1990 560 - Are these cars reliable after this much time ?

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barret bonden - 26 Jul 2007 16:42 GMT

Looking buying at a clean 1990 560 SEL with 140 k miles on it. Are these
cars reliable after this much time ? ( I know the mileage is "low") What
might I expect from leaking seals, and other time based ware ? The top end
has been done - timing chain , etc, new tires - drove it yesterday and
overall it was fine - I just worry about getting blindsided -

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-->> T.G. Lambach <<-- - 26 Jul 2007 19:12 GMT

You question is a good one. M-B cars are high quality BUT a top of the
line model like this one has a lot of features beyond ordinary cars so
there's more "stuff" to break. With respect to the major components the
maintenance history is very important to such a purchase but the extra
features have little or no maintenance requirement so the car's overall
condition counts there. These are not economy cars so don't expect fuel
economy.

You should know that a 560SEL has a hyropneumatic rear suspension (that
wasn't used on 420SEL) that includes a hydraulic engine driven pump, a
leveling valve and two rear nitrogen struts. The struts can fail and the
ride gets very hard. They're not horribly expensive to replace but as an
owner your ought to know how this rear suspension works and the
approximate cost of its parts - so when it needs work you can judge if a
shop is telling you the straight story or selling you something else.

Finally, don't overpay for this beauty.

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robrjt - 26 Jul 2007 21:05 GMT

On Jul 26, 12:12 pm, "-->> T.G. Lambach <<--" <"T.G. Lambach at
NoHamorSpamcomcast.net"> wrote:

> You question is a good one. M-B cars are high quality BUT a top of the
> line model like this one has a lot of features beyond ordinary cars so
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> ? 2007 T.G.Lambach. Publication in any form requires prior written
> permission.

I have a 91 560sel, they are fantatic if well maintained. The rear
suspension is self leveling, and the air/nitrogen spheres are what
need to be replaced every 100k or so. They are about $90 ea. And not
a difficult DIY job. The struts rarely if ever go bad. You can pick
up a couple of used ones for $50 ea if yours ever go bad. . And
ditto with the pump. A simple and effective system.
I don't think there is a finer automobile on the road. Except maybe
my 300SD

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Tiger - 27 Jul 2007 00:24 GMT

I think you are pretty safe... If I were you, I'd take that car to a real MB
specialist who is very familiar with that body style and have him look over
everything.

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Tony Polson - 27 Jul 2007 14:21 GMT

>Looking buying at a clean 1990 560 SEL with 140 k miles on it. Are these
>cars reliable after this much time ? ( I know the mileage is "low") What
>might I expect from leaking seals, and other time based ware ? The top end
>has been done - timing chain , etc, new tires - drove it yesterday and
>overall it was fine - I just worry about getting blindsided -

The issues you need to be aware of include electrics, of which there
are a lot on this model, rust and corrosion, which are a problem in
any brand of car of this age, and the deterioration of plastics and
rubber over time, affecting seals of all types, which can be
time-consuming and expensive to replace.

If you have an independent Mercedes specialist in your area, why not
pay him a few bucks to take a good look at the car and report on its
condition? It would be money well spent IMHO.

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mus098 - 30 Jul 2007 03:09 GMT

> GUEST wrote
> Looking buying at a clean 1990 560 SEL with 140 k miles on it. Ar

these

> cars reliable after this much time ? ( I know the mileage i

"low") What

> might I expect from leaking seals, and other time based ware ? Th

top end

> has been done - timing chain , etc, new tires - drove it yesterda

and

> overall it was fine - I just worry about getting blindside

Great car,best car I've owned sofar.I bought my 89' 560 se
7 years ago with 137.000 miles on it.I have now about 250.000 an
engine still runs strong and don't smoke.I start to get a leak bu
hey,after so many miles..
Only major problems I've had was around 145.000 my ignition modul
went bad and back then were hard to come by used so I found one ne
for 1/3 of the dealers price.Back then MB $ was $2,300 and bough
mine for $750.00,same Bosch unit
About 4 years ago my fuel pump relay went bad and a few months afte
the pumps were making noice so I replaced them too
The rest is normal wear like tires and brakes
I use my car daily for work,cleaning windows....lol.Yes it's true.So
start and stop alot a day
The key is knowing or trying to find out,if the car was serviced whe
it should.If so you mostlikely get a great car

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