If you are fixing your car and run into some trouble, i would be happy to lend you my brain (only when sober).
Think of me as your Napa auto parts counter staff (which was my occupation for 2 1/2 years) .
If you dunno what your car need, i am happy to tell you.
and i can also diagnose problem …
anyways just throwing it out there if anyone needs anything just post… or pm me.
Your post is quite timely. I bought a 1986 Mercedes 300SEL, which will need attention periodically. A few things, I might try myself, but mostly I’ll rely on the service department of the dealer. Their labor rates are reasonable, but the cost of parts is ridiculous. They say it’s due to import taxes, which does ring true to me.
So aside from getting parts in the US on my twice yearly trek home, I’m looking for a source here that can cut cost.
Currently I need a “air mass flow meter”. The Benz dealer said the list price was NT$57,000. BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!! In the US, I can get the part for between US$600-US$700. I’m going to the dealer today to negotiate. I think I’ve got him down to just over what the part would cost in the US plus shipping.
So where is a good place here to get parts? I asked this question on a different thread, but got no replies.
[quote=“CraigTPE”]Your post is quite timely. I bought a 1986 Mercedes 300SEL, which will need attention periodically. A few things, I might try myself, but mostly I’ll rely on the service department of the dealer. Their labor rates are reasonable, but the cost of parts is ridiculous. They say it’s due to import taxes, which does ring true to me.
So aside from getting parts in the US on my twice yearly trek home, I’m looking for a source here that can cut cost.
Currently I need a “air mass flow meter”. The Benz dealer said the list price was NT$57,000. BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!! In the US, I can get the part for between US$600-US$700. I’m going to the dealer today to negotiate. I think I’ve got him down to just over what the part would cost in the US plus shipping.
So where is a good place here to get parts? I asked this question on a different thread, but got no replies.[/quote]
You see, there is a tac-slight problem. I am not in Taiwan, nor i ever been there every since i was 18, but to my knowledge there is this place call Autobac in Neihu (i belive the largest Auto Parts dealer in Taiwan, a client of my company as well) you can give them a try.
as for MAS control unit . You are looking at $500 CND so probalby $400 US. (if you are in good term with your local auto parts) They are $715.80 suggest list price from Mecedez dealer.
but MAS control unit doesn’t usually contribute to stalling. i would rather think if its air flow problem it would be your MASS AIR FLOW sensor which locates on your intake pipe.
Quick way to see if thats the problem. By some electric contact cleaner (usually computer shops have them- you are in Taiwan, that shouldn’t be hard to find) clean the sensor after you take it out (this looks like a small black q-tip)
Good Luck.
The dealer said it is the Mass Air Flow Sensor, and although I suggested it could be cleaned as I’d read of someone doing that on one of the Benz owner forums, he said the sensor is built into the unit and can not be reached to clean. I’m going to go there to see this afternoon.
My uncle is the general manager of a Benz dealership in Minnesota. He said the retail price of the unit there is US$900, but he can sell it to me for $625. The trouble with that is then shipping and potential import tax. Had the service department here done a complete diagnostic like I’d asked them to, it seems this could have been flagged, like the potential problem with the fuel pump relay, and I could have brought it back on my last trip.
And by the way, and since the USD is going down the toilet, CAD$500 now is USD$505. :-\
Even though the US dollar ain’t doing as well, auto parts are still cheaper down south.