If you are not mechanical walk away.
It's not that these are undependable, but they are 20+ years old, and things go wrong due to age. Parts aren't terrible if you avoid the dealerships and shop. Also the folks here are great source material and information. Many times they have things on hand to send (share).
But again, no matter what car you buy, a 20+ year old car will have issues, and if you are not hands on, avoid this and any older vehicle.

Also what do you consider cheap?

 

Thanks for the reply. I consider myself pretty hands-on but I don't have much experience with cars. About how often would something break on the car and how difficult would most things be to replace or fix?

I'm trying to get a car in the low thousands if I can so that's what I consider cheap.

Thanks.

 

They are dependable cars, but some are misused.

A 1990 190E should sell for $2000 or less, unless it's a spectacular model 2.3, 16v(different year, I know) or something with very low miles/ fabulous condition.
I'm @ 185k miles, and consider value @ $1000-1500, in good running condition and slightly beat body (no rust).

I would hit the stickies at the top of this 201 forum if you want a clue as to what is available for repair info, as well as what pops. You'll be impressed with the amount of info here.
Good luck.

 

Pics of the car?

These cars are great to learn on, so if you are willing to try and do it, then they are pretty cheap.

Most things that break are normal maintenance items, and arn't that expensive if you get them online.

With 150k miles, you should replace filters and fluids, and do a full tuneup. If you keep up on the preventative maintenance, it should be good to you.

 

It would all depend on the cars history if it is going to be a troublesome beast. I have one that just rolled over to 194,000 and it has its quirks and problems. I drive it 100 miles a day and so far it hasnt done anything to leave me on the side of the road.

I have had to have some things replaced at a shop;

Idler Arm Bushing
Muffler Repair

Those two items set me back 400 to have fixed and replaced. The rest of mine has been routine maintence. Though I am looking at several big repairs due to the age.

Front Suspension
Front Bushing
Rear Bushing
Rear Suspension

I am expecting a tune of about a grand to $1500 to have that done. It all depends on how much you are willing to work on it. What I do to figure out if a car is worth it is look at the basic parts. I always look at spark plug wires, air filter, battery, water pump and altenator. If I can afford those repairs then I can afford the car. Special things like the suspension are very rare to have to be done and only once every few years.

I love mine and I dread it when my wife steals it for the day.

 

Thanks for all the info! So $2000 would be a good price for the car I'm looking at? (It looks great interior and exterior by the way, and also has some customizations like the euro headlights and bigger sports wheels) It's listed at over $3000 but I can try to handle down. I like that it has a newly rebuilt engine though, and it seems well maintained. I'm not sure about when the fluids were last changed. What would be good preventative maintenance to follow?

 

OK, being new to the car world there's a few things to take into consideration.
avoid autozone/advanced auto/napa for parts. it's fine to buy fluids/oil filters/cleaners/wiper blades there. But they sell really cheap parts that will fail quicker or be a real pain to install especially for MB's let alone american made cars.

Also the "bigger sports wheels" probably have low profile tires on them, which are expensive and something to be aware of. if the engine has just been rebuilt it should be extremely clean, if the guy isn't an ASE certified mechanic i would walk away from an engine he just "rebuilt". Also don't take people's word for it, if they don't have receipts it wasn't necessarily done.

I forgot to look at your location but find a car that has good paint on it, mainly that there is no peeling/bubling paint and no rust on the car as that is expensive to have fixed and not really a DIY.


What kind of car too look for- clean body with no rust, i mean really spend a good time looking over everything including under the car and in the engine, check all the fluids,make sure all the electronics work, prepare a list of questions and really grill the guy about the car, and look for a car that has maintenance records<--that's not required but a big plus. don't get carried away with buying a car excitement

Also no one mentioned the 2.6L 190e's are known to stall, take a LONG test drive to make sure the one you have doesn't. guys that are pretty skilled mechanically have wasted a lot of $,sweat, and time on trying to fix that problem.


I hope this helps, a few years ago i was in the position you were in and learned the hard way buying some real junkers. best of luck and keep us updated:thumbsup:

 

Also, would most of the labor in replacing or fixing those basic parts that might fail be doable for me with some detailed instructions from this site or elsewhere online? The parts themselves don't seem too expensive but labor would probably cost me a lot at a repair shop.

 

It will be very doable. There is pretty much a topic on everything here, and if you can’t find anything, just ask a question and people are sure to tell you how to do it.

 

What about preventative maintenance? How often and what will it cost? Thanks.

 

Things that may need to be replaced....

Shocks, struts, spark plugs, Dist cap, spark plug wires, A/C conversion, seals, fluids changed, thats all I can think of for now, but I know I have done more to mine.

 

Strut mounts, brakes when needed. One of my rear calipers was seized up so I had to buy a new one of those awhile back. Not a common problem but it does happen from time to time. Also rubber vacuum lines will more than likely need replacing. They can cause all sorts of running issues if there's a leak somewhere. I've only replaced a few of mine but my car runs pretty well.

 

Inspection at 800-1000 miles

Lubrication Service every 7,500 miles or twice a year (spring & fall)

Maintenance Service every 15,000 miles or two years

Additional Work every 30,000 miles

MB suggested replacing oil and filter every 3750 miles for "hard and sporty" driving

Auto trans fluid change every 15,000 miles, filter and fluid at 30K intervals

Brake fluid annually, preferably in the spring.

Coolant change at least every 3 years.

Lube engine throttle, linkage rods and shafts every 7,500 or twice a year (thats a lot of grease!)

Cats might need replacement after 50K miles

Every 15K: oil/filter, new plugs, lube throttle parts, door hinges, door locks and hood. Check fluid levels, inspect everything else for wear and tear.

Every 30K: oil/filter, air filter, check V-belt, replace O2 sensor, replace plugs, check clutch, flex discs

Every 60K: Replace fuel filter

Once a year: Replace brake fluid, clean water drains, clean and lube sunroof rails and sliding blocks

"Additional Work"

30,000 Miles / 4 Years
At approx. every 30,000 mi/48,000 km or 4 years:
Check condition of drive shaft flex discs.

45,000 Miles / 2 Years
At approx. every 45,000 mi/72,000 km or 2 years:
Replace recirculated air filter (if fitted).
Replace activated charcoal prefilter (dust filter, if fitted).

60,000 Miles / 4 Years
At approx. every 60,000 mi/96.000 km or 4 years:
Replace fuel filter.
Replace air cleaner filter element.
Replace spark plugs.

75,000 Miles / 4 Years
At approx. every 75,000 mi/120,000 km or 4 years:
Replace activated charcoal filter.

2 Years
Replace brake fluid.
Check body for paint damage (by Service Advisor).
Check chassis and supporting body parts for damage and corrosion (by Service Advisor).

3 Years
Replace coolant.
Sliding/pop-up roof: clean and grease sliding rails and sliders.

All in all, it doesn't cost much if you do it yourself, unless you start replacing every little thing because you want to make it feel and act brand new agian

 

Also no one mentioned the 2.6L 190e's are known to stall, take a LONG test drive to make sure the one you have doesn't. guys that are pretty skilled mechanically have wasted a lot of $,sweat, and time on trying to fix that problem.

+1

I would take a long as a dirve as you can. my car did not show signs of stalling or over heating for a while.