Hi all,

I'm seeing what I consider abnormal parts wear, particuarly on rubber items underneath the hood of my 16v. In 5 years I have had 4 alternators, 3 belt tensioners and 4 tie rod bushings (rubber bushing under exhaust). None of these parts were purchased from benz, but all rubber was OEM. I do have Euro headlights, i'm not sure how much this might affect the alternator.

Could high temps be to blame? My 16v never overheats, but I can't help but note how close the alternator and the tie rod bushings are to the header.

Any thoughts?

cheers,
dan r.

ps. My alternators (3 are rebuilt bosch through an indy shop, one by a local repair house) have been failing JUST outside the 1-year replacement peroid. I suppose this indicates they are exceptionally well designed