[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by androdev

I think here is more helpful video of the problem. Kept the car in park mode after an hour of driving and gently raised the RPM to 3K or so.


Sent the videos to the dealer, hopefully the problem will be acknowledged and fixed.

Try this:
http://www.losaltosonline.com/specia...he-road/45742-

[ppr]

Hi
I am looking at a preowned S500 of late 2011. It has done 25 k kms so far. How much maintenance costs am I looking at? Are the tyres a major problem? Hearing the cost per tyre shocked me!
ppr

[androdev]

Originally Posted by ppr

Hi
I am looking at a preowned S500 of late 2011. It has done 25 k kms so far. How much maintenance costs am I looking at? Are the tyres a major problem? Hearing the cost per tyre shocked me!
ppr

Hey I just have 26K on my car and posted pretty much every tiny detail of my service experience here. Tyres are the last thing I am worried about :-) I am still running on original tires and they have been subjected to some 'serious' usage. What did they quote and why don't you get them fixed in a private shop?

I responded to your PM. While I highly recommend the car, I don't have the guts to recommend it to a stranger due to potential ownership costs if things go wrong.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by ppr

Hi
I am looking at a preowned S500 of late 2011. It has done 25 k kms so far. How much maintenance costs am I looking at? Are the tyres a major problem? Hearing the cost per tyre shocked me!
ppr

Hey ppr, my car has 17" alloys and I don't know the dealer price but I expect the prices to be in the lower 20s apiece. You can check out this link to get an indicative price of tires for 19" alloys.

http://www.snapdeal.com/products/automotive-car-wheels-tyres/?sort=plth&#plth|

Another option is to replace the 19" alloys with 17" ones. Reduces the tire failure changes and you will also have lot more choice when buying new tires.

[ppr]

Originally Posted by androdev

Hey ppr, my car has 17" alloys and I don't know the dealer price but I expect the prices to be in the lower 20s apiece. You can check out this link to get an indicative price of tires for 19" alloys.

http://www.snapdeal.com/products/automotive-car-wheels-tyres/?sort=plth&#plth|

Another option is to replace the 19" alloys with 17" ones. Reduces the tire failure changes and you will also have lot more choice when buying new tires.

Thanks
That's a great site!. I think the tyres on the S500 are different sizes, front and back. This site shows 4 R19s for 100k, about 25k per tyre, which is a lot better than I had heard. I have R17 in the A6 right now and they cost about 18k each for Michelin PP2.
I think Mercedes recommends Dunlop tyres. I hope I get reasonably priced ones like the Yokohamas. It would be a shame to change the alloys.
I will bookmark the site!
ppr

[F150]

Originally Posted by androdev

I think here is more helpful video of the problem. Kept the car in park mode after an hour of driving and gently raised the RPM to 3K or so.

Sent the videos to the dealer, hopefully the problem will be acknowledged and fixed.

Yup, some sound is definitely there. I am not sure thought if it related to a fault.

[androdev]

Just an update, the problem was identified as a faulty idler pulley. Replaced under warranty. The parts were available and warranty approval was immediate, etc. So things are back to normal now.

[V-16]

I have heard a lot of horror stories about the Airmatic system. Have you had any problems with yours till date? My previous W220 had an issue which was solved only after i changed the Strut, bellows and the motor, which was an expensive affair but if you need the ride of a Merc, you'd better be prepared to shell out a few bucks.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by V-16

I have heard a lot of horror stories about the Airmatic system. Have you had any problems with yours till date? My previous W220 had an issue which was solved only after i changed the Strut, bellows and the motor, which was an expensive affair but if you need the ride of a Merc, you'd better be prepared to shell out a few bucks.

So far things have been ok but it has been just little more than 2.5yrs so not a long time. Did your suspension give up gradually, or stranded you on the road, etc.? How much did it cost you approximately if you can recall?

Interestingly people with ABC (their hydraulic suspension) say that Airmatic is cheap and reliable :-) but I know what you mean. It offers a nice ride and but at considerable cost.

[V-16]

Originally Posted by androdev

So far things have been ok but it has been just little more than 2.5yrs so not a long time. Did your suspension give up gradually, or stranded you on the road, etc.? How much did it cost you approximately if you can recall?

Interestingly people with ABC (their hydraulic suspension) say that Airmatic is cheap and reliable :-) but I know what you mean. It offers a nice ride and but at considerable cost.

Well it just happens overnight. i just had a problem with my W221 just out of the block. The airmatic fault light just came on and i noticed the ride became bumpy and the car started bottoming on every speed breaker.
The W221 shocks cost between 60-62k a piece, depending on the availability. The W220 shocks should cost between 48-50k a piece.

The car does give you signals like bad ride, etc and the warning lights come on and off, this is the time to get your system checked on the diagnostic. Another thing that blinks off in the diesel versions is the glow plug which costs approx 11-1200 a piece. These are the two most recurring problems on the S and airmatic equipped (diesel) mercs.

The ML and SUVs come equipped with a bellows like system to raise the car that is a nightmare to get and costs another packet. Luckily i have not faced that problem in my ML as long as o had owned it.

[androdev]

Small update.. there has been some creaking noise while going over speedhumps but it is not consistent. Could not reproduce it during my joint test drives with the tech so left at it for a couple of months. Thanks to the winter, I was able to reproduce it consistently early in the morning. Upon my request, Sundaram Motors was helpful enough to send their tech to my house at 7am for a test drive. They acknowledged it and solved it by replacing some control arm bushes I believe. Another good thing I noticed is the parts availability and warranty approvals have been prompt, something that I wasn't expecting.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by androdev

by replacing some control arm bushes I believe. Another good thing I noticed is the parts availability and warranty approvals have been prompt, something that I wasn't expecting.

Oh Lord; won't you buy me a Mercedes?

I've been singing that song since I was little.

The S-Class has always been THE car for me. Even more than the E. It all started when I saw a W126 at an FNG my father used to frequent.

Well- As my signature says; my (rather- our) next car will be:

A] A Mercedes.

B] An S. Or Nothing.

The best. Or nothing.

Came across this W221 today:

http://www.cardekho.com/used-car-det...une_741327.htm

The asking price is a bit high though. ~35-40 would be an awesome price.

Anything particular to look out for- In a W221?

______________________

Another bit of me opines- Best wait for a while. Buy a W222- Preferably new- around 2020.

I guess I'll do that- But still; back to the question- Any faults to look out for; in a W221?

______________________

EDIT: 'Just noticed that this my 900th post here. I dedicate my 900th post to a very special car....The S Class. The W111. The W126. The W140. The W221. The W222.

The best car. Ever.

All hail the Mercedes flagship!

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Came across this W221 today:

http://www.cardekho.com/used-car-det...une_741327.htm

The asking price is a bit high though. ~35-40 would be an awesome price.

Anything particular to look out for- In a W221?

You can get S classes which have run a lot less km for a lot less than the cost of that car. If you aren't keen on a diesel the 500 may actually be available cheaper, check it out.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

You can get S classes which have run a lot less km for a lot less than the cost of that car. If you aren't keen on a diesel the 500 may actually be available cheaper, check it out.

Just after you said this- I went round the T-BHP Classifieds for the umpteenth time.

What did I stumble upon? A 2000 MY S Class. Made in Germany. W220. S320. For.....

Check the classifieds section. The car is very much in Bombay.

_____________________

However tempting it is- Will try to get a W222 sometime in 2020 (or ~5 years after that- Life is unpredictable)

_____________________

All hail the S Class!

[androdev]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

[i]
The asking price is a bit high though. ~35-40 would be an awesome price.

Anything particular to look out for- In a W221?

It has no known "defects" except for air suspension that may fail prematurely (not just Mercedes specific). But in general these cars always develop some issues with no specific pattern and everything costs a bomb. Being romantic gonna cost you :-) I would be wary of owning these cars outside of warranty.

w221 now vs w222 later: both are good options, I just don't trust future.