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rein
Regular
Date registered: Sep 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Vehicle(s): '83 SWB 280 converted to TD, "86 sold
Posts: 71
| 2003 G
Hi all. Thinking of buying an '03 with 78,000km (Canada)and very clean. Are there any glaring issues of which I should be aware? What is a fair price? Thanks |
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michel bertin
Veteran
Date registered: Jun 2006
Location: SFO Bay Area, CA
Vehicle(s): '02 G500, '14 G550
Posts: 124
| RE: 2003 G
Beyond the usual due diligence on rust, regular maintenance records, all systems functioning, age maintenance (grease in drive lines, intermediate shaft, suspension bushings & tie rods etc), I would check/replace the transfer case control, CPS, idler pulley. Mileage is low to rebuild front bearings, but inspect abnormal front wheel movements or noises.
Not sure of fair price in Canada. A clean 2003 G500 in US with 50-80K miles may get mid-high 20K's to low $30K's in actual transactions. Ads would always ask for much more... |
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beepers90
Regular
Date registered: Dec 2006
Location: charlotte, nc
Vehicle(s): 02 G500, 05 C230 Kompressor
Posts: 52
| Re: 2003 G
In California there are quite a few more G's avail. In most other places 02s fetch 30 and up depending on condition / color and season. Under 30 is rare and usually aren't from a MBUSA dealer. The maintenance you listed is a great start. Buy a grease gun (pump action) every specific lube available for the G. I did for my 02, still under full mb dealer warranty till this June. I keep it up so well I rarely get to take advantage of having a warranty. |
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Fred V
Regular
Date registered: Apr 2014
Location: Green Mnts
Vehicle(s): 2010 G550
Posts: 90
| RE: 2003 G
Rein,
I purchased a 2003 roughly a year ago. Has been great overall. I did have the stuck in neutral problem which is thought to be due to the transfer case control motor and/or the transfer case control module. Selecting transmission high. low, neutral is not a lever but a switch, hence the electric motor and controller. I purchased both planning to replace both. The local garage replaced the motor, but could not replace the control module as doing so requires Mercedes software they don't have. The motor replacement alone has worked fine so I have not yet changed the control module.
As preventive measures, I replaced the serpentine belt, the crank shaft position sensor plus the idler and tensioner pulleys. The standard pulleys are plastic and can shatter if the bearing quits. Result is a broken serpentine belt.
There is a short drive shaft that runs between transmission and transfer case known as the homokinetic shaft. There are CV joints at both ends that are supposed to contain grease and be protected by boots. With time the boots crack and the grease is lost or hardens. There is a grease and boot kit to replace the grease and install new boots. I had that done as well.
Also had transmission fluid replaced when it went in for an oil change.
Window lift mechanisms known to fail but, knock on wood, have not yet had any problems with mine. |
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