This is on a 1990 190E....but would apply to diesels as well, so I post here.

The MB service adviser told me that the front springs on this car were both broken at the bottom. But it doesn't seem to me that they're actually broken. When I run my finger around them, I can't feel any breaks. They simply look compressed. And both springs are identical.

Thoughts?

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

The service revenue at the dealership is a bit low for the month and they figure that anyone would immediately change a "broken spring" because of the danger imposed.

If the vehicle isn't sitting two inches or more low.............the spring isn't broken.

Had the same issue with my 96 E300D. With the car up on the lift, I was told that the front passenger side spring was broken, and the tech pointed out an area at the bottom of the spring. The break was about 1 inch in from the start of the lower coiled area of the spring, and could not easily be seen. Tech also felt that the location of the break would not impair the spring from operating as designed.

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96 E300d

All MB owners just beware of a tearing or a weakening of frontal spring perch that supports the springs. These are all dangerous conditions that exist on all models from 1996 to at least 2002 except 4matics.

spring looks ok to me...

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