[Vwdiesel] 1996 Mercedes R300 diesel

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Hello Bill,

I want to echo what Brian Decker has said so well, and add that I sent a 
longer reply to your personal email address. But publicly I want to suggest 
that you spend whatever is necessary up front, before you settle for the 
car, to have this potential money-pit  professionally evaluated by a 
well-established Mercedes dealer. If you can't afford that, then you can't 
afford to own this car....IMO.

I say this because you will probably have to go to such a dealer anyhow on 
a fairly regular basis to get the level of support that such a car 
requires....especially at first, when you are getting it ready to drive 
in  a safe and reliable manner.

I haven't found the same level of do-it-yourself information available for 
the Mercedes line compared to what is available from the VW-Audi 
community....things like the family album and the on-line forums. And 
independent mechanics generally can't match the dealer-available diagnostic 
tools.

If the present owner won't cooperate by allowing you to pay for a dealer 
work-up,  ask him why not and listen with a skeptical ear. And tell us how 
it goes from there. You have posed a very interesting question and I want 
to hear more about how it evolves....because I am doing much the same thing 
and it is real lonely out here.

Doyt Echelberger
Presently driving a 2000 Mercedes E-320 beyond 160,000 miles
getting basic maintenance done by an independent
and going to a big-city Mercedes dealer for the tough stuff
 >>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi Bill:
         I have a friend who has a shop that works on European cars, Jaguars,
BMW, Mercedes, Audi and VW's. His big cravat is that ONCE A LUXURY CAR,
ALWAYS A LUXURY CAR! ! ! If it cost big bucks when it was new parts and
labor will be big bucks when it is 15 + years old and the wear gremlins
sneak in. You have been working with 80's vintage VW Rabbits, Dashers and
Quantams. Parts are cheap and the cars are relitivly simple. Graduate to the
90's European  luxury cars and you will probably need to find a good
mechanic and a much fatter wallet to keep the machines on the road.
Brian Decker