500E / E500 Parts Manufacturer Quality List

[gerryvz]

Many folks wonder as to which brands (OEM and aftermarket) are good quality and are worthy of purchasing. Here is a listing (subject to change and modification over time) as to which vendors are "safe" to buy from and which ones have "caution" and "do not buy" flags.

This list is based on the experience and observation of 500Eboard members. This includes part materials quality, part fitment, part longevity once installed, etc.


Brands that are generally considered "safe":
Akebono (brake pads)
ATE (brake rotors, calipers, hoses, etc.)
Balo (brake rotors)
Bilstein (suspension and various parts)
Boge (some say should be in the "inconsistent" list)
Brembo (brake calipers and systems - questionable quality for aftermarket discs; may end up in the "inconsistent" section eventually)
Brose-Coburg (window regulators -- Magneti Marelli is ACCEPTABLE, but barely)
Bosch (electrical & ignition parts, pumps, motors, and other various parts)
Behr (radiators/cooling/HVAC & other various parts -- NOTE: As of ~2019, Behr may offer 2 versions of the same part, one cheaper/Chinese!)
Beru (ignition wires and parts)
Bosal (exhaust systems and catalytic converters)
Bruss (vacuum line, small rubber parts & seals)
CFW (an abbreviation for "Carl Freudenberg Weinheim") - W124/M119 grease/oil seals, W210 engine mounts, W211 suspension/steering components
CIS Flowtech (rebuilt M117 fuel heads)
Cohline (vacuum connectors, brake lines, fuel lines)
Contitech (belts & rubber)
Denso (A/C compressors - new & rebuilt)
Eberspächer (exhaust and related components)
Elring Klinger (gaskets & seals)
FAG (bearings)
Fichtel-Sachs (fan clutches, now Horton)
Gemo (speedo cables, throttle cables, brake and hood cables)
Graf (water pumps)
Hengst (oil and air filters)
Hella (various parts)
Hirschmann (antenna parts & trim)
Horton (fan clutches, was Fichtel-Sachs)
INA (bearings)
IWIS (crank and cam chains)
Karlyn (ignition wires, spark plug boots, ignition parts ONLY!!! Anything else = junk.)
Laso (water pumps)
Löbro/GKN (axles)
Leistritz (exhaust and related components)
Lemfoerder (a ZF Group brand; suspension components. Starting to change factories outside of Europe as of 2016, may end up in the "inconsistent" section eventually.)
Mahle (oil and air filters)
Mann (oil and air filters)
Osram/Sylvania (bulbs of all types)
Pex (brake pad wear sensors)
Pierburg (vacuum switchover valves)
Porterfield (brake pads)
Programa (rebuilt climate control assemblies)
Reutter (coolant overflow caps)
Sachs (some say should be in the "inconsistent" list)
SGF (flex discs)
Sitronic (monovalves/duovalves/heater valves)
Stribel (relays)
Swag (timing chain tensioners & other mech parts)
Sylvania/Osram (bulbs of all types)
Textar / Pagid / Jurid (brake pads - dusty SOBs)
Timken (bearings)
VDO-Siemens (vacuum parts, switches, various parts)
Victor Reinz (gaskets & seals) - generally consider good
Wahler (thermostats)
Woco (vacuum connectors, ACC vacuum pods, rubber gaskets, rubber exhaust hangers)
Zimmermann (brake rotors)


The "sometimes OK but inconsistent" brands list includes:
ACM (fan clutch is 1/5 cost of new, no catastrpohic failures reported yet)
Bremi (M119 distributor caps & rotors)
Corteco (rear SLS spheres, driveshaft rubber/pinion seals) <-- M119 Corteco engine mounts were Chinese junk!
CRP (Quality varies, may be Chinese parts)
Egelhof (OEM for the 124 expansion/TX valve in the AC system)
Elaplast (radiator hoses)
EZ Ziegler (acquired by Trucktec in 2010, which isn't a good sign)
Febi (trending downward, mainly a re-boxer of others' parts, generally low-quality and to be avoided)
Fischer & Plath (sealing rings, gaskets)
FTE (brake and clutch cylinders, hoses)
Hansa
Ina
KAE (not recommended)
Kostal
Lucas/Girling (OEM for many brake parts, should be OK)
Meyle (quality can vary by product line, but is rapidly moving towards the "Never Buy" list)
Nissens (radiators - not always 100% perfect fitment, and lack metal sleeve inside hose fittings)
Rein Automotive (a CRP company, some parts are made in China, some is reboxed junk - buyer beware)
Ruville (some parts made in Taiwan, click here)
Santech (o-rings)
TRW (Note: TRW is the OEM for certain MB steering/suspension parts, but some TRW aftermarket parts have proven to be repackaged Febi junk!)
Ulo
Vaico (hoses, suspension bushings - some parts are made in China)
Vemo (various electrical & mechanical parts - M119 Vemo fan clutch not recommended)




The "NEVER BUY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES" brand list includes:
Anchor Products
APA Industries (parent company of ÜRO)
Beck-Arnley (reboxer, used to be decent years ago for domestic parts)
Begel Germany (more info here)
Dorman
DPH
FAE (coolant temp sensors, oil pressure sensors, etc - questionable status)
FEQ (First Equipment Quality, check out their awesome website)
Hagus
Hamburg Tech
Jahn
Karlyn (Ignition parts may be ok. Maybe.)
MTC (Mission Trading Company)
Mevotech
Meistersatz
Python (rebuilt M117 fuel heads)
R&S
Trucktec
ÜRO (pure garbage!)

 

[sheward]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Nice information Gerry. Especially helpful to someone like Myself who doesn't buy parts often.

drew

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I would generally put anything on the first two lists on my car, with a couple of exceptions. I won't use KAE relays and I will no longer buy anything that is FEBI (I have a FEBI-boxed camshaft in my 560SEC). Unfortunately this stuff is so common on the aftermarket and people get suckered into buynig it because of the cost, not knowing that better can be had for not that much more bucks through sources like parts.com and MBFL.

 

[szvook]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I think you can add Brembo, Porterfield, ITG, Goodridge.

 

[Juho]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Nissens - indeed, belongs to OK list

Sachs/ Boge/ Lemfoerder = ZF - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list
Ina (belt tighteners ets.) - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list
Ulo (rear lights) - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list
Beru (glow plugs and ignition components) - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list


I would like to suggest to add a new manufacturer to "safe" list
K&F (springs) = Kraemer & Freund, part of ThyssenKrupp - OE suplier

http://p127717.typo3server.info/en/company/about_the_company/

 

[195910]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Nissens - indeed, belongs to OK list

Sachs/ Boge/ Lemfoerder = ZF - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list
Ina (belt tighteners ets.) - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list
Ulo (rear lights) - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list
Beru (glow plugs and ignition components) - OE suplier - should be in the "safe" list


I would like to suggest to add a new manufacturer to "safe" list
K&F (springs) = Kraemer & Freund, part of ThyssenKrupp - OE suplier

http://p127717.typo3server.info/en/company/about_the_company/

+1 , Sachs & Lemfoerder is OE quality. BERU sparkplugs and wires are OE, Nissens are TOP quality.

 

[samiam44]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Lobro/GKN for axles

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I have made a couple of changes to the list:

- added Karlyn to the "approved" list for ignition parts (wires, spark plug boots, etc.)
- moved Beru from the "OK" list up to the "approved" list

 

[samiam44]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Gerry,

Be careful with Karlyn- they are stricktly a re-boxer. The initial wave appears they are buying the same quality
suspension components and selling at a good discount, but that can change fast.

For bearings- Timken is OE for diff and #1 in quality. They can be purchase at Autozone or online at good discounts over a the MB box. FAG and INA are good.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I have been under the impression that historically, Karlyn parts have been of good quality -- particularly ignition related parts. If this is not correct and their quality has taken a nose-dive, then I am happy to move them down to a lower category.

I'd want to get input from others, including Jono, on this.

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I added Timken, INA, FAG to the list, alphabetized it, and moved a couple others around slightly with some modified notes, and added a couple of URL's.

More and more aftermarket items are being produced in China, some may be acceptable quality, most are not. I haven't yet received any OE "Genuine" parts made in China, usually the OE parts are made in Germany or elsewhere in Europe (Austria, France, etc). I've recently received a Mann transmission filter made in China (click here) and have heard of Behr evaporators made in China, and now Febi control arms...

 

[jhodg5ck]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

OE/Genuine parts are coming in from China..straight from the dealer. Been a few times now..so far, only electrical bits, but I'm sure that will only get worse.

Watch out for ATE, a LOT Of ATE has been coming in from China. Same with BEHR. The bulk of BEHR @ least..some is SA, very little DE.

IMHO, Programma is total trash, I won't go near their stuff. Beckmann 100%.

Jonathan

 

[DerFuror]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I have been under the impression that historically, Karlyn parts have been of good quality -- particularly ignition related parts...I'd want to get input from others...

The current ignition wire set on my W111 is Karlyn. Installed @ 3 years ago. Fed by 123electronic ignition & working fine. No details on the bag which indicate other than German origin...but, once again, this lot was produced 3 years ago.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

For the C126-heads among us ... I added Python to the "Do not buy" and CIS Flowtech to the "approved vendors" lists for rebuilt M117 fuel heads.

 

[Christian_K]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

You're missing the "Optimal KG" stuff, which is the same china-crap like Trucktec. I've test-bought 500E engine-mounts (price 20€ per piece) from them and despite looking "pretty good", the rubber seems to be so "hard" that you still feel any tiny engine-vibration inside the car, like with old broken OE mounts. The Bernard can confirm this and warned me over Facebook.

Why is "Victor Reinz" not on the "top" list?
Countless people i know bought their head-gaskets and other gaskets from them, they are also in the same price-range like Elring.

Meyle Parts are definitely not to put on the "red" list. My mechanic vows for Meyle "HD" (Heavy Duty) Parts especially for all axis/suspension parts. They have a extended warranty and are the same (if not better) quality than Lemförder. I think with Rubber-parts we can trust them, at least put them on the "yellow/orange" list.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I would consider putting Reinz (for gaskets) on the top list, but would want to get input from others. I don't think they are quite to the quality level of Elring (which is MB OEM).

Meyle would be on the lower list, and perhaps the middle list but only for a few parts. Their stuff is NOT up to OEM quality, particularly the rubber parts which don't compare fit nor durability to OE stuff (I'm talking door seals, trunk seals, etc.). I've just seen too much Meyle crap out there to put them on the good list. Some people talk about the newish Meyle HD strut mounts and such as being pretty good, but having a few decent parts and the rest of your stuff being crap is not a recipe for getting on the "good" list. The "good" list means that ALL of a company's stuff is OE quality and worthy of being installed on our cars. Meyle does NOT meet that status.

Jono can certain chime in here about Meyle.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Christian_K]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Well OK, seems there quality differences in germany to the USA. I don't know, because when i try google to search for anything bad related to Meyle and Quality, i couldn't find many in german language.
Also Reinz is at least in germany on the Audi, Opel, VW Front more used and trusted than Elring. You can find even topics were they put Reinz much in favor before Elring from the quality.
http://www.audifieber.de/audiforum/...dichtungssätze?p=482201&viewfull=1#post482201

"ich verbaue nur noch Reinz.....

inzwischen 3 Kopfdichtungen von elring bekommen die der letzte Schrott waren.

Von meiner Seite aus, nie wieder elring"

Translation:

I'm only using Reinz anymore.
In the mean-time received 3 headgaskets from Elring which were the last piece of crap.
From my side, Elring never again.

Also "Goetze" is mentioned in that Topic which *was/is* the OE for Audi/VW for gaskets.

Also the last post is interesting:

ich kann aus eigener Erfahrung sagen, dass es im freien Handel keinen besseren Dichtsatz als die von Reinz gibt! Bei Götze fehlt die hälfte, Elring ist nicht schlecht aber Reinz ist qualitativ hochwertiger. Teilweise sind Dichtungen von Reinz in den Dichtsätzen von Elring.
Mit VSD gab es noch nie Probleme genauso wenig wie mit dem Material von Reinz
Von AJUSA hab ich noch nie was gehört

Treanslated:

I can say based on my own experience, that in the free Market there isn't any better Gasket-kit available than Reinz! At Götze/Goetze half of the stuff is missing, Elring isn't bad either, but Reinz has the better quality.
Sometimes in the Gasket-Kits by Elring you can find gaskets made by Reinz.
With VSD (Whats that???) there were never issues and neither there were with the Material from Reinz
Never heard anything from AJUSA.

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I just can't agree that Meyle is in the same category as Uro / APA / FEQ, which are 100% garbage, across all of their product lines. Yes, some of the Meyle reboxed items are crappy, but not THAT crappy. I still say Meyle belongs in the middle list and are roughly equivalent to Febi as far as reboxing kwality is concerned. I've heard the stories about Meyle weatherstripping being sub-par but that is very different than their strut mounts or suspension items, which in general are acceptable, even if not quite up to OE/OEM standards.

Put another way: I have some Meyle parts on my cars and I'm not losing sleep over it. But I have zero Uro/APA/FEQ/etc parts on my cars.

Update Jan-2018: Over the past several years it's become apparent that Febi and Meyle are trending downward rapidly. I would no longer use either brand for critical parts unless the items were clearly reboxed OE/OEM, which isn't likely. See post #93 in this thread for details on a Febi failure.

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

FYI - the MB OE head gasket sets I've received have all been Elring. I bought a Victor-Reinz head gasket for an OM603 (diesel) and compared it to the OE Elring, and while it was similar, the Elring kit was slightly better... Elring also included a metal-reinforced intake gasket, while Reinz supplied a cheap paper intake gasket.

Edit: For the M119 specifically, the OE MB head gaskets are Victor-Reinz for 4.2L and 5.0L; while the AMG HWA- 6.0L head gaskets are made by Elring.

You'll always find someone claiming that a particular brand is junk, so unless you find dozens or hundreds or reports saying a brand is bad, I'd ignore the couple of whiners. You also can't validate whether the whiner installed the part correctly - for example on the head gasket, did he add sealants that were not specified by the factory? Did he use the proper torque procedure with an accurate torque wrench? Etc.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Hello all,

A quick note on philosophy and process here.

This list is VERY subjective and based on the experiences and observations of various folks. Manufacturers get moved around on the list frequently. The idea here isn't to niggle about whether one maker is good or bad on a particular product line, but really rather to highlight and underscore brands that should NEVER be installed on our cars, and also identify some that are in the gray zone.

In a number of cases I have personally observed poor quality (for example, Meyle door seals) side by side with OE parts, and indeed I have seen the difference. Generally my philosophy is that if one or more lines of parts from a manufacturer is sub-par, then it's reasonable to assume that they may well also be sub-par on other parts lines too. The manufacturers on the top list are generally providing consistent quality across all of their product lines. Another general indicator that can be quite telling are the prices by which various parts can be purchased. If an aftermarket part costs a small fraction of the OE price, there's a VERY good chance that the quality and materials used in the part are not up to the OE part -- the exception to this being if the aftermarket part is being offered by a known OEM and is the identical part to the factory part (for example, a Bosch fuel pump for the M119/M117).

I do realize that not everyone has the same philosophy that I do with regard to cost and quality. Lots of folks are perfectly willing to pay 25% of the cost of a factory part, to buy an aftermarket part that they know is of lesser quality, and install it on their car. And take their chances with the part not fitting well, or failing prematurely. And that is OK, but that's not the philosophy by which I created this list. As long as everyone is clear as to what they want to do, then it's all good.

This list will continue to change and evolve as parts makers continue to outsource their manufacturing operations overseas and to Asian countries. The middle list should be "use at your own risk; may or may not have a good experience"; the bottom list is "never use". Ultimately, one is going to have the best luck with MB OE parts.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Christian,

The OE MB head and intake manifold gaskets for the M117 that I received from MB, and also an identical set on the aftermarket, were Elring gaskets. I looked at the Elring and MB intake manifold gaskets side by side and could not find any material difference between the two. My philosophy is always that if an OEM is good enough for MB as the parts supplier, then all other things being the same it's good enough for me as an aftermarket part too.

Cheers,
Gerry

P.S. You can see the side by side photos of the Elring M117 intake manifold gaskets here

 

[Christian_K]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Yes Gerry, all gasket parts bought at MB are from Elring. And all gasket parts bought at *whatevercarmanufacturer* are from Goetze, or from Reinz, or whatever. So what i want to say is, that only because MB chose Elring as OEM, doesn't mean that Reinz or Goetze are "BAD" manufacturers, which they are clearly not. They are well known and well recommend by thousands of peoples in Germany, thats why they for me belong on the "green" list for sure.
What Dave said confirms this. The head-gasket looked very similar quality wise to the OE Elring, however in that "Kit" Reinz only provided a "cheap" paper-gasket for the intake (doesn't mean there is no better one available).

The discussion with Bernard over the crap "Optimal KG" engine mounts: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...63796474.31215.100000981044396&type=3&theater (need to be on Facebook and need to know me ^^ Gerry does ;-) )

 

[masterolsen]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Ant thoughts on Doduco caps for the M119?

 

[bing]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Caps, only go for OEM/BoSch as this a sensitive part of the M119 and very common failure/maintenance.

 

[masterolsen]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Caps, only go for OEM/BoSch as this a sensitive part of the M119 and very common failure/maintenance.

I know but the Mercedes EPC catalog for my car which is a SL with a M119.972 engine, states the name Doduco and Bosch for the dist.cap. with the same part number.

Thanks to all at this forum i fixed my hot start issue, and yez it was new dist.caps and rotors who fixed it.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I know but the Mercedes EPC catalog for my car which is a SL with a M119.972 engine, states the name Doduco and Bosch for the dist.cap. with the same part number.

Interesting. I've never known the EPC to specify a brand name on anything, particularly a part like a distributor cap. Generally it assumes you're going to use MB OE parts... and thus just provides the MB part numbers accordingly.

Could you provide a screen shot of where the EPC is talking about the Doduco and/or Bosch caps?

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

The EPC had listed different vendors with different part numbers. The old Doduco cap has been superceded / rolled to the Bosch cap. So although it looks like they are the same part number, that is not the case. You'll only receive Bosch caps from MB now.

The EPC sometimes specifies the brand of the part, spark plugs are a good example of this. EPC Group 7, subgroup 15-060, for caps/rotors/plugs.

Edit: The M119 OE MB dealer rotors are made by Doduco and are top quality. As of 2016-2017, Beru is selling reboxed Doduco rotors. I believe Klink reported that Doduco caps were poor quality and MB killed those off. There has been extensive discussion on brands for caps/rotors/insulators, search the forum for more details. Bremi is a second-tier part IMO. Even though Bosch is OEM for the caps, both myself and Klink have encountered a defective Bosch cap brand new out of the box. I like Beru caps but others reported problems with them. There's no simple solution for these items.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Interesting, thanks for the info/udpate. I guess I never paid attention to that, I guess because I always knew the brand names I wanted from MB or the aftermarket and between that knowledge (for example, wanting Corteco accumulators on my C126, or a Behr radiator for my E500) and the part number, that's all I cared about.

 

[masterolsen]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Well gerryvs i`m sorry but i don`t know how to make a screenshot of the EPC, but here is what it says:A1191580102 Distr. Cap BOSCHA1191580202 Distr. Cap Replaced by A1191580302 (414)The old part most no longer be installedA1191580302 Distr. Cap Replaced by A1191580102A1191580102 Distr. Cap DODUCO (403) Not usedWhat to make of it, i dont know, it says "(403) Not used" it has no notes what "403" means so i don`t know.The reason i ask is my new BOSCH Distr. caps that i installed, made in Spain, is somehow mmm..... not the same quality as the ones i removed.You are the bests thats why i ask if anyone had any experience with DODUCO.Beeing from Norway, hope you understand my english writing.Per B

 

[remotemark]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I suggest moving the KAE brand to the lower list. I've had several of their relays flat out not work when brand new.

Anybody have any thoughts on Kaehler?

Also, I see Rein and ACM on the inconsistent list. Is that simply because some of their parts are made in China or is anyone aware of part failures or poor fit?

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I am not a fan of KAE and will not install them on my car. If I see KAE parts on cars in the wrecking yard, I will pass them up.

The "not recommended" addendum to the KAE entry on the list is additional discouragement to buying them, and basically the lowest possible rating before they would drop to the "do not buy" list.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Also, I see Rein and ACM on the inconsistent list. Is that simply because some of their parts are made in China or is anyone aware of part failures or poor fit?

I believe it is primarily due to the (now) Chinese origin. I have not heard of any premature failures or problems yet with either of these.

 

[samiam44]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I've got a question on the supplier list:

CRPindustries (Conti rubber) it says approved for belts/rubber. Rubber what? They sell hoses, motor mounts etc. Is there upper and lower radiator hoses correct for 500e?
MM p/n AVEO258R, lwr hose CHR0218R and Upper CHR0280R.

Also they own Rein which is on the junk list. And they started the Meistersatz
brand in 1978 which is on the low Kuality list.

Michael

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Clarification: Rein and CRP are on the "middle" list. Only the bottom list is guaranteed junk.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I stick with the Conti brand for belts and tyres. Despite the affiliation, I don't buy anything with the CRaP brand. Meistersatz .... no way.

Most middle-list companies I'll avoid whenever possible, particularly if the factory part is not much more via parts.com. An exception could be like an ACM fan clutch vs. an OE MB part.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[J-Sauce]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Found a recently replaced manual belt tensioner on a 400E today. The only markings I found were on the bearing: "Made in Germany" and "LASO". I'm assuming it was a factory replacement? Nice score for $15.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Laso stuff is fine. Their water pumps are generally first-rate.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I have added a lot of web links to various manufacturers' web sites on the list.

Note - I am hearing that a lot of Continental belts are now being made in Romania and China and are not of the same quality that they have been in the past. My mechanic locally is now using "Made in USA" belts by Gates because he says they are of better quality than the Conti belts.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Happened to see a similar thread here: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w12...9-mods-make-sticky-part-manufactures-buy.html

And here: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum...st-list-where-parts-you-bought-were-made.html

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Here is AutohausAZ's official page on vendors. Notice they list URO & Meyle in with all of their better vendors...

http://www.autohausaz.com/html/auto_parts_shopping.html

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

This seems to be a useful page from Randy Steele, an experienced MB parts guy, about his take on the aftermarket vendors.

http://www.epsparts.com/contents/show/Product Information Index

Note what he says about vendors like Meyle. It's worth taking the time to read Randy's commentary about the various vendors.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[JordiC]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

MTC brand washer reservoir plug available at AutohausAZ for a whopping 99 cents. A few years ago, before this list was published, I ordered 2 for use in my Hella euro update, 1 to use and 1 for backup. The one I installed eventually failed and caused all the fluid to leak out. I figured no big deal as I had a spare. Today I pulled the spare, still stored safely in its original sealed bag, and when I removed the piece it crumbled in my hands. Thankfully it was a cheap and easy lesson.



MTC = certified dog poop.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I don't know whether to laugh or curse at the sight of that.....

So you would keep MTC on the "do not install" list ?!? :roll:

 

[emerydc8]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Maybe it's the same company that made the engine wiring harness.

 

[tomhanson]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Beck Arnley? They're still in business? Hard to believe. Meyle is a rebox company and inconsistent with their own suppliers. You'll never know what's in the box. Laso pumps, on older cars like a 4.5, tend to make the car run hotter. Don't know why, but that was the #1 complaint on them back in the day. When buying anything aftermarket, consider warranty and ease of replacing the part with something from MB if it fails in short order.

 

[samiam44]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Beck Arnley

Yea I don't remember whom they are associated with- import parts arm of car quest or napa or ?

I just got a late style belt tensioner given to me(Bonus)... Spring style, I'm not sure if it is the early late style or late late style. But the box is Laso made in Germany. I look currently and don't see them by vendors.

For CPS, does anyone have a preference? The metal sleeve one appears to be bosch. Pelican parts lists OE supplier as AB Electronik???


Michael

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Laso is., as indicated above, in the approved (top tier) vendor list. They are best known for their water pumps. I would be happy to put Laso parts on my cars.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I moved Woco up from the "OK" list to the "approved" parts list.

Woco is the OEM of the 124 and 126 rectangular vacuum pods, including the 126 pod I received from MB. I will take a photo of the WOCO logo on the pod.

 

[gsxr]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

Agreed... Woco is also the OE supplier for some transmission pan gaskets, they had the MB Star logo and part number ground off.

 

[gerryvz]

Re: 500E / E500 Parts Vendor Quality List

I moved Woco up from the "OK" list to the "approved" parts list.

Woco is the OEM of the 124 and 126 rectangular vacuum pods, including the 126 pod I received from MB. I will take a photo of the WOCO logo on the pod.

The old and the new 126 Woco vacuum pods are pictured below .. the OE pod on the left, and the new (replacement) pod on the right. Both pods' Woco logos are clearly visible.

I also added a web link to Woco.de from the above list.

Cheers,
Gerry