I just got a 190E for free today.The guy I got it from claims one cylinder is "dead".I have not done a compression test yet but thought before I started working on it I would join this forum and ask if a bad head gasket could be the culprit.The car is running with a studder on idle and drives fine other than a bit of power loss at low end.I know it could be any number of issues like a bad valve or something worse.Is there any known problems with this year that I should be aware of? I was told someone diagnosed it with a compression leak in one of the cylinders. The car is clean and has 169k on it.Ther is no coolant in the oil and the oil pressure guage maxes out when it's being driven witch leads me to believe it's leaking into the crankcase.Any help would be appreciated.

Eh, sure could be. Just start with the basics, pull all the plugs and see if the condition will lead you to the bad cylinder, then see if that cylinder has spark/fuel/compression.
Gilly

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Thanks,I will go thru the standard procedures that I had originaly planned on doing.BTW where an I get a good manual for this thing?(Haynes type)

This motor is a beefy one.I am use to working on my Suzuki and Hondas.It's like a piece of industrial equipment!This is my first Mercedes and will most definitly not be my last.

I'd think any big-box book store (Barnes & Noble or somewhere like that) might have a Haynes for it.
Gilly

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Bordere did not have it.I will look a little harder online or see if the local parts store can find it.

The North American version of the Haynes manual does not cover the 2.6, only the 4-cylinder. However, you can order the UK version directly from Haynes, in England. Go on their web site. Make sure it is the English site, not Haynes USA. They are very obliging. The manual is pretty good, for engine work. Not so great for electrical.

The other way is to get the official Mercedes manuals on CD. They are a mixed hodge-podge of stuff, and tell you how to do certain operations, rather than a seamless description of a task. And you really have to print it out to use it.

My wild guess would be a burnt valve, possibly caused by carbon build-up from worn valve stem seals. The seals are a known problem, and it is almost routine maintenance to replace them. Good luck!

Thanks guys for the input.Upon further inspection I also came to the conclusion it's most likely a burned exaust valve.I would think it would be pretty hard(but not imossible) to blow a head gasket on that motor.I still have not truly dug into this car yet.But I am pretty sure I will be pulling the head off it.I also still have to clean out 1 side of my garage to start work.I also found out that manual is only available in the UK version.I will either send away to Haynes for it or try my luck on ebay.