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Mercedes Benz 190e Repair Questions and Answers

Question:  1993 Mercedes 190e 2.3 mileage: 158,000.  Wow what a cool website. Ok here’s the question.  The car is in excellent condition, (or so I thought) I stopped at a light one day and all of a sudden, the car would not drive forward.  The engine continued to run but would not go forward, there were no sounds or warnings of any kind, so I pushed it off the road.  What’s strange is it still drives in reverse.  Any idea what the problem may be?  I don’t have the money to drop a new transmission in the car but I can’t tell if this problem is minor or major.  Thanks for your help.

Answer:   Check the fluid level in the transmission.  If okay, then you, unfortunately, have major problems.  You are more likely than not looking at a transmission overhaul or replacement.

Question: 1988 Mercedes Benz 190E 4-cyl mileage: 80,000. The lights on my dashboard and radio went out. There are several fuses marked for the instrument panel but none that say lights. I have replaced three fuses to no avail. I tried reading the wire diagram to determine which fuse I should replace but no luck there either.

Answer: The problem could be a faulty headlight switch or the dimmer switch for the dash lights.

Question:  1992 Mercedes 190 E mileage: 105,000.  I have problems every now and then, mostly when it rains , I wash the car, or when the weather is heavy,  my windshield wiper fluid and wipers on the front lights just go haywire. My original windshield wipers come on and my park lights come on, not all at one time but usually one or the other.  I have taken the fuses out of the wiper fluid and the windshield wipers and kept them out to stop it from coming on but the park lights still come on when something underneath the hood gets wet and stays on long enough to drain the battery.  I was told that it may be the fuse box need replacing or a stuck relay but that was before I noticed the only time it does it is when its wet.  Do you have any idea what it could be?  I thought maybe the fuse box top was not on all the way in the back which allows water to seep through but I don't know if that's were the problem is at all.  I want to take it to the shop to get fixed but when I take it it was never doing it and they were just guessing what the problem could be but now that I'm 99% sure it happens when it rains maybe I can get something a little more concrete.  Please advise.

Answer:   There is an electronic controlled for the windshield wipers and from what you described, somehow it is getting wet when it rains and shorting out.  Replacing the controller and finding the source of the moisture, should cure your problem.

Question:  1991 Mercedes 190E  mileage: 70,000.   I am having problem with my heater.  I can tell that the air is hot but the fan is not blowing it out.  I checked the fuse and also changed it and it still doesn't work.  I am trying to find the fan itself and am having trouble finding it.  Can you help me with this?

Answer:    It is under the dash, in the heater ductwork.

Question:  1993 Mercedes 190e  mileage: 85,000.   Car has no problem starting but when I turn the key to turn it off the car keeps running. I have to pop the hood and hit the stop switch.

Answer:   Vacuum is used to shut off the fuel to stop the engine.  Check the vacuum hoses for leaks and check for proper operation of the vacuum pump.

Question:  1988 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3L 4 cyl mileage: 93,000.  Engine is losing oil at rate of 250 miles/quart. Very minor oil leak detected.   Compression in cylinders all around 180.   Could be burning oil but haven't detected smoke from the exhaust though there are signs of black carbon deposits.  Only had the car recently.  It drives well.  What else can I check on burning oil before I consider repair work?

Answer:    We have found similar problems with other cars approximately 90,000 miles. Replacing the valve stem seals reduces the oil use.  They are made out of rubber and over time become hard and brittle and no longer seal.  With the transmission pan down, inspect for metallic particles. A slight amount is normal. About your vacuum motor problem, a cracked and leaking vacuum hose probably causes this. Locating and repairing the hoses should fix the problem.

Question: 1989 Mercedes 190e 2.6. I have had 2 rebuilt compressors put in my car in the past 2 months. The initial failure was the separation on the clutch of the outer to inner ring (rubber rot). The first rebuilt one lasted 3 days (250 miles). We assumed it was an infant mortality. It too seized up and split the rubber on the front of the clutch. The second one lasted about 2500 miles, 6 weeks. If failed differently. While driving it just stopped cooling. If you started the car, then engaged the A/C the engine would stall due to strain from the A/C. Then the fuse for the blinkers, blower, and A/C relay blew. After replacing it, the clutch engages briefly when you start the car, but never again. My a/c mechanic claims he applied voltage to the clutch and it pumped down. He said it felt cool on the pipes but the blower would not blow due to another blown fuse. I have my doubts. He cited the blown fuse as evidence that I have electrical problems and said "good luck", and still has my $800. I bypassed the a/c relay and kept the clutch engaged for 2 minutes, and it made a horrible noise and the pressure on the low side never moved from 110. We did not change the expansion valve. He said you have to take out the dashboard. I went to this guy because he was MACS certified and wanted to keep my r-12 for lower pressures and better cooling. Is Mercedes such a different animal that I should have gone to a German specialist? What would you do next?

Answer: Appears that the air-conditioning expansion valve is probably not working properly or there is a blockage somewhere in the Freon system.

Question:  1987 Mercedes 190E 2.0 lit mileage: 97,000.  Dear Sirs, I am from Cyprus.  Local mechanics here insist that we should change the engine oil every 5000 kilometers because the weather here is hot.  A German friend of mine who works as a mechanic for Mercedes in Germany insists that I should change the engine oil every 15000 km. What’s your opinion?  What oil do you recommend?

Answer:  Changing the oil every 5000 kilometers is cheap insurance and that is what we would recommend.  Any major oil company brand will work just fine.

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