Hello!

First, thanks to those who advised me over the past week on my shopping for a 190E. I swung a deal over the weekend on an immaculate 1990 190E 2.6 with 89,000 miles. It's a beautiful, well-maintained car owned from new by a retired couple. I pick it up Tuesday morning and am looking forward to enjoying the car. I like to do my own light maintenance and service work so I'll be a regular participant on the forum here....

A couple questions for the collective wisdom of the group:

1) What are people's favorite oil as far as grade and brand. I've always felt that the mass-market oils are about the same, so you buy the cheapest oil, change it frequently (2,500 to 3,000 miles) and you'll be fine. But putting Wal-Mart oil into a fine German engine seems, well, "off". Thoughts?

2) Ditto with oil filters. I've always used Fram, thinking that since I change so often, it'll be fine even if it's not the absolute best. PH2870A? or go with Mercedes brand?

3) The left rear window doesn't work, which I understand is a common failure. The owner disconnected the switch because the window would go down but not up -- bad regulator. I'm getting a new regulator, and just was wondering if there's anything I should know about putting it in. What's the best way to get the door panel off without bunging it up? Is the installation of the regulator obvious or are there any hints and tricks to know? All advice is appreciated. (I haven't yet purchased a service manual, but would like to attack the window reg right away.)

4) What have folks found to be the best way to get tar stains off Parchment colored floor mats?

Thanks to one and all for valuable input.

Oops, I also meant to ask, are there any relays that folks recommend replacing as a preventative measure. On my BMW 325 there was a $12 main relay that would fail and leave you stranded (or go goofy on you intermittently), most people would replace it every couple years and carry a spare as well.

Anything like that to think about? As you can tell, I'm really new to MB ownership.

Thanks again,

Dave

Congrats on your "new" MB.. I'm sure you'll enjoy it for years to come!

There have been several "thousand" discussions/ideas regarding which brand of oil to use.. just search the archives and you'll find lots of opinions. Recently, Rick Jordan started a good one which was "Brand, not opinion".. you could check there and make up your own mind :)

DO NOT USE FRAM FILTERS! Sorry about the yelling, but after searching the internet, I found several instances where people claimed Fram actually failed and caused damage in other German cars (not MBs). They are not up to the standards your MB requires. I use Hengst or Mann.. same with air filter. So, yes, use what MB people recommend.

Again, I know you'll be satisfied with your recent pruchase and welcome to the group.. there are a bunch of friendly people here who have a vast amount of knowledge about Mercedes.. and are always helpful.

The regulator runs around $140, and is simple to replace.

Just know that the door panels on MBs lift UP, then OUT when removing them. Other than unbolting the top door pull, and the door handle trim, everything should come out fine.

I've replaced both rear regulators on my 300E, and it's about a 2 hour job for a novice.

I recommend using OE filters. And if I were to buy a used MBZ, first thing I would do (as I've done thrice) would be to clean the fuse box-clean all the contacts & replace all the fuses. I even went so far as to apply a small amount of electrically conductive grease to ensure the contacts remained good.

And I run Mobil 1 in all my cars (Delvac 1 in my Diesel).

Best of luck with your new car!

The relay to keep your eye on is the OVP (overvoltage protection relay)located behind the battery with a fuse on top. Its a constant nuisance to us all. It can cause stalling and poor running. Congrats on the car:)

Oil Filter Brands
 

Congratulations on your purchase of the 190E. I recently purchased a '88 260E which, I believe has the same engine. Two weak areas on the 2.6 engine are the valve guides and oil leaks from the front timing cover. Other than that, I think it's a good solid engine.

I would also caution against using Fram oil filters. On my Volvo board they are referred to as the "Orange Kiss of Death". Apparently, they don't have the anti-drainback valve that helps hold the oil in the upper engine. I would also go with a name brand oil such as Quaker State, Castrol or Valvoline. I lot of MB owners use synthetic oil but I hve not tried it yet and with 128,000 miles I'm a little reluctant to start.

Good luck with the car.