Advice on diff replacement

[wingco]

I would appreciate any advice or experiences on the following:

I took my W202 (97' C250TD 5spd Auto 130k) to Star Motors in Reading last week, who very kindly diagnosed a knackered diff (heard it on the ramp howling away). They are not keen on recon units and recommend a new unit from MB.

My options are the following:

1. New diff from MB £920 + Vat + fitting 12 month warranty?

2. Second hand diff from Mercman £250 + Vat + fitting (if they have the correct unit) 30 day warranty

3. Recon diff from Prestige in Droitwich £395 + Vat + fitting 12 month unlimeted mileage parts and labour warranty

I am tending towards option 3. Does anyone have experince of having a recon diff? Anyone know about Prestige (only company I have found so far)? Any other suggestions regarding companies who sell recon diffs?

I am going to keep this car, but a bill of £1300 for option 1 is not attractive to say the least.

As I dont have a ramp I am not keen on doing this job myself. (and I'm not into sawdust, tights or tennis balls)

Thanks in advance

 

[LANDR0VER]

Shop about and phone a few breakers as i am sure you will be able to pick one up for no more than £100 and about £80 fitting charge.

 

[jberks]

I wouldn't consider a new one - thats for warranties and the more money than sense brigade.

Clearly the breaker option is a gamble. Hopefully all will be fine, but you never know how bad it was or how many miles it's covered and 30 days isn't really enough to turn up all the gremlins. I would also avoid 'too cheap' recons as there are a lot of corners that can be cut when reconning something and just because they fixed component A doesn't mean that B isn't on its way out. I'd rather pay a littl emore and know its been thoroughly gone through.

If Prestige are prepared to offer a 12 month total warranty, then they sound reputable enough. Anyone used them ?

I would also speak to a few specialist garages (doesn't need to be Merc ones)and ask them to recommend who they use. Most are happy enough to pass on that sort of info.

 

[wingco]

Thank you for your advice. I think I have a little time to decide what to do, but the recon option sounds favourite.

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Recon option seems good to me.

My experience with Mercedes warranty.....when I had to get the ABS pump replaced the invoice came stamped with a two year Pan European warranty. It failed in 5 months and Mercedes refused to honour the warranty. Don't even think of option 1 because they will wiggle out of that one when the time comes and to be honest the confidence that they would do the job 100% right is not there.

A good recon and a 12 month warranty seems as good as new to me. I would be going that route with my car if the same happened. The breakers yard option is really best only if you know the car the diff has come off.

 

[sunking101]

I got a reconditioned diff for £425 including fitting and they gave me a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. Seems good as new! They also replaced the couplings on my driveshaft for an extra £25. Ring around the specialist transmission workshops to sound out who will do the best job but the price you have been quoted seems about right to me.

 

[wingco]

Thanks for your advice Olaf.

Sunking - Where did you get your diff? Which motor have you got? how many miles before you replaced it?

 

[snoopy]

Noisy Diff on 190e 1.8 petrol

Hi Sunking101
Can you please let me know where you got the recon diff from? (spares & fitting). The diff on my car is quite noisy (especially on motorway!) and am presently looking to get it replaced.

Thanks
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I got a reconditioned diff for £425 including fitting and they gave me a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. Seems good as new! They also replaced the couplings on my driveshaft for an extra £25. Ring around the specialist transmission workshops to sound out who will do the best job but the price you have been quoted seems about right to me.

 

[sunking101]

Hi, I got it from the Bristol Transmission Workshop. The car is a 190E 1.8 1992 and the diff was rumbling a bit when I bought it at 93k.

 

[snoopy]

Hi

Thanks for the info about the diff.
I have a 190e 1.8 '93. The diff had been howling like anything. Got it replaced last week along with the coupling on the prop-shaft( :?: ). Now it seems like the driver side rear wheel bearing might need work done... makes a whistling/hissing noise when i let go off the accelerator above 25 mph!

 

[sunking101]

That's EXACTLY my problem! I replaced the diff and couplings only to find the noise had been masking a rear (driver's side) wheel bearing issue. I've been told that the rear bearings are tricky/expensive to get to. Damn.

 

[snoopy]

Hi

Changing the rear bearings is a big job. In my case this whistling sound is normally audible when decelerating at speeds higher than 20mph!...
Trouble is i got that side (driver side rear) bearing changed last year in august!...

Did you get the diff from the transmission place in St Philips?... Glouc Rd Gearboxes?...


Been trawling through some of the earlier postings... Something that might interest you on page 97 (i think!). I think my car does the same; it's got 185k miles now!



Startup Rattle

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The rattle is the hydraulic tappets waiting for the oil to circulate. On a cold start up there is no oil pressure in the engibe at all, hence as the tappets start to move it is literally metal tapping against metal with no oil to lube. Within a second your oil pressure needle should rise to 3 bar, or thereabouts and the tapping will stop. This is because the oil has now reached the top of the engine and the tappets have lubrication. The reason that the noise doent happen if you have already cranked the engine is because on cranking the oil gets circulated around the engine, even if it dosent fire....hence the tappets have oil. Hope that makes sense. My 190 does it occasionally as well, nothing to worry about. However, never rev the car on start up, especially when cold.
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