W210 E300 quirks

[bigt]

Hello all in MB land. Just returned to a MB car after a 4 year absence after I had a 190E ( but had a vito van in between )!.

Just got an E300 and generally very pleased with it but seems to have a few anomalies. Economy doesnt seem to be brilliant, I reckon its averaging about 29MPG and that was with a lot of cruising on motiorway at 65 mph. Admittedly it could be the fuel gauge as I havent done a brim to brim test yet but she has gulped nearly half a tank and done only 230 miles. Do these fuel gauges drop like a stone to start with then hover round the half for ages - I know my vito tended to do that.

Also can remember how the MB auto gearbox worked. Mine shoots up to revs, then the car seems to catch up with it, almost as if the torque converter is slipping a bit. On my wifes toyota, revs seems pretty much relative to road speed on the auto box. Cant remember how the 190 box used to behave!

example. accelerating up to 50, revs seem to climb to about 2200 then settle back to about 1700 ish as the speed gets up to 50, and that is using a gentle right foot - is this normal?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice.
cheers
trev

 

[simon_wall69]

Might be worth checking tyre pressures! I've got the same engine in my w124. I get around 35mpg normally and up to 40mpg if I pootle up the motorway and that's with one less gear.

My gearbox does that as well, but it depends on how hard I accelarate, if I pull away slowly the revs sit at about 1600rpm, if I pull away quickly the revs go to just over 2000rpm.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Your economy sounds about right to me - with a big boot I get about 450 miles, being careful I can get about 550 max. Being careful I get about 120 on the first mark, 250 on the second, and 470 by the time the yellow light comes on.

Gearbox sounds as though its working correctly, if you've just got the car I recommend changing the gearbox oil and filter as most never get done.

 

[bigt]

Your economy sounds about right to me - with a big boot I get about 450 miles, being careful I can get about 550 max. Being careful I get about 120 on the first mark, 250 on the second, and 470 by the time the yellow light comes on.

Gearbox sounds as though its working correctly, if you've just got the car I recommend changing the gearbox oil and filter as most never get done.

thanks for that, will keep an eye on it. Car has 77k on it and gear box solenoids were replaced at 36k, so I assume oil was done at same time.

cheers
trev

 

[bigt]

THink the fuel gauge must be well dodgy, thats the latest guess. Brimmed the tank again, and by the time |Ihad driven about 85 miles, the gauge was down to about a needlewidth above the half mark. - Sheer panic setting in now.

Brimmed it again yesterday and it took 12 litres - big sigh of relief!

Are these gauges notorious on the e class ??

thanks
Trev

 

[simon_wall69]

thanks for that, will keep an eye on it. Car has 77k on it and gear box solenoids were replaced at 36k, so I assume oil was done at same time.

cheers
trev

I would change the fluid if it's not been done in 40,000 miles. Inclines do seem to have an effect on the fuel guage but I can't see that being an issue in Grimsby. Mine never quite goes up to full.

Parrot's mileage figures roughly agree with mine, although, I tend only to ever do the careful driving - my light normally comes on at just over 500 miles.

 

[bigt]

Its one of these wonderful sealed for life boxes ( whats the use in that?? it's akin to fitting a handbrake on a canoe.... ) So guess its a MB job........

Anyone any ideas of cost please.

thanks
Trev

 

[bigt]

Ps

Been looking through the threads and it seems that you can do it as a diy option.

Bit confused though, I gather you can use a flexi curtain wire as a dipstick, how do you calibrate it - or do you just literally push it in as far as it goes , then measure the oil level with a ruler or something??

Do, you have to get a new seal for the dipstick tube?

Where is the dipstick tube / filler, cant see it on mine.

Finally, how much oil does the box hold. Its a 1999 pre facelift E300 W210.

Thanks
trev

 

[Blobcat]

Been looking through the threads and it seems that you can do it as a diy option.

Bit confused though, I gather you can use a flexi curtain wire as a dipstick, how do you calibrate it - or do you just literally push it in as far as it goes , then measure the oil level with a ruler or something??

Do, you have to get a new seal for the dipstick tube?

Where is the dipstick tube / filler, cant see it on mine.

Finally, how much oil does the box hold. Its a 1999 pre facelift E300 W210.

Thanks
trev

I think that all of your questions have answers on here, I think you may have already seen Parrots how to in the DIY section he has also listed the details of the dipstick.

WRT your fuel gauge they can stick and do strange things.

 

[bigt]

Update

Just a quick update on the E300 ( what lovely cars !! ) Eventually got the gearbox oil changed at Local MB dealer. They originally quoted 25 plus vat but then relented because of the age of the car and did it for 159 quid all in. To be fair, really have got to praise the Grimsby dealership, they did the oil, filter, gasket etc etc for the above price and I got the car back fully checked, washed, hoovered and even the tyres blacked, so good on them!!

Gearbox now works much smoother and at last fill she was doing circa 38 mpg on mixed driving, which given the size of the car is really quite impressive and I can certainly live with that. Thanks all for your input.
cheers
Trev