Mercedes: rebuild transmission on 91 300e?, mileage transmission, spit shine

Question
QUESTION: I have a 91 300e which I love. I recently noticed the car was having trouble moving back when I put it in reverse. It is only very slight and has only happened about 3 times. I took it in to my mechanic who said the transmission is going and it is about $1500 to replace/rebuild the transmission.  There is nothing else wrong with the car.  He has advised me to sell the car and move up to an e320. The car has 139,000 miles on it and previously had one owner who took good care of it.  I am the 2nd owner.  I would like to know if it is better to  cut my losses and sell the car or if it is worth it to rebuild the transmission and keep it. I really love the car and it drives great. Thanks for your advice!

ANSWER: Alexandra,
It would not hurt to get a second opinion from a independent transmission shop that specializes in these types of transmissions.
It is not recommended to change the fluid on a high mileage transmission, as the new fluid washes off the accumulated materials, and hastens the failure. I expect that a transmission rebuild would come to about 1/2 the value of the resale on this vehicle. Certainly if the transmission goes out you will not recover the blue book value without having it repaired.

The car market is very depressed now and you would need to determine what price you may get for your 300e. In any case, I do not recommended trading your car in, but sell it on the open market and apply the money to a 320.

I also, suggest purchasing a vehicle from an individual as opposed to a used car lot. My history is that individual owners will generally be more open about the vehicle  condition. You also get a little better value as you can evaluate the vehicle before it has gone through the spit shine dealer prep and markup.

A vehicle with detailed maintenance records history is always more valuable than one without the records.
Good luck and let us know how you come out.
Rob



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Rob:
Thanks so much for the prompt response.

I agree with you that if I sell the car I will sell it to a private party but also agree with you that the market is depressed now. It seems hard to sell ANY car at present.   It seems the 1991 300e's are only worth about $2000-2500 on the open market if all parts are working. With a transmission that is going, I probably would be lucky to get $1000 for it, provided that I do disclose this to the buyer which it seems I should (although it is not happening all the time so it is probably not noticeable unless someone were to drive it daily).

I will get the 2nd opinion/quote from a transmission only specialist as you suggest.

I have a couple more questions:

1- Is the transmission the main expense to worry about with an older car? I am thinking that if the transmission is fixed then I do not have any other major expenses to worry about later on and so I should just fix this and keep the car.

2- Is it dangerous to drive it as is right now? MY mechanic said I could drive it and keep an eye on it and when it starts to fail in reverse consistently then that is the time to fix it, if I do not want to do it right now.

Thanks in advance for your help !  

Answer
Alexandra,
With older vehicles there are many issues other than transmission problems.  Because of the electrical complexity of the Mercedes line, there are always potentials for failure.
With older vehicle replacement parts from the dealer are unusually high when compared against the resale value of the vehicle.
Another issue is the timing belt. I expect that it is probably time to change it if that has not been done. If the timing belt breaks, it can become quite an expensive proposition to repair the damage.
I do not know if there is a potential for the valves to strike the piston with this particular vehicle. A Mercedes mechanic can answer this question. Even if valve train damage is not possible, a broken belt require removal of the radiator, fan and water pump etc.

I have been able to own and operate our 420sel for about the cost of a conventional domestic sedan because I have done most of the labor myself and purchased parts of Ebay. We are grappling with the same issues and are planning to offer our vehicle for sale as soon as possible.

Regarding transmission safety, I expect that any failure would be gradual. Because it is in reverse, this indicates that the low and reverse bands are beginning to go. I would speak with the transmission specialist regarding this issue.
Good Luck
Rob