500E / E500 Parts Manufacturer Quality List

[JC220]

That's encouraging. However, these days, it's important to always smell the rubber, too.

I know you guys don't have Harbor Fright in the UK -- I wish you did. And unfortunately I can't bottle the smell of a Harbor Fright store and send it to you. But the adage "If it smells like the 'Fright, it just isn't right" is important to remember.

Chinese quasi-rubber often has a greasy type texture, and striking, pungent, sharp smell that is a strong departure from German-made rubber.

I havent had the pleasure of a hazard fart Gerry but one day I will stop into one. We holiday in USA almost every year. It must be handy though to have so many tools (Chinsy or not) at a local store. Most tools here have to be mail ordered.

I an curious if anyone has bought Lemforder m119 engine mounts this year? Pictures please. Considering doing my 500E engine mounts this winter

 

[Jlaa]

I havent had the pleasure of a hazard fart Gerry but one day I will stop into one. We holiday in USA almost every year. It must be handy though to have so many tools (Chinsy or not) at a local store. Most tools here have to be mail ordered.

Harbor Freight is AWESOME. I'm like a kid in a candy story @ Harbor Freight. Its even better than going to the grocery store while hungry. Just be realistic about what you are buying - inexpensive tools that are not top quality, but will do the job if you don't intend to put them through strenuous duty. Last time I was at HF I bought:

• 3" wheel electric cutting tool (to cut wheel bolts to size) for something like $25.
• 4 pack microfiber towels for free
• 500 pcs latex rubber gloves for $5 per 100.
• etc etc.

My good quality tools are all either Made-in-USA-old-school-Craftsman or various other pieced-together stuff like VIM double square bits and stuff.

I an curious if anyone has bought Lemforder m119 engine mounts this year? Pictures please. Considering doing my 500E engine mounts this winter

I don't think Lemfoerder M119 motor mounts are available anymore. I think the only (acceptable) route for motor mounts now are MB branded ones. I searched high and low for a Lemoerder set in May of 2018, and the only set I could find was a set of NOS Lemfoerder ones that a fellow forum member had no use for as he had sold his car:

https://www.500eboard.co/forums/index.php?threads/is-it-time-for-new-engine-mounts.7025/post-106233

 

[MB V8]

I think Jlaa is exactly right about MB mounts being the only ones to buy. And don't buy the ones manuf by Corteco either.
Gsxr has some posts about this. And yes the MB mounts are pricey.

 

[gsxr]

I think Jlaa is exactly right about MB mounts being the only ones to buy. And don't buy the ones manuf by Corteco either.
Gsxr has some posts about this. And yes the MB mounts are pricey.

AFAIK, right now, the only game in town is OE/Genuine M119 mounts for the W124. Current MSRP for A1242402617 is $298 each, or $220/each delivered from Naperville. On the bright side, after shelling out the $440, they should last for another 100kmi / 10+ years.

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz Engine Mount 124-240-26-17 | MB OEM Parts

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz part # 124-240-26-17 - Engine Mount

www.mboemparts.com

 

[Jlaa]

AFAIK, right now, the only game in town is OE/Genuine M119 mounts for the W124. Current MSRP for A1242402617 is $298 each, or $220/each delivered from Naperville. On the bright side, after shelling out the $440, they should last for another 100kmi / 10+ years.

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz Engine Mount 124-240-26-17 | MB OEM Parts

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz part # 124-240-26-17 - Engine Mount

www.mboemparts.com

What is the major determinant in the failure of motor mounts? Time? Mileage? A combination? I have 15K miles / 10 years on the motor mounts that are currently in the car ... just trying to anticipate when I would need to use my Lemfoerders in my stash.

 

[gsxr]

What is the major determinant in the failure of motor mounts? Time? Mileage? A combination? I have 15K miles / 10 years on the motor mounts that are currently in the car ... just trying to anticipate when I would need to use my Lemfoerders in my stash.

I think it's a combination, but primarily mileage. Engine heat is likely a significant factor in their demise, especially if the cooling ducts are missing/damaged or otherwise not funneling air to the mounts. The measurement method confirms when they are definitely collapsed and need replacement.

 

[northNH]

I paid $199.36 per OE mount from mbpartscenter.com several weeks ago...As part of a larger order, shipping was very reasonable and all-in came out uncharacteristically less than my usual go-to free-ship Naperville.

 

[gsxr]

I paid $199.36 per OE mount from mbpartscenter.com several weeks ago...As part of a larger order, shipping was very reasonable and all-in came out uncharacteristically less than my usual go-to free-ship Naperville.

I think they changed their price matrix recently... I'm seeing $211.91 as their current price:

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz Engine Mount 124-240-26-17 | MB Parts Center

Genuine Mercedes Benz OEM factory Part #124-240-26-17Engine Mount 1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz. MB Parts Center is your choice for Discount Mercedes OEM factory parts and accessories. We are a factory Mercedes Benz dealer with Mercedes OEM parts and Mercedes accessories at discounted wholesale prices...

www.mbpartscenter.com

 

[northNH]

You’re right...List Price at mbpartscenter is unchanged at $298, but the Sale Price now reflects 28.9% off vs. the 31.2% from a few weeks ago.

Same reduction in % off (31.2–>28.9) from then til now across the board for the other stuff I ordered...Oh well...

 

[JC220]

I paid $199.36 per OE mount from mbpartscenter.com several weeks ago...As part of a larger order, shipping was very reasonable and all-in came out uncharacteristically less than my usual go-to free-ship Naperville.

Do you still have the new mounts? Would you mind posting photos of them please? Just want to see if they are the small as original [Boge] mounts marked bbb

 

[northNH]

These look good...

 

[gsxr]

If that datecode is 17W47, it's pretty recent production as well... around November 2017.

 

[Kyiv]

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz Engine Mount 124-240-26-17 | MB OEM Parts

1978-1999 Mercedes-Benz part # 124-240-26-17 - Engine Mount

www.mboemparts.com

Dave, am I correct that 400E/500E engines use above part number x2, per engine? Thanks.

Can't find Lemforder variant on the web at all. I remember seeing them a few years ago...

 

[gerryvz]

Lemforder stopped offering these OEM (MB with the star/number ground off) on the aftermarket about 2 years ago, and they have been NLA ever since. There was a thread here on the forum telling people to get them while they could, because they would be gone.

Of course the Dealer mounts are still available

And YES, two of this mount are required, and they are used on all years of the 500E, E500, 400E and E420. And applicable R129 and W140 models, as well.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

DO NOT buy the following brands of M119 motor mounts:

1. APA / URO Parts
2. Westar
3. Corteco
4. Meyle
5. MTC (Mission Trading Corp)
6. Anchor
7. ContiTech
8. DEA
9. Pioneer Cables
10. Febi (unless confirmed as a Lemforder/Boge mount with "BBB" written on it)
11. Koolman
12. Rein Automotive

APA/URO Parts mount



Anchor mount


ContiTech mount



DEA mount


Febi mount


Pioneer Cables mount


Westar mount



MTC mount



Koolman mount

 

[jaymanek]

Wow a contentious thread if ever there was one! The only one that stands out to me is bremi. Never found them to be any good. Beru much better. Although nowadays I'll buy almost everything from dealer only provided it's available.

 

[Kyiv]

@gerryvz, what about Rubbex Denmark. Surely Danes know how to make a quality motor mount

Is Meyle a Russian roulette like Febi?

I've got a mental block to spending $440 on motor mounts, lmao...

Amazon.com: Engine Mounting Front compatible with Mercedes W140 C140 Coupe Sedan 1242402617: Automotive

Buy Engine Mounting Front compatible with Mercedes W140 C140 Coupe Sedan 1242402617: Engine Mounts - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[gsxr]

Meyle is Russian Roulette with 5 bullets out of 6, instead of 1 out of 6. They're generally NOT a reboxer, but rather a purveyor of inferior partz. I'm not even sure if they ever rebox OEM stuff.

 

[gerryvz]

Although there are people on this forum who believe that the “Meyle HD” products are good.

I don’t. And won’t put anything Meyle on my cars.

 

[Stegel]

Not a E500E topic, but last year I replaced the engine and gearbox mounts on my wife’s S211 - Lemforder parts, all made in Germany. I’ve just ordered the same for our CLS - engine mounts made in China, transmission mount from India. How, and indeed if, they differ from the stuff now on the 211 I don’t know, and certainly none of the rubber smells as rank as the genuine MB SEC rear subframe mounts do, but indicative of “global trends”. The Knecht transmission filter, most surprisingly, also hails from China - it has a “Mahle group” logo on the box and moulded into the filter; the MB filter I last fitted to a 722.9 transmission had Mahle and “made in Germany” moulded into the body of the filter alongside the MB logo.

I’m hoping the quality control applied by the supposedly reliable brands means that the parts are not inferior to that produced in former plants and years, but certainly picking your way through the options when buying parts is ever more difficult to do with certainty.

 

[emerydc8]

Has anyone tried this BBR power steering seal kit from Germany? I didn't see it on the list and it looks as if Mercedes has discontinued it.

 

[TerryA]

Has anyone tried this BBR power steering seal kit from Germany? I didn't see it on the list and it looks as if Mercedes has discontinued it.

I would like to hear if these work out for you. I am contemplating resealing my pump. OR at least the extra pump I have in my very limited and small stash of parts.

Any info on these NLA parts would be appreciated by myself and I’m sure Others here on the 500Eboard.

 

[gerryvz]

I bought one of these tandem pump seal kits from one of our members to have as a spare on hand, though I likely won't need it for a while as I re-sealed my pump using the factory seals (they were still available) a some years ago. I did a HOW-TO on this job.

That said, I wouldn't have any problem using this particular kit on a rebuild, given that it is made in Germany and should be of better quality than a kit made in a third-world country.

@TerryA -- don't re-seal your pump unless you have confirmed that it is leaking, particularly the SLS portion. What prompted me to do the re-seal job was mainly a leak from the "power steering" portion of the pump. I believe it was probably more the result of a leaking/weeping "short hose" between the pump and PS fluid reservoir, rather than a leak in the pump itself.

I think a lot of folks get fooled because of a PS leak, that the pump is bad/leaking, when in reality it is just the short hose that is leaking.

Nevertheless, I decided to do the full pump reseal job anyway, as a proactive thing. It was not a fun job, although I didn't have the issues that some have had with regard to the difficulty of removing the tandem pump/backing plate from the front of the engine. It helps to have a plethora of ratchets and associated swivel joints, extensions, and such, to reach the bolt or two that are hard to get at.

Replacing the short hose is something that EVERY owner should do as a proactive maintenance item. It's not horribly hard to replace, but after 25+ years, if it's not been replaced, it's only a matter of time before it leaks or seeps. We've had many members who have had to replace theirs.

 

[JC220]

I bought one of these tandem pump seal kits from one of our members to have as a spare on hand, though I likely won't need it for a while as I re-sealed my pump using the factory seals (they were still available) a some years ago. I did a HOW-TO on this job.

That said, I wouldn't have any problem using this particular kit on a rebuild, given that it is made in Germany and should be of better quality than a kit made in a third-world country.

I will caveat this and say that I had another Febi "Made In Germany" aftermarket seal kit for a m119 tandem pump and it was not good. Seals were poor quality and incorrect shapes! So dont assume german made always means good. Someone needs to USE one of these kits posted above first and then know if It was any good.

Yes this was a item clearly marked as made in germany. Most likely one factory is producing these seal kits so be aware of this. The genuine MB seal kit was alot more expensive (I had the expensive type of seal kit) but fitted perfectly.

Finally- I do not hoard seal kits like this. They should be ordered fresh when required ideally.

 

[gsxr]

Which power steering pump seal kit is still NLA from MB? Late 2019, the kit which had been unavailable, was orderable again from the MB dealer...

 

[gerryvz]

Which power steering pump seal kit is still NLA from MB? Late 2019, the kit which had been unavailable, was orderable again from the MB dealer...

I just ran a check on both part numbers, and it does seem like they are both available.

For Vickers/LuK tandem pumps: 000 460 45 80 (MB parts availability link) (RevParts link)

For ZF tandem pumps: 000 460 37 80 (MB parts availability link) (RevParts link)

Both available from MB, per above links.

The RevolutionParts sites seem to have been updated to reflect availability.

 

[emerydc8]

I just ran a check on both part numbers, and it does seem like they are both available.

For Vickers/LuK tandem pumps: 000 460 45 80 (MB parts availability link) (RevParts link)

For ZF tandem pumps: 000 460 37 80 (MB parts availability link) (RevParts link)

Both available from MB, per above links.

The RevolutionParts sites seem to have been updated to reflect availability.

Great! I will order a new seal kit (probably several) from Naperville and wait. I thought that once NLA for a part like this they were finished for good.

EDIT: The pump seal kit for my 95 E420 (000 460 43 80) is still NLA on Naperville's website. Looks like I'm stuck with the kit I have. I checked the radial shaft seal (021 997 77 47), which is really the only part I'm concerned about, and it is also NLA. My pump is a 129 460 26 80 (non-tandem ZF).

 

[gsxr]

Jon, remember those part numbers for the tandem pumps on the 500E with SLS.

Your E420's will use a different seal kit, for non-tandem pumps. (I think those are also available, btw.)

 

[emerydc8]

Jon, remember those part numbers for the tandem pumps on the 500E with SLS.

Your E420's will use a different seal kit, for non-tandem pumps. (I think those are also available, btw.)

Okay. I didn't realize they were still available. Should I just go ahead and order from Naperville even though it says NLA? In any case, I went ahead and resealed the pump today since it was leaking. I thought it might have been the short hose as GVZ mentioned but it was bone dry from the last time I replaced it. I don't remember when. And I don't remember when I last resealed the pump, but the radial seal was green. Maybe I got it from Autohaus? The new seal is black. I think the seal was the culprit since I couldn't see any leaking elsewhere. Can anyone trace the manufacturer of this seal to any company on the list on page 1 of this string? Is it KAGO?

 

[gsxr]

I'm getting a lot of "No results found" for a bunch of different parts at Naperville, Husker, and most other online dealers. Looks like a catalog glitch. MB Classic shows 000-460-47-80 as "available", although you'd have to call a dealer and have them check inventory worldwide to confirm. This is the seal kit for the E420 ZF power steering pump (not LuK/Vickers, which uses a different seal kit).

https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A0004604780?tt=manual

The .034 power steering pump seal kit for LuK/Vickers appears to be available (click here), for anyone that needs it.

 

[LWB250]

Not a E500E topic, but last year I replaced the engine and gearbox mounts on my wife’s S211 - Lemforder parts, all made in Germany. I’ve just ordered the same for our CLS - engine mounts made in China, transmission mount from India. How, and indeed if, they differ from the stuff now on the 211 I don’t know, and certainly none of the rubber smells as rank as the genuine MB SEC rear subframe mounts do, but indicative of “global trends”. The Knecht transmission filter, most surprisingly, also hails from China - it has a “Mahle group” logo on the box and moulded into the filter; the MB filter I last fitted to a 722.9 transmission had Mahle and “made in Germany” moulded into the body of the filter alongside the MB logo.

I’m hoping the quality control applied by the supposedly reliable brands means that the parts are not inferior to that produced in former plants and years, but certainly picking your way through the options when buying parts is ever more difficult to do with certainty.

I just bought Lemförder mounts for my 1998 S210 - 2 motor mounts and a transmission mount. The motor mounts came in the standard blue Lemförder boxes and were labeled as "Made in Germany". They passed the smell test. The transmission mount came in a blue box also, but there were references to "ZF" on it as well, and the country of origin was India. The rubber passed the smell test, however.

I would be more concerned about the motor mounts coming from another country. Looks like everything should be OK.

Dan

 

[emerydc8]

I'm getting a lot of "No results found" for a bunch of different parts at Naperville, Husker, and most other online dealers. Looks like a catalog glitch. MB Classic shows 000-460-47-80 as "available", although you'd have to call a dealer and have them check inventory worldwide to confirm. This is the seal kit for the E420 ZF power steering pump (not LuK/Vickers, which uses a different seal kit).

https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A0004604780?tt=manual

The .034 power steering pump seal kit for LuK/Vickers appears to be available (click here), for anyone that needs it.

Thanks Dave. Maybe I'll just order the seal kit and see what happens.

Dan, I ordered two motor mounts from Naperville for my W140 last month and they came with the BBB hand-written on them. Not sure what that stands for. Maybe Boge? Anyway, for $260 each they were definitely the real thing.

 

[emerydc8]

Can anyone trace the manufacturer of this seal to any company on the list on page 1 of this string? Is it KAGO?

Found it. It's KACO seals. https://www.kaco.de/en/products/mechanical-seals/
I don't know if they are an original supplier to ZF, but they are originally German. They opened a factory in China in 2009.

 

[JC220]

Found it. It's KACO seals. https://www.kaco.de/en/products/mechanical-seals/
I don't know if they are an original supplier to ZF, but they are originally German. They opened a factory in China in 2009.

Kaco is correct and are a OE MB parts supplier. 722.3 and 722.6 transmission seal kits from Febi and MB have Kaco seals inside. High quality stuff

 

[linjam]

I bought one of these tandem pump seal kits from one of our members to have as a spare on hand, though I likely won't need it for a while as I re-sealed my pump using the factory seals (they were still available) a some years ago. I did a HOW-TO on this job.

That said, I wouldn't have any problem using this particular kit on a rebuild, given that it is made in Germany and should be of better quality than a kit made in a third-world country.

@TerryA -- don't re-seal your pump unless you have confirmed that it is leaking, particularly the SLS portion. What prompted me to do the re-seal job was mainly a leak from the "power steering" portion of the pump. I believe it was probably more the result of a leaking/weeping "short hose" between the pump and PS fluid reservoir, rather than a leak in the pump itself.

I think a lot of folks get fooled because of a PS leak, that the pump is bad/leaking, when in reality it is just the short hose that is leaking.

Nevertheless, I decided to do the full pump reseal job anyway, as a proactive thing. It was not a fun job, although I didn't have the issues that some have had with regard to the difficulty of removing the tandem pump/backing plate from the front of the engine. It helps to have a plethora of ratchets and associated swivel joints, extensions, and such, to reach the bolt or two that are hard to get at.

Replacing the short hose is something that EVERY owner should do as a proactive maintenance item. It's not horribly hard to replace, but after 25+ years, if it's not been replaced, it's only a matter of time before it leaks or seeps. We've had many members who have had to replace theirs.

Gerry, my 1992 Vickers PS pump is leaking quite badly, they tell me. A remanufactured pump will cost, it seems, around $400 or $500 dollars and $850 in labor to replace, for a total of $1200 - $1300. My mechanic is recommending replacing the pump because of its age. What do you guys think? Should I try resealing first?

Jamie

 

[gerryvz]

Hi Jamie,

Did they confirm the pump itself is leaking, or (much more commonly) one of the hoses is leaking? And is the power steering side leaking, or the SLS side of the pump?

I don't think the pump need be replaced -- it can be rebuilt with new seals. I have the HOW-TO as far as doing it. I would pursue re-sealing (if the pump seals are still available from MB, which I think they are) before replacement. Unless, when you get into the rebuild, something is scored or damaged inside the pump. If that is the case, then a replacement is in order.

But personally, I'd rebuild it. Removal and replacement is the primary labor -- the rebuilding process itself is only a couple of labor hours. It is somewhat of a "bear" to remove and replace, but I've done far worse jobs.

 

[gsxr]

First I'd want to confirm the pump is actually leaking, not hoses, as Gerry said. IME, about the only place the pump leaks is out the front shaft seal, which will only leak SLS fluid (not P/S fluid). If you are leaking a lot of SLS juice, and the front of the pump is oil soaked, the pump shaft seal is likely at fault. If you are leaking P/S fluid, and *not* SLS fluid, it is extremely unlikely the pump is leaking at all.

If paying a shop, they will charge you several hours labor to re-seal an existing pump, and it won't have a warranty... replacing with a rebuilt unit (with warranty) would make sense in this scenario. Cost will probably be a wash either way. $850 labor seems like a lot for a pump R&R. Book time for R&R is 4.4 hours, do they charge $200/hr?

As DIY, yes, re-seal instead of replacing. Much cheaper.

 

[linjam]

But personally, I'd rebuild it. Removal and replacement is the primary labor -- the rebuilding process itself is only a couple of labor hours. It is somewhat of a "bear" to remove and replace, but I've done far worse jobs.

Thanks, Gerry, but I'm not in a position to reseal it myself, and the time it will take him to do it will cost more than the $325 rebuilt pump from C&M Hydraulics, so I've just ordered a new pump. The existing Vickers pump is leaking both suspension fluid and hydraulic fluid, and not from the hose but from the pump itself.

If paying a shop, they will charge you several hours labor to re-seal an existing pump, and it won't have a warranty... replacing with a rebuilt unit (with warranty) would make sense in this scenario. Cost will probably be a wash either way. $850 labor seems like a lot for a pump R&R. Book time for R&R is 4.4 hours, do they charge $200/hr?

Thanks, Dave. Actually, he looked and the book calls for 6.5 hours to R&R, which means at over $180/hour, I'm looking at $1200 in labor. Ugh.

 

[gsxr]

Thanks, Dave. Actually, he looked and the book calls for 6.5 hours to R&R, which means at over $180/hour, I'm looking at $1200 in labor. Ugh.

I wonder what "book" they are using. I used the Mercedes ASRA, which is the factory labor time guide. For stritcly a pump R&R, it should be 4.4 hours. If he's doing other stuff, or has never done this job before, 6.5 is probably on target. $180/hr seems high for labor though. Ouch!

 

[linjam]

I wonder what "book" they are using. I used the Mercedes ASRA, which is the factory labor time guide. For stritcly a pump R&R, it should be 4.4 hours. If he's doing other stuff, or has never done this job before, 6.5 is probably on target. $180/hr seems high for labor though. Ouch!

He's done the job many times. He's the top guy at the dealership for teaching all the younger guys and is an expert on the older cars. Yes, the labor rate is crazy, but he doesn't set that. I'll look into the number of hours and try and figure out the discrepancy. Thanks. By the way, see my separate post in the transmission section regarding my new trans issue. Ouch again!

 

[linjam]

I wonder what "book" they are using. I used the Mercedes ASRA, which is the factory labor time guide. For stritcly a pump R&R, it should be 4.4 hours. If he's doing other stuff, or has never done this job before, 6.5 is probably on target. $180/hr seems high for labor though. Ouch!

He told me the dealership uses a different time guide than the ASRA, and it calls for 6.5 hours. He has no choice but to use it. Fairly annoying.

 

[linjam]

Btw, when R&Ring the PS pump, my tech noticed the regeneration line for the purge valve/charcoal canister was quite brittle with a crack in one section, so he replaced it. Maybe something for others to consider?

Jamie

 

[gerryvz]

An interesting article from FCP Yurro -- although it really doesn't say anything that most folks here don't already know.

However, check out their parts vendor list at the end of the article. Compare it to our list.....

OE Academy | FCP Euro

 

[emerydc8]

I would be curious if FCP has any insight, being a significant seller of OE parts, whether there will be any future runs for NLA parts we are seeing today.

 

[gerryvz]

Here's a video from FCP Yurro that talks about parts vendor "tiers"......

 

[gsxr]

Their explanation of "OE" and saying they are identical to "Genuine" is misleading at best. What they refer to as "OE" is what I call "OEM". The "OE" part is not always identical to Genuine! And, the mfr may be selling seconds/rejects that didn't pass Genuine quality standards and dumping the sub-standard parts on the aftermarket. This doesn't always happen, but it's possible.

Their definition is OEM is footloose and fancy free. Any company that's made any part for a marque can magically get this label. Kinda meaningless.

Claiming that Meyle can be better than Genuine was pretty funny. Maybe that's a BMW-specific comparison.

 

[maw1124]

I mean, at this point in the game just buy Genuine Mercedes whenever possible because it won't be possible for long. Most of my cars are rare and approaching 20+ years old at this point. Parts were never plentiful and it's only getting worse. You're not saving any money with other stuff. Maybe getting practice if you're DIY and doing it better the second time.

;-D

maw

 

[500AMM]

I guess that guy just follow the mainstream, he may be too young to even have experienced the real difference between OE, OEM and the still increasing, uncontrolled aftermarket - which is 100% China garbage. The terms OE and OEM are not protected titles and the car manufacturers don't manage to keep control of aftermarket copies. It would be an endless journey to start running extensive lawsuits for their copyrights. The OE/OEM terms are widely misused in the aftermarket business and the wholesalers and parts sellers don't care but embraces the situation with their greedy philosophy making big profit. For the general public which normally don't have much detail knowledge around this, they have to rely on what they're told over the desk at the parts sellers and workshops.

What I try to say is that everything is a blissful stir - the parts market is more or less destroyed, flooded of China garbage. And it seems that the public don't care as long as it's cheap enough. The only way to choke this would be to stop buying from China, but how can that be done with Amazon, URO parts, and all the spare parts vendors - who had a respected mindset around their quality, now pushing this at their best.

 

[emerydc8]

Is there any Chinese part for our cars that has been found to be equivalent to genuine? That’s what this guy should be admitting to.

 

[gerryvz]

It’s an oversimplification of explanations, for sure. Which is why I posted it.

We all know better and act accordingly. I’d say that few model-specific foeums out there have a Parts Manufacturer Naughty/Nice List like we do.

Now …. If we could just members here to STOP USING REVPARTS AND OTHER INACCURATE MB PARTS CATALOGS AND DIAGRAMS, and only use the EPC OR ISPPI, we would be in excellent shape.

What’s especially sad is that this forum has offered a downloadable EPC that can be run in a free virtual machine, for years …..