1st time buyer! Did I find a Bargain?

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1st time buyer! Did I find a Bargain?
Topic Started: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:32 am (767 Views)
BenzBeard	Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:32 am Post #1
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	Hi there people! (I may make mechanical Foobar in this short tale, please forgive my ignorance! ) Im from Cambridge, and i cycle mostly everywhere. But circumstances have changed and i would like a car. So i went looking! It took me around 4 months looking at different makes, models, shapes, sizes and trying to find that very elusive 'price is right' price! My list of cars that i have owned previosly is short: I past my test in Feb 04 at 18 years of age, and bought my first car for Ł50 from my Grandad, a 1986 1.1 Ford Fiesta Firefly! This car was fantastic, cheap to run, cheap to fix and reliable, unless it was wet, damp, cold or too hot, ok so not so much reliable but it was my first car, i loved it! My second car about a year later was a step up? in the ford range, 1991 fiesta 1.1 Pop Plus, this car sucked. And luckly for me, but not for the brick wall, it cost nothing, and a friend of mine crashed it into said wall. After that i figured that a slight rethink would benifit me, I bought for Ł500 a 1993 vauxhall Cavalier.... do i need to say anything.... And then i went carless for a while I was a busdriver at the time so i had pleanty of hours on the road and anymore just seemed silly. Roll on Feb 09, five years after joining the road i decided it was time to get back on it! My criteria were: Less than Ł1000 cost Less than Ł500 insurance Good looking (from my point of view!) Not Diesel Engine must be injection not a Carb 1.6-2.0 Not shockingly thirsty Able to get me down to Southend monthly Automatic (It seems to relax my driving, found that out from driving a friends 1997 S-class) Start!! hot, cold, wet, damp, monsoon!!! And so i started! Lots of ebaying and autotradering, a couple of train tickets, but nothing that really caught my eye. Untill Mr S-class dropped by again and i thought, mmmm maybe i can get a hold a mercedes?! I hadn't really been searching for mercs just because of the obvious, 'Ha, I cant afford a Mercedes!!', but i had a look around and found a few for around the Ł1000 mark, but one finally stood out. A little garage in Tostock, had a 1992 190E in blue, with 120,000 miles 8 months MOT and 6 months Tax. I went and had a look and a drive and fell in love! It needed a good clean inside and out, but was pretty much rust free, all the electrics worked and hadn't got any of the faults that the internet said to look for... it was priced at Ł650 and i negotiated to Ł575 and bought it!! Now its home and clean on the outside here is a picture! Any how i better get back to work! I'll get some more pictures when we get another sunny day! I will just say I am now very proud to be a Mercedes Benz 190E owner!



aemt	Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:37 am Post #2
Member Posts: 2,775 Group: Members Member #3,171 Joined: September 1, 2008	Hallo and welcome to the forum. You have just discovered one of the worlds best kept secrets. The 190e



alan	Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:38 am Post #3
this looks like fun Posts: 3,877 Group: Members Member #2,052 Joined: December 21, 2007	welcome it looks like a good clean car and sounds like you got it for a good price as well



BenzBeard	Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:12 am Post #4
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	Once I have given it a good clean inside, i'll put up some more pics in this thread with the bad bits as well, I was hoping people could comment on how to keep it together for the next few years or more! Also i have a friendly neighbourhood spide.... Mechanic, is it worth taking it to him and asking for a deep service, as it came with no history! :O



alan	Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:29 am Post #5
this looks like fun Posts: 3,877 Group: Members Member #2,052 Joined: December 21, 2007	lack of service history is not a big problem i dont have any for mine except what i have done to her if you are anywhere handy with a set of spanners you can do most of the work yourself if you dont know last time oil and filters done it prob worth doin them then moving on to the diff gear box oil coolant as and when you want



Mike wantza Merc	Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:47 am Post #6
8v 190E Owner and proud of it. Posts: 1,006 Group: Members Member #3,753 Joined: January 23, 2009	Nice one BB, and welcome to the club. If someone here doesn't have the answers, then it is not worth knowing!!



BenzBeard	Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:06 am Post #7
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	Not afraid of a bit of engine oil here and there, and as for the spanner, i have a few and i'll see if they fit! I ordered a Haynes off of Ebay, a few days ago and it should arrive mid week, and pay day is round the corner for buying bits and pieces. Out of interest sitting in traffic these cars run rather hot right? above the 80 line but below 120, i guess around half to two thirds inbetween? Also one of the reasons the car was cheap was it was dirty! the seats inside, although not being worn, they have been stained, do i need to rent a water carpet vac thingy or is there a decent product out there that i can use with a bucket and warm water? Thanks!



alan	Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:17 am Post #8
this looks like fun Posts: 3,877 Group: Members Member #2,052 Joined: December 21, 2007	temp sounds ok as that is when the fan kicks in carpet cleaners are supposed to be one of the best ways of doin your interior



Matt	Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:17 am Post #9
Administrator - Hawk Eye Posts: 14,126 Group: Admin Member #20 Joined: November 8, 2005	Welcome to the club Yes the temp can rise when sitting in traffic but as long as the fan kicks in and the temp goes back down, then you have nothing to worry about.



mindingthepotole	Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:27 am Post #10
Go on... buy a rusty one. lol Posts: 1,613 Group: Members Member #3,843 Joined: February 17, 2009	welcome to the family.



twopointsix	Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:50 am Post #11
Member Posts: 483 Group: Members Member #1,732 Joined: September 26, 2007	Welcome. You have a very good car there by the sound of it. You'll never hanker after another model now you've discovered the secret. Buy a bottle of Stardrops, some warm soapy water, a soft nail brush and a sponge and your interior will come up like new. After your bike, it's the best investment you'll ever make! Good luck



MadMike	Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:57 am Post #12
Member Posts: 3,677 Group: Members Member #1,062 Joined: March 15, 2007	Good car, well done. You did well. Welcome to the club.



Rich27	Mon Jun 15, 2009 12:04 pm Post #13
If it has tits or an engine it will be trouble Posts: 13,052 Group: Members Member #348 Joined: June 15, 2006	Definatly a well priced motor there. Welcome to the world of the 190`s



II.V - I VI	Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:06 pm Post #14
Member Posts: 306 Group: Members Member #3,373 Joined: October 8, 2008	Welcome to the forum that is a cracking car Andronikos



nullogik	Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:07 pm Post #15
190LE Owner Posts: 611 Group: Members Member #2,274 Joined: February 14, 2008	Thats a very tidy looking car and I can't believe you got it for that price. There are people out there who readily ask for double what you paid for it, so it definitely is a bargain! Look forward to seeing more pics.



moomycossie	Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:10 pm Post #16
2.3-16v engine now in Posts: 3,005 Group: Members Member #2,263 Joined: February 12, 2008	hi dan and welcome, very nice 190 you have there



surreyboy	Tue Jun 16, 2009 4:56 pm Post #17
Member Posts: 332 Group: Members Member #4,228 Joined: June 3, 2009	Hi and welcome,i do like that colour . Nice price too I got mine only last week and cant stop driving it lol Lee



rossored	Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:19 pm Post #18
Newbie Posts: 11 Group: Members Member #117 Joined: December 27, 2005	Yeah.. don't tell too many though, there will be no bargain's left! To clean the seats, I've found the 'Vanish' Soap bar used slightly dam is brilliant ! Give it a go...



rhysmangatmotorsport	Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:21 pm Post #19
Mangatmotorsport Posts: 1,768 Group: Members Member #2,941 Joined: July 9, 2008	hello and welcome...



Avantdi	Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:37 pm Post #20
Fastest ship in the Galaxy Posts: 184 Group: Members Member #4,044 Joined: April 10, 2009	Welcome that looks like a fine motor and definitley a bargain. Thats the best colour too



BenzBeard	Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:15 pm Post #21
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	Hey guys, I had the morning off today, so i had a bit of a clean up, hoover, sponge, dash wipe down, blah blah blah. Nothing over the top yet I want to wait until we have some nice weather again and im gonna rent a carpet cleaner and have a go at the seats. Also, i noticed a couple of problems when going over the car. 1) The front left wing looks like it has been replaced at some point, the car was HPI checked and hasn't been written off, so i can only assume it was an incident with a wall or maybe just replaced because of rust. 2) On the interior there was a small piece electric tape covering up the right hand set of warning lights (I didn't even know these existed!) and i have found that the ABS light is on.... not that having not ABS really bothers me, its a shame that i missed it, might have got some more cash knocked off!! Any who, here are a few more photos: Thanks for all the welcomes, its great that this forum is so active! Oh and my Haynes just came in the post today! WooHoo!



Weyrmaster	Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:35 pm Post #22
Errrrrrrr! Posts: 302 Group: Members Member #3,825 Joined: February 11, 2009	Welcome to the forum BB. Great car you have there. This is a great place to be, you won't find a nicer bunch of people. Paul



BenzBeard	Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:30 pm Post #23
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	Thanks! Out of interest what style of wheels are on your car? is it horseshoe? Lol, i dont know, but they look great!



stwat	Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:39 pm Post #24
Moderator Posts: 12,078 Group: Moderator Member #28 Joined: November 11, 2005	Quote: On the interior there was a small piece electric tape covering up the right hand set of warning lights (I didn't even know these existed!) and i have found that the ABS light is on.... It winds me up when people do nasty tricks like that If it isnt already ilegal, it bloody well should be!! But apart from that, what lovely car you have there Stu Edited by stwat, Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:40 pm.



Weyrmaster	Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:46 pm Post #25
Errrrrrrr! Posts: 302 Group: Members Member #3,825 Joined: February 11, 2009	BenzBeard Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:30 pm Thanks! Out of interest what style of wheels are on your car? is it horseshoe? Lol, i dont know, but they look great! They are standard Merc 8 hole. off an SL 380. 16x8 et 34



BenzBeard	Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:55 pm Post #26
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	thanks, it looks quite classy, a friend of mine has them on his s280. How much-ish do they go for? Also, who would i talk to about a few sounds that are appearing here and there when driving, and what thread should i put it in?



stwat	Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:26 pm Post #27
Moderator Posts: 12,078 Group: Moderator Member #28 Joined: November 11, 2005	BenzBeard Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:55 pm thanks, it looks quite classy, a friend of mine has them on his s280. How much-ish do they go for? Also, who would i talk to about a few sounds that are appearing here and there when driving, and what thread should i put it in? If you are unsure whether they are interior or exterior noises, then post them up in the general technical section.



BenzBeard	Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:44 pm Post #28
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	so today i looked into the problem with the ABS, not with spanners and a hammer but looking at how it affects the car in 8 months time (when MOT expires) apparently having your ABS light on is a fail, irreguardless of how well the brakes work, so i have 8 months to sort it. I hear it can be sensors, and they are around Ł30 and fittable, but if it needed fixing by a professional, how much is it going to run me? On second thoughts maybe i should start a new thread another section! Any how i'm on my phone and its taken me an age to type this so i'll post it anyway! Thank you so much to everyone for the warm welcome, i'm very happy to be in the club!



alan	Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:36 pm Post #29
this looks like fun Posts: 3,877 Group: Members Member #2,052 Joined: December 21, 2007	i dont suggest this in any way just heard it could be done remove the bulb they will never know but better to get it fixed



moomycossie	Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:08 pm Post #30
2.3-16v engine now in Posts: 3,005 Group: Members Member #2,263 Joined: February 12, 2008	lol alan i was thinking the same thimg



dnrc	Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:31 pm Post #31
Member Posts: 184 Group: Members Member #3,188 Joined: September 4, 2008	welcome mate, looks to be a good car in good condition. and for less than 600 sheets you really can't go wrong.



BenzBeard	Sun Jun 21, 2009 4:17 pm Post #32
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	Thanks! I figure even if (touch wood it doesn't) it costs Ł400 or even Ł600 to sort out anything major, im still up in the long run with a great car, that, given a little TLC should do me proud for years to come!



Tim29	Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:00 pm Post #33
Member Posts: 316 Group: Members Member #1,828 Joined: October 21, 2007	I'd say you've done quite well there very nice colour. ABS light can be quite a common problem on these. Search the forum it has come up a few times. Does it take a while to start from cold and have a slightly irregular/high idle to begin with?? if so could be the OVP(over voltage protection) relay as this failing can cause the ABS light to be on. Can be damaged if the car is jump started after sitting for a long time with a flat battery. If your not driving like an idiot then maybe just take the bulb out to pass the MOT. It takes some effort to get the ABS to activate on these cars in my experience. Tim



MadMike	Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:03 pm Post #34
Member Posts: 3,677 Group: Members Member #1,062 Joined: March 15, 2007	Can you get away with simply taking out the bulb ? Dont they expect to see the light come on and the go out when the car is started ?



Snake	Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:14 pm Post #35
Old free and tattooed Posts: 6,496 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: November 2, 2005	MadMike Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:03 pm Can you get away with simply taking out the bulb ? Dont they expect to see the light come on and the go out when the car is started ? They expect .....what i tell them to expect...



roadwolf69	Sun Jun 21, 2009 9:08 pm Post #36
Member Posts: 986 Group: Members Member #975 Joined: February 22, 2007	Just swap it for the windscreen washer bulb, that one goes out when you start the engine.



toff190	Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:49 pm Post #37
190 Mob Member and a Wise Guy. Posts: 3,403 Group: Members Member #2,544 Joined: April 18, 2008	No if i were you i would get a proper fix, you have eight months to do so and could be a very cheap repair, looking at your car i think you would agree its worth it. Oh, welcome to the forum



stone	Tue Jun 23, 2009 2:09 pm Post #38
Member Posts: 282 Group: Members Member #3,985 Joined: March 24, 2009	I had the same problem when i first got mine, replaced the OVP and jobs a good en! welcome to the site by the way, car looks lovely, mine is same year, similar mileage, 2.0 manual. still running mine with the steels and trims on too, keep it old school BB :o)



BenzBeard	Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:47 pm Post #39
Newbie Posts: 25 Group: Members Member #4,281 Joined: June 14, 2009	most of the reason for my buying an auto rather than a manual, is that it calms my driving right down. Mercedes, to me anyway, seem to scream to be driven in the most relaxed way! I don't seem to rant at other drivers half as much as i used to. And, a little guilty here, i quite often find my self doing 5 miles-ish under the speed limit! thanks for the ideas guys, i'll have a look at this OVP thing. How much will said device run me? Also, how can i test mine to see if it is buggered? I'm hearing a plastic scraping sound coming from my near side front wheel. Its worse when the steering is on full lock and i pull away slowly, but sometimes when pulling away straight. Any clues? Also can i put fog lights into the front bumper? Are they readily available? The more i drive this fantastic machine the more i like it! I even had an offer of Ł1500 today! Once i've gotten holidays and the like paid up, i'm gonna book in for a end of summer prep for winter service.



stwat	Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:52 pm Post #40
Moderator Posts: 12,078 Group: Moderator Member #28 Joined: November 11, 2005	Check that the brake backing plate/dust cover isn't slightly bent and catching the wheel. The front headlights have integral fog lights. The first pull of the headlight switch turns them on, the second pull switches the rear fogs on. And i know exactly what you mean about the calming effect that a merc auto brings. i simply love to dawdle around at a relaxing slow speed when im in my 2.6. The 2.3-16 turns me into a manic nutter unfortunately Edited by stwat, Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:54 pm.



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