Maybe the older ones have absorbed more "odors" and moisture and are now a little heavier? I've run into some surprisingly heavy older EVAP canisters. Also, Mercedes may have just found a cheaper supplier when they updated the part number? Just my $.02

Last summer I was going to replace the activated charcoal cabin filter in my 140. I looked at the manufacturing date on the filter and it says 97, so it's obviously the filter that was installed at the factory. After checking with my local MB dealer I can see why nobody has replaced it. I was quoted a price of just over $400 $400 for an air filter? Come on. I can accept the fact that it's activated charcoal and that 140 parts are expensive, but $400 for a cabin air filter is insane.

The old (OE) filter is a solid block while the new (Meyle) one is more like the regular cabin air filter, just thicker and with charcoal added.

$400 is a bit too steep, even for Mercedes!

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970