Mercedes-Benz E420 Repair and Maintenance - Get an online auto repair estimate for your Mercedes-Benz E420

My blower doesn't kick on when I have the A/C on. The compressor is working fine, but the blower doesnt engage. Is the blower the primary culprit or are there other things I need to look at? Also h...

1 answer

Blower doesn't work

hnavedo, 1994 Mercedes-Benz E420, Oklahoma City, OK

My 1994 E420 blower doesn't engage when in heat or A/C. The compressor kicks on and the line is cold and no leaks in the lines good pressure. So do I have a definite blower problem? I dont think it...

1 answer

Will not start!

tonyaspeight, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, Snow Hill, NC

Car has been starting with no problems. Today it idled up and turned off. It will not start up. The lights, radio, and air comes on. Please help!

1 answer

E420 Smokeing on start.. sometimes

Saber_Mike, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, Richmond, VA

My 1997 E420 with 134k miles on it will sometimes blow a small puff of white smoke when I start it. Only every now and then so I have no idea of the logic there. I noticed the other day when I had ...

1 answer

hi mileage for mercedes

leedonnie, 1995 Mercedes-Benz E420, Shelby, NC

what would be consider hi mileage for 1995 e 420

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Transmission Control Module

thesaddlers, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, Chicago, IL

My car is staying in 1st gear. I remember my audi did the same thing and I was wondering if the TCM is the cause. Also where is the TCM located in my car

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1st gear

thesaddlers, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, Chicago, IL

my car won't go out of first gear. if i go pass 35-40mph i can hear a hissing sound; what could be the problem

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Replacing the bumpers and electrical problems

Jonathan Wield, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, Fort Mill, SC

I need to replace the rear and front bumpers for my 1997 E420. I found replacement bumpers in the right color on a 1995 E420. Will the 95 bumpers fit on my 97 Benz????

Also, when my lights are on,...

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what causes engine to miss

dennyhow, 1994 Mercedes-Benz E420, Ruston, LA

engine misses slow speed/rpm. could it be fuel filter? Or needing tuneup?

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SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE MALFUNCTION

Anonymous, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, North Miami Beach, FL

SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE MALFUNCTION AT START-UP INTERMINABLY- AT START-UP THE GUAGES EITHER TURN-ON UNTIL SHUT-DOWN OF VEHICLE OR NOT AT ALL AT NEXT STAT-UP?

Answer this

lights do not work

Anonymous, 1995 Mercedes-Benz E420, Mission Viejo, CA

Head lights and high beams do not come on but the bulbs are good.

1 answer

ENGINE ELECTRONIC LIGHT STAY ON

Anonymous, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, East Elmhurst, NY

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE ELECTRONIC LIGHT AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STAY ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF?

1 answer

ticking in engine

SDizzle, 1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, Homestead, PA

Are the oil feed tubes in the crankcase the only thing that would cause ticking noise at idle.

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Mercedes-Benz E420 Car Reviews (1)

1997 Mercedes-Benz E420, gotglasses, Seaford, NY, February 01, 2009 19:02

1997 E420 Sport - My first Mercedes, bought from a friend's estate. Car is a creampuff, 95,000 miles and all dealer serviced. The exhaust system is like a new car, not rusted, the chassis is really olid,again no rot. The materials used are very high quality and the car holds up well as a result. Over the years and during the extended warranty the tranny was replaced, as was the AC blower motor. These are both problem areas in these cars , since repairs exceed the car value in many cases.

The V8 is very strong ,great mileage over 20mpg in everyday use. It is fairly quick but hampered by the ASR and traction control which limits jack rabbit starts. Top end is another matter altogether - 100 mph comes up quickly when passing. Theoretically, the car goes as fast in 3rd - 130mph - as it does in 5th, so it is an autobahn warrior. Rather amazing for a 12 year old car. There are not many places where I can get away with my speed tests, but we have a nice quiet 5 mile stretch near the ocean that makes me appreciate the wonderful brakes that Mercedes puts on all their cars.

These cars are dirt cheap today, and can be expensive to maintain - but they are worth every penny in satisfaction.

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Mercedes-Benz E420 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. A knocking noise from the front end can be caused by cracked strut tower bushings. 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.
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	Due to wear of mechanical parts in the control head, the buttons on temperature control assemblies work erratically or not at all. These control heads need to be replaced for this concern or when the display screen starts to fade out. Due to the vacuum actuators going bad, temperature blend doors in the HVAC system may stop working.

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Mercedes-Benz E420 Recalls and TSBs

Mercedes-Benz E420 Recalls (Recent)

Body, Interior & Misc.: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

Campaign Number: 00V388000

Dates Manufactured: 11/1996 to 02/1997

Number of Vehicles Affected: 16,255

Model Years Affected: 1997

Date Owner Notified: 02/2001

Defect Summary: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN THE ABSENCE OF A CRASH.

Consequence Summary: INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COULD CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.

Corrective Summary: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAG MODULES. AT THE SAME TIME, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE CONDITION OF THE SIDE AIR BAG MODULE WIRING WITHIN THE DOORS AND REPLACE THAT WIRING IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE.

Recall Notes: OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Electrical & Lights: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Campaign Number: 95V031000

Number of Vehicles Affected: 50,000

Model Years Affected: 1995

Date Owner Notified: 03/1995

Defect Summary: THE FRONT PASSENGER METAL FOOT REST CAN, OVER TIME, ABRADE THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE FOOT REST CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO SHORT CIRCUIT.

Consequence Summary: A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN CAUSE THE WIRES TO OVERHEAT, STALL THE ENGINE, OR INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY AN AIRBAG, ANY OF THESE INCREASES THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE CRASH.

Corrective Summary: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL WIRING HARNESS CABLE FASTENER TIES AND EDGE PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR SHARP EDGES OF THE METAL FOOT REST.

Recall Notes: SYSTEM: ELECTRICAL; WIRING.VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES.NOTE:IF YOUR VEHICLE IS PRESENTED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND THE REMEDY IS NOT PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME, CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-800-424-9393.

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Mercedes-Benz E420 Technical Service Bulletins (Recent)

None reported.

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