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

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 -

Reply to
barret bonden
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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.

Reply to
-->> T.G. Lambach

On Jul 26, 12:12 pm, "-->> T.G. Lambach

Reply to
robrjt

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.

Reply to
Tiger

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.

Reply to
Tony Polson

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
Reply to
mus098

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