Mercedes-Benz 400SE Repair and Maintenance - Get an online auto repair estimate for your Mercedes-Benz 400SE
RepairPal gives you independent and unbiased repair estimates, user
ratings and reviews, plus advice you can't get anywhere else.
It's easy, accurate, and FREE!
Mercedes-Benz 400SE Repair and Maintenance
Mercedes-Benz 400SE Model Years
Mercedes-Benz 400SE Questions and Answers
kickfoot, 1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE, Hephzibah, GA
I am considering purchasing a 1992 Mercedes Benz 400SE with 244,000 miles. It is in emmaculant physical condition inside & out, however I've yet to drive it to see how it performs. Based on the...
Mercedes-Benz 400SE Problems
| Brakes |
- Due to the size and materials of the brakes on these vehicles, the brakes start to squeak around the 50 percent wear point. The brake rotor surfaces become uneven, causing a lip to form at the outer edge of the rotor. Because of this, the rotors are usually replaced when the pads are worn (pad life varies depending on driving style and terrain).
- Brake fluid should be flushed every two years to prevent premature anti-lock brake system (ABS) failure.
|
| Engine |
- Oil leaks develop from the head gasket and timing cover gasket; these leaks should be repaired before the engine oil and coolant intermix.
- Radiators break due to degradation of the plastic tanks and fittings.
- Older vehicles should have the cooling system serviced even if the mileage is low. The hoses can look good on the
outside, but the rubber can degrade and erode on the inside. If not
carefully checked, the hoses can burst at any time.
- Oil feed tubes break and fall into the crankcase (engine) and the tappet becomes noisy
(ticking), resulting in degraded idle quality. Our technicians recommend
replacing all of the tubes at the same time, broken or not.
|
| Exhaust & Emissions |
- Ports in the cylinder head related to the emissions air injection and EGR systems can clog; the cylinder head should be removed and the ports cleaned.
- A faulty mass air flow (MAF) sensor can cause erratic/rough engine operation and fuel economy issues. Since
this sensor measures the actual amount of air entering the motor, when
it fails, the engine control module (ECM) takes the wrong information and delivers incorrect volumes of fuel to the cylinders.
|
| Suspension & Steering |
- Irregular and premature tire wear can be caused by the lower control
arm bushings cracking and causing excessive movement at the control arm pivot point. Ball joints can also wear out prematurely, causing similar tire wear symptoms.
- The tie rod ends, drag link, and idler arm in the linkage of the steering system can wear out.
- There is a steering dampening shock that will leak fluid when it goes bad.
- Vehicles with level control that ride harshly in the rear (no give in
the suspension, like you are riding on a brick) may have bad dampening
actuators. The actuators should be replaced in pairs.
- Some
models have tandem hydraulic pumps—one section for power steering and
the other for suspension adjustment. These pumps are prone to leakage
from either section.
|
| Drive Train |
- A vibration felt through the center floor
of
the vehicle can be caused by driveshaft flex discs, which crack and
shred, causing excessive driveshaft movement. Not repairing these can
cause damage to the driveshaft center support bearing, or, in the worst
case
scenario, damage to the transmission or differential.
- High mileage vehicles can leak from the transmission oil seals.
- High mileage or older vehicles develop leaks
at the differential seals and cover; the whole unit needs to be
resealed to repair the leaks.
- The bushings for the shifter lever wear out to the point where they
break and fall out. This causes excessive movement (loose feel) in the
shifter lever and a clanging-type noise when changing gears.
|
| Electrical & Lights |
- The insulation degrades on the engine wiring harnesses because the
insulating material falls off of the wires and leaves the conductors
exposed. This can cause many problems depending on which wires are
exposed and what they touch.
- Throttle valves can suffer electrical failure.
|
| Heating & Air Conditioning |
- Other than a defective motor, a bad switch or blower motor resistor assembly can cause inoperative heater blower motors.
- Leaks at the AC compressor, hose manifold for the compressor, or the evaporator core can cause poor AC performance.
- The climate control system can fail or perform erratically due to internal wear in the climate control unit buttons.
- A cracked or broken heater core outlet housing can cause a coolant leak near the bulkhead (firewall).
|
Recent Mercedes-Benz Repair Estimates
Most Common Mercedes-Benz Repair Estimates
