Early Merc ML 270CDi auto.... SHIT?

[Lankytim]

Hi all,

 

I've been offered one of these cheap, it's an MOT failure, W reg and needs a few odds and ends. It's full of dents and generally looks rough. 207k on the clock too.

 

Are these good steers? would it make a worthwhile project? Mechanically it seems spot on, although the traction control light is on. No rot other than the odd scab too. 

 

NEED INPUT.

[Cavcraft]

They are pretty bad, by all accounts. SauceDoctor is your man on here, I think, he was doing his best to put me off them not so long back. Still, for the price that it is, if it runs it has to be worth that?

[MarvinsMom]

i would assume that it is utter, UTTER shit.

[Cavcraft]

Might be worth seeing if they're good for export, also every chance the engine is worth a good few quid to someone.

[Lankytim]

The engine is sweet as, but would anyone want a unit with 207k on it?

[cort16]

I think they're a german P38 range rover in terms of robustness and reliability. I'd have one of those too though if it was cheap enough.

It'd need to be cheap, cheap though. There was one I saw in doom green but over all decent shape on gumtree recently for a grand.

[Lankytim]

This one is doom green, but much less than a grand.

 

[saucedoctor]

Dreadful. A neighbour had one, new, which grenaded its engine in fairly short order. I think there was a fire as well, can't remember. All manner of ECU and high pressure fuel pump issues on the new engine, as I recall. I know that Mercs of this vintage are generally not that well regarded, but this thing felt very flimsy indeed.

 

A mate and I pulled into a dealer once to look at a keenly priced one they had for sale. Seemed very cheap, and when my mate asked the salesman "How come the price is so low?" the reply came "Because they're shite, son, because they're shite"

[robinmasters]

Kwality German engineering*

 

*assembled in the Deep South, by rednecks

 

 

WCPGW?

[Bren]

A late 90's mercedes.

 

Built in the USA.

 

Reading various P38 threads I did'nt think it could get any grimmer.

 

It just has.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I looked at a sub £1000 ML55 last year that was utterly fucked. My favourite thing was that the passenger seat heater had caught fire,burning a hole in the leather, would have loved to see the expression on the passengers face when that happened.

Still would though if it was a 270 manual and for pennies, nowhere near as much trouble as a P38, they're so much more simple with basic American engineering,just people expect more from the badge.

[Lankytim]

So if it had a Jeep badge they would be OK?

[Cavcraft]

It'd be ok on it's roof after the diff exploded and someone tried to take a slight corner in the damp at 2mph.

[chaseracer]

So if it had a Jeep badge they would be OK?

 

No.

[Lankytim]

Ok.. i'll give this shitter a wide berth and stick to my shite Citroen!

 

The ML is a monkey btw