I am just starting out with Mercedes. I still need to do some homework and research before taking it to the shop. After suffering through the ownership of a 1995 Range Rover, and the trials and tribulations of the dealership and indies, I started doing most of the repairs myself with the help of a repair manual and sites like this. The last two cars I got for my kids to drive (Infiniti and Volvo) were acquired from owners who were frustrated by constant expensive trips to repair shops only to have the problems reappear.

My past mechanical experience was limited to the restoration of early Mustangs as a hobby. Until I spent $6k in one month for 3 trips to the Land Rover shops for the the same problem, did I ever work on a motor newer than 1976. The final straw came when one of our cars was in the shop to be repaired and serviced. When my wife brought the car home the oil was clearer but not as clear as it should be. When I returned the car to the service department, they told me the engine was worn and suggested a engine rebuild. Turned out that the jr tech could not find the filter and left the old one on. From then on I perform the maint, diagnostics and most of the repair myself, even on the our newer cars still under warranty.

I will probably start out with this car by doing a complete detail of the engine compartment checking all the connections, hoses and wiring. After reading most of the discussions pertaining to the m119 engine or the w124 chassis, I will probably apply some of the common cheaper fixes if they may apply. The reason I question the leaky head gasket diagnosis, is that the engine does not smoke consistently and there is not any consumption of oil or coolant.