart enough to go to medical school, he should figure out pretty easily that it's a bad decision.
Oh sure when the drive system goes he should take it apart and rebuild it himself.. He is a college kid getting ready for medical school.. He may know how to check his oil.. When i had the shop we did a number of those engines they are very sludge prone.. They kept up on all the oil changes because i used to tell them if they did not change the oil with synthetic oil every 5000 miles there could be problems.
Also he only has 1 key and Mercedes near where he lives wants a couple of hundred dollars if they can even make the key they say sometimes the ecm has to be changed and that will run much more than this thing is worth..
If he's a student he should be driving a Toyota Corolla, not a Mercedes. Is he seeking the status of driving a Mercedes because he's going to medical school? This whole car, as mentioned by others, it a money pit. This is not the kind of financial burden you want to stress over on top of 6-figure student loans. Also not all medical students graduate; but all must pay their student loans regardless.
If he's smart enough to go to medical school, he should figure out pretty easily that it's a bad decision.
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Friends son got a 98 Mercedes Benz ML-320 from a relative that took great care of it for free.
Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck
If he's a student he should be driving a Toyota Corolla, not a Mercedes. Is he seeking the status of driving a Mercedes because he's going to medical school? This whole car, as mentioned by others, it a money pit. This is not the kind of financial burden you want to stress over on top of 6-figure student loans. Also not all medical students graduate; but all must pay their student loans regardless.
If he's smart enough to go to medical school, he should figure out pretty easily that it's a bad decision.
OP said his friend's son got it for free from a relative.
Friends son got a 98 Mercedes Benz ML-320 from a relative that took great care of it for free.
Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck
If he's a student he should be driving a Toyota Corolla, not a Mercedes. Is he seeking the status of driving a Mercedes because he's going to medical school? This whole car, as mentioned by others, it a money pit. This is not the kind of financial burden you want to stress over on top of 6-figure student loans. Also not all medical students graduate; but all must pay their student loans regardless.
If he's smart enough to go to medical school, he should figure out pretty easily that it's a bad decision.
OP said his friend's son got it for free from a relative.
No status in that family they are all super low key just a safe vehicle from a relative... His father drives a 2008 Explorer with over 170,000 miles and is one of the busiest orthopedic surgeons in north jersey... Nice Regular people not show offs at all. However his son is responsible for his actions his parents are paying for his school and some things but they are teaching him the value of money for sure
Originally Posted By: DallasTexas
I had a similar GL350 Bluetec that had DEF system and even the dealer had issues fixing. I got rid of it as it was a money pit.
I now have an 06 E320 CDI. It runs flawlessly.
I had a 96 E300 also diesel it had 300k miles when I gave to nephew and he is still driving it.
Never again will I have another vehicle with DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid).
^^^smart man.
I had a similar GL350 Bluetec that had DEF system and even the dealer had issues fixing. I got rid of it as it was a money pit.
I now have an 06 E320 CDI. It runs flawlessly.
I had a 96 E300 also diesel it had 300k miles when I gave to nephew and he is still driving it.
Never again will I have another vehicle with DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid).
^^^smart man.
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Oh sure when the drive system goes he should take it apart and rebuild it himself.. He is a college kid getting ready for medical school.. He may know how to check his oil.. When i had the shop we did a number of those engines they are very sludge prone.. They kept up on all the oil changes because i used to tell them if they did not change the oil with synthetic oil every 5000 miles there could be problems.
Also he only has 1 key and Mercedes near where he lives wants a couple of hundred dollars if they can even make the key they say sometimes the ecm has to be changed and that will run much more than this thing is worth..
What's someone like that doing with a nearly 20 year old Mercedes? Rather than purchase an old money pit he should have been smart enough to purchase something reliable.
Oh sure when the drive system goes he should take it apart and rebuild it himself.. He is a college kid getting ready for medical school.. He may know how to check his oil.. When i had the shop we did a number of those engines they are very sludge prone.. They kept up on all the oil changes because i used to tell them if they did not change the oil with synthetic oil every 5000 miles there could be problems.
Also he only has 1 key and Mercedes near where he lives wants a couple of hundred dollars if they can even make the key they say sometimes the ecm has to be changed and that will run much more than this thing is worth..
What's someone like that doing with a nearly 20 year old Mercedes? Rather than purchase an old money pit he should have been smart enough to purchase something reliable.
IMO, he should flip it, buy a bicycle and bus passes. If he must have wheels, flip it just the same and buy... a Corolla or something of similar&cheap ilk.
When I was in college one of the best things I did was go carless for periods of time. It was a ego-bruiser, but after a while it was great not dealing with parking and all sorts of vehicle related costs.
When I was in college one of the best things I did was go carless for periods of time. It was a ego-bruiser, but after a while it was great not dealing with parking and all sorts of vehicle related costs.
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I told him to get rid of it
Concur with this course of action. Use the money to buy something more reliable and less costly to repair.
I told him to get rid of it
Concur with this course of action. Use the money to buy something more reliable and less costly to repair.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Originally Posted By: DallasTexas
I had a similar GL350 Bluetec that had DEF system and even the dealer had issues fixing. I got rid of it as it was a money pit.
I now have an 06 E320 CDI. It runs flawlessly.
I had a 96 E300 also diesel it had 300k miles when I gave to nephew and he is still driving it.
Never again will I have another vehicle with DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid).
^^^smart man.
what exactly is wrong with DEF? AFAIK it's pretty cheap to purchase and add yourself
Originally Posted By: DallasTexas
I had a similar GL350 Bluetec that had DEF system and even the dealer had issues fixing. I got rid of it as it was a money pit.
I now have an 06 E320 CDI. It runs flawlessly.
I had a 96 E300 also diesel it had 300k miles when I gave to nephew and he is still driving it.
Never again will I have another vehicle with DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid).
^^^smart man.
what exactly is wrong with DEF? AFAIK it's pretty cheap to purchase and add yourself
I worked at a large luxury dealership for several years, located in beautiful Creve Coeur MO...we called those early ML series SUVs "Alabama Trashcans"...horrible vehicles, prone to rust (a lot of MB vehicles in the 90s and early 2000s were rust buckets), unreliable, expensive to fix, driven by poseurs who couldn't afford to keep up with repairs and maintenance.
If it's a freebie, that takes the edge off...at least he doesn't owe money on it.
If it's a freebie, that takes the edge off...at least he doesn't owe money on it.
I would get rid of it...a student needs basic, reliable and safe transportation and this, while safe, will likely be a continuing money pit w/ the potential for catastrophic $$ problems, like a shorted main harness at 36K miles...ask me how I know.
Had a '99 from new, worse car we have ever had; switchgear falling apart, radio volume increased randomly-could never get fixed, center bearing failed at ~22K miles, weird electrical problems (random warning lights)...capped by the main harness shorting and killing the car on the highway. The harness was a $4.5K job and MB generously threw in the instrument panel for free (it was partially fried). Also had relatively cheap interior materials, especially considering the cost. That said, it did drive very nicely and was more than capable in snow and light off/soft road.
Only recently have we considered an MB again, and I am not sure I will go there.
Had a '99 from new, worse car we have ever had; switchgear falling apart, radio volume increased randomly-could never get fixed, center bearing failed at ~22K miles, weird electrical problems (random warning lights)...capped by the main harness shorting and killing the car on the highway. The harness was a $4.5K job and MB generously threw in the instrument panel for free (it was partially fried). Also had relatively cheap interior materials, especially considering the cost. That said, it did drive very nicely and was more than capable in snow and light off/soft road.
Only recently have we considered an MB again, and I am not sure I will go there.
Originally Posted By: supton
IMO, he should flip it, buy a bicycle and bus passes. If he must have wheels, flip it just the same and buy... a Corolla or something of similar&cheap ilk.
When I was in college one of the best things I did was go carless for periods of time. It was a ego-bruiser, but after a while it was great not dealing with parking and all sorts of vehicle related costs.
Zipcar, Daimler's Car2Go or Enterprise's CarShare is at many college campuses and even with the per-hour fees(gas and insurance except for the liablity waiver is factored in) it's still cheaper than owning a car. Even using Lyft or Uber still makes sense over what many consider the black sheep of the Mercedes family.
IMO, he should flip it, buy a bicycle and bus passes. If he must have wheels, flip it just the same and buy... a Corolla or something of similar&cheap ilk.
When I was in college one of the best things I did was go carless for periods of time. It was a ego-bruiser, but after a while it was great not dealing with parking and all sorts of vehicle related costs.
Zipcar, Daimler's Car2Go or Enterprise's CarShare is at many college campuses and even with the per-hour fees(gas and insurance except for the liablity waiver is factored in) it's still cheaper than owning a car. Even using Lyft or Uber still makes sense over what many consider the black sheep of the Mercedes family.
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I have had a few free cars (American mostly).
Each and everyone of those free cars was overpriced, I should have never taken them.
Each and everyone of those free cars was overpriced, I should have never taken them.
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