Buying a 190E 2.3 16 for a friend

ronald7410 · 07-23-2008, 04:24 PM

Hey guys,

I have friend that is close to purchasing a w201 but he has no background on mbz. I myself own a w124 and am going to try to help him in deciding if the car is worth the purchase. Im in the same situation as this guy Buying a 190E 2.3 16 - Need Some Help :) and would greatly appreciate it if i had some w201 expert help.

The car is going for $2000 claimed with new coolant resoviour, radiator, valve job, and some other stuff I don't remember.

After reading the thread above, is all i need to look for the timing chain? Is the timing chain visually inspectable without tools?

Where shall I look for rust?

MTI · 07-23-2008, 04:57 PM

$2K for a 2.3-16 should more than make your "spidey-sense" tingle, it should be setting off alarm bells.

Since you have a W124, which has a similar chassis as the W201, apply all you know about the rust points, front end suspension, and electrical issues of the W124, as a starting point.

Knowing the cars true maintenance history will help alot, as well as an idea of how many previous owners it had.

The timing chain can be seen throught the oil filler cap, but cannot be inspected beyond confirming that it's there. Noises on cold start up will tell you about the tensioner and chain slack.

The valves are not self adjusting like on the W124, they are adjusted via metal disc bucket shims, like on motorcycles, so it would be good to know when the last time that was done.

Do your friend a favor and get the car to a good independent MB shop, have them put it on a lift for undercarriage inspection; have the compression tested and have the cooling system checked, along with the a/c and SLS hydraulic system. A PPI could save a friendship.

ronald7410 · 07-23-2008, 10:58 PM

My bad, its the 2.6 not the 2.3.

07-23-2008, 04:24 PM	#1
ronald7410 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SoCal Posts: 122	Buying a 190E 2.3 16 for a friend Hey guys, I have friend that is close to purchasing a w201 but he has no background on mbz. I myself own a w124 and am going to try to help him in deciding if the car is worth the purchase. Im in the same situation as this guy Buying a 190E 2.3 16 - Need Some Help :) and would greatly appreciate it if i had some w201 expert help. The car is going for $2000 claimed with new coolant resoviour, radiator, valve job, and some other stuff I don't remember. After reading the thread above, is all i need to look for the timing chain? Is the timing chain visually inspectable without tools? Where shall I look for rust?

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07-23-2008, 04:57 PM	#2
MTI MBWorld Fanatic! Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Posts: 2,596	$2K for a 2.3-16 should more than make your "spidey-sense" tingle, it should be setting off alarm bells. Since you have a W124, which has a similar chassis as the W201, apply all you know about the rust points, front end suspension, and electrical issues of the W124, as a starting point. Knowing the cars true maintenance history will help alot, as well as an idea of how many previous owners it had. The timing chain can be seen throught the oil filler cap, but cannot be inspected beyond confirming that it's there. Noises on cold start up will tell you about the tensioner and chain slack. The valves are not self adjusting like on the W124, they are adjusted via metal disc bucket shims, like on motorcycles, so it would be good to know when the last time that was done. Do your friend a favor and get the car to a good independent MB shop, have them put it on a lift for undercarriage inspection; have the compression tested and have the cooling system checked, along with the a/c and SLS hydraulic system. A PPI could save a friendship.

07-23-2008, 10:58 PM	#3
ronald7410 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SoCal Posts: 122	My bad, its the 2.6 not the 2.3.