GDawgC220

just got the call from the dealership...what is the center link up front? he wants $650 for parts and labor to repair that...on top of my already bill that i have. Is that piece an important part or what? can i wait if its not that bad? thanks.

scorchie

Center link is the part that holds the tie rod ends and is held by the idler arm and pitman arm. It basically keeps your wheels pointing the same direction, and transfers the steering box motions to the wheels.

-s-

GDawgC220

dealer wants $700 to fix it. on top of that, i need a rear main seal and front pump assembly because of a leak and that job costs $2800. So much damn repairs on my car...i think i'm going to just drive it till it quits. what do you all think i should do?

fast mayte

check a local mechanic, those shouldn't be too hard to replace. just get the parts from the dealer or junkyard. the centerlink, definatly junkyard ( www.car-part.com ). thats gonna be the cheapest way. then get it aligned at firestone or something. 60 bucks. i paid 100 for lifetime free alignment.

scorchie

Too bad about your front pump seal. It's like a 30 cent part but you have to take the whole transmission out to replace it. Same problem on my 190E. Transmission is out of that car right, getting the seal replaced. If you drive it out here we'll help you do it.

-s-

GDawgC220

yea, my SA said parts are cheap, but it's labor intensive due to the removal of the tranny and stuff...arg. he told me just to keep an eye on the oil level at times and since its a small leak/seep, he said i would probably get about 50-60k miles left. i've had leaks b4 where they sealed themselves up, i think from over time, they crust and harden to form a new seal, lol. maybe i pray for this to happen too. :p

GDawgC220

gonna bring it to a local mechanic we use for our business cars...hopefully he'll give a better quote.