Purchasing Advice/Information Checklist

Full-service history

Warranted mileage, MOT certificates and service history

Proven string of ownership, i.e. stability of ownership and not many owners over a short period of time

Matching numbers, engine, gearbox windscreen, engine compartment rear bulkhead, VIN plate on front cross beam by the radiator and V5

Soft closing mechanism working on all 4 doors and the boot lid.

Rust, particular areas to check are:

Front and rear wheel arches

Base of front and rear windscreens

Bottom of the A pillar

Bottom full length of each door above the rubber door seal

Any warning lights staying on after the engine has been started.

Delamination of the front and rear screens, this is a common issue on these cars. Often a repair using superglue has been done but will not work as once the moisture is in between the glass layers the only solution is replacement.

Suspension:

Shock absorbers - look for signs of oily mist or any leakage.

Springs - look at the mounting cup at the base of the spring. There is no hole to drain water, this introduces rusting and eventual cracking of the spring, also look at how the car is sitting, does the height look right, is there any leaning in any given direction. as a rule of thumb, use 14.5 inches as the measurement from the centre of the wheel hub to the highest point of the wheel arch as the correct measurement.

W140’s of a certain age (approximately region of 100,000 miles) are prone to oil leaks from the oil pan, so with servicing replacement of the associated gasket is required,

The engine on cold start up should be about 1500RPM, after a couple of minutes the engine should settle to a smooth 6-700RPM without any wandering. If there is any wondering the engine management system needs checking.

Wing mirrors - these are prone to electrical shorts due to worn sheathing on the wiring, there is also a motor vertical and horizontal adjustment as well as a heating element behind the glass. There is also another electric motor that operates the folding mechanism. That leaves exposed to the elements bundles of wires which need to be checked for water tightness. There is also a rubber grommet on the door where the wires from the mirror enter the car, check that it is still in place and that the rubber hasn’t perished due to age.

Sometimes blistering can be seen on the rocker covers, if you see this be suspicious of overheating, the running working temperature should be 80C for all models. Be warned in slow traffic the temperature will rise quite quickly to as high as 100C particularly with the 600 V12’s, the thermostat is set to engage the front fans at 100C.     

If anyone has any suggestions to add to this list, then please share it with us and we will add it.