WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Though beautifully made this S-Class is from a generation of Mercedes that corroded just like anything else. Start underneath by checking sills, jacking points, longitudinal chassis member and, inside the boot, the spare wheel well. At the front check the inner wings and suspension mountings. Look at both the door skins and frames, the rear arches and the bottoms of the rear wings under the bumper. One of the most annoying problems is a leaky rear screen caused by rust around the aperture. Sunroof drain holes can get blocked and cause leaks too. Bright work should be in good condition because it is expensive to replace. Luckily it's quite well made.
Across the range engines will suffer quite a lot of abuse. The straight six gives occasional head gasket problems and might be smoky, particularly on the over-run, indicating valve guide wear. The V8's oil needs to be changed regularly - particularly if the cars are used in town; the injection allows them to run rich, with the result that petrol gets into the oil and thins it out. On the injection the ECU can give trouble after high miles. With the 6.9 be very wary of any mechanical troubles as the M100 is specialised and expensive to work on. Gearboxes, prop shaft joints and final drives take a hammering on this torquey model.
They also go through discs and pads quickly. If the steering feels vague then the steering box is worn; the zero-offset geometry means it has to be adjusted more regularly than usual. On the 6.9 the Hydro pneumatic suspension is not as frightening as it sounds. The suspension goes rock hard when the spheres need recharging but this job can be done by a Citroen specialist relatively cheaply.
Service history is particularly important with the 6.9 - you want to see evidence of plenty of money having been spent but also evidence of regular use because the cars abhor inactivity. As long as water had not been getting in, the interior upholstery wears well but you may find the usual splits and tears particularly on the driver's seat.
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