I have a 1986 190E 2.3-16, Euro model, with a 5 speed and the factory US style emissions system installed. The car has over 200,000 miles and runs strong, lor burning a quart of oil every 3,000 miles. Anyway, I live in Connecticut where there are emissions tests required every two years and I just passed by the narrowest of margins on HC and CO, which is a degradation from earlier years. It also runs rough at 2300 to 2700 rpm when it is cold, and gives off a little black smoke and stench of unburned fuel when cold. The smell and black smoke is reduced at normal operating temps, but it still is apparent even warmed up. The mileage has dropped from arund 25 to 28 mpg, depending on how much and how fast I drive the highways, to around 20 mpg to maybe 22 mpg.

My question is, how do you adjust the mixture? Is it adjustable?

The injectors are the original injectors, plugs are less than 20,000 miles old (Bosch Platinum 4), the air cleaner is relatively new (8,000 miles, no visible debris). It is normal to see some reduction in mileage when the weather turns colder, but this year has not been a normal year. If it was 20 degrees out all the time, I would not be as concerned, but it has been in the 40 to 70 degree range, which is not cold weather.

Any suggestions? Thanks, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Jim ... I am not sure how much I can help. I believe that the European model utilizes a different injection system than the US models. Does your car have the CIS-E injection system with an oxygen sensor? If so, it matches my manual and my car and I might be able to give you some clues.

__________________
Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-speed, 95 E320 Wagon, 01 E320 Wagon, MGB, Boxster 'S', 190SL "Barn Find"

Step 1,
Take out those plat plugs and install Bosch Copper core!!!!
These coppers have 10x the center electrode surface and complete combustion!

__________________
Benzmac:
Donnie Drummonds
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 11 YRS

Jim Villars,

The engine is nearly identical to the US model, as I ordered it with the US emissions package. At the time this was an option on select models in Germany, and the 190E 2.3-16 qualified. So it has the same injection system, the Oxygen sensor, and catalytic converter scheme. It has an adjustable ignition timing plug that I can change should I get stuck somewhere that 91 octane unleaded gas is not available, but other than that the engine itself has yet to take a part that is not the same as the US models.

I changed to platinum plugs about 6 years ago or so, and always noted a loss in mileage but no running problems before. I will change the plugs to copper ones to see if it helps - cheap and easy to do. Thanks for the hint Benzmac.

Look forward to any input you might have on the adjustability of the rest of the system. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Jim ... You didn't mention if you had a manual or not. If not, I can email you a few pages of tests that should get you started. As everyone on this board always says, first check the fuse and test your overvoltage protection relay behind the battery. Next test your temperature sensor resistance; it is the two-pronged sensor at the front of the engine and both prongs (to ground) should be 2-3K ohms cold and about 3-400 holms hot (one prong for CIS-E, the other for EZL ignition).

Your problems are most likely a sensor or connector that has gone south and it just takes some poking around to find it.

If you haven't tried it, unplug your octane selector resistor switch all together. This will advance your timing curve about six degrees and GREATLY improve performance. If your engine doesn't ping, you can leave it unplugged. I unplugged my R-16 reference resistor, which is the US equivalent, and I "found" 15 more horsepower and greatly improved high-end performance.

__________________
Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-speed, 95 E320 Wagon, 01 E320 Wagon, MGB, Boxster 'S', 190SL "Barn Find"

Jim,

Sorry, my car is a 5-speed manual. I changed the OVP relay recently as the idle was not coming down to its usual 900 to 1100 rpm. That did correct when the relay was changed, the idle is now less likely to get hung up at 1800 to 2000 rpm. I also changed the temperature sensor for the auxiliary fan as it was not functioning and the fan never came on. The fan comes on now, when the temperature approaches 100 degrees Celsius. The belt driven fan clutch also engages correctly. I will check the other temperature sensor.

I just examined the underside of the octane selector plug cap and found one setting with no prong to engage the outer socket and set this (the connector that is missing is under position number 7 on the cap), and set it to run that way. I will check it out and see what I detect for differences. Thanks. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Jim ... You are on the right track. You still did not mention whether you have a manual or not. Section 07.3 of the Supliment Manual for the 102.983 engine contains detailed component locations on page 40-46 and a step by step trouble shooting and testing procedure on pages 47-68. If you need them, I can email them to you a portion at a time.

__________________
Jim Villers
190SL, 230SL 5-speed, 95 E320 Wagon, 01 E320 Wagon, MGB, Boxster 'S', 190SL "Barn Find"

Jim,

Pardon my ignorance there. I was thinking manual transmission, not technical manual!

Yes, I have a Model Year 1986 "USA" Models 107, 126 and 201 manual that covers the differences between the 201.034 and 201.024 cars. There are some pages with the components listed and the functions described. I will check these out and see if there are any fixes or tests I can run.

Well, before I sent this I went out and drove the car with the new octane adjustment setting and that gave a noticeable change in performance. I liked that. As for the tests on the air temp sensor and engine temp sensor, well, they came out within specs. The air temp sensor seems a little loose in its housing, but the reading was ok.

Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)