Beyond the wiring harness and the A/C, the blower regulator is known
for melting if it's not
properly installed with the right amount of thermal paste and fins,
and the close assist
pump (pulls doors closed) usually fails too and needs to replace, or
perhaps fixed (iffy).
Budget oh say $1000 to fix those two wouldn't be uncommon. Let's see
oh ball joints, things in the
front end, tires, it's a heavy car and things wear out much faster.
mmm another 2K wouldn't be out of line.
I'd say hunt for a 99 which has had the A/C evaporator replaced, that
or budget $4-6K to fix just that depending on where you live.
People who run Mobil 1 ATF seem to imply the transmissions last a
long time, I can't say I've read about issues with transmission.
On 11-May-06, at 1:20 AM, Tarek Elshenawy wrote:
So I know I've seen stuff on the lists about these things having
problems,
but never paid attention because I thought ownership was out of the
question. I recently came across a fine specimen, however and wish
to be
enlightened about general maintenance and common problems.
The car is a 1995 S420. I remember reading about wiring harness
problems...
is this all wiring harnesses? I recall reading an article about how
the
wiring for the AC compressor was too short, but starting in 95, they
corrected the problem. Did Mercedes address all wiring problems
starting in
95?
My second question is regarding the chassis. Does the 95 S420V
designation
constitute an extended wheelbase? I know they made short and long
wheelbase
S320's, but were all S420, 500 and 600's the long wheelbase versions?
I also remember reading that the major downfall of all the gasoline
W140
models was the transmission. Is this true?
In short, I would just like any information regarding the common
problems
and general maintenance for the W140, specifically the S420 if
possible.
Thanks in advance.
Tarek Elshenawy
John
1983 300TDt 364k Kilometers (mobil 1 Delvac)
1990's 300TDt 166k Kilometers (mobil 1 Delvac)
1993 500SEL 174k Kilometers (mobil 1 Delvac)
