OK, I searched the posts, and still don't have the answer.

After reading many fine posts, I have determined that I need to go ahead and change the spark plugs at 55K miles and perform some other maintenence at more frequent intervals than MB recommends. Until now, both the MBs I have owned were always taken to the dealer when the idiot light said go and I wrote the check. (FSS system) This one is out of warranty now, so I am looking at eithe doing the work myself or taking it to a qualified shop. I just tackled the rotors and pads on this one, and that was a piece of cake.

I asked one of the recommended shops in my area for an estimate on several things such as rear differential fluid change, transmission fluid change, oil change, alignment, cabin filters, spark plug change, etc.

The question is: they want to charge me 170 dollars for the plugs (yup, I know there are 2 per hole) and 190 in labor. Is this out of bounds? Is the plug change on this car that bad? I'm a pretty fair mechanic, but racing small block chevy's and sport bikes seem a ways off from this car.

I'd like to tackle this myself, but I can't find a manual for this car to save my life. Any suggestions on where to find a shop manual??

Also, they indicate that they would only need 8 quarts of oil to completly change the fluid in the transmission. This seems like too little oil. Even the old TH-350s took 13 quarts with a fresh torque converter, and the little V-6 takes that much in oil. How much fluid should it take? The MB synthetic isn't cheap, but I don't want to risk a substitute, but I do want a complete change, not just dropping the pan.

As always, sage advice from the gallery is most appreciated.

Do it yourself and save some $. I did the plugs and transfluid myself on my 98 E320.

The cost for the plugs alone was $75. The plugs are fairly easy to replace, the difficult part is removing the spark plug boots from the spark plugs. Make sure you only grab the boot, twist to loosen and pull to remove. If you grab the wire and pull you may separate the boot from the spark plug wire. I put some dielectric grease inside the boot when I replace the spark plugs to make it easier next time to remove.

When I replaced the trans fluid, I drained the torque converter as well and used 7.3 Liters of trans fluid. Plan on purchasing 8 Liters. Keep in mind that the Mercedes synthetic trans fluid is sold by the liter not quart and do not substitute. I also replaced the trans filter, filter gasket, drain plug crush ring, and torque converter crush ring. You will also need to purchase the "special tool" to measure the trans fluid level and a new locking key tab for the trans filler cap.

Do a search for 722.6 transmissions for more info.

I don't believe shop manuals are available for the W210 cars yet.

__________________
Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

I'd like to do the same with my '98 E320, but recently having to replace my mass air sensor and knock sensor has put it off till next month.

When I asked my mechanic about changing the transmission fluid, he thought it was a good idea, but becuase of liability reasons, refused to do it. He did refer me to a MB transmssion specialist. I haven't decided if I will do it my self or not.

I've been searching for service manuals too. An MB customer service rep said they don't release the CDs until a model is about 10 years old. You can buy the official MB workshop manuals that go up to 2003 models at http://www.schiffeuropean.com, but are very expensive. I also found some people selling CDs on ebay that are made by Mitchell. Can anyone comment on their quality?

If replacing plugs requires removing top cover, what's the procedure to remove the engine cover? Also, the cover has to be removed for air filter also?

Thanks

Service Information can be found at official MB site.

www.startekinfo.com/

Requires a subscription, but I understand it's something $20.00 for 24 hours.
Download what you need during that time period.

I have heard that they are going exclusively to web based info

Steve

Your cover has four mounting fittings (one under each corner) that snap in place. To remove the cover, lift the front carefully and gently increase pressure until the front two release, then ditto for the two under the back corners of the cover. When you get it off, a look underneath will show you exactly how they work.
The air filter is under that big black box on the left (as you face the engine) and you will see six (I think) clamps that secure the top. The air enters the lower half of the box (see the inlet coming back from the grille area), passes through the filter, and exits the box on top, rear, en route to its destiny in the combustion process. When you change the filter it's a good time to remove from the bottom of the box the dirt, feathers, and other detritus. If the filter looks really clean, you could just rap it on a hard surface to get the bits out, but they're cheap so why not just drop a new one in. You might want to research K&N filters. They're costly but last a long time (they're cleanable) and according to K&N will bump your hp a little bit because they flow air faster. There are two sides on this issue, one favoring the benefits of a K&N and the other supporting the fact that a building full of German engineers might know something about what constitutes proper air flow. The K&N tends to be noisier than an OEM (and not necessarily a bad sound) and some people equate a louder sound with better performance as measured by their butt-o-dyno.