kuntash:

Hello Trac... I am sure you meant between 87degC and 115DegC ( as in centigrade celsius)


Again, where can one get this techron in this country sef? I have heard lots of goodies about that Techron.


Just to add from my experience and what I had read on Benz forums, the W202 fuel tank does NOT need excessive filling with fuel, its best to always stop at the first click of the nozzle,
I noticed improper readings when I was filling always to the brim (using my camry experience) I didnt knw this was harmful to the gauge... but since I had stopped, its readings have somewhat return to normal, but not as always accurate and reliable as designed ...

I have also noticed the same scenario with the BMW 3 series,


so I had resulted to stopping refill at the first nozzle click!!

Kuntash,

My intention was degC not degF. Thanks!

You are correct about avoiding filling the tank to the brim. According to the fundamental design, the excess fuel will evaporate (vapourise), thus giving Exxon the money that they need not deserve. The first click is all the vehicle will take. Anything after the click goes into vapour for the atmosphere. If this measure wasn't taken to account, certain things will go wrong. The needle "misbehaving" might have been the pressure regulator operation being compromised ('m not sure). However, the principle that you forbade was the expansion of fuel as temperature changes in the tank. Well, I guess Toyota gave you a simple lesson

Techron: this formulae is the only product approved by Mercedes, Audi and BMW. These companies tested it against their products and documented it as a form of preventive and control maintenance. This is to say in low or very mild situation of carbon buildup. In severe buildup, mechanical repair is the only option.

I don't know where you will have to purchase a few bottles. You might reflect upon the Automotive section and appeal to those importing cars for sale.

In the local stores that I am acquainted with, there are two types. There shouldn't be much difference in price (if not the same). A savvy person will know one of them should not be considered when there is a far-potent alternative for the price or a few more. There are two formulations to be aware of. The normal or standard and the super concentrated. The super concentrated is what you want and the price is about the same or an acceptable range difference. It's a bargain and the job done is not what the standard would do (at least within a bottle.

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-- to save posts that might further come up, I'll state all I can on this singular post--
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Applications:

* At half a tank, pour a whole bottle of the concentrated in the filler tube (gas tank; where the gas nozzle fill the tank). You should never go any less than this. This is because the combustion chamber will burn hotter and the temperature of your catalytic converter will operate at a higher temperature for the duration of the gasoline. Half a tank should be the minimum. Processes begin minutes after you crank the engine. Fill up when the tank gets very low and it should be a full tank or somewhere close to that.

* While the first process has been done, open the hood and examine your engine bay. I am not sure where the site it but I want to presume it is by the lower quadrant to your right (close to your left headlight). The fuel pressure regulator is what I am referring to. Remove the tube attached and you should have suction when the engine is running. The tube in question will run to the throttle housing.

What exactly are we doing? You are running this formulation through the throttle body as a form of mild mist and dislodge carbon in/around the SEFI. Carbon is a base element and just applying techron will do nothing; so integrating it along with the combustion process is how techron works.

You will need a spray medium to administer the techron. A windex spray bottle will do. With the engine hot, apply throttle to the idle (no more than 1500rpm). This is essential because the techron molecules needs to atomise. Begin squirting through the tube taken out of the fuel pressure regulator. It isn't a messy treatment but it is monotonous; for you get tired of clamping the trigger to induce a squirt. Half a bottle is moderate. Kill the engine. Let it sit for seven to ten minutes. Crank the engine and moderately build your rpm. You may/mayn't puff cloudish-blue smoke. The blue smoke is the naphtha in the techron. If you redline the engine, you might get some black smoke (but as a puff or a few). This is because of inappropriate air at the instance. Once the exhaust smoke is all clear, take it for a drive (at least 10 minutes). You can jack-rabbit and drive unconservatively to expel the residues that are just being "lucky."

Repeat this process a few days later. You shouldn't need as much solvent as you initially did. This is because residue might be collected in some other areas within the combustion system. keep in mind that you also have a tank with the concentration in it. It's all working in tandem here.

I do at least two-three times. The fuel sold in my area has ethanol and it. Besides the fact that ethanol is laced into the fuel, it ferments and the quality is something else after some days. Two-to-three weeks elapses and you have trouble starting the vehicle or the exhaust fumes has a sick-to-the-stomach odour.


* The third is when you are about to change the oil. Pour about half-a-bottle of techron into the gas chamber and replace and reinstall the oil after 50-to-80 miles. If you have a dirty chamber (even if the oil appears clean before you poured it), the oil upon drainage will be black and the oil filter will be heavy indeed.


********** Note: Never induce techron through via suction on a diesel engine. The engine will run and will then escape till it blows up; time for a new engine. You will not be able to kill the engine by switching it off but picking up rpm uncontrollably (hence the term "escape" ). It's not just techron but anything of such kind.

Ikenna351: ^^^^

After watching Taken 2; after seeing what w124 was doing in that movie, i strongly agree with you, that w124 was over engineered.

An old car but really like its handling/character. I love what the rear was doing when pushed to a corner on high speed, while been chased, coupled with what the girl was doing with that stick. RWD can be such a fun to put stunt on in a corner!

If am a Benz fan, i would surely have the facelifted w124 in my collection, a stick V6/V8 one.

Ikenna.

Let me correct you. Kinematics of a particle is not over-engineering. The term "over-engineering" cannot be translated literally. It is an approach. It is processing everything that could go wrong to achieve a product that is acme. The outcome to this conclusion is durability. Many attributes are found within this approach; attention-to-detail, lots of research, extensive testings, no-expense-spared budget and so on. There is absolutely no room for reliability; for it is irreconcilable. Since a "system" is only as good as its weakest link, it is extensively time consuming when it is a-new. Most of the MB's were over-engineered and the last one was the 1999 S Class.

A movie cannot portray a car's athleticism. This is so because the frames are inconsistent and the allusion that fictional with respect to the scene in question (portrayed scenerio). However, MB spent millions of DM. composing the suspension of the model. There are two setups. The standard and the sportline. The best suspension for the Series is the sportline and no further improvements can be done. It is ideal in all condition, comfort and performance in an array and it is for the 6 cylinder models. Anything else is a downgrade. They designed the chassis and fitted upon it one of the most complicated suspension configurations outside of the racing world on it. I can tell you one thing; it is not easy theoretically.

Above all, the 123's are better than the 124's. It's just what it is.

No post-war MB has a V6. Also, the first V6 MB has made is in the last model C Class.

au.hanson:


Hello Trac, I really appreciate your response to this: Really i was faced with one all kinds of poor drivability, it all happened so fast; jerking; atimes suddenly fast and slow acceleration; temp gauge stopped working; fuel gauge and my speedometer etc.

I would have tried all you have stated above but this response rather came late..as i have already got the ECU 015(as the old ECU wouldn't start the car..some local mechanics had already tampered so much with the old process so much that the car wouldn't start anymore) and a new harness wire(the Asian spec of newer model, its claimed that these ones doesn't go bad, that its actually a modification of the previous poor European model..dnt know how true this could be) , the car actually started off on the 5th of Feb., i got on the wheel and started cruising once again, it felts so fine,silence and faster than ever.The handling is yum!! yum!!

But i still have one issue ; that of the temperature rising so fast on just a few minute idling until the water get boiled and spills through the waste hose...
I bleed the cooling system today in a local car wash after having flushed(tho not thorough) the radiator with their pressure water. Besides, there was no thermostat(the original owners may have removed it before i bought the car).I'll get a 'Behr' thermostat for it on saturday.

I also tested the water-pump and observed that it still pumps water..I drive around in the hot afternoon and the situation seems to improve a little bit, atleast its not boiling anymore, but the temperature is still on the high side(about 87 approaching 100 on the temp reading) and i doubt if it can withstand Port-Harcourt hold up..

I'll still go for a thorough steam wash on saturday too.

Trace, can the removal of a thermostat in a well functional Benz c180(who never had overheat before)suddenly caused it to start developing overheat?

My fuel gauge either goes up or down or at the centre , even when i have full tank

Trac, i'm happy that you responded to these ,i'm still expecting more form you , once again thanku very much i appreciate your kind response

Unfortunately, I do not get status notification via e-mail when any of the threads I am following gets responded to. I use to get after a day was through but I don't get anymore. I tried to readjust settings but nothing changed. Maybe it's the server.

If the Asian designated specification, then you are good to go. In the mid-90's, Germany went bio-degradable; it was imposed by regulations. Such regulations were not in Asia or other markets. I'm not surprised that the former ECU would have been bricked (if so many changes were done). Usually, a relay gives itself up at the expense of the ECU.

Ironically, it's almost one year now and the very reason that cause me to remain on NL was cooling on an MB. Check my earliest post. I went into details concerning MB's cooling. I'd rather not re-do that but it's on this thread and I was comprehensive about it. In addition to that, I have discussed cooling on some other thread. I'm quite constrained and I can't go into details but I did explain the concept.

Furthermore, I will answer the other aspects of your question. You will need coolant. The green coolant is not what you need. Avoid it! Fluids are mechanically engineered; far from what the layman will understand but it's very true. The green coolant does nothing from my experience. Above all, it will damage the water-pump eventually.

The average running temperature should be 87degF and it isn't unusual to get up to 115degF. This mode of operation should not be without coolant installed. Running your vehicle at the aforementioned heat ranges stated will warp your heads. Some models have very small clearances that machining wouldn't be possible.

If you cannot find a hybrid-organic coolant, whatever you get would be okay (minus the greeny), provided the replacement interval is shorter. This, I state is what I would do if I was in your shoes. This way, the fluid maintains a near-new state of health. I hope you got my point of view.

Sometimes, a jumpy guage needle is caused by sulphur build-up in the gas tank. You'll need a bottle of techron to take care of that. If that doesn't resolve it, it is a faulty fuel-pressure-sending-unit. A full tank and incorrect guage reading as stated, I am rest-assured that you have a faulty fuel-pressure-sending-unit. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a oil-pressure-sending-unit as well and replace them. The parts are not expensive. These are typical MB maintenance routines that are done 15 or more years from the date of production.

All the best:

kuntash:

Hello Trac, been a while, this is an old post of mine while I was still new to this Benz arena... lol

problem has since been resolved.

thanks

Well spoken

I did not see the initial post; it is hidden.

t-die:


Youngboss, I appreciate your suggestion. My reply was targeted at Trac. He sounded a bit too brash/brazen. But he's apologized for that. I do not know much about the C43. I only know that Merc qulity took a nosedive after the w124. Can you throw more light on how much of a DIY car it is?

You really have to pardon me. I'm not a social butterfly but go straight to the point. My temperament leans faintly towards play; that's why it seems as though I'm harsh. It's all written text and mannerism isn't conveyed.

I'll briefly discuss on this as a reply. C43, C36, E500 and quality control. It is erroneous to believe quality dropped after the 124 series. Quality dropped in the 90's. It is very evident from the '94 models onward, but it started at the turn of the '90's. The better MB's are the pre-facelifted models of the 124 series. The 124's and 140's were over-engineered. Keep in mind that the design of the 124's started most likely in the late 60's to early 70's. Some of the 124's were sold at a loss. The engineering history behind the 140's is of a particular kind that I'm yet to find in any automotive history. At manufacturing, the production cost was enormous; so much the project engineer was fired. It still is the most luxurious vehicle in the world followed by the 600. To recover cost, MB went "cognitive." The C Class was the beginning of an incomplete Mercedes, the 210 (horrible) followed afterwards and at the end of the 140 production, it was given a burial; never to return to over-engineering. I followed MB's philosophy and engineering approach growing up.

The best MB that has ever rolled upon the surface of this earth is the Series 123. Anyone that says otherwise in my opinion knows nothing about motoring.

E500: the closest to this model is the C43. It handles identically to the 500 limited specification laterally. The major revisions to the AMG-tuned variants were extensive suspension revisions. The plant is a port from the E430 with minor refreshes; that is to make it pseudo-competition-like or its AMG mannerism. In summary, lateral athleticism was the objective for the C43's. Personally, I'll go for a C36 due to the design recipes, sheer comprehensive AMG conversion and a proper tuning with little to no ECU performance remapping. Basically, the engine was stripped, replacing most of the internals with AMG components. There is plenty more to love; a 104 over a 113 is a decision well thought-of. Post-war AMG's are robust. It will take abuse and still endure with you. Parts are expensive but the traditional Mercedes ownership experience is still cultured within those models. The ECU in the contemporary models will shut the engine down and demand service in negotiation. The C43 will need its suspension in at least good condition. It's a firm-like setup and it's a C Class.

@ YoungBoss

Do you know you can get an E320 to sprint identical times as the E500 limited (factory specification)? MB took a few steps to give the 320 the numbers it has. This was for various reasons.

A sprint never details the performance of a car. If that was the case, then Americans build the best cars in the world with their sub-standard chassis and poor lateral agility.

MrMexs007: Now this is all very educating...Mr Siena and Trac I want to do a retrofit on my Honda Civic 2002 Ex (Japan assembled-that is bought brandnew in Nigeria). I intend retrofitting my OEM headlight with the following upgrade

Bi-Xenon Morimoto Mini stage III kit D2S(http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=237).
With the following options

Bulbs: 3Five 5000k D2S
Ballast: Morimoto Ballast
Halo: None
Resealing Glue: Yes
Projector: LHD
Wire Harness Relay: H4/9003
Shroud:Mini Gattling Gun

My concern
1. 'mini Gattling Gun 2.0 shrouds' don't fit the D2S projector without modification (find pictures attached-note In all the pics, the H1 projector is on the left, D2S on the right). Please I'd appreciate some clearification as to the modification talked about and which projector will fit the mini gattling gun 2.0(because I understand the mini gattling gun 2.0 is smaller in size)










2. lo beam needs its own new harness you have to build. I was directed to this site for the wiring http://www.partsexpress.com
Problem is I cant seem to find a direct path to the lo-beam wire is located

Mr Siena I know you said somewhere before that you conversant with Audi lighting, I'm hoping you or Trac would have an idea on this. Thanks

Truthfully, you will be downgrading the vehicle. In addition the the previous statement, you may not even see. If you plan to continue with a retrofit, have a professional do it. From this thread, you are on the wrong path and it isn't an opinion but a fact following different reasons:

* The parts are ricey.
* The link you provided is sheer advertisement with no explanation of the product. What's disturbing is that one of the images in the gallery tab shows a Honda giving off a purple hue that is questionable (maybe the ballast is designed simultaneously for filament and arc). Maybe its a poor snapshot but the light from the ballast isn't optimised. I took a snapshot and attached it below. It is from the gallery section of the site.
* Geometrical path of the light spread is undisclosed.

Ricey means having a form of appearance that gives a gimmick of integrity but overall, cheap or sub-standard. For example: glittering gold. That is what the ballast is.

On the positive side, if you want to further the project, contract it to a professional. A professional will use legacy bulb brands (e.g. Osram, Phillips, Sylvania etc) and would transplant a ballast from a known vehicle that is in production. When the professional packages the build together, shock and absorbing characteristics will not omitted. There are regulations that stifle the production of headlamp assemblies. There are also risks involved when certain principles were either omitted or not considered. This is not to say that you cannot do it yourself. You have to be well-learned in this area and be quite handy before you attempt this. Money as well will be spent plus an open area where you will test out the geometrical light object spread on the ground, the sharp cut-off against a wall and a few other factors. The time dedicated to understanding the rudiments of "headlighting" will take a long time. The build know-hows can be gotten from friends or tips. Don't copy anybody's outline. You do not know where they are coming from.

In conclusion, I will recommend you contract it to a professional. It will take them a fraction of the time but it will be well worth it than you attempting it for the first time.

smartchoice: @Trac am following ur explanations keenly, pls break it down some more.

Mercedes engines have always been different. As the engine wears, it is thoroughly compensated. This phrase alone is beyond the scope of this thread

The scope is wide and it will be too deep to explain without explaining the composition of the engine (and that is complicated on its own). In a summarised form, as the engine wears, there are certain readjustments the ECU and other mechanical functions do to compensate for wear. That is when they wear. This is why you can drive a 20 year Mercedes and it just purrs and still pulls hard. The engines can never be improved; never! Any combustion technology Mercedes releases is the best and there is almost no room for further improvements are not economically reasonable. An engine specification has thousands of patents (in the 10's). Throughout motoring, Mercedes have always been different and it isn't my opinion but automotive engineering. Their philosophy is different.

The cars were heavy not because they couldn't make their minds up on how much mass it should be but the quality of materials used comprehensively.

abdulkadir: Even here on this forum most pple wil tell u synthetic oils like mobil 1 are for low mileage cars. Dre argument is dat Engines components of high mileage cars would have had more clearance hence thin oils like mobil1 will blow pass d cylinder without doing wats its sppsed to.
the pple i refer to here are those who really know about cars and talk not because dey wanna talk but because dey know wat dey r doing.Even here on this forum most pple wil tell u synthetic oils like mobil 1 are for low mileage cars. Dre argument is dat Engines components of high mileage cars would have had more clearance hence thin oils like mobil1 will blow pass d cylinder without doing wats its sppsed to.
the pple i refer to here are those who really know about cars and talk not because dey wanna talk but because dey know wat dey r doing.

This is wrong. First of all, the application to the supposed situation does not exist. If the so-called professional cannot explain using scientific laws, then your position of being ignorant has been better of. The difference between high-mileage bias oils and original formulated oils is there are conditioners to recondition seals that are aging. Nothing more to it. Anything other thing is an opinion. There is no mechanic in a bottle.

The symptom you stated is what is associated with a worn engine. The solution is mechanical repair. A comprehensive repair will be a rebuild or a "blueprinting." Anything else, you are just wasting your money and deferring the solution.

This discussion is about MB's, right?! MB's don't have those issues for certain factors have been taken to compensate for age-progressive states. This is why after 25 years, the engine still runs like new. If you don't believe this, look for any well maintained MB and sit behind the wheel and coast. The engines are robust and they don't wear as you stated.

If you truly understand how engine oil works, you wouldn't have stated what you posted. There are laws that govern the properties of oil in a quart can. These laws and physical properties do not work as you have explained.

The Mercedes in question uses SAE 0w-40. The sheet must be 229.1 specification. SAE 5w or 10w is permitted for this is for cranking and it cancels out. This is for the duration of the engine life; that is, 50 years or 1,000,000 miles (whichever comes first).

Mercedes engines have always been different. As the engine wears, it is thoroughly compensated. This phrase alone is beyond the scope of this thread. Using a thicker oil save for extreme towing only causes the engines to run hotter than designed and your bar (pressure) gets too high within the crankcase. This is besides the consideration that lubrication wouldn't be optimal.

In the summer, there are times my engine runs 110 degrees or 115 degrees (sometimes) and it has been for so many years. That is how it was designed to run according to the documentation. In addition to that, I do my oil changes every 15 to 18 months; and that goes for all my vehicles. Only once have I had to break the schedule and do an unplanned oil change. This was because for the better part of 9 hours, most of it was spent idling and creeping. This was a State evacuation. The state of the oil failed approximately 300 miles later. Don't attempt this with ordinary oil.

The 202 will be forgiving of oil noncompliance. The 203 wouldn't.

kuntash: : @ Siena et al,

Last week, I did changed my transmission fluid cos the colour was different from how it should be (red-like I think) it was really dark. so the filter and the oil was changed, I used Harco transmission fluid (they say its one of the best),

its been fine since I changed it, and the mechanic notice a vacuum hose that was removed from the gear box and fixed it back- That corrected the hard jerk when gear is engaged either in reverse or drive.

but this morning I noticed the gear only stayed on 2nd and didnt change further, but as the engine temp got to around 50 degrees C. , it started working fine,

pls what could be the issue? I dont think its normal. pls kindly advice,

Three things: one of which is a surety; the remaining two is either/or.

* The ECU is mapped to limit your revs till your catalytic converter warms up. You did not state if you were in a rush or applied too much throttle.
* The fluid you have used is the wrong fluid. MB's fluid is a magnetic fluid and the designation of that transmission build cannot sustain what you've put in there. Normal ATF is just a fluid. Mercedes had to switch the applications from the 94 MB's because they jerked on certain conditions. The fix was the reformulated fluid (which is the MB transmission fluid). The fluid also might have poor fluid-flow characteristics at cold start-up.
* The vacuum module, transmission settings and throttle settings are wrong. The vacuum modulator would be responsible for how hard the car pulls. If you excessively modulate this, you get undesired outcomes. You under-modulate and you have a delicate performance that is hesitant to pick up speed instantaneously. in other words, underpowered and fuel economy will be poor. The transmission setting adjusts the shift points and the throttle position module is responsible for how faint or heavy you apply the gas-pedal. All three must be rightly done; hence, you have something else. The vacuum modulator will have to be done at the shop. The vehicle has to be put on the lift. When done, it will have to be driven; if not right, then it gets back on the lift and more adjustments done. This goes on till its rightly done. It's trial by tweaking. The same goes to the remaining two. The vacuum modulator can be done solely. The other two has to be done in some cases interchangeably.

Point of correction: your car starts from the second gear and not first. So, it got stuck in the third gear. The first scenerio might have just happened.

au.hanson:
Hello guys, i have a benz c180 esprit, maual transmission that wud only start some times when she likes to do so, only for me to discover that the wire harness were completely bad(expired).then my roadside mechanic started having a fill day with it and started learning job with my car, and would have affected the brain box badly, putting the car in a state of comma( the car wouldn't start anymore). An auto electrician with a similar ride advices that he should come and change the wire hareness and the brain box from ECU 018 serial to ECU 015 serial(the uncoded type) to save the the stress of code entering in future as the car in question has entered code according to the computer diagnostic guy. What do u advice? Would this have any effect on the car, or any alteration as i dont know the implication? neither do i want to be repeating these expensive mistake anymore?

The ECU 018 was already sent for repairs and would be coming to me soon , but i want the best option, that not withstanding?
Siena,Ikenna, Trac and all of u guys pls help

I will take your statement as though it is.

In the first place: uninstall the wiring harness. What you will do is to go to the local hardware store and get yourself wires capable of the task to build a harness. in other words, it must exceed what MB put in there. That is to include the ability to withstand the heat without degrading or cracking in a few years. Detach the terminals and other hardware from the worn harness and install to the new harness. As you would have concluded at this point, an electrical savvy person is one fit for this job. Cost of wires should be about $30 to $90 (can't really estimate) minus labour. Cost to buy at Mercedes? $1100+ and you still get the same bio-degradable harness that will still go bad.

While the harness was going bad, many symptoms should have preceded (including poor drivability).

ECU: there is nothing wrong with it. For the ECU to need replacement, you have to deliberately sabotage it. The issue presently before you needs to be addressed first. A relay has been ceased functionality at the expense of the ECU.

All the best:

yungboss: trac/kuntash/siena and co,
how good is the Merc CLK 430? Wanted to purchase it before i got my 323ci, but the price was a tick away from what i could afford (it just had to be one in a first-rate condition)... and also i got my eyes on the BMW. But i stil cherish it and hope to own it some day...
Its a V8, how's the performance and handling compared to the W203?

The performance is identical. It's a soft-setup and propulsion is brisk due to the 113 plant. I believe the Sports Edition was aesthetic. The E430 Sport was purely aesthetic. No kinematic revisions were done.

t-die:


Thats not quite right. I am not concerned about the cost of ownership/maintenance. My problem with Naija is that even when you pay premium for services, you still hardly get quality. Can you remember the thread where a NLander was complaining about rust in a brand new Ford he bought from coscharis? I also have friends with worse stories from toyota and peugeot authorized dealerships.
These days I have to order almost all my replacement parts for my small peugeot from abroad and directly supervise the mechanic fixing it (even though the workshop looks sophiscated and classy).
The reason I was asking about the w124 being a DIYer was that I do not know of an authorized mercedes dealership around here with the expertise to work on the car in my axis. ( i live and work in Uyo and driving to abuja or lagos (more than 10 hours each) to get my car fixed or serviced is a bit impractical). The Mercedes plant in Enugu has been shut down for quite a while now (ANAMCO).
I appreciate your expert merc savvy but your tone sounds a bit condescending... we no dey quarrel o...

My objective was to be as straight (forward) as possible without "stories" or a long thread. My apologies if I sounded condescending. That is not in my nature. The post might also sound fragmented; I cropped the initial text to make it compact. Don't be annoyed. You are a wise person and I (honestly) misjudged you. It is true what you have said. I once spent over $1200 on a problem plus remedial repairs. By the time I made it to my home 350 miles away, the problem reoccurred again. The person that always worked on my car took a whole day to diagnose it and the problem was a $60 part (I think $25 in labour) that was failing. Hence, the intermittent problem. I was used as trial & error. What I believe was when the battery was taken off the terminal, and reconnected when whatever they had to do was over, the car would start.

Since the cost isn't an issue, your only drawback is who will perform service on it. Whatever choice you make, I (including others) have no other choice but to honor it. Nigerians are very intelligent. There are many that can work on these vehicles but people wouldn't want to patronize them because they are expensive or some reason that can't be justified in the short-term but not the long-run.

For lack of a better phrase, you can consider the first generation 211 as experimental. They are cheap and low miles' because they are poorly built. The little things are annoying and expensive, the major is the same; overall, it is undependable. The worst being the 2003 model. The 2007-2009 do not have what the aforementioned was noted for in reliability. this is not to say they do not have its own issues. If you are keeping for a long time, don't buy a V6. It is sectioned and catastrophic failures have been known.

The 124 is not truly a difficult car to own. It is a proper executive vehicle and will adhere to maintenance intervals. It is over-engineered and was built from a durable approach and not from a reliable approach. The IM's should not be an issue for anyone that could turn a wrench. Just be sure to torque it to specifications. The ignition is very picky and the plugs needed for that specifications fitted are the copper non-resistant plugs (i.e. 103/104/119). Wiring loom is an issue for the '94 and '95 for they are organic based and they deteriorate over time or over heat. This is an expensive repair. The secret to longevity is sticking to genuine parts and the correct fluid. If you go through my previous posts, I responded with recommended suspension services to be done and a few to replace. If you consider this model, try as much as possible to avoid the ASR fitted variants. It is difficult troubleshooting when something goes wrong. They can be identified easily via the wiper on the lens of the headlight. Beyond a few misc., you will at least find one person that can work on that vehicle and is reputable. There are services only a professional can do and the services will be guaranteed. A head gasket job is a major job on the 320's and a machinist has to be involved.

yungboss: E500 ''ageless classic'' i love that. I love that car, a timeless beauty.
Two Cars on my list i hope to own some day (regardless of age) are:
'95 or '97 bmw e36 M3 euro and W202 C43 amg.
T-die,
have you considered the 43 AMG? I do not know how common they are these days...as for your race with ikenna, know that the stock e500 is v8, does 0 to 60 in 5.6s despite its weight. Quarter mile is about 14s or less, the e320 might do the job for you.
One of my friends has an e220. Nice interior and beautiful body. Whenever we discuss, we discuss about his car among many other issues...

The fellow is concerned about cost of ownership and maintenance and you are recommending the C43; how corny - truly, how corny.

t-die:
Ouch... There goes my dream....
I do not know of any Merc dealerships here that would be up to the task of maintaining an old Merc. I have seen a few Merc franchises in Lagos but they only work on the newer Benzes.
What of the W211 Merc E500...?? Is it any better? As regards maintenance or DIY?
The price seems fair enough, though one might be quite lucky and find a very cheap specimen in Cotonou, such Cars are usually very cheap there because there is almost no demand.

As for the W211 E500, I saw a cheap neat LHD specimen on @ about 4000 Pounds on Gumtree.com, though I actually won't buy a Car online without having it checked out by a savvy person.

THe major issue, however, is not buying the car, no matter how expensive it is, but maintaining it. So if both the W124 and the W211 E500s are going to cost an arm and a leg to run, then I probably would have to settle for less... is the W124 E320 a good compromise between performance and running costs? is there a W124 E400?

Seems to me that you know nothing about cars; how much more Mercedes. E500 Limited cannot on any scale be compared to the E500. The difference begins when you close the door and your conclusion is already made. Behind the wheel upon driving; road kinematics, drivers feedback and sheer driving pleasure puts the E500 way behind. The engine designation in the E500 limited is an SL engine with some traits of competition as a lesser priority. So, it isn't the same configurations in the 420/500 of that generational era. If you are not inclined to high-performance cars, overlook the 500 Limited. Only 500 were made. I won't be worried about the maintenance but how you will maintain it. The parts are significantly higher than the normal variants, and the age of the vehicle makes it a lot more expensive to own; even if it had always been a garage queen. The 124's at this point have their issues that are age-related. They work well but the pit-fall is if you buy a poorly maintained vehicle. The key is getting a well-maintained one but you will not pay book-value for it.

The E500 that you are calling a deal is a deal because the vehicle itself is "junk." It has no worth and nobody wants them. Where I live, hardly do I see a first generation E Class of the 211 era. The worst of them all is the 2003 model. There are dealerships that will refuse to take it in as a trade-in. It is also difficult to sell it. It's also 2014 (around the corner), be ready to spend some money on the brake family; you are on your own. I need not talk much on that; but to save further post, Mercedes was forced to increase tolerance in their build specification to accommodate the Chrysler portfolio. As we know today, the 211 and Chrysler 300 are one of the same; same chassis, different engines and obviously, many patents omitted from the Chrysler model. This explains a lot and also why it doesn't hold up as well. To own one of these, equip yourself with an extended warranty because there will be needless repairs to be made and some remedial repairs for the intermittent issues that weren't resolved the first time.


I don't mean to be harsh; if you are worried about maintenance and you are opting for an MB, you are making a wrong choice. The ECU has a mind of its own and will not tolerate certain malfunctions. It will shut the vehicle down and prevent it from starting and you will have to tow it and have it fixed before the siege is lifted. This is not to say one shouldn't be reasonable concerning operational maintenance, but examining the cost.



This should have been posted at the Mercedes thread. Your question would have been answered in greater details plus the enthusiasts will give you their ownership inputs.

Lest I forget, the first image is either an E60 or a customised lowered E500 limited. It does have Mercedes bumpers though. It's hard to tell (or the image has been altered). It is not at factory configuration.

All the best in your decision:

A whole page and nobody answered it, even worse added definition to what doesn't exist.

There is no difference between an alloy wheel and an alloy wheel that has been considered commercially tagged premium. They are both alloy wheels. The premium wheels might have an extra enamel to the surface to appeal towards elegance. It serves no engineering function but mere aesthetics; eye-candy.

The ball-game turns around when the so-called "premium" wheel is an aftermarket. It's a serious downgrade and unideal under different cycle loadings and will fatigue after a period of time. This is because most of them don't meet specification standards. Engineering an automotive wheel is not easy (as simple as it looks) and the manufacturing of a wheel is from one single billet pressed into shape.

If the premium wheel is aftermarket (rims, spinners, whatever it is called) look elsewhere. Don't pay for that. It's even a safety issue and a serious one for that matter.

pleep: I dunno if this is sarcastic or serious?

I am not sarcasting and I am not given to sarcasm; neither do I respect anyone that does so.

Eyop: Trac thanks for the analysis between the E class and the C class. Can you further explain on which models based on your experience that one can purchase because to my understanding the higher the engine capacity the higher the cost of maintenance and even fuelling. The 1.8 litre engine C class seems to be easier to maintain compared to the 2.6,3.2litre engines which is a V6.

The 1.8L is underpowered and I don't believe it's a good choice when it comes to fuel efficiency. Performance is different on a hot sunny day with the air-condition and three other passengers. There should be three other 4 cylinders within the gas family. I am not acquainted with those engines. From what I know of the first generation C's, the 220's and the 230's had the least issues. The compressors should be avoided. It is a wear item the cost of the compressor is $4500.

Sincerely, don't expect Camry-reliability and fuel consumption. You save a lot more fuel at higher miles per hour. Honestly, I wouldn't be worried about fueling and maintenance cost. What should trouble you is the purchase itself. If there were deferred maintenance and known issues that weren't addressed, you will pay the cost of the previous owner's deferment. Don't listen to anyone that tells you that it doesn't cost money to maintain any Mercedes or dedicated aptitude isn't needed; genuine parts are expensive and there truly really isn't a way around it except you opt for after-market solutions.

All the best in your search and choice:

pleep: The C-class is the Mercedes for broke people, Its basically a glorified compact car. Cheaper, better fuel economy, but less luxury.

The E- Class is more powerfull, luxurious and expensive

The S- class is the most powerful, luxurious and expensive car in the normal Mercedes sedan lineup

Which of the MB's are luxury?

I hope that is not a car that runs on the road. It may be a show-vehicle. Cooling has been deleted: grill at the radiator was fashionably sealed. The hot sun and fluid flow (wind resistance) would do justice to the exterior at 70 miles per hour on an extended duration except constant coating is applied to the basket often. The hood better be coated with a hood-pad for the engine would have to find other ways to dissipate the heat when in motion and there is no channel to force the heat to the ground once in motion.

It probably not used on the road.

f you are contemplating a C Class, I'll recommend two generations (depending on your budget). The first generation ('93 - 2000 and the third generation (2007 to -- avoid the 272 motor). The second generation is an "episode" on its own. The third generation is the first luxury C Class and has a lot of expensive repairs to it. It has S Class technology to it (as MB stated). The previous did not have, so the lowest you could get were the E Classes. The third generation C Class is a significant improvement over the two previous models and the exterior itself is made of some high-strength composite steel. It is the first C Class that rides benzy. The previous are not as refined.

Avoid a 2003-2005 E Classes. They are very cheap and tempting. It's safe to conclude they were experimental models.

Eyop: The C Class are very easy to maintain compared to the E class and in regards to fuel consumption,it all depends on the engine capacity of the vehicle you are buying. Also the C is compact in size while the E is larger in size.

The C is not easy to maintain than an E Class. It is as every typical Mercedes. It's about the same and the parts are not much in difference (if not the same). The engine and transmission (except the high pressured displacements) are the same in the S Classes as well. Power is "re-arreanged" and other factors taken into place to compensate for the extra tonnes. The same power-trains are in the E Classes as well. There are less issues to deal with but it isn't quantifiable enough to base a choice upon. The issues on a particular engine will be on all the generation model fitted with the particular engine. The electrical issues/problems are as complicated as other models. A qualified person with experience has to work on it because diagnosing can be clumsy and from experience, a particular problem may not be the problem.

@ Siena/Everyone

I did not cover the aspect of the eye logically because I never deeply researched it; hence I can't talk much on it to be considered useable information. I have scanned the concerned portion from three textbooks and I believe it is profitable for anyone that is interested and decides to opt out from being marketing-brainwashed to scientific facts. One of the references reflects on solid-state-lighting, so the figure might be a bit off but it is still extremely relevant to this thread. The state of the human eye at night that I was referring to as circadian discipline.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/rrx2d5

You'll need the Office Suite to be able to open and read the files and 7zip or Winrar to extract the contents. Magnify the fonts if the fonts are garbled. It is encrypted and the pass is "Nairald" without the quotes.

Siena:

I agree 100%. I myself refuse to retrofit high-wattage bulbs to standard vehicle headlamps, with standard wiring. Most modern reflectors are plactic, and will distort if subjected to higher than normal heat levels (the average capsule wattage is 55/60W). I have replaced entire dash wiring harnesses, whereby the extra load has caused the conduit to melt. Sometimes, the driver's lucky, and suffers a burnt-out switch. Or unlucky enough to end us with an electrical fire.

Back to the HID debacle - I can only speak for the vehicles I specialise in - Audi. The projector headlamps used on the A4 B5/B6 are both "HID ready." Both carry the same part number, so work perfectly well with regular Halogen or Xenon capsules (HID). Maximum Kelvin value that gives the highest Lumen output is 4300k. I do have arguements with anyone who wishes to go for a Kelvin value of 6000k or higher. Higher is definitely NOT better. Higher heat range, less output in terms of useable Lumen. More blue / purple, so in my opinion, useless. I have seen owners with 12000k rated Xenon capsules, with actually produce less Lumen than a 60W Halogen. Useless.

The projector on the European (LHD) B5 Audi A4 B5 / B6 is quite different to that of the US (LHD) cars. The US cars have ridges on the projector lense, which results in a soft, slightly hazy beam pattern, unlike the crisp beam pattern from the non-ridged Euro projectors. The fitting of LHD Euro headlamps is a very common practice in the US, as a result. And I sell quite a lot of Audi A4 B5 / B6 units (e-codes) which pass inspection without any issues.

The reflector headlamps designed for Halogen and HID may differ in construction, and a different approach is required if a HID retrofit is required. It is essential D2R HID bulbs are used with reflector units, and self-levelling is fitted. The rotary, manual headlamp height adjuster is no good for HID-equipped cars. There's a bit more light "scatter" than with projector units, and with manual control, it's possible to dazzle oncoming traffic, more so if driving over bumpy roads, with no self-levelling.

Some modern vehicles have reflector headlamps that are 100% compatible with HID headlamps, as long as D2R bulbs are used. D2S bulbs are strictly for projector uses!

When I retro-fit, it's on one condition - I must fit self-levelling, AND headlamp washers. It costs more, but those are the only terms I would do a HID retro-fit with. I don't endorse the retro-fit of HID on main beam, as there is no safe way to replicate the changeover "shutter" that acts as the cut-off between high and low (dipped).

4300K is the brightest on the curve/spectrum for it mimics day-time lighting and anything higher is nothing but the law-of-diminishing-return in place. -- but, it doesn’t appear as so for the purpose of night time driving or the use at night time (dim conditions). The bottle-neck or limiting factor is the human eye and how our body operates at night. Using the index renditioning of colours, the human eye differentiates all the colours best the yellower the light and the difference is clear. The bluer, the less because the eyes cannot really distinguish or process blue at night. In many cases, it is nothing but glare to the human eye. Examine the siren, the red doesn’t bother you but the blue disturbs your coordination and by instincts, you exercise caution. 4300K is blue because the needle goes towards the blue (biased compromise towards blue); away from the yellow. In optics, white light is yellow light (at least for humans). In some parts of Europe, there was even a special yellow used on the fog lamps and the search-beam/high beam. The higher lumens cannot be utilized by the human eye at night. You see objects a lot closer with HID’s than with incandescent setups. There is a lot unproven about HID’s and in many cases, nothing more than a marketing ploy. The farther distance the HID lamps cover cannot be utilized by the eye. This is because the immediate fore-ground has to be darkened to see further distance ahead: think of it, you don’t drive with your interior lights on. When the fore-ground is excessively darkened in surface perimeter, then the entire purpose of seeing further is defeated.

Yep! Useless is the buzz word for 6000K and up.

If you pay attention closely to the lamp configurations today, you will discover that some have incandescent in tandem with the HID’s and some have 2500K-3000K HID’s in tandem with their higher output HID’s. It is because visibility after extended hours of driving at night diminishes with HID’s.

It is difficult fooling the human body. It has its own biological rhythm and certain processes begin.

Euro-headlamp configurations are super but will not apply here. The broad spread with the cutoff is what I believe headlamp performance should be. However, Europe is unlike the United States were your signs, posts and symbols are illuminated. The cutoff is mediocre doesn't favour fore-ground illumination but every headlamp is designed to give glare at the top right to illuminate the right side of the road and the upper region (sky - to illuminate bridge signs and street labels).

I don't blame those replacing their lamps. The worst are those with the fancy headlights that produce excessive glare.

You cannot improve what GOD has created.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:16-21)

Emulations is a sin for it is considered a work of the flesh. A sub-Saharan trying to be a Caucasian is an insult before GOD. A woman wearing trousers as a man is also an insult before GOD. GOD will not be mocked; that's for sure. The mini-clips are for women.


STRANGE APPAREL: Unnatural Hair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCDZKaxJU-4&feature=relmfu

Trousers Were Not Made For Women

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Aoz50-Vpk&feature=relmfu

STRANGE APPAREL: Fake Nails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYiqaoG1x04&feature=relmfu

STRANGE APPAREL: Make Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87r81dWpbUc&feature=relmfu

STRANGE APPAREL: Eyes Adornment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p8U-Pz6CQc&feature=relmfu

STRANGE APPAREL: Jewelries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOJEAsAbyS8&feature=relmfu

Bleaching Your Skin IS A SIN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHmjTzbBPE0&feature=relmfu


The bottom-line is that GOD doesn't find it pleasing when adornments and modifications to the body are made.

@ Everyone that is concerned:


Changing the burners is not a retrofit but bad practice. A retrofit from ground-up has to be done.

Polly ellipsoidal capsules (index of refraction or optical medium) designed for incandescent light cannot be used with HID bulbs because fundamentally, they aren’t made the same and do not subscribe to the design laws and standards of production. It does share certain laws of optics but the variables and approaches are different. Putting HID bulbs (burner) in a refractive index capsule (optical medium) designed for incandescent bulb will only make the light brighter but will not change the geometry of the cast light because the wavelength was optimized for the bulb (burner) with the specific candlepower intended. In other words, you have light at the source but a lot of it is unusable. With unaccounted lumens, light is smeared beyond its designed optical pattern (poor cutoffs, dark spots and cast-patches). The optics are different and do not share much in common. Both burners handle also follow Fermat’s principle differently. Fermat’s principle states that the optical path between two points through which the ray passes is an extremum. The wave length (which is incident) is now different and your refractive index changes.

The worst is reflective lamps that have been converted via burner replacement. It is kitchen-sink engineering. I am not saying that the use of HID burners cannot be used with reflective lamps but many optical considerations have to be made. When the proper retrofits has been done, the benefits are the wide-angle light patterns but it is sort of hybrid in design; Lexus did this. It’s a complete retrofit and not just a bulb replacement to emulate what Toyota came up with. The flutting (flutter) on the refractive lens will also have to be deleted or replaced with a clear lens.

The way the human eye operates has to be the root block fundamentally. The more bluish the light is, the less you see (because the human eye has difficulties processing blue at night). The closer to natural white (which is yellow), the more you see. This also explains why a car that cost almost $200,000 or more still comes with incandescent headlamps. This is so because you do not really see well with HID lights over a period of driving (extended). It is reinforced by science due to how the human eye perceives and also differentiates the index rendition of colours at night. Index renditioning of colours is the capability of a light source to replicate the colours of various object realistically using natural light as the benchmark. The higher the index, the better and closest to optimal (natural light). Incandescent lighting has approximate renditioning index 99 (around the range) and the HID’s have within 68 – 72 approximately. As far as optics is concerned and the laws of physics quantifies, this is poor and denotes that the human eye functions extremely better at night with incandescent lightings. The human eyes and the brain function totally different at night: the diameter of the pupils changes involuntarily. This involuntary reflex is called the pupillary light reflexes. Examine a cat’s eye during the day and at dawn. If the brain and the eyes aren't switching modes at night time, you will be at the optometrist (or optician) and more than likely unfit to drive at night.


Ray of light should not be considered as optics instead of objects of geometry. This is because geometric optics makes use of quantities that must be calculated from other variants (refractive index and wave length).

The laws of physics will not change; emotions will and personal opinions will.

nissparts:

Incorrect.
I am not referring to such bulbs.
An example is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00480J572/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00
It is not a higher rated bulb but is an upgrade to the oem for Toyotas and Hondas.
No glare as well.

If you can't see the abnormal and excessive glare in both pictures (according to the link you referred) and how rubbish the whole idea is, then I can't help you. As far as I am concerned, the illumination in the images is no better than a lantern of the same lumen. Higher rated bulbs do not last plus they'll eventually damage your headlight harness.

What is being sold underneath the link is nothing but sheer ignorance. You are only making your geometry brighter because of the ray (incident) but your refraction still remains the same (if not smeared and scattered all over due to a higher than permitted incident). Don't endorse this foolish practice.

Three days ago, a car that refused to go through the proper path and wait at the light to make a u-turn decided to cut corners and face in-coming traffic. I was pulling from the gas station and was wondering what two glowing objects were. When I had gotten a couple of feet closer, I discovered it was a car. They were headlights but the poly-ellip mediums were not designed for the HID's (a bunch of science I won't go into for this post). You wouldn't buy a car if the people who designed it from concept to production were not engineers. You look for the seal on the vehicle of choice and not a person's opinion. The engineers knew what they put together (headlight assembly) and it passed their own standards of quality before it was sold as a whole. If you don't understand what you are doing, it is best not to attempt it.

If you need better geometrical objects (lighting), you have to rip the whole assembly and modify everything; or at list, almost all. Lots of money will be spent and depending on the car, thousands of dollars (if everything has to be new).

I will explain later in science (Physics) on the next post.

Inova:

Seina haba. Wats with the profesionalism here. His question was plain direct. Is it so dificult to just Tell him the TOP HEAD GASKET HAS WORNED OUT creating enough clearance for the oil in circulation to seep into the coollant orifice.
Next you'll be asking for the PH level of the coolant abi. Over sabi

Truth told: Mercedes gas engines that were straight (and maybe diesel) does not subscribe to the symptoms and hypothesis you stated above. You will be wasting your time and that is guaranteed. Cars are different and a one-size-fits-all approach will not work on all engines when certain nature repairs are to be done.

The advise given is only an advise based on probability. There is a reason for his inquiry. Straight-engines are different by nature to what is commonly packaged today and one of it is the lower and upper block. There could be other things that can cause it and some cars can be notorious for certain issues or prone to. Mercedes Benz's with the straights will not loose compression and sip oil into the cooling system due to the way the engine is designed. One of the ways you will find out is that you have an oil light or after an extended journey, you can smell burnt oil or oil on the pathway. By default, you'd assume it is something else till a qualified mechanic tells you that it is a headgasket and not what 99% of advice will point to. The Subaru has a different way of manifesting this failure/failure-in-progress and it isn't by any chance an exciting experience.

The question about his assumptions asked was also legit: why? Oil may not change the colour of his fluid. The exhaust can and when this occurs, the colour changes.

There are many other things as well.

Siena:

Are you saying you have only dipped beam? Something's not right with your wiring, if that's the case. When you say "HID", are you referring to a HID kit with ballasts?

I believe the Toyota in question has a separate optical medium that en-capsules the high and low beam. His low beam has been swapped for his new setup but the high probably hasn't. So, the incandescent candlepower has been overwhelmed by the intensity of his HID setup and it isn't noticeable from the driver's seat when he initiates the high beam.

This is probably what he is talking about (my guess).

nissparts:

I concur. If the housing was not made for HID there's really no point. There are regular bulb upgrades that would be more effective output wise.

Bulb upgrades are as bad also. Using a higher rated bulb will eventually burn out and damage your harnesses. Besides, you will create more glare. The geometric path of the light has been restricted by the flutting on the lenses. So in actuality, you bean pattern hasn't change ( and it if changed, it is an undisciplined change) but you made the light spread brighter. Those doing the rally-upgrade for street-use are not improving anything because many laws of optics are broken.

A lot of people want to look cool and so opt to use these bulbs without understanding the fundamental principles behind them. These so-called kits too (conversion kits) are nothing short of fraud and manufacturers installing these so-called set of lights are doing it for commercial purposes also. HID lightings (be it genuinely manufactured by OEM or unintelligibly retrofitted) is not proven technology and the scientific community does not approve of it due to the severity of the nature of its duty.

Thank GOD for the Japanese and their wonderful contributions to technology but the laws of physics cannot be broken.

jking001: Thanks mr Trac i suspect its engine oil, cos normally after service the oil normally looks fresh like engine oil in the radiator and after sometime it would appear as milky colored oil or dark chocolate just as described. please i need to know the implications if its a serious problem and how to solve it. Thanks

As Siena said: a reputable mechanic should be sought for. If it is the head gasket (which is most likely), the head might have to be remachined to offset any warps. It is a careful and meticulous job especially if the heads are don't have enough clearance (depending on how bad the warp can be). While this is going on, it is advisable to remachine all your valves. The extra cost is worth it. I am not sure about BMW but the bolts on the heads of MB's are expandable/elastic bolts (aerospace grade and it expands and contract) and they cannot be reusable. It'll will not be a bad idea to get new bolts (just in case).


All the best:

Those links won't help diagnose/troubleshoot. An understanding of how Mercedes gas engine works is what will help you. Diagnosing an MB issue is not as you would diagnose a BMW or an Acura. No experience or understanding, you make things worse and end in frustration and have a fancy heap of metal in the driveway. Some services will require a reset of certain parts within a family. Some parts will have to be hard-coded to the car itself, so you will need an MB handtool (or whatever it is called); some parts are never to be replaced. You can't just take a tyre out to access certain portions of the car and perform service and put it pack as though nothing has to be accounted for any further. You will get issues and an error that will not tell you that you omitted due practice. The normal thing the untrained will do is to start buying parts and replacing and the whole thing gets convoluted. Get a qualified mechanic that is familiar and has experience with MB's. Everything has to be right and to spec unless you will have an undependable vehicle.

What you should be worried about (assuming the odometer was rolled back) is an MB code 1100 or 1200 (something like that - I can't truly remember) for the 113 motor (which is what you have). It is worse for the 350/550's. It is a camshaft error code. If this ever occurs, do not replace the cam sensors. It is time to take the engine apart and do some serious work. This is the least concern for you because you don't have the 112 engine (320). I am not familiar with the 113 motor and their issues but it is an unforgiving engine when anything is out of tolerance or a wrong/incomplete procedure is done.

Find a qualified mechanic. Pneumatics is also a must when working on any Mercedes because it is extensively used in design. It is a very complicated vehicle and it is compounded when an amateur is done working on it and procedures where omitted.

People will say the dude is crazy.