Hello everyone I'm glad I found this site - it's great. I am a new to MB cars and just purchased a perfect condition 1987 190E 2.3 16v w/ 93K. I have had the car for about three weeks and have some questions on some problems or maybe querks I want to fix or have explained:

1. at idle the car shakes very strongly (A/C is off) this can't be normal? My first thought is motor mounts but they were replaced at around 50-60K. Are these a source of problems? The shaking is extremely annoying and not what I would suspect from an MB.

2. The clutch seems very bouncy. if I am climbing up my steep driveway (which is a tight right hand turn) In first gear, once the gear is engaged and clutch fully released, if i start to apply power (slowly)as soon as I turn up into the incline, the rear right wheel loses traction and spins. As soon as the car is straight and the wheel has traction it starts this monkey motion in whch the car lurches back and forth. It feels as if the clutch is engaging and disengaging. keep in mind I'm not even registering on the speedo at this point?

3. Along with the above activity, I noticed the shifter is very notchy. I've been told that this is a characterisitic of the Getrag but I have driven a lot of performance cars and this seems too notchy??

Any responses wiil be appreciated

I have a 1986 2.3-16 and the car does alot of the same things you describe. The first thing you should know is that the car is unlike any other M-Benz you may have owned or ridden in. The 16 valve cars are designed from the DTM race cars of the late 80's and early 90's styling. In my car, their is a fair amount of engine vibration. My mechanic told me that he has seen several 16 valves with the same thing.
Is your clutch in good condition? I had mine replaced at 103,000 miles with an OE Sachs clutch that came stock on the car. It is already a heavy duty unit and why mess with a good thing. My car bucks a little too but I have never lost traction and spun the tires. Try lowering your revs a little, perhaps 1400 rpm?

Hope this helps
Joe