Great video guys father and son having agreements and disagreements real world situations a classic keep up the great work guys

My favourite thing about TFL channels is that it is never overly edited or fake

I am so happy to see you deciding to do your own repair. This is something that has been missing from your channel and improves your credibility. It also has great entertainment value. Good job fellas!

I've had 3 of these in my life, I'm 25 and I still have ml320 1998 and ml350 2009. These are built as tanks. The best SUV ever in terms of reliability and convenience. Even Toyota land cruiser drivers were spending thousands on maintenance where I never had to spend anything apart from oil change.

I had a ML 320 and had 336,000 miles on it 200k of that I put on it and can't remember any issues other than basic maintenance

4000 is a lot of money for a 99 ML320.

My super reliable 05 tundra lost it's alternator at almost 150k miles. That's an alternator thing, not a Mercedes thing. Hope you all have fun with it off road. I look forward to the videos.

I remember when these first rolled off the assembly line here in Alabama. The Saturns, the Mercedes M-class, and the BMW M3 created the Southern auto industry. Thanks for doing a Bama Benz project!

VW Tuareg vs Merc ML vs Porsche Cayenne in moab would be cool. A neat test to see if they'll make it and then off road prowess.

I just took my overland modified 2000 ML320 through two days of driving through all sorts of terrain in the Arizona Strip. Everything worked beautifully. Traction control does wonders. Car is bullet proof. Just needs to be maintained properly otherwise it could cause problems. Like any other car. W163 is an over engineered truck that is among the best.

Dude, not a lot of sympathy about being cold when you’re standing OUTSIDE a truck stop with your jacket open.

More than likely it’s the regulator that’s easily changeable. ML320 with 317,000+ miles currently. Mine went out at 230,000 miles. It’s been on 1,500+ mile trips and is completely reliable. On the interstate I always get between 24 and 25 mpg. And all ML’s take premium gas only!

Totally loving it guys! I have had two and they are very good off road! A few recommendations: 1. Fuel gauge issue is common, check both your fuses first, it is usually them, if not, it is the level sender in the tank. 2. Lift it! 20mm rear spacers will give you +40mm lift at the wheel. When you do this, re-spline the front torsion bars and THEN crank them up. Make the front end slightly higher than the back, as it'll sag down a little in a few hundred miles and then become level. 3. You can also get king's lifted springs to go with the spacers, but you lose any little flex it had. Good if you want to focus on clearance but disconnect rear swaybar to make up for it. 4. 33" tyres are the biggest you can go to retain your gearing, 35" will fit when lifted but sucks up hill. 5. You definitely need a bash plate to protect the fuel tank, the rest of it is well protected enough. The other weakness is the front driveshaft coupling out if the transfer case, keep it well lubricated if you go through mud 6. Bullbar from a early 00s Nissan Frontier will fit, you just need to make brackets to go around the front x-member. 7. Snorkel from an 80 series LandCruiser will fit with some heat to bend it into shape to follow the window Hopefully this helps :)

Go for the Jurassic Park look, that’s how the first generation ML was presented

Great video guys! I hope the channel keeps building up!

Can’t wait to see this thing off-road 🙌🏼

Love that you guys chose a 99 Benz ML model. I’ve got a 2000 ML 430 with the 4.3 V8. Picked it up with 48,500 miles for $2000. Wish you guys got one of the V8’s. Best of luck to you guys with it as they do like to have random things fall off/break.

I have always loved these, since Jurassic Park. I prefer the pre-refresh cladding, but I like the post-refresh headlights that they put on it.

This will be a fun series to watch. I had a 99 ML320 that I drove for 10 years and 230,000 miles and really didn't have any problems until the last year and last 20,000 miles I owned it.

Hey look, the alternator's cracked - wonder how that happened? closing scene - here's the stick we used to beat on the alternator to try to get it to work, lol. I think we just solved that mystery.

Awesome video! Keep ‘me coming, love the real world experience

4k wow . I had bought a 99 ml320 6 years ago with 100k miles for 1,800 . After daughter totalled it less than a year later we got back 4,500.

You are going to love that powerplant in that ML. Had a friend in Portugal with one and only after 155.000 miles the head of the engine developed a tiny crack. But it was total dependable. And you have the old style gearbox. The newer has electronics problems across the entire MB range after 1999. Bring it back to life! Has the most lovely v6 exhaust sound for an SUV as I can recall until today!

My dad had one..... here in FL it was jaw dropping back then to be honest...... had some good dates with it.........

Congratulations! It’s satisfying to be able to get things going again on your own, innit? Nice job. I bet you guys have a great time with this car. That’s my hope, at least.

Sooo cool to see you actually tackling this yourselves

I had a blue & grey '99 ML320, loved it, never had problems with it until it got wrecked in 2006. The diesel 2007 W164 I replaced it with was certainly more luxurious, still have that. And a manual 2-door JK because of the TFL guys. (Thanks!)

should of changed the belt at the same time dude

You're gonna have a lot of fun building this to your spec! My friends and i just finished one for a roadtrip through scandinavia :)

family look is strong! Great to see you dudes working on projects together!

Very capable truck. My 03 ml320 260,000 miles and still running strong. 33” tires and 2” lift. Not a rock crawler but gets the job done.

Nice tires..Thanks for the video Roman n Tommy

This was refreshing and a perfect example of why I like your channel - under the all-hat-no-cattle-luxury-pickup review sheen, there are really just nice, everyday people doing what the rest of us really do : )

Brings back memories. Had a 2000 ML 430

Great video guys. Thank you.

Turn it into the one from Jurassic Park 2 😂

$4,000 for a 99 ML...YIKES. Those can be had for a grand or so around here. Great video though. Love all the TFL channels

Great project! I drive a 2001 ML270cdi with 350k Kms on it. I love it. You should definitely lift the car, which is fairly easy. Spacers in the back and tighten the front torsion bars. But alignment can be a real pain in the ass after lifting it...

im sending you guys a genuine Mercedes hood removal kit...its just a 14 millimeter combination wrench...that way you can access the motor more easily

I like that you buy and build up older trucks as well as the new truck tests. I myself never buy new, a gigantic waste of hard earned money in my opinion because where I live they rust away in very little time. So I do buy old stuff in the southwest, bring them back to Minnesota and fix them up, these vids help me make decisions on what I might look for next!

Guys it’s 20 years old with 155k miles, I would expect the alternator to go out. We had an IS and the alternator went out after 10 years and 140k so I’m not surprised

I'm with Roman, I would have hauled it back to base on the U-Haul trailer, just because! Now, let's see how this MB- ML works out! Gotta love TFL!

Be thankful that the hatch struts on the touareg aren't bad. They are a bear to change. And hope your touareg alternator doesn't give out. I love mine which is just like yours color and all, the alternator is a pia on them.

this are great once all maintenance is done they are solid, have mine for over 5 years ml430 great midsize v8 smooth decent mpg would trust it going on safari or around the world

My brother and I both own these to beat in the bush and other then their usual defects for the year( lots of sensors) they actually make really good off roaders. Just put some good mud and snow tires and turn the screw clockwise under the frame for the torsion bars and give it a little extra clearance and voila! All you need now is a lost world jurassic park paint job and you are ready for the jungle😛. Just subscribed to your channel and very excited to see what you guys will be doing with it!

I have a 2000 ml for a couple of years and its a great drive on mud and snow, certainly not a rock crawler thou.

Oh this is funny!! On Jan 26th we flew from Vancouver BC Canada, to Charlotte North Carolina via Atlanta Georgia. To take an uber 1.5 hours out to Rockingham NC to buy an RV. It was NOT as described. But drove it to Vegas, with multiple misadventures. And was so much FUN!

2007 223000 miles, alternator went also, replaced it ultimately with another OEM alternator, all good. Changing an alternator every 223000 miles, not bad. It is a diesel, ML-320 CDI @ 24/30 mpg on this model and using the cruise control often.😎 Use the vin # , very important to get the correct part!

You guys should've seen how easy just the voltage regulator replacement would have been, I'd guess the brushes on that one were completely worn down. Less than $30 fix and you probably could've done it without removing the alternator.

13:07 Gas gauge goes up while driving. I had put an auxiliary tank in one of my rigs. It would pull gas from the auxiliary tank but the return line was in the main tank so as I drove the full auxiliary tank would fill the main tank :)

The ml are surprisingly good off road as long as the traction control works. It's not and never will be a rock crawler but I think it would be fun to run some mild trails in it.

Great job guys. You purchased a vehicle with the intent to work on it 😁 TFL goes the extra miles.

With the cloth seats I'd guess it was a MB dealership car used for roadside or something! Neat car.

I bought a 2002 ml55 about 1.6 years ago - put 6500 miles on it since without any problems. Knock on wood.

You can tell Tommy is young! My old mans 78 Chevy C30/454 got 7 mpg without the trailer and 5 mpg with the trailer.

W163’s had a rare option called a Skyview roof. Look it up.

The gas gauge problem is a persistent issue with MLs. My 2004 had the same problem.

Great episode guys you find some pretty awesome cars for good prices when you drive them across the country makes for great shows thank you and as for the mechanic you called, how great is that? Who wouldn’t love to have a mechanic they could just call and get any info they need well done sir!!

Now this video is great a father and son working together on a old car

Hi, I manage an automotive repair facility, and I drive a 2001 ML320. My ML320 has 265/75/16 Falken Wildpeak ATW3 tires, 4000 watt stereo, and 130k miles. After 130k miles the fan clutch went out, and I found one from Napa for $125. The purchase price was $3000, the stereo was $4000, and the clutch fan was $125. I enjoy my 22+ MPG, and cloudlike comfort. I want to thank the dude named Jeff in Alabama that put together my ML320 in 2001. Thanks Jeff.

I had a Mercedes where the fuel gauge would get stuck at 1/4 tank, and then drop to zero with literally 2 miles before Empty. I learned to treat 1/4 tank as E and I always filled it up when it hit 1/4 tank.

Own a 99 since october 1998. Been a great vehicle!

If I can't vote for "push it off a cliff" or "light it on fire," can I vote for "light it on fire, then push it off a cliff"?

I love your channel and the father son dynamic... plus your willingness to attempt this drive lol

I believe we have the same taste in cars! As a connoisseur of 90s luxury vehicles currently own a 1998 Range Rover, 2001 BMW 740il and E36 328i I'd have to say the ML 320 W163 is a fine weapon for the trails however you guys should buy the Range Rover P38 or a classic next! The 3.5, 3.9 and GEMS 4.0, 4.6 were the most reliable blocks since the later rover v8s suffers from slipped liners.

Might have been just a voltage regulator going bad. Common on many of those older Mercedes. Have a 99 c280 and always carry a spare with me.

As a Jurassic Park fan (as mentioned) i have always loved these trucks! Thank you for this series!

DIA!!! Colorado!! A I just bought mine for 2k has less than 100k miles. awesome! love your channel doing that bumper painting like u guys

gas gauge isn't broken, its the fuel level sender, its a lever that's attached to the fuel pump, my old c240 had to replace both fuel pumps and it fixed that issue

Awesome video! Make it look like the Jurrasic Park one!

I was given one of these for free awhile back. A water pump a set of used tires and some tlc and she was on the road for about 800. Still will hit a top speed of 109.

This is the first W163 ML I’ve seen with out a sunroof

Always enjoy your videos. You guys really should buy a trailer with all the Vehicles you have now and you know they will brake down from time to time

Looking forward to seeing this off road. I suggest build it as a sleeper off raider. Upgrade the suspension, but no winch or lift, fit some lockers and done it to Moab. If you need another driver ✋🏾

I really like The Super Duty, Thank you for sharing.

Id like to see Fins and things, and other moab trails in the benz! Maybe outfit it with an auto dif lock in the front end and show us the process to put that locker inside the differential! Good vid guys!!

My dad just got rid of one of these, had 210k miles ran great before timing chain gave up. Gave us 10 years!

My friend gave my son a ML320 with 96k on it for his first car. It needs the ignition key resinced to stay running, so we think. Grandpa left the boy $2500 for his first car. I hope that gets us there. It's a nice looking car and my son is 230 lbs and 6'2" and growing so the usual first cars like a Civic would be a tough fit.

Awesome episode! Hey, it’s a project vehicle.

6 mins in, as a fellow parking-lot repairman (strategically by a harbor freight) , i like this video so far

I had a 2000 ml320 and ended up lifting it. I had 3/4" spacers made for the top of the rear struts, cranked the torsion bars, added 30mm wheel spacers, and put 285/75R16 AT tires on it. It actually looked much better. Never even got a chance to off road it, traded it for a w114. I had the same issues with the fuel guage.

The ML 270 CDI was used as Paramedic units in some parts of Europe 😂 Stockholm and Malmö for example, I think they got them in package deals with E-class and Sprinters Ambulances respectively

I watch all your channels. Good stuff.

I drive a 96' S320 and the fuel gauge has been faulty on mine for years! Half of the time it'll show the right amount of fuel I got but the other time it'll just go to empty or show wherever it wants. I just use the trip miles next to the odometer and reset each time.

Should do a build in a first off road vehicle style. Start with small, cheap and easy things like a small lift, a different exhaust, maybe a snorkel or something for the intake. Things people could or should do when they first get into off roading

I had a 99 ML320 as a ski car about 5 years ago. I bought it from an old lady who kept hitting things with it. Tons of big dents, but a full dealer service history. I Paid $2000 for it (It had a gash in it from where she scraped it on a landscaping boulder and a big dent in the tailgate). I took it off road a few times, and put 15K miles on it mostly in the mountains. I then sold it for $2200 (it was ugly when I got it, and even uglier when I sold it!). I looked at Subarus and some other 4wds, but in Denver, for $2k they all had tons of issues and way more miles and weren't pretty. I thought I'd take my chances with merc. Also, it was the only thing I found in the price that had side airbags. It was comparatively awesome. I remember taking it out to Moab shortly after buying it - sunroof open, heated seats on, the Bose stereo was pretty good, and effortlessly going 90 mph up and down i70. They are really underrated.

We bought one new......a '99 model too. Loved it. Gave it to the kids and now it has nearly 300k on it. Bought another...'02 for the wife and it has been great. For on road, the 4 wheel drive system is safe and awesome. Off-road...spins too much before moving and could shred tires. The Range Rovers had a much better system for off-road......or my Unimog is pretty decent too.

Nice video really enjoyed this segment! I just have this one odd question. How come I drive my ML320 for 2 days (after washing) and those same exact wheels turn literally black!! Do I need to change my brakes?

I nearly bought one of these for wheeling, I’ll be anxious to see what it can do.

In 2002 my best friend bought a blue(with painted bumpers) 2000 ML 320. Have so many good memories in that tank. He had her for about 12 years and she had over 220K miles on it when he sold it. If I recall the harmonic balancer was replaced twice, and she went through four sets of catalytic converter‘s! The no maintenance transmission LOL, was serviced every 50K miles and she was starting to show signs of death at 215k miles... better then most ML’s. A lot of the European technology was disabled for the US market like rear fog light and front fog lamps👎 So sad the US did not get the option of a manual transmission!!!

Alternators aren't too bad to change, as long as they aren't buried. That one didn't look too bad. I had to help a friend change the alternator on the family Grand Caravan with a Pentastar, and that was a real pain to reach. Being 20 degrees and dark didn't help...

Those clear frames look flossy like a modern home design from the future. Minus 10 years. Achievement unlocked.

Such a cute bond you two have! Reminds me so much on my dad and I.

That's a cool old base model. Have fun.

Put some king or fox shocks on it, a custom skid plate, and go hit some sand dunes. Bonus points if the transmission takes a dump on the highway before you make it.

My 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer is still rocking the original alternator at 247k miles. I am also powering two amplifiers for my sound system. The headlights dim a bit under heavy bass, but I am very surprised the alternator is still kicking! I guess Mitsubishi makes solid alternators, I did not know they commonly fail around 150k/7 years.

A page right out of Hoovie's Garage. I like it! Two for one Big Mac's at midnight. What's not to like?

Tommy: "I've done a lot of research"....Didn't know what alternator the Benz took. LOL, great video guys.

I had a 92 Nissan Pathfinder that without fail every fill up would go down to a quarter then back up to three quarter. Sometimes you had to guess wether you were on the first or second time you were at a quarter tank.

I have a 03 grand Cherokee and the gas gadge would do almost the same. i'd be driving at 1/4 of a tank then would work its way up to 3/4 of a tank. but after a few weeks it seemed to fix itself. so i guess that isn't much help unless it fixes itself in a few weeks