Drove an '08 MB E320 Bluetec . . .

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
DPF delete and its a gem. otherwise, enjoy the fail.


This!

This car will cost a fortune once the emission equipment starts to fail. I would get a gas version instead.

This state doesn't have emissions testing either (with an exception for one parish -- county in other, more civilized states -- near the state capital).

Is the emissions system on newer diesel Benzes so delicate and complex it tends to fail early? I've been driving cars with emissions systems all my adult life, and with the exception of some early ones in the '70s, my cars have never had serious emission-system troubles.


The DPF is a particulate filter. It traps soot particles and then, during cleaning cycles when diesel fuel is injected into the exhaust, it gets very, very hot to burn the soot off. So by this fact alone it is a very expensive part because of the heat it has to withstand. Another thing is that since it's a filter it will eventually become so restrictive that it needs to be changed. I don't know about Benz, but VW rates their DPF's for 120k miles. This interval may be a bit longer or shorter depending on the driving style, but it will render the car inoperable when it plugs up.

Also, for the computer to know what's going on with DPF and UREA injection, the exhaust is equipped with pressure and temperature sensors and tubing to route the exhaust to the EGR, all of which can foul up due to soot or simply fail due to age. Simply put the exhaust systems on new diesel engines are way more complicated and expensive to repair or replace than gas counter parts.
Also, the fuel delivery system and injectors, since they operate at very high pressures, are very expensive and sensitive to fuel quality.

Here is a good overview of VW's 2.0 common rail TDI. Have a look.

http://www.dsd.go.th/itrain/km/kboc/2010...ail_BIN5_UL.pdf

I'm sure that eventually all emission systems will be very reliable, but given the industry trend to test new tech on the consumers, I would wait with a diesel purchase as a long term commitment.

 

[JHZR2]

So for all the discussion of how the DPFs are prone to failing, can anyone provide concrete values of the average and peak temperatures of a DPF versus a gasser cat converter undergoing HC oxidation???

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
You guys worry to much, I remember hearing all this same [censored] about the W210 when they came out.

2008 is the first year of the V6, 2007 was the last year of the I6 so if this deal falls apart go hunt for a mint 2007.

Just drive it and maintain it per the FSM and you will get bored of it before you wear it out.

Thank you! And if I need to sell it, Benzes almost always have a good resale value.

My mechanic has given a thumbs-up on the car. Tomorrow I visit the dealer again. They offered me another test drive, during which they'll examine the Buick to set a trade-in price. Then we'll go from there.

(Last night I told my lady friend Miss Linda about the possible deal. She got all mournful -- she loves the Buick as much as I do, though only as a passenger. She must be the only female in America who isn't pleased or excited to ride in a Mercedes.) (Also, maybe, the only female in America who'll put up with me . . . so the two things could be connected.)

 

[Quattro Pete]

Sell the Buick to her.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Sell the Buick to her.

That'd be perfect . . . but what would she do with it? She doesn't drive and has no interest in learning. She'd park it and turn it into a play place for her cats!

 

[Dave Hess]

You mean girlfriend ?

The Benz is a sweet ride. My inlaws had the same car before it was wrecked.

 

[Benzadmiral]

The Era of the Buick (tm) continues.

While I enjoyed the drives in the E320 Bluetec, I found it to have a bit more road noise and (at highway speed) a bit more engine noise than I liked. (Not noisy like an '80s diesel Benz, though, not in the least.) The acceleration and the torque were wonderful -- vroom! and suddenly you're at 60 -- and all the gadgets worked and would be nice to have. The COMAND system was easy to navigate; I reset the analog clock using it.

But I wasn't in love with the MB. Now if the Buick had been totaled or was a rolling wreck, sure, I'd have gone for the Benz, no question. See, when I test-drove the Buick, as I headed back to the dealer, I realized I didn't want to drive home in my old car; I wanted the Buick. And so the deal was done. I didn't have that reaction to the E320. It wasn't worth it to me to go into debt for a car I wasn't crazy about.

Ah, well. I'll change the oil in the Great Gray Beast from Flint, get those burnt-out lights replaced, have the front seat reupholstered, and cruise effortlessly on!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Road noise could have been attributed to the particular tires and their degree of wear. Not much you can do about engine noise though. You'd have better luck with Lexus in that department. By the way, what happened to the LS that you were considering a few months back?

 

[Benzadmiral]

That LS430 was for sale at the same small dealer. As much as I liked it, I held off on it because of financial issues at the time, and because I knew it wouldn't get anything like the same mixed-driving gas mileage as the Buick does. Maybe that was a silly reason. When and if I get tired of the Park Avenue, or it's totaled or begins to nickel-and-dime me to death in repairs, an LS430 is on my list for sure.

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Is Louisiana in Texas?


Texarkana?

 

[Vikas]

Well, before somebody else gives you the same advice (but with lot more sneer Why not pretend that you bought that MB E320 and start making the payments to yourself? Also just to help out, I will randomly roll a dice and periodically come up with unscheduled maintenance on your E320 and you will deposit the appropriate sum to your account.

Pretty soon, you would be able to buy the next car that you fancy by paying cash.

I am kidding (but only slightly)

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Well, before somebody else gives you the same advice (but with lot more sneer Why not pretend that you bought that MB E320 and start making the payments to yourself? Also just to help out, I will randomly roll a dice and periodically come up with unscheduled maintenance on your E320 and you will deposit the appropriate sum to your account.

Pretty soon, you would be able to buy the next car that you fancy by paying cash.

I am kidding (but only slightly)

Oh, I've been doing just that with the "payments" on the Buick for three years now. The trouble with this plan is, the prices of desirable used cars keep rising faster than my savings. By the time I'd be ready to pay cash for a car like the E320, its price will be approximately twice what I've saved.

(Kind of a metaphor for America in general, when you think about it.)

 

[hattaresguy]

The used car market is crazy right now, but new car sales are spiking so it will even out again in the next few years.

 

[Vikas]

One should not be talking about the financial aspect of car buying here as it is extremely personal but one thing which I would like to point out is that if one is making payment on the vehicle, make sure the length of the term matches with the left over factory (or like factory) warranty. If you are already making car payments, you really should not be picking up the tab for any unscheduled maintenance. Not everybody can adhere to this principle but that should be the goal. And after market extended warranties is no substitute in application of this rule.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
One should not be talking about the financial aspect of car buying here as it is extremely personal but one thing which I would like to point out is that if one is making payment on the vehicle, make sure the length of the term matches with the left over factory (or like factory) warranty. If you are already making car payments, you really should not be picking up the tab for any unscheduled maintenance. Not everybody can adhere to this principle but that should be the goal. And after market extended warranties is no substitute in application of this rule.


Not a bad rule to follow.
Another one would be to ensure that you're not upside down on the loan, or at least minimize that period to a year or so.

If you follow at least one of these rules, you will sort of follow the other.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Two months on, and the MB E320 diesel is still for sale at that dealer! They've cut the asking price by 2 grand. Apparently the big Benz hasn't found a home in all that time. Why would that be? The cost of diesel fuel scares some potential buyers off, sure, but --?

From time to time this last two months, I've thought to myself, Self, maybe you made a mistake passing on it. And now here it is at my doorstep still. Hmmm.

 

[KrisZ]

These cars are fairly complex and quite intolerant to poor maintenance or fuel quality. The risk is simply too high, for an average car buyer that has no clue about automotive repair or maintenance, for something to go wrong.
Most people looking into buying this car probably got "stay away" warning from their mechanics or friends that are somewhat knowledgeable about current clean diesels and Mercedes in general.

However this car could be a steal for someone mechanically inclined that is not afraid to deal with few issues that might pop up and knows how to inspect this car and maintain it properly.

 

[Benzadmiral]

My mechanic gave me no "stay away" warnings, and no, he's not planning to buy a boat with the money he makes off me.

It's odd the car is still for sale, though. No, I won't go look at it today, and that will give me time to see if I'm still excited about the whole thing tomorrow or Saturday. It'll be nearly 80 F. here on Saturday -- I could test the air-conditioning a little more stringently!

 

[Vikas]

I think it has your name written all over it. That is why it is still at the dealer. Somebody up there wants to have it

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
I think it has your name written all over it. That is why it is still at the dealer. Somebody up there wants [you] to have it

An automotive version of "the kitten nobody wanted at the shelter, who grew up to be a show cat"?