thanks duke,
i really appreciate the input. imo, the car is a creampuff and only has 94k on her. i was able to speak with the previous owner this morning, and no joke, she is a little old lady. a school teacher. she did say it was using a quart of oil bimonthly and the dealer told me they replaced the "valve seals". looks like i've got enough to go on here. i think i'll pick her up and be a regular on mercedesshop.com
pomp