Purge Valve?
 

My '96 C220 got a Check Engine light a couple days ago. My wife took it to a local garage that works on MB's, and the mechanic told her the Purge Valve was going bad. He quoted her $150 for it.

I called the local Mercedes dealer parts center and the clerk could not find anything called a purge valve. What other names would this be called? Also, does $150 to replace it seem reasonable? I'm sure if I find the part, i can replace it myself.

Most purge valves trip a code b/c they get full of crap from the canister.
An easy fix is to clean it out with WD40 and hook it back up.
You can tell if it is working by holding it in your hand a feel for a heartbeat pulse. It will pulse on/off at idle with warm engine. It is between the intake and the charcoal canister, on left fender well and it is nothing more than a Switch-Over -Valve that allows engine vac to suck the tank fumes back into the engine vs being emmitted into the air [ emmissions device].
The ECU pulses the signal to it so the engine just grabs a little at a time, eliminating the possibility of a too lean condition.

Arthur,
Thanks for the info! Do you know where I can see a picture of what this looks like so I know what to look for? :)

The purge valve is located next to the w/s washer reservoir ON the drivers side frame rail...takes less than 5 minutes to replace. has the letters "MOT" on its' top surface. Mounted with a "rubber band".

Most likely code for a bad valve is P0 441.

OK, that was the correct unit! I sprayed WD-40 into it last night, but noticed the valve seemed closed. The spray definately wasn't flowing out the other tube fitting. I couldn't squeeze the vacuum hoses very well since they are the stiff type. It was very easy to remove!

Will the trouble light turn off by itself after it's fixed/replaced, or will I need to have it removed via a scanning tool?

Did you clean it and is it now pulsing????????????????????????

Randy, curious, what codes were pulled for the check engine light?
yes, after the problem is fixed, you should have the codes cleared out and everything reset.

Not sure which trouble codes were displayed...my wife took the car to the garage on her way home from work, but she said the codes led them directly to the purge valve.

Will test it better before it gets dark tonight. I STILL can't find this part at any of the MB parts sites I've checked. What is the "official" name for this unit?

MB part number...000-470-22-93..parts lists as regeneration valve

Has a "list" price of $142.

Doc,

Thanks for the info! That number will help me out tremendously! That's exactly what the MB parts center needs. :D

What is the pulse rate?

Approx 4-5 htz.