So I went out and bought 4 new steel rims and tires for the winter, and boy, what a surprise in how quite these tires are!!

But without any hubcaps, the black steel rims on black car makes it look like some kind of new cop car, or new model racing around secret track in Stuggart!

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Chris Ecklund
98 300 DT

Chris;
I know how you feel, I just got 4 new Blizzak MZ02's on my C220. All we need now is some snow!




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Darko Vusir
1994 C220

Is this the Canadian corner, eh? I have a new set of Pilot Alpins that work quite well with the little snow we have in Edmonton. Their H speed rating provides some comfort during the occasional blast down the (dry) highway. Unfortunately, I'm getting less use out of my new W124 ski rack due to this El Nina (or global warming?) effect that has all of us X-country types resorting to (aghast!) downhill skiing. I wonder if they are going to cancel the Birkiebeiner?

greetings from vancouver to all ya canucks!!
we had some parts of the lower mainland covered with the white stuff yesterday and today. yes, it is a big deal here when that happens. big traffic problems due to big pile up of slip-n-slide cars. have to go to canadian tire for those blizzak tires which i undertand really bites the road. cheers!!

Joel;
You guys want to send a little of that white stuff back east, I want to try out my winter tires before the tread wears away

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Darko Vusir
1994 C220

i might as well add to the canuck fray ...

my 190e2.6 is all prepped up for the winter, with Pirelli Winter Ice Direzionale tires. On the highway, it does not have that much lateral stability, which i've read is a strong point of the Michelin Arctic Alpins. But it provides sufficient grip on snow, and i suspect that it was responsible for keeping me unstuck more than a couple of times. As the car is a front-engined rear-driver, dedicated winter tires are a must for us. Having no electronic traction and yaw control, that task is left to my right foot.

one thing i've noticed though is that for its size, the 190e is relatively heavy (what with all that structural robustness), and i often catch myself underestimating braking distances, all the more in low-traction conditions. The brakes are industrial-strength, but the car is under-tired. i guess the assumption is that mercedes drivers drive at "responsible" speeds. Ha!

i use my corroded OEM alloys for the winter, and another set for the summer, so i don't care much about salt or brake dust buildup.

one of the things i appreciate about the car is the plastic-coated door handles (at least it looks like vinyl to me), which protects your hand from the static discharge when you step out of the car and close the door.

Another is the built-in rust protection/indifference, which makes for care-free use on salted roads.

i also appreciate how efficiently the air vents defog the windows, and how well those A-pillars and side mirror fairings keep the side windows clear.

i especially appreciate the ridged taillight design, which keeps the inner ridges clean of the road salt.

one thing i wish i had is the rear foglamp, which is deactivated in canadian (or North American?) versions of the car.

Well its -19 Celsius, over 1700 watts of wind chill, and a couple of inches of fresh snow overnight...need a week of this before ski conditions are back to seasonal norms.

However, while waiting in traffic this morn I was ruminating on the infinite wisdom of MB engineers to include ABS, ASR and 2nd gear starts in the package...without those features and some meaty Pilot Alpins, I would be going nowhere today.

The Car is quite dirty from all the road slush that occurs at "warmer" temperatures. Now that it's too cold for road salt, I think I'll have to get a wash and find a nice warm parkade to dry out in before I head home.

Anybody have any bad weather driving stories for our general amusement?

Well, we finally got some white stuff here in Hamilton/Stoney Creek, and I got a chance to try out my winter tires, on the drive to work this morning. Must admit that the Blizzaks are a major improvement over the MXV4's in the snow. Where the car was almost unmanageable before, now it feels almost as connected to the road as it normally is on a wet road with the Michelins.
Having said that, I've had enough winter and want the nice weather back.

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Darko Vusir
1994 C220

BobbyV -

Rear foglight works on my US-spec 190 (1993). I was a little surprised that it was plumbed for only one side (the left), as the manual says nothing about this and I assumed for awhile that I had a burned-out bulb on the left...

Obvious question but worth asking: when you pull the headlamp/foglamp knob toward you to turn on the front fogs, are you then pulling to the second stop to activate the rear?

Matt

Makakio,

my '89 190e rear lamp cluster is not wired for the rear foglamp - this is the lamp on the left cluster nearest the center of the car.

so pulling the switch to the 2nd stop will not do anything.

when i find the time, i'll wire it myself, after some research ...

Makakio;
In response to your question. Yes.

As to the single rear fog, that's how it's designed(to avoid confusion with brake lights I think).

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Darko Vusir
1994 C220

Good day, eh!

I just installed a pair of Hella H4 +30 bulbs in my W124. Mail-ordered them from www.pgperformance.com in BC for $27 Cdn. total. They claim 30% greater light output at stock wattage over regular H4 bulbs without any greater current drain or heat associated with high output bulbs. Compare that with PIAA bulbs at over $120 a pair!

Anyway, the lights are definately whiter and brighter, but no one has yet to flash their high beams at me. Now those "quick" trips to Lake Louise or Jasper hold less dread...it was way too easy to over drive the stock lights and high-beams are a definite no-no during even the lightest snowfall.

Dean Albrecht
94 E500