CDI Engines - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

190D22 · #1 05-10-2002, 11:10 PM

Since the CDIs aren't sold in the US, and haven't been sold in the US, they interest me. Are they more efficient than our diesels? Are they smoother? Provide more power like a gas engine (quicker off the line). Diesels in general interest me. I love the diesel engine!

Fredmburgess · #2 05-11-2002, 01:45 AM

How do you like that 190D with the 2.2? I'm looking at an '85 with about 200,000 miles on it. Looks very good and drives well but compared to my 300D turbo it's a slug. Do you shift the automatic manually, just stomp the accelerator down to the downshift switch, or what?! Great car really seemed underpowered despite fact that the engine sound very good.

Opinions on these cars anyone?

Thanks.

Fred Burgess

190D22 · #3 05-11-2002, 05:08 PM

I love this car. It is slow, but really it does nicely for day to day driving. It's no street racer, it's a touring car. It gets at least 30mpg very rarely do I go lower than 30mpg (I do when I TRY to street race haha). A correctly adjusted throttle will make the thing downshift when you push it to the floor without hitting the button. You don't have to slam it down on mine, you just ease it up there and it will downshift, most of the time. If I have to get out of there QUICK I slam it down and mash that button and keep it floored. RPMs get up to at least 4500 when I do that and it leaves an enormous cloud. How much is the guy asking for the 2.2? 200k isn't bad, but I'd be careful. That's about the point where stuff needs replaced. I have put roughly 5 grand into mine already. It runs like a new car now though. I think my coolant thermostat is going bad, my engine temp is getting up to 100C and a little above. Great car, if all checks out on it definately get it. Though I would rather have a 300SD!

Fredmburgess · #4 05-12-2002, 11:53 AM

Thanks for comments. I really like the car and will probably get it. If I don't drive it I'll sort it out and let my daughter drive it when she gets her license in August (yikes!). The guy just had a new alternator and battery put in, believe he has all the records. The A/C is working, compressor engages, but it's low on freon - blows cool rather than cold and bubbles in the sightglass. One back window isn't working, small hole in the driver's seat, some rust just ahead of the driver's door where the black trim is attached. Door locks, cruise, sun roof all seem to be working fne. Anyway, he wants $2500 as it sits, think he might take $2000 but actually offered $1500. Hate to lowball anybody but $1500 is in line with what I get from the Kelly blue book website considering the odds and ends that need attention.

I'm resisting - barely - the urge to just go buy the thing!

Thanks!

fred burgess

190D22 · #5 05-12-2002, 12:23 PM

2500 is a fair price. But if he will settle for 2000 that will be nice. Unless you are willing to pay high prices, and definately double the cost of your car, don't take it to mercedes for work unless it's extremely important and they are the only ones who can do the work.

gnolo · #6 05-13-2002, 11:12 AM

The new CDIs engines are terrific. They deliver a fanstastic power (for a diesel engine of course) and a incredible torque.
For example, the S400 CDI deliver 250hp and about 420 lb/feet
at only 1700 rpm. The max speed is electronically limited at 155 mph (not usual for a diesel !!) and the 0-60 mph only require 7.8s. Presently, the S400 CDI is the best diesel sedan in the world (maybe not for a long time because the new VWPhaeton and its 313hp V10 diesel engine will arrive soon).

The other CDIs engine are also very good with still a lot of low-end torque which make them very easy to drive and don't require to downshift often (you can go up a hill without downshift !!). The fuel cost of this CDI powered car is very low regarding their very good performances. The average fuel consumption is about 34mpg (without drive like a snail !). This engines are also very smooth to drive and very quiet. Thanks to the variable geometry turbocharger the engine provide a lot of power since the the low rotations (about 1200rpm) and you don't feel the lack of power below 2000rpm caracteristic of the old turbocharged diesel engines.

Presently, the range of CDIs engines is :
2.2 L4 115hp
2.2 L4 143hp
2.7 L4 168hp
3.2 L6 197hp
4.0 V8 250hp.

A new V6 CDI 3.2 is in development (in order to powered the new
E class).

So, the new CDIs engines are more efficient than the older and "classic" engines (there is no comparison possible).
The only inconvenience of this engine is that they require a diesel fuel of a very good quality (no sulfur, absolutely 0.000 % of water within otherwise all the injection system can jammed and it's very very expensive to replace).
Probably those engines will be less reliable than their ancestors due to their high technology but what a fun to drive
those cars !

By the way, does anyone know why the CDIs models are not
sold in the US ?

PC Dave · #7 05-13-2002, 11:26 AM

They will be soon (at least the new E Class with 270CDI):

http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020508006861

190D22 · #8 05-13-2002, 02:26 PM

CDIs are not sold in the US due to our diesel quality. It's very high in sulfur and I am sure not completely water free all the time. Diesel here is just sludge with very little refining done to it. Sometime soon, the diesel quality is going to be improved to allow the CDI engines to be used here. I feel that this will open a huge market for diesel powered vehicles. Diesel is more efficient, we seem to be a very wasteful society with our huge SUVs that we are glad to get 8mpg! I don't know about you, but I get mad when I get anything lower than 30mpg in my 190D!!! It would be nice for diesel to catch on here, but then we'd see prices like gas that go up and down up and down all the time.

gnolo · #9 05-13-2002, 03:08 PM

Of course I'm not very glad when I'm lower than 30 mpg espacially because the price of the fuel is expensive in Europe (I pay about 35$ to fill the tank of my 240D)!!
In Europe, we can find a lot of diesel engines due to the very
important amount of tax we have on the fuel. For example, in France, the price of gasoline is about 3.5$/gallon and 2.5$/gallon for the diesel.
The lower level of tax on the diesel has largely contributed to develop the sell of the diesel powered cars (Presently, about 60% of the cars sold in France are diesel powered against 15% 20 years before).

But now, new problems appear : lot of scientic studies have proved that the particles released by the diesel engines are dangerous for the health and can lead to a cancer. So, there are presently a lot of developements in Europe in order to remove those particles. Peugeot is curently the only one on the market to sell cars equiped with a particles filter (the FAP = Filtre a Particules) on the HDIs engines (the equivalent of the CDIs engines)

But it is likely that due to more and more strict laws regarding the pollution generated by the diesel engines their futur is not assured.