Third generation · W140 · 1992–1999
1993Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The imposing, over-engineered 1990s flagship — double-pane glass, a V12 (600 SEL / S 600), and the debut of Electronic Stability Program (ESP) in its C140 coupe. US model years 1992–1999.
Photo: “1993-1994 Mercedes-Benz S500 (W140) Sedans (28-01-2020) 03” by Jirapat Chroenkeskij / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Start here
What do you need to know?
This page covers the whole 1993 Mercedes-Benz S-Class model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.
Complete, source-verified lineup
Find your exact 1993 S-Class
Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.
Verified complete for the U.S.-marketHow this lineup was verified
We checked this U.S.-market lineup against period sources for factory sedan, coupe, cabriolet, drivetrain, and powertrain roster represented by the cited exact-year or factory-archive evidence. Every version shown below has its own detail page.
Verified 2026-09-01 from Mercedes-Benz Club of America — 1992–1999 W140 buyer's guide and technical tables, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive — 140-series S-Class model history, Mercedes-Benz W140 School archive — factory North American owner's-manual model indexes by year.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Automatic
- Body
- Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
- Engine
- 3.2-liter M104 DOHC inline-six
- Gearbox
- 4-speed automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Mercedes-Benz 300 SD Automatic
- Body
- Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
- Engine
- 3.5-liter OM603 turbocharged diesel inline-six
- Gearbox
- 4-speed automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Mercedes-Benz 400 SEL Automatic
- Body
- Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
- Engine
- 4.2-liter M119 DOHC V8
- Gearbox
- 4-speed automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL Automatic
- Body
- Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
- Engine
- 5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8
- Gearbox
- 4-speed automatic
- Built
- Regular production
Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL Automatic
- Body
- Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
- Engine
- 6.0-liter M120 DOHC V12
- Gearbox
- 4-speed automatic
- Built
- Regular production
No factory configuration matches those filters.
The 1993 model year
Overview
For 1993, the U.S.-era W140 sedan roster expanded to five models: 300 SE, turbodiesel 300 SD, and long-wheelbase 400 SEL, 500 SEL, and 600 SEL. These are the final pages in this catalog to use the engine-first SE/SD/SEL naming before Mercedes-Benz's June 1993 nomenclature change appears in the following model year.
Specifications
- Engines
- 3.2-liter M104 DOHC inline-six
- 3.5-liter OM603 turbocharged diesel inline-six
- 4.2-liter M119 DOHC V8
- 5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8
- 6.0-liter M120 DOHC V12
- Transmissions
- 4-speed automatic
- Body styles
- Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan, Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Year over year
What changed
- The 300 SD added a turbodiesel sedan, and the 4.2-liter model moved from 400 SE to long-wheelbase 400 SEL form.
- The 500 SEL and 600 SEL continued as long-wheelbase V8 and V12 flagships.
Worth knowing
Notable
- The year is an important naming boundary: the sourced 1993 roster is not relabeled retroactively with 1994-style S-prefix badges.
Living with it
Reliability & ownership notes
- Service records matter on every W140; inspect the pneumatic convenience system, all electronic equipment, rear window regulators, power-steering leaks, and engine mounts before purchase.
- The club guide identifies pre-1996 evaporator leakage and 1993–1995 biodegradable wiring harnesses as specific inspection points; verify repairs on the individual car rather than assuming every example is affected.
- Match service parts to the exact engine, transmission, market, and build date shown on the data plate; a shared W140 body does not make six-cylinder, V8, V12, and diesel fitment interchangeable.
Maintenance & service parts
Keep your 1993 S-Class on the road
Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.
Service desk
What this car needs & when
Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1993 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.
- Service topics
- 6
- Factory intervals
- 5
- Fitment-scoped
- 6
- Exact references
- 2
Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.
Engine oil and filter
Sourced interval available
Source: Mercedes-Benz — 1993 500SEL (W140/M119) factory normal-service schedule (preserved service-manual database) · Normal Service — recurring 7,500-mile rows; at least annually with year-round multigrade oil · checked
Spark plugs
Sourced interval available
Source: Mercedes-Benz — 1993 500SEL (W140/M119) factory normal-service schedule (preserved service-manual database) · Normal Service — 30,000-mile replacement row and repeating rows · checked
Engine air-filter element
Exact reference available
Source: Mercedes-Benz — 1993 500SEL (W140/M119) factory normal-service schedule (preserved service-manual database) · Normal Service — 30,000-mile replacement row and repeating rows · checked
300 SE — 3.2-liter M104 DOHC inline-six
K&N 33-2130
Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 300 SE, 1993 — 33-2130 · checked
Verified ordering references
- Service replacementK&N 33-2130
Qty. 1 · Reusable engine air-filter element · catalog-listed
K&N lists one element for this application; confirm VIN and build date before ordering.
Catalog: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 300 SE, 1993 — 33-2130 · checked
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400 SEL — 4.2-liter M119 DOHC V8
K&N 33-2678
Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 400 SEL, 1993 — 33-2678 (two required) · checked
Verified ordering references
- Service replacementK&N 33-2678
Qty. 2 · Reusable engine air-filter element · catalog-listed
K&N lists two elements for this application; confirm VIN and build date before ordering.
Catalog: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 400 SEL, 1993 — 33-2678 (two required) · checked
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500 SEL — 5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8
K&N 33-2678
Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 500 SEL, 1993 — 33-2678 (two required) · checked
Verified ordering references
- Service replacementK&N 33-2678
Qty. 2 · Reusable engine air-filter element · catalog-listed
K&N lists two elements for this application; confirm VIN and build date before ordering.
Catalog: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 500 SEL, 1993 — 33-2678 (two required) · checked
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600 SEL — 6.0-liter M120 DOHC V12
K&N 33-2677
Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 600 SEL, 1993 — 33-2677 (two required) · checked
Verified ordering references
- Service replacementK&N 33-2677
Qty. 2 · Reusable engine air-filter element · catalog-listed
K&N lists two elements for this application; confirm VIN and build date before ordering.
Catalog: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W140 S-Class table — 600 SEL, 1993 — 33-2677 (two required) · checked
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Automatic transmission fluid and filter
Sourced interval available
Source: Mercedes-Benz — 1993 500SEL (W140/M119) factory normal-service schedule (preserved service-manual database) · Normal Service — 30,000-mile replacement row; excludes later 722.6 transmission · checked
Fuel filter
Sourced interval available
Source: Mercedes-Benz — 1993 500SEL (W140/M119) factory normal-service schedule (preserved service-manual database) · Normal Service — 60,000-mile replacement row · checked
Engine oil filter
Exact reference available
Use the exact engine, VIN, and build date to confirm the catalogued service part before ordering.
300 SD — 3.5-liter OM603 turbocharged diesel inline-six
Mercedes-Benz 601-180-01-09-64
Source: Mercedes-Benz Classic USA — genuine diesel engine-oil-filter element 601-180-01-09-64 · 300 SD diesel application, 1993 — 601-180-01-09-64 · checked
Verified ordering references
- Original equipmentMercedes-Benz 601-180-01-09-64
Qty. 1 · Engine oil-filter element · catalog-listed
Manufacturer-catalogued application; confirm VIN and build date before ordering.
Catalog: Mercedes-Benz Classic USA — genuine diesel engine-oil-filter element 601-180-01-09-64 · 300 SD diesel application, 1993 — 601-180-01-09-64 · checked
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Famous variants this year
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz Media — factory S-Class history and W126 design/safety chronology
- Mercedes-Benz Public Archive — 140-series S-Class model history
- Mercedes-Benz W140 School archive — factory North American owner's-manual model indexes by year
- Mercedes-Benz Club of America — 1992–1999 W140 buyer's guide and technical tables
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