so i went to a public car auction, and "impulse bought" a 190e for $700. kinda bid as a joke, not really expecting to win. the only other bid was the $600 opener...


156k, cancer-free, clean(able) and most everything works. it runs and drives. claims to be a '92 190e 2.3.

now there are some issues;

- oil pressure gauge is pegged at 3 any rpm over 2000 or so, but its lower at lower rpms, and is at zero when off. is that normal? what units is it?

- engine has a slight "clatter" at low rpms. like a modern diesel.

- engine vibrates at highway speeds, put in neutral, all is smooth and quiet, put back, and its like my buddies ford escort.

-the transmission shift fine when driven sedately, but is a little rough when kicked around.

first things first, the car will have all fluids and filters replaced, bottle of techron run through, followed by new plugs. it seems to have been sitting for a few months...

what next? are the valves adjustable? check timing chain/valvetrain? i assume if the valves are not "right" it would cause my engine problems, as well as mess with vacuum, causing shifting to be wonky?

pcv? egr? vacuum leaks?

As you describe it, oil pressure behavior correct.

Valves are hydraulic, not adjustable.

I rec you buy the Haynes manual or FSM CD on fleabay or performance products dot com.

Check motor mounts and flex disks asap.

"- oil pressure gauge is pegged at 3 any rpm over 2000 or so, but its lower at lower rpms, and is at zero when off. is that normal? what units is it?"

The units are "bar". 1 bar is 14.5psi.

The rattle or clatter, possibly is the chain tensioner (has a timing chain, not a belt), relatively easy to replace, I don't believe anything else needs to be removed, it screws into the side of the timing chain housing on the right side of the motor. Has a pretty strong emergency-running spring in it though, so read up first.

The trans sounds normal to me, MBs usually have a pretty firm shift, makes the trans last longer (reduced slippage). But will shift even firmer when floored. If it is really severe the vac modulator is adjustable, but don't try to make it shift "like butter". Would really need to drive to verify if it's normal or not, it shouldn't be so hard that it'll chirp tires or anything like that. But will be quite noticeably harder than a typical American or Asian car, especially back when this 190 was built.

Yes oil pressure unit is called Bar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_(unit)

The valves ARE adjustable to a baseline setting, but not a maintenance item. They have a hydraulic compensator, which on an OHC engine like this, it's like saying it has hydraulic "lifters". They only time you get involved is say if the cam is replaced, or a valve job is done, or a compensator goes bad. There is no screws and studs or anything you can mess with, it's all inside the arm and need a special tool (holding fixture) and dial indicator and shim set to do it.

One thing to watch for, is this has a pair of catalytic converters in the engine bay, right where the pipes come off the manifold, those will plug up and can basically destroy the engine. Are easy enough to unbolt so you can look down in the pipes for signs of plugging. Use you best discretion on repairs if they are plugging (WHAT state are you in?)

Watch the perches that the front springs sit in (the upper part on the body, inside the wheel wells) for rust damage, have seen these break off. Even though it's clean of rust, I'd keep an eye on them. Watch for rusted/broken springs as well, down low where the sit on the control arms.

I think there could eventually be a market for clean unmolested 190's, they are hitting the trash heap pretty fast and no one is noticing "just another 190" attitude.

Gilly

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On the tranny shifts, as Gilly mentions, the vac modulator controls the firmness. Check the hose connection, they can disconnect fairly easily.
Also, the control pressure cable from the throttle to the trans controls the shift points (also the kickdown switch behind the gas pedal). Make sure the cable is connected and properly adjusted at the throttle linkage (should just have no slack at the idle position). Good shift behavior is essential to simulating adequate power on those baby-Benz engines.

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Prost!

Yeah, what THEY said. It sounds like you got a pretty good deal from the way you describe it. None of those things sounds too expensive to fix, especially if you can do it yourself. Congratulations!

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OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

cool, thanks a lot for the info!

i ran techron through a quarter of a tank, changed the oil, cleaned the oil and grit out of the sparkplug holes, and cleaned the connects. the car seems to run a decent bit better, not perfect yet...

the big difference though, was the drywall screw i hammered in between the catalytic converter and its loose heat shield. that made the car stop rattling at idle!

now there is still a slight rattle, and it sounds like its coming from the front of the block, from in the valve cover when running with the oil cap off... how do i check the chain/tensioner?

the car also "clunks" a bit when going from forward to reverse. how do i actually check the flex disks? just look for cracks/visible damage?

next on the list though, is "fixing" the cat. when running, the thing sounds like a baked potato from the microwave, you can hear hissing from the gasses struggling to rush through...

That clunking is probably the engine mounts and/or trans mounts. They kinda suck on M103 motors, and if they've not been done yet then they are ready.

Have a friend shift from N to D while you stand to the side with the hood open and watch for engine jump. If it moves around a bunch, they're shot.

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-tp


1990 300SE "Corinne"- 145k daily driver - street modified differential - PARTING OUT OR SELLING SOON - PORTLAND OR. AREA - PM ME FOR DETAILS
1988 560SEL "Gunther"- 190K passes anything except a gas station
1997 S420 - 265k just bought it with a rebuilt trans. Lovely condition

If those are the only issues that car has then you got a really great deal on that vehicle. As previously mentioned, the oil pressure gauge behavior that you describe is normal and the transmission sounds like a pretty typical 190E.

Another item you may want to check regarding that rattle when the engine is at idle is the poly-v belt tensioner shock. The rubber bushing in the shock has a tendancy to break free as it ages and it causes a rattle. It's an inexpensive fix.

I have nothing but good things to say about the 190E. My '92 was my daily driver for 7 years and in that time the only repair needed was a ball joint replacement. Otherwise I just follow the routine maintenance in the factory booklet. I still have the 190E, but my daily driver is now an S420.

all right. first off, thanks for all the help so far!

the car now has a "fixed" cat and patched exhaust hole, then seafoam run through it twice, then new plugs, couple of oil changes (one right away, one after the seafoam), and new front rotors and pads (rears are on order, fluid still needs flushed). runs smoother and revs faster. the brakes seem to "bite" less than they used to, but ill wait a couple hundred miles for them to bed-in...

the flex disks look solid, and even a bit cleaner than the rest of the car, so i think they might be new-ish. the engine doesn't bounce MUCH when shifted around. one "jump" as it starts, and thats it, minor "hop" when shifting. the clunk occurs most when shifting from D to P and vice versa, but also mildly when moving and lifting off or getting on the gas, definitly form the back... rear subframe mounts?

the mild intermittent clattering, i assume, is the belt tensioner and/or shock. the tensioner vibrates a lot when the engine is running, and pressing on it with something cuts the rattle in half or less. new tensioner shock?

Yeah, unbolt one end of the tensioner shock and you will probably find it is bad. I had same problem on 6 cylinder. New shock made a big difference. While you have the belt off, check all the pulleys for dirt or such stuck to one of the them. Check the alternator for free, smooth spinning too. I had an alternator sieze on a 603 motor and it broke the power steering pump loose from the engine from the sudden yank on the belt. (and that is a special pump)

so, bad news. it looks like the differential is bad.

i hoisted the rear up, and had a friend shift from D to P and back while i watched. neither the subframe or diff moved, but there was a definite 'clang' from the pumpkin itself.

i assume i should start shopping for a used diff?

i have the same problem with the clunking. never changed my trans/ or diff so it could be that

usually its the loudest when shifting from P to D but from D to P it doesn't make much of a noise. And i don't hear any weird sounds from the rear while driving which would make the diff look like its bad usually.

Find a good used one at a wrecking yard!

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Current cars:
2000 ML55 AMG, 174k miles
2003 C240 T-Modell, 202k miles
1995 S320, 207k Miles

They would be easy to locate at a junk yard and not cost you much.


If you have trouble with removal, slip a Spanish speaking worker there a $20, and say "Por favor, ayudame" ("Please help me") and you'll have
it out in minutes. <-----at least in So Calif.



(I agree with everyone's advice also, but would add, it's a good time with the mileage and age, to change out the timing chain, tensioner, and especially he plastic guides, which could have hairline cracks of age by now, and if they let go it would be a disaster)


Not too much rear seat legroom, but the W201 sedans like yours, are very well built, attractive Mercedes Benzes, and since they began being assembled in '83 and are from that era, have a proven track record as VERY durable cars.


They are higly prized in West Africa and used for taxis there even today,


See the new book "My Mercedes is (not) for sale" -- a fascinating story about a Dutch guy who picks up an old 1988 signal red 190D 2.2 W201 sedan cheap in Holland, and his subsequent adventures driving it to West Africa from Europe.

One idea he posits in the book is that the POORER the country is -- (*anywhere*) -- in the world, the MORE 190 Mercedes Benz W201 sedans you will see there, being used as taxicabs, in their capital cities.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)