I kind of fell over when I saw this recently posted on CL. I emailed with responce from the seller that it was still avail. Made the drive ,it was a legit car with some after market junk put on ,all and all complete.He bought the car from Austin and it was running and driving fine until recently,He added that it would run but would not stay running ,knowing how completely hands on these engines are it wasnt surprising that it had issues .I Handed over $1000. and made the trek back home via wrecker.
Ive researched the time chain replacement and not being sure of any mechanical history for the car I feel its the best place to start.Once Ive got that done will I feel safe to locate the fueling issues.Oh boy ,I can see the dollars adding up .Any way to check with no doubts that a chain has been installed recently?If the guides have become knawed on by the chain how can you easily check to see if its happening without pulling the head?

Heres an intersting possability for the rough idle.
Mercedes 190E Rough Start Problem Solved by Kent Bergsma - YouTube

My first concern with any 2.3-16 would be the history of the maintenance of the valves. First check is with the compression of each bore and a leakdown test for the rings. The compression test number, if uneven or low, may indicate that an exhaust valve has burned and cracked. This is fairly common when the valve clearances have been neglected.

Pull off the valve cover, shine a bright light down the timing chain and sprocket galley and inspect for wear on both the sprockets and chain guides. When those plastic guides fail, the plastic bits wind up in the oil pump and can cause damage in there.

Wow ,MTI ,I just realized your the administrator for the 190 revolution crowd,I had no idea.Im now in process of taking a look at the iacv for any problems ,Ill stop running it till I know for sure about the valve adjustment ,reading and studing right now .Im in no rush since it was bought as a project and all projects take some part in a practiced patience.Im new to the gas version of the 190s and the most challenging fuel delivery system Ive ever come across is sitting right on top of it.Most of my questions will be drawn their and Im signed on as hatsoff,a little thing my dad had us kids do when jumping into the car ,kind of stuck with me .I look forward to entering this new arena of car, knowing theirs A new adventure keeps things intersting .

The 2.3-16 is just a joy to drive, it's easy to justify the additional amount of valve maintenance . The CIS system, at this age is pretty confusing, but luckily there are many other makes that had it, so there still a nice number of folks that understand its strengths and weaknesses. Making sure you have working sensors and vacuum lines is a start.