Front Shock covered in Oil - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Merica · #1 11-10-2012, 01:19 PM

Got underneath the 87 190D Turbo this morning to chase some oil leaks. Here are the two biggest observations:

1. My front driver's shock (or more accurately, the sleeve that it rests in) is coated in moist oil, all the way up to the top of the wheel well. The lower ball joint has some oil dripping from it and a small amount rested inside the driver's wheel. The passenger side is bone dry and looks nothing like that. It doesn't appear that the oil is making it there from anywhere else, considering that is sort of an isolated location and the inside of the wheel well is dry (except for the shock sleeve). Do shocks fail and spill all their oil? I bounced the car and the shock seems to still function.

2. It appears I have the old style vacuum pump judging from the photos here. There appears to be oil coming from this area, can't be sure but it is running down the front of the engine and then back along the bottom of the oil pan. Is the 87 Turbo engine susceptible to the crazy vacuum failure that the OM603 hype has been about? My brakes appear to work fine and the engine shuts off promptly. Climate control has issues but hard to throw all the blame on the vacuum pump. Guess this means replace the pump? Do you simply unbolt it and bolt a new one in?

Thanks for the input.

Merica · #2 11-10-2012, 03:59 PM

Ok went by the dealer to price the vacuum pump. $418 list price. MB part # 000-230-31-65. He said they used to stock it and in high supply (assume since it was a common fail item).

Searched Google to see if I could beat the price, found another peachparts thread. Appears that the OM602.961 used the same vacuum pump as the OM603, so it's tied in with all the issues.

Apparently the torx screws were added in an update to eliminate oil leakage. Then the sealed bearing came in a later update to eliminate death by BBs.

pawoSD · #3 11-10-2012, 07:59 PM

Definatley replace the vac pump if it is the style without the bolts on the cover/housing. I just did this on my om601. If you really search around the Pierburg Germany pumps can be had for about $320 or so.

Oil all over the shock means its dead or mostly dead. I had a bilstein do the same on the rear of my 300SD last year.

When my sis' ran over a pile of rubble on the freeway with her 190 (now mine) she managed to blow out the drivers rear shock from the impact. It was only half a year old at the time. Was completely dead with oil all over it....had to be replaced, again.

Merica · #4 11-11-2012, 12:13 AM

Thanks for the input. Ended up getting the Pierburg unit new off the bay for $310, free shipping. Felt a little better about the purchase.

Looks like I'll be hunting new shocks also. Might as well get the Bilsteins, see what all the hype is about.