Grassroots Motorsports

Register Log in to GRM
- Community

Birthdays
Recently on the Classic Motorsports forums

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » so i just bought a 190E

July 26, 2009 6:37 p.m. jhaas New Reader

I got it too cheap to pass up. 1989 Mercedes 190E 2.6 auto 210k PERFECT interior, very nice exterior, overall very nice car.

It had been sitting for 6 months because the belt driven fan had broke and fallen off. I found the part I need for $60. Oil color etc was perfect, same with coolant. It ran rough, but drove on the trailer. It even spun both rear wheels on the slick metal ramp.

I have never owned a Mercedes before. I read a bunch of very good reviews on the 190's. No real complaints. What do I need to watch out for or replace? I plan on fliping this car in a year or so. I want it to run good, but only want to spend about $500 on repairs. The plugs were awful, they looked like they had been deep fried in carbon. so I bought some new ones. What else is suspect?

thanks,

haas
July 26, 2009 6:45 p.m. ManofFewWords Reader

I had a 93, which I liked very much.The only problem I ever had were with window switches.
July 26, 2009 7:22 p.m. jhaas New Reader

ManofFewWords wrote:

I had a 93, which I liked very much.The only problem I ever had were with window switches.

yep, the front two on mine are iffy. found some at pull-a-part already.
July 26, 2009 7:52 p.m. fastmiata New Reader

The greatest line I have ever heard was from the Mercedes dealer that sold my wife her 190E: "it is our entry level model and we expect to have problems with it" He was trying to convince me that we should upgrade to 300E after we had had trans and AC issues with the car. We felt like idiots after we traded a perfectly good Honda Accord on it. As soon as we could arrange it, we traded it for an RX-7 and never looked back.
July 26, 2009 8:00 p.m. Stealthtercel New Reader

Not to hijack the thread, but that is now my official second-weirdest line from a car salesman. (The reigning champion, and I think we're going to retire the trophy, is the guy who assured my sister that although they had the car she wanted only in an automatic, she should come on down and they'd put a stick in it for her.)
July 26, 2009 8:09 p.m. Wally SuperDork

Stealthtercel wrote:

Not to hijack the thread, but that is now my official second-weirdest line from a car salesman. (The reigning champion, and I think we're going to retire the trophy, is the guy who assured my sister that although they had the car she wanted only in an automatic, she should come on down and they'd put a stick in it for her.)

He wouldn't be the first salesman to try and put a stick in someone's sister
July 27, 2009 5:43 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

From my long-ago research, I think 1989 was the year they really turned the corner with those. Earlier ones had a lot of HVAC system troubles. I don't remember hearing of any big nightmares with those beyond that. Nice little cars; I always liked them and really wanted one for quite awhile.
July 27, 2009 7:11 a.m. RossD Reader

A $500 LS1 swap?
July 27, 2009 7:56 a.m. gamby SuperDork

jhaas wrote:

I want it to run good, but only want to spend about $500 on repairs.

"Next on Wheeler Dealers, it's the spectacular Mercedes 190E!!! We've got a budget of $500 to restore this car and turn it into a cracking motor!!!"
July 27, 2009 8:54 a.m. fastmiata New Reader

It wouldnt have been so bad except the Honda Accord we traded in was perfect(1986 LX as I recall) but we were feeling prosperous and my wife wanted one. At one point, we had the Benz, Audi 4000 quattro and 911. Way too many trips to the garage! I got into racing and owning Mazdas and other Japanese cars and we have never gone back.. I do get a twinge of the Porsche disease on occasion though. .
July 27, 2009 9:10 a.m. ManofFewWords Reader

fairly useless info; the fuel tank is behind the rear seat.
July 27, 2009 1:03 p.m. spitfirebill Dork

gamby wrote:

jhaas wrote:

I want it to run good, but only want to spend about $500 on repairs.

"Next on Wheeler Dealers, it's the spectacular Mercedes 190E!!! We've got a budget of $500 to restore this car and turn it into a cracking motor!!!"

Then that will make it a tastey bit o kit.
July 27, 2009 8:09 p.m. porksboy Dork

A special wrench and clutch holder are needed to reinstall the fan, It can be done without removing the radiator and upper support. Check the engine mounts. They are oil filled and collapse over time, Particularly with heat exposure (read that as the exhaust side of engine). There was a campaign to install heat shields and cooling ducts for them. If the alarm goes off in the middle of the night, remove the rear seat bottom and disconnect the tow sensor. Heat changes makes the contact fluid expand= beep-beep of horn and pissed off neighbours.

I was a line tech for Mercedes when this car was new.
July 27, 2009 8:28 p.m. Carson HalfDork

This is the only thing I ever have to add when 190Es come up:
Aug. 1, 2009 9:57 p.m. jhaas New Reader

OK, so i need to pull off the belt driven fan, and pulley. I found one at the pull a part. but im not making much progress.

how do i remove the fan clutch, then pulley, then bracket?

well, while doing a google image search for the part thats a PITA i found the procedure...heres the link for the record

mercedes fan removal

I feel a little better now that I was having touble at the pull a part with minimal tools on hand. It seems like quite an indepth procedure.
Aug. 2, 2009 12:08 a.m. vazbmw Reader

Wally wrote:

Not

He wouldn't be the first salesman to try and put a stick in someone's sister

You guys are funny as %^&($
Aug. 2, 2009 1:59 a.m. pres589 New Reader

Sounds like a great candidate for a swap over to electric fans.
Aug. 2, 2009 8:07 a.m. dean1484 Dork

I loved my 190E 2.6 until I had to do a heater core. I hated it from there forward.

Add a good set of shocks and tires (stock rims are ok) and they are great handling cars.
Aug. 2, 2009 8:39 a.m. Feedyurhed Reader

Sort of a funny, related story.

In the early 90s I had a 91 Sentra SE-R, one of the all time greats by the way but that's another story. Anyway, on my way to work I would take this street that had a lot of cut offs at the traffic lights. You know, the lane went through the light but would end on the other side. So during rush hour people would always pile up the side to get in in front. There was this one guy in a MB 190 2.6 that would try to do that at every light. I can't count the times we would end up next to each other sitiing at the light. He was in the cut off lane of course. It got to be this weird contest between us that we would always try to beat each other. We would both look at each other out of the corner of our eyes and give a little nod. The funny thing is I beat him every time. He never won!! Not once. It wasn't even close. The same thing would happen at the next light and so forth. We went to work at the same time so this would happen about once a week or so. I paid 11K for that SE=R brand new. I always wondered what he thought about getting whipped by a Japanese econobox time and time again.

Oh by the way, these weren't full blown all out, high speed races, they were over in a couple of seconds.

OK, you can return to your previously scheduled programming.

You'll need to log in to post.