My first reaction is that oil change/brake fluid flush and flex discs is about a $400 job at a dealer. So you might want to shop around if there are other MB shops in the area. As you have already figured out, a luxury car is more expensive to maintain especially if you can't or don't want to do some of the work yourself.

Having said that, the W210 (your chassis) is a reliable, safe car that gets good mileage and is enjoyable to drive.

The codes involved with the transmission are proprietary to MB. You need to find an independent MB mechanic or a dealer to have the car scanned. The good news is that the 5sp electronic transmission you have is very strong and was used in V8 and V12 engines. The car does have a 'limp home mode' which is designed to reduce performance if the computer thinks the transmission is close to being damaged.

The CEL (Check Engine Light) can come on for a variety of reasons.You can buy inexpensive OBD scanner on line but they are generally limited to emission control device problems such as O2 sensors, etc. which may be your problem. Some people have posted that Autozone will do an OBD scan for free. So if you have a store locally you could check.

__________________
Good luck.






1998 E320 Wagon