The video follows a duo as they attempt to get a special Mercedes-Benz badge for their 1998 E-Class wagon, which boasts over 540,000 miles. They must get it certified by a Mercedes dealership before sending it in for the commemorative emblem. Their journey involves a comical visit to the dealership, a celebration of the car’s surprising resilience, and an exploration of its unique features.
Bet You Didn’t Know Mercedes Will Give You An Award For Driving a Lot!
These guys bought an old Mercedes-Benz with over 542,000 miles on the clock and drove it across the US, even though the Check Engine light was on. They had to put it through an inspection, and surprisingly, it passed the emission test with flying colors. They did not expect this in a million years. However, they nailed it, and it was all thanks to a $16 part.
They purchased the 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210 sight unseen at an auction for just $800, which turned into $918 with taxes. It was like playing the lottery because they could have very well had to send it straight to the scrap yard. Instead, the car was solid and proved it still had life in it.
So, the TFL team invested around $1,800 to make it as safe as such an old car can be and affectionately called it “Betty the Benz.” They replaced the broken windshield, which was entirely spidered, fixed the brakes, which were about to give in, and came up with a new radiator. Then, they asked Mary from the team to spend a few days with it and see how she handled it.
Mary was quite reserved in the beginning, but then she started to feel that the 27-year-old Mercedes-Benz was quite reliable. A day into the test drive, she did get the Check Engine light, heard an owl and a dying king’s breath coming from the headliner, but she made it. The Check Engine light went off toward the end of the test, so the car was probably haunted not by a king, as Mary jokingly assumed, but by a mechanic.
Now, the team had to put the old Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210 through an inspection. With the Check Engine light coming on and off, they were afraid that the car would fail the emission test. It is, after all, a vehicle that was probably already on its way to the crusher when they rescued it.
The $16 part that saved the emission test
However, it passed, thanks to a part that cost only $16. All they needed to do was replace the gas cap, delete the code, and the Check Engine light went off as if it had never even been there. The Vehicle Inspection Report from the state of Colorado shows it actually passed with flying colors, and they can’t believe it.
After all, it is a two-owner car, and each of them serviced it exclusively at Mercedes-Benz dealerships throughout its entire life. The first one drove it for the first 50,000 miles, while the second one probably took it around the globe 20 times, reaching 542,000 miles.
Mercedes-Benz rewards owners of high-mileage cars with badges that indicate how much they have traveled. The previous owners did not apply for the badge, so the TFL team will do it. They will try to get the badge for 310,000 miles (500,000 kilometers). The next step is at 466,000 miles (750,000 kilometers). They can apply for the award through a High Mileage Award Application form. The first step is to take the car to a dealership that would certify the mileage.
They notice that the W210 station wagon fires up within “a millisecond.” The car is powered by a gas-fed, four-stroke, spark-ignition V6, which generates 221 horsepower (224 metric horsepower) and 232 pound-feet (315 Newton meters) of torque. The then-newly developed V6 came in 1997 to replace the former straight-six engine. The Mercedes-Benz E 320 was the first vehicle to receive it.
The model could do 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 8.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 144 mph (234 kph). These numbers were quite respectable for a seven-seat station wagon from almost three decades ago, which was not designed to be sporty in the first place.
Everything on board the car works except for the telephone, which is installed in the center console storage space. That is where the over-engineered cupholder comes out. The radio, power windows, power seats, air conditioning, and all the other buttons on board are still functional. Furthermore, the ashtray and lighter look like nobody has ever smoked in this Benz.
The dealership employees, impressed that the car is still alive after all those miles it traveled
They are on their way to the dealer to get their 500,000-mile badge. The car drives straight, and the transmission shifts properly. Rust has, indeed, eaten out the paint and metal at the front and behind the front wheel wells, but Betty the Benz has been on the road for 27 years, braving the elements. So, rust comes as no surprise. It certainly is one of the world’s highest-mileage W210s.
The TFL team tests the rear-facing seats in the third row. However, they are terribly cramped. Mercedes-Benz only recommended them for children back in the day. The owners get their mileage certification within just a few minutes. The dealership employees don’t get to see such a vehicle every day. The TFL team will have to return to pick up their badge in ten weeks.
