Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion [Paperback]

the staff of The Star and the members of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005 | ISBN-10: 0837610338 | ISBN-13: 978-0837610337

Technical insights on service, repair, maintenance and procedures compiled from over 45 years of The Star, the magazine of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Since 1956, informed Mercedes-Benz owners have relied upon The Star, the magazine of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, for advice about maintenance, service and repair of their cars. Bentley Publishers has collected some of the best of these do-it-yourself articles and tech tips into the Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion™. No matter which Mercedes-Benz model you drive or desire, this compilation will serve as a valuable technical reference to help you understand and care for your Mercedes-Benz.

This insightful and informed technical compilation has something for the Mercedes-Benz owner, service professional and enthusiast. You will also find useful technical guidance that pertains to Mercedes-Benz vehicles in general, based on the contributors' long-time dedication to Mercedes-Benz service and ownership.

Article topics collected in the Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion™ include:

* Technical and Restoration Forum: questions and answers on subjects such as bleeding brakes, aligning headlights, choosing fuel and preparing a vehicle for storage.

* Maintenance and preservation procedures—from resetting the service indicator lights to washing and waxing your car.

* Heating and air-conditioning system repair including rebuilding the automatic climate control push button unit and converting from R-12 to R-134a.

* Driving tips, including the difference between torque and horsepower, and tire selection. You will even find informative diagrams showing oversteer, understeer and vehicle dynamics.

* Step-by-step instructions on how to replace shock absorbers and air suspension bellows.

* How to choose a repair shop, as well as extensive model, chassis and engine number comparison charts.

* Fixes for vacuum door locks, mechanical clocks and trip odometers.

* Detailed electronic component repairs, such as the Becker Electronic Grand Prix radio and W210 E-Class seat control switch.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Mercedes-Benz models included in this Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion:

# 190D # 190E # 190SL # 220D # 220S # 220SE # 230 # 230S # 230SL # 240D # 250 # 250S # 250SE # 250SL # 280E # 280CE # 280S # 280SE # 280SEL # 280SL # 300CD # 300CE # 300D # 300E # 300SD # 300SDL # 300SE # 300SEL # 300TD # 300TE # 350SD # 350SL # 400E # 450SE # 450SEL # 450SL # 500SE # 500SEL # 560SEL # E300D # E320 # E420 # E430 # E500 # ML320 # S320 # S420 # S420 # S500 # S600

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bentley Publishers (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0837610338
• ISBN-13: 978-0837610337
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Random coverage, December 26, 2006

By 

M. McGee (Berthoud, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion (Paperback)

I would have given this 1 star but they did a good job organizing and presenting this collection of articles. The articles cover specific procedures for specific models, with some summary information and tables for a range of years and models. It is hit or miss (mostly miss in my case) that your vehicle will have a repair procedure that you need. If you don't happen to have the vehicle that they have covered in an article provided in the book, it is not much use to you. Example: cruise control problem? They cover the repair of a cruise control actuator for a '85 300SD. That's it. No other info on cruise controls. Just the repair of a specific component for one model.

I think you would do better to spend the money on joining the Mercedes Benz Club of America and using the technical forums and database of technical articles.

Good, well written articles. There is some value to the chapter summaries but not worth the price for the chance that a procedure you want to read about is going to be included.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Your Benz, August 2, 2005

By 

William R. Chermak "Lone Star Bill" (Austin, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion (Paperback)

Over the last year I became a Mercedes enthusiast, buying four older Benz. This book was a godsend to me. It has already paid for itself in guiding me through simple repairs that would have been rather expensive had I gone to a shop or, heaven forbid, a MB dealer.

The book is essentially a compilation of how-to and informative articles from Star Magazine. All classes are covered with emphasis on the more classic and popular classes, i.e. the older 190's, the diesels, and all the SL's.

The book is divided into various segments, such as chassis, engines, accessories. There are more finite divisions within each category. The downside is you have to scan the first page of each section to find your model, as all models are covered within each segment.

The book is well illustrated and very thorough. You can learn about simple maintenance or you can be guided through an engine rebuild.

If you're serious about being on top of maintenance and repair of your Benz, or just plain curious about German engineering, this book will serve you well.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay collection of odds and ends..., August 8, 2007

By 

Eric B. Haulenbeek "mac guy" (Litchfield, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mercedes-Benz Technical Companion (Paperback)

Lots of information here, especially for diesel owners, though nothing of any real value for a 560 SL guy. There doesn't seem to be any logic to the way this book was catalogued/organized.