As mentioned in another thread, if you talk to the taxi drivers about the new CDI engines, you get a different story. I have spoken to them in Helsinki, Stuttgart, Paris, Munich and Vienna. The new CDI E-class allegedly has major problems, even where the engine is nominally the same as in the previous model. The problems, in priority sequence seem to be:

1. Engine management electronics failures, some of which appear to have no known solutions.
2. Repeated turbo failures.
3. Catalytic converter leaks.

Recently in Brussels, a driver told me that the owner of his company at Zaventem airport had had so many problems with the late E-Class auto box that he had specially ordered a set of manual-boxed CDIs which he is registering this month. Not heard this one elsewhere.

General message from taxi drivers was "This is normal for any Benz in its first year of production." One of the Stuttgart drivers reminded me how they had barricaded the factory entrance with both the first E class and the origninal 190 models because of problems closing the doors.

Oh well.

Momo

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1990 500SL 65k km - until May 11 2004
2004 E320 4-Matic wagon
2004 CLK500 Cabrio from May 11 2004