Doog's Mercedes-Benz E350: My Biggest Update Yet

[Doog]

Since the temperature was in the eighties this weekend, I decided it was time to use Leatherique on my front seats. I'd been anxiously waiting to do so since I got the car two months ago. The rear seats have little wear and didn't need any treatment. For the best results, this is a two step process. You first apply the Rejuvenator Oil to the seats with a paint brush, then let the car sit out in the heat for about a day.

For the next part of the process (after letting the car sit for a day) necessitates the bottle of Prestine Clean, a brush, two microfiber towels and a bucket of warm water. The Prestine Clean is sprayed on all the areas where the Rejuvenator Oil was applied the previous day. After application, brush the sprayed areas with the included brush. After a good amount of scrubbing (arm soreness is a good way to gauge your progress), wet the first microfiber towel and go over all the scrubbed areas once or twice, rinsing it in between. Finally, rub the wetted areas with the dry towel and feel around for any leftover chemical deposits.

Driver's seat before:

Note how it has a bit of a grayish hue from all of the crap collected over an eleven year span.

Driver's seat after:

Note how the wear on that bolster is much more subtle now.

Passenger seat before:

Passenger seat after:

Aaaand an obligatory picture of the car:

 

[Doog]

Remember how only one radiator hose was replaced? The one that remains isn't quite sealed for whatever reason, causing a small coolant leak. Basically, I need to keep topping it off until that hose gets replaced.

The Mini's starting to exhibit some weird issues at 96,600 miles. Apparently it's making a whining sound, and there's a burning smell. The issue was originally thought to be an alternator, but after being replaced...nothing happened. Apparently it could just be a PCV valve (if I remember that name correctly) or a crankshaft pulley. Other than that, this is really the first issue the Mini's had. It's been a surprisingly reliable car. The Lexus and Highlander continue to be problem-free.

 

[Doog]

 

[ildd]

Doog, what's your take on lowering cars?
Not stancing, but dropping the whole car 2 inches.

 

[Doog]

Doog, what's your take on lowering cars?
Not stancing, but dropping the whole car 2 inches.

If I lowered it, I'd probably have to go for some wheel spacers in order for it to not look like some second hand luxury cars whose suspension is shot. But if I got wheel spacers, there'd be rubbing, and I don't want to deal with that. I also like not having to worry for my car every time I come to a driveway or a parking lot. I do enough of that when I drive my mom's Mini; it doesn't leave much room for sudden decisions. I also don't want to compromise the ride quality or handling characteristics.

Basically, it's best to leave it alone.

 

[CDailey]

Beautiful car. I love E39.

 

[Kitten]

 

[Doog]

Oh no imagine at 66666 miles.. Gotta get a snap shot of it.

 

[ildd]

But that's 66566 miles
Jk... C240's are famous for that, too (fading LCDs) but surprisingly mine hasn't been affected.

 

[Doog]

But that's 66566 miles
Jk... C240's are famous for that, too (fading LCDs) but surprisingly mine hasn't been affected.

My friend's C230 (a 2005 I believe, nice car) has 95k but appears to be unaffected as well. Of course, I'm no expert on C-Classes, so I have no idea which models are affected.

 

[Crash]

You really should service your engine soon.

 

[ildd]

My friend's C230 (a 2005 I believe, nice car) has 95k but appears to be unaffected as well. Of course, I'm no expert on C-Classes, so I have no idea which models are affected.

2005-2007 W203's are a lot different than 01-04's. Generally better... Only time mine goes weird is if it's very hot inside the car. The entire LCD screen in the dash doesn't work until the internal temp is below 95, lol

Edit- I plan on making a thread for my car next week. Weather has been awful the past 3 weeks

 

[Doog]

Since the last update, the little gray Bimmer has gained the correct radiator hoses, a gas cap (old one was leaky) and some Valvoline oil. The car's got an oil leak, as was previously mentioned, and it suggested for me to check the oil level after about 3,700 miles since its last oil change. The car visited Greulich's to have its oil drained and replaced with some Valvoline. The car's no longer throwing transmission codes, but cylinder #5 has a misfire and the car needs a new ignition coil.

 

[Katiegan]

Maybe it's born with it.

Maybe it's Valvoline.

 

[funnyguy344]

Great looking car doog.

 

[Doodle]

if I put valvoline in any car it makes it special?

 

[DonZonda]

Nice BMW ! Interesting to see that our german cars are loved around the world Keep the Beauty in good shape! It's funny since I see all day BMW Mercedes VW etc...
But a Corvette or Mustang is Special here People are like damn look at that Mustang!

 

[Doog]

Nice BMW ! Interesting to see that our german cars are loved around the world Keep the Beauty in good shape! It's funny since I see all day BMW Mercedes VW etc...
But a Corvette or Mustang is Special here People are like damn look at that Mustang!

Everyone likes Bimmers, but mine's one of the few of its vintage that are actually maintained. E39s aren't very common here, but ones that don't look like they've been to hell and back are ridiculously rare. People must be aware, because I'm always getting compliments on it. It's the envy of my friends, too. On the topic of keeping it in good shape, I washed it today:

I wash it every Saturday, though.

#Brosforlife.

 

[Doog]

The little gray BMW that could made another visit to the shop this week, where, when scanned, showed no codes. For the first time since December, the check engine light went away.

* * *

Decided to take a nice drive today through the desert for a bit to a town called Rio Verde, which appears to be populated by old folks and golf courses. Just north of Rio Verde is an interesting swampy area known as Camp Creek. The continuous green trees and huge bushes along the road made for a welcome contrast for all the cacti I'd seen on the way there. What really mattered is that Camp Creek had these roads with curves in them (a rare sight in Phoenix), and they weren't the usual long, casual curves. These were actual tight, technical curves where I could actually see what BMWs were all about. Minimal traffic (animal and vehicular, though I did have to swerve for a family of quail crossing the road afterwards) and zero police cars hiding off the road meant for fun times in the desert.

 

[Doog]

I've been a bit suspicious about my car lately. Don't get me wrong, it behaves perfectly, other than that one sunshade that clicks whenever I go over a big bump. The car's got some small, peculiar defects.

Most noticeable is this weird set of scratches and a little bit of paint chippage by one of the rear door handles.

It continues towards the other edge of the door.

The same door has a slightly annoying quirk where the body molding has came unglued. Not immediately noticeable, but it sticks out just a bit too much. A thumb's-worth of force puts it in its place, but it goes back to sticking out if you take your thumb off.

A similar scratch with its own bit of paint chippage, as well as a gap of missing paint above one of the taillights.

I didn't catch this until more recently, but the opposite taillight has a chip.

I only just noticed while taking the previous photo that the tailgate's lost some paint on the corresponding edge.

The plastic case inside the trunk shows an odd gap.

For reference, here's what a normal case looks like. This is the bottom of the case with the gap.

Now here's the other:

A mechanic friend warned me that it could've been in an accident due to the torn up rubber trim on the headlights, but I've always seen that as a side-effect of age.

Wanting to know the cause of these irksome faults, I bought a Carfax report, and boy was it helpful. It also gave me a better understanding of my car's past life. For instance, it first set foot tire in the states at Port Hueneme in California.

The little gray Bimmer's first owner kept it in West Hollywood for around six and a half years, racking up just over 17,000 miles in that time. Must have been a city car.

After acquiring a new owner, the car didn't stray far from Hollywood, but now called Sherman Oaks its home.

This owner kept the car for less than two years, and near the end of that ownership (and only five thousand more miles) was when a "rear-impact" happened. After racking up seven thousand more miles, the car found a new owner in August of 2011. It now lived in Van Nuys.

The car must've been traded in, as it was now sitting on a lot somewhere in Phoenix. It was purchased by the owner most recent to I with 48,000 miles under its belt. In just ten months, it racked up 16,000 additional miles before being brought under the loving care of Doog. Its first home in the desert was the town of Surprise, a suburb west of Phoenix.

Not really sure what to do about the damage to the door, short of just buying a new door, since some of the scratches are rather deep. I'm sure that's easier said than done, but another thing I'd like to do is touch up that paint chip above the taillight. There's also this new issue:

I pulled it into the garage this afternoon with the lights on, but all of them appeared to be working fine. I'll have to do another walk-around once it's completely dark to make sure my car's not a liar. Other than that, it keeps on trucking at an average rate of 24 miles per day, now with around 67,830 miles under its belt. The accident history doesn't really bother me, but those scratches on the door sure do.

 

[Tornado]

Phoenix is perhaps a bit out of my way, but we should definitely street race each other or something similarly irresponsible.

 

[Doog]

Phoenix is perhaps a bit out of my way, but we should definitely street race each other or something similarly irresponsible.

[steptronic shifting intensifies]

 

[Tornado]

You may have a 500 pound weight advantage and another gear in the transmission (which you can... choose yourself), but I have a Northstar that hasn't of yet decided that the head gasket staying connected to the block is merely a strongly worded suggestion.

 

[Katiegan]

I'd say something happened on the side too and it was badly repaired. You can see brush strokes where someone tired to paint it. They made a mess of the rest of it, too. I suspect it was a DIY job seeing as no records of side impact showed up on the Carfax report. Probably did the damage themselves and didn't want to tell anyone.

If only cars could talk...

"So yeah, when I was livin' in Cali, my owner's daughter decided she was gunna drive me, right? An' she decides she wants to go to the mall, yeah? So she piles her frens in me and heads for the mall, then decides to park in the tightest space in the whole parkin' lot. You can see where this is goin', can't ya? She pulls into it way too early and before you know it, SCREECH! She just scraped my side all over this Chevy truck. Now this truck looks at me all pissed off, cuz I just took his ass off, so I'm shruggin' and I'm like 'I'm sorry man, it was her'. She screams an' panics and all that, but one of her frens is like 'Calm down, my brother does auto shop, he can fix it'. An' I'm thinkin', this kid is in high school, he can't fix this mess on my side. But she thinks it's fine and heads for this auto shop kid, keep in mind my owner don't know nothin' about this. We show up at this kid's house and he looks like he just started middle school. Baby face, acne, squeeky voice, you name it, he had it. But anyway, he looks me over an' says in his squeeky voice that he can sort somethin' out, and my owner's daughter is like, 'I need it fixed real soon before my dad kills me!', an' I'm thinkin', I'm gonna drive you off a cliff before he gets a chance, honey. So this kid starts workin' on me, an' I could feel it was all wrong, that wasn't how they did it at the plant, but I can't do nothin'. I just gotta sit there and let this kid make a mess of my side. He starts paintin' me with a paintbrush, by this time my oil is boilin' man, I'm ready to start myself up and run him over. But I kept my cool, I was a city car, an' us city cars gotta be patient. He finishes, an' my owner's daughter takes me home, an' somehow he don't notice. You know what, Doog? You're the first one to notice."




I got way too carried away with that. But I'm telling you, if that Bimmer could talk, it would say exactly that.

 

[Doog]

You may have a 500 pound weight advantage and another gear in the transmission (which you can... choose yourself), but I have a Northstar that hasn't of yet decided that the head gasket staying connected to the block is merely a strongly worded suggestion.

How's the torquesteer on those babies?

I'd say something happened on the side too and it was badly repaired. You can see brush strokes where someone tired to paint it. They made a mess of the rest of it, too. I suspect it was a DIY job seeing as no records of side impact showed up on the Carfax report. Probably did the damage themselves and didn't want to tell anyone.

That's what I was suspecting. Most likely not related to the rear impact, but probably some low-speed crap that was fixed under the table for cash, as to not let it be reported to the insurers.

If only cars could talk...

"So yeah, when I was livin' in Cali, my owner's daughter decided she was gunna drive me, right? An' she decides she wants to go to the mall, yeah? So she piles her frens in me and heads for the mall, then decides to park in the tightest space in the whole parkin' lot. You can see where this is goin', can't ya? She pulls into it way too early and before you know it, SCREECH! She just scraped my side all over this Chevy truck. Now this truck looks at me all pissed off, cuz I just took his ass off, so I'm shruggin' and I'm like 'I'm sorry man, it was her'. She screams an' panics and all that, but one of her frens is like 'Calm down, my brother does auto shop, he can fix it'. An' I'm thinkin', this kid is in high school, he can't fix this mess on my side. But she thinks it's fine and heads for this auto shop kid, keep in mind my owner don't know nothin' about this. We show up at this kid's house and he looks like he just started middle school. Baby face, acne, squeeky voice, you name it, he had it. But anyway, he looks me over an' says in his squeeky voice that he can sort somethin' out, and my owner's daughter is like, 'I need it fixed real soon before my dad kills me!', an' I'm thinkin', I'm gonna drive you off a cliff before he gets a chance, honey. So this kid starts workin' on me, an' I could feel it was all wrong, that wasn't how they did it at the plant, but I can't do nothin'. I just gotta sit there and let this kid make a mess of my side. He starts paintin' me with a paintbrush, by this time my oil is boilin' man, I'm ready to start myself up and run him over. But I kept my cool, I was a city car, an' us city cars gotta be patient. He finishes, an' my owner's daughter takes me home, an' somehow he don't notice. You know what, Doog? You're the first one to notice."

I got way too carried away with that. But I'm telling you, if that Bimmer could talk, it would say exactly that.

I read that in a dopey west coast accent, which'd really be more suitable to something like...a Caprice? I'm not one to personify cars, but I'd imagine the little gray Bimmer taking on a soft-spoken German accent. Its His name would be Gustav, seeing as I felt a little appendage by the muffler all non-convertible BMWs are male by default (except 6-Series Gran Coupes; they're a little fruity).

 

[ildd]

I was actually thinking about buying a CarFax for my car... I'd like to see the first 20k miles' history, since we bought it at CarMax in 2004. On the first picture of the door handle, I thought that maybe a small rock hit the edge and somehow caused a big crack. But with the surrounding... "indents" (they're not really scratches or cracks), I agree with Katie that it may have had work done that is now becoming undone.

As for the other parts- Do you keep the car garaged? In the summertime, doesn't the weather go from 95 in the day to 35 at night or something (I've heard that about deserty places)? That may explain some of the paint and plastic getting brittle.

I fixed the right half of my trunk over a month ago(was absolutely full of scratches) and helped out my left rear door, kind of (tons of deep scratches, a couple years ago I just put some touchup paint in it to prevent rust) but it still looks kind of bad...
edit-holy fox carfax is expensive.

 

[Doog]

As for the other parts- Do you keep the car garaged? In the summertime, doesn't the weather go from 95 in the day to 35 at night or something (I've heard that about deserty places)? That may explain some of the paint and plastic getting brittle.

The Lexus never leaves the garage, and the Mini gets garage priority over the Bimmer. Its spot in the driveway has decent shade during the day, but my dad parks it in the garage while I'm at school. It usually gets garaged after I wash it, or goes under a car cover if I'm not gonna drive it for a while. It gets to be about 115 during the day and maybe 90 at night in the summer, but it'll be under a car cover more often during those months.

 

[SVX]

Phew, thought this was going to be about you getting crashed into. Glad I was wrong though. 👍

We have a similar thing here called Car Jam. It's only about $15 if I recall, and it gives out info like if it's ever been reported to the police, previous owners, and if it has money owing on it. Quite handy actually.

 

[eiriksmil]

Yeah I was also fearing the car was gone lol. About the door, it looks like brush and/or sanding stripes underneath the paint. In addition, that's not peeling paint but cracking bondo.. A paint shop can take care of it, just make sure they don't fix it with more bondo..

I got way too carried away with that. But I'm telling you, if that Bimmer could talk, it would say exactly that.

You're awesome, you know it.. And a bit bored lol.

 

[Ibonibo]

^Looks like sanding stripes. The cracks could be the bondo or the paint being applied on bad preped underground.

I think looking for a replacement door in a junkyard or online could save up a bit in money. If you lucky you even find a same colored one.