Mercedes: my other 190e, blow by, oil soaked plugs

Question
QUESTION: that's what they say but I basically want to patch it and make it run for another
1000 miles--it needs a rev to slip into 1st then its fine--all the other gears are
fine, though in 1st and reverse the body rattles a lot, any thing i can do in lieu
of another tranny--and where would I buy another one?!

ANSWER: Andrew,
I would expect that it is probably too late to make any change at this point. It's not so much the total miles but the condition under which you have to shift the transmission.
The shudder is generally caused by loss of media on the band that allows metal to metal contact. The soft shift can be combination of loss media and or leaking servos. As the bands ware, adjustment is necessary to keep the clearance where it needs to be to avoid slippage that leads to heat of the band. Heat is what destroys transmissions.


You could try a mechanic in a can transmission treatment that promotes friction and gasket sealing and it may get you through but there are generally no guarantees at this point.
I would say to definitely NOT change the fluid, because new fluid has detergent that will wash off the remaining friction material and sealing gunk.
Good Luck
Rob



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QUESTION: thanks rob-hey, at this point I may just try to get my $700 out of it as it has
great tires, engine and upholstry--any mechanics specials or online ideas to sell
it? I'm off to travel soon and need to deal wtih this soon!!

ANSWER: andrew,
Craigslist or ebay are the two I  would suggest, although the auto market is really soft now.
Photo of the vehicle is essential in either case.Be sure to reduce the density for use on the web, so it will load quickly. Good luck.
Rob

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I do have another 190 e that seems to have 2 problems:
1 is that it has little gumption, it drives welll, but doesnt have much pickup, i
noticed the plugs have a little bit of oil on them and also checked below and
found oil under the engine, not a lot of it but ther is a leak--what does oil on
the plugs mean and how can i get more power and pickup outta my little 4
banger.

I will have to smog it next week and want to make sure it does pass here in
CA--thanks rob

Answer
Andrew,
The loss of pep and the oil are probably related. Max power requires good fuel to air ratio, good compression and good ignition.
In other words, you need just the right combination of air and fuel to create the ideal flame front for complete burning thus a real good explosion. To get that the spark needs to be of excellent quality and timed a just the right moment in the power stoke. To get the maximum rebound with each explosion, you need to have good ring seal thus good compression.
Oil soaked plugs indicate that oil is being pulled up the cylinder wall and into the combustion chamber. When the cylinders and piston ware the rings are supposed take up the slack. With age and heat, the rings that are spring loaded will lose their ability to maintain a good seal.
The oil ring is supposed to keep the oil scrapped off the cylinder wall.
If oil bridges the oil ring, it soaks the plugs. Oil will not promote good spark, it will also lower the ignition temperature and cause fouling of the plugs.
The plugs need to remain almost white hot to keep the deposits burned away.
It stands to reason that if the oils is leaking into the cylinder there is probably some gas blow by into the crank case as well. Blow by is lost energy that otherwise would be forcing the piston down on each power stroke.
Thus your loss of pep.
Now you can also get oil into the combustion chamber is the positive crank case ventilation is plugged. There should be a PCV valve on top of the valve cover. If it is clogged and not working this will cause pressure in the crank case and cause oil to more readily pushed into the combustion chamber.
I would first change the PCV valve.
Then replace the spark plugs.
This should show an improved performance.
There may also be some possible connection with your oil leak related to excess pressure in the crank case.
YOu need to steam clean or pressure wash the block and pan to determine exactly where the oil leak is originating.
An oil leak causes a big mess for sure, but can also deplete the oil level to an unacceptable amount with engine ware, and higher than normal oil temperature that leads to oil breakdown.

Good Luck and let us know what you find out.
Rob