Customer Reviews

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Owner's Bible: 1986-1995

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book was widely anticipated and loaded with high expectations among the 124 (E-class chassis) community. I pre-ordered a copy months in advance. Why? The factory shop manual on CD is very difficult to use. A Haynes manual is only published in Europe, and covers only European models. This means there is effectively no aftermarket shop manual for these cars, where many other MB models have one available. I think we were all expecting a "Bentley Grade" shop manual (and all that this entails), like the stellar ones produced for BMWs and Audis. What we got was essentially an enhanced owner's manual, or a buyer's guide.
If you just bought a 124, this book makes for a good orientation.
If you are considering buying a 124, this is an excellent buyer's guide.
If you want to actually fix something yourself, forget it!
The Haynes manual from the UK is still the best bet for an aftermarket workshop manual. (ISBN: 1859602533)
Anything really serious requires the factory CDs.

Some claim this book to be no more than a coffee table book, with others stating it gives maginally more information than a standard factory issued driver's handbook. Yes, it goes much further than a driver's handbook and, armed with a quality after-market workshop manual (Haynes or similar), there's very little you won't know about your Mercedes E-Class W124 series. Don't rely on this book alone if you're thinking of doing major work on your vehicle. I recommend the book if you want to use it as a supplement to the driver's handbook and workshop manual.

I believe I have all the technical reference books currently available (the MB OEM Service Manual CD, the Haynes manual, and the Technibooks manual, and now the E-Class Owner's Bible) for the 124 class. As an owner performing most of the normal maintenance on my 300E, Stu Ritter's E-Class Owner's Bible is far more useful and helpful than any of the others.

Maybe I was expecting too much.

This IS NOT a repair manual. It covers very basic, mundane areas like oil change. The coolant change procedure is incomplete and many maint. areas were not covered at all. The guide on buying one of these cars is nothing more than common sense.

If you're looking for repair info, buy the MB CD-Rom and join one of the MB web lists.

I've been thinking of various alternatives to my faithfully flaky Audi quattro sedan - while a good value in terms of what it is(quick, comfortable, capable, all wheel drive), it is, well, an old Audi. Of all the options, the Mercedes 300 wagon (TE, I've now learned) seemed like a good one. A friend recommended this book to me, and it is a wealth of information - part history, part manual, and very informative overall. I've purchased similar "bible" type books for other makes, and I've yet to see one which has such a well balanced mix of technical & practical content. It is written in a way which suits both the full fledged "do-it-yourselfer" and the current or potential owner who is curious as to how the car ticks. It is not a repair manual, but the "Problems and Repairs" section would be the first place I looked if my car were to start acting up.

Lots of information is found in this book - I'd likely buy an official repair manual to go along with it for even greater specifics, but I suspect I'd only refer to it if the Bible did not contain what I was after - relay locations, torque specs, general overviews and the like are easily found within the pages of this book.

I've been playing with cars for a long time, and this book answers a large number of questions which are often more difficult to find in service manuals; the service manuals I've read often assume that the person reading knows where the "disgronifier" is and what it does - only telling you resistance values, torque specs and the like. I'd strongly recommend this book - for a current owner or prospective buyer - it has answered a LOT of my questions already.

Read the other reviews...as a repair manual, this book is practically worthless.

After relying on Bentley's BMW 5 series guide for 3 years, I was shocked. This is a coffee table book. Bathroom reading. What the owner's manual would look like if the glovebox were bigger.

If you want to know how to remove the shift knob, how to get the sparkplug wires in the holder, or how much to torque the distributor cap, look elsewhere.

It does have a chart describing all the available paint colors, though.

I was impressed with this book. If you want a repair manual, then buy a repair manual. However if you want to LEARN about your car (not just how to fix it) then this book is for you. A very interesting read, with lots of background information on the W124. A lot of information is covered regarding repairs, but I'd advise getting the CD-ROM service manual in addition to this book. Both are invaluable!

I think this book would have been better received if it wasn't labelled "Owner's Bible". This has raised expectations that weren't met.
The review on the cover of the book describes the contents accurately - its intended to help prospective owners purchase a vehicle, and owners to perform routine maintenance. It does both of these things very well. A third objective was to make the owner better able to discuss complex service issues with their service facility.
If you want to rebuild the transmission, this is the wrong book. If you want information on making a purchase, performing maintenance, trouble shooting common problems, and insight into complex repairs this is a great book. Enjoyable to read, too.

I was expecting more in the way of technical explanations about my MB. This is not the book you want if you are looking for a breakdown of how things are put together(as in DIY auto repairs).
It is a very good guide on what to look for mostly when purchasing a MB auto.

This is an outstanding book for a Mercedes owner. The amount of detail is just right for someone who wants to know what to do to maintain their Mercedes. From general maintenance to troubleshooting it is a great reference. I have had my Benz for over 10 years now and I wish I would have had this book previously.