One of the members recently posted a link (on TSBs?).... well I found out some cool info about my car (the engine)!

" *Light it up

The ignition part of the system is distributorless, and has some interesting features. To begin with, when it's below freezing out, it provides multiple sparks while cranking to get you fired up.

During an overheating emergency, timing is retarded under load to prevent internal engine damage. Engine speed, air mass, and coolant and intake air temp are all used to determine how much retard is prudent. This is not to be confused with the practice sometimes used in the distant past of advancing timing at idle to cool down combustion.

Speaking of overheating, to keep the cat from getting into that damaging syndrome injection is killed to any cylinder that's lost spark for any reason. Ergo, raw fuel won't get pumped into that catalytic furnace.

Primary connections carry over 400 V, enough to bite you. Make sure the core bracket is grounded. By the way, primary current is limited to seven amps, and the max secondary voltage is about 32 kV. As you probably know, the waste spark on the exhaust stroke requires very little energy, so most of the pop goes to the plug that's encountering compression.."

Wow, that's totally amazing! So I now think that the injectors turn off (IE, shutting off the cylinder(s) for the cylinder(s) that had the misfire. I am getting the codes read today, and I'll see if it's a random cylinder misfire, or a specific cylinder (or 2 specific ones ... =coil?), to get a better idea.

I have a $600 estimate to change the coils (parts [x 3 coils] & labor) from the MB dealer. DOes this sound like an expected
amount $$$ to change the coils on an M104 from the dealer?
THanks.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)