Am going to impound auction this weekend, two 190e mb are listed.
Anything I should look for on a quick inspection?
What problems in 190e?
I expect these to be rough interior and exterior, am primarily concerned with the running gear.
J.
Much of it is milage dependent. Headgasket Valve Seals Climate Control Sunroof Window lifts Rust at the jack points Rust due to failed trunk or door seals Age of rubber parts in suspension, including motor mounts, flex discs, ball joints, tie rods Timing chain tensioner Serpentine Belt and tensioner
Uh, check to see the hear works.
No rattles, clunks thumps, leaks. Make sure all the electrics work, especially thw windows. Tell yourself it's a thousand for each thing you find wrong.
I had a 93 190E 2.3L with 70,000km when I bought it and it was nothing but trouble! Cost me an arm and a leg before I got rid of it. Are you sure you want it?
I agree, they spell TROUBLE. If the air doesn't work properly for example, that might cost you in the thousands, to fix. I owned one of those 190E's w/2.3 ltr. engines, and was ever so glad to get rid of it. Try and get a 190E with the 2.6 engine at least, or buy a 300E. Remember, you get what you pay for.....
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Well I for one strongly disagree. I bought one in the fall and its performing very well. No complaints at all. It's a '93 2.3 basic model. heat works just fine and the AC -converted to R134- seems to work just fine too ... until some woman backed into me a couple of weeks ago with her 4WD gigantic Ford Truck ....why do they drive these Farm vehicles in the city? I believe the real question you need to ask yourself is : who drove it before. You do need records to verify maintenance. So if it's an auction car.... you are on your own. re the car itself if properly maintained, I couldn't be happier and I plan to give it to my 20 year old daughter to drive since I think it is that foolproof. Now, if I could only figure out why people steal the star emblem front and back ..... bastards!
- regards, guenter
Any car, even a McLaren SLR, can be a headache if it wasn't maintained, so it's not so much the W201's design (not saying there aren't faults) as it is the care and attention that the car got during it's previous years. Considering the current prices, the W201 can be quite a bargin if carefully inspected before purchase. Try parking most other Mercedes in a "compact car" parking space, the 190E fits with room to spare!
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