ptcruiser

I have searched the internet to find the non resistor spark plug for a 1998 C230, and I can't find anything that is non resistor.
Does anyone know what plug meets what I am looking for?
Any guidance would be appreciated

ptcruiser

You would think this would be an easy one?

optimusprime m1

Are your sure they are none resistor plugs ?. These are what i found NGK BKUR6ET .

ptcruiser

There is a lot of so called yes an no posts regarding this topic. The car came with non resistor plugs, and the stated reason is the power packs for the spark plugs has a built in resistance from the factory. Apparently, by adding plugs with a built in resistance (The R in the plug code, represents they have resistance), then you get a weaker spark, and lower MPG. Also, the double resistance from the power packs and the resistor plugs can cause a failure in the in the power pack units. All this is technical advice, and I have been using R plugs, but I want to change back to original factory. It also has been stated that the performance will be enhanced using the non resistor plugs. So, hunting to find the factory original plug has been a dead end, and we are going back 20 years, and times have changed. I wrote MBUSA to see what they had to say, and they gave me a phone number and email address in California. This is what I got back.
Additionally, you may find it helpful to contact our Mercedes-Benz Classic Center. Mercedes-Benz has a Classic Center located in Irvine, CA that caters to vehicles that have been out of production for 15 years or more.The Classic Center can be reached by calling 1-866-622-5277 or emailing classicparts@mbusa.com.
I will call them Monday to see what they say.
I will post their response when I get it.
Thanks for looking into it for me, and as I said, I will post the results

ptcruiser

As a follow up, the Mercedes part number is A 003 159 68 03 (Bosch) There is a cross reference to Champion plugs that you can find on the internet. I had to buy them from Mercedes, and they were not cheap in comparison to most spark plugs.

optimusprime m1

By the way PT did you ever have a PTcruiser ? i wanted to purchase one somre time ago never did. But theres always time . And yes none resistors plugs are the way to go .One thing is dont have the Bosch Super 4 that bosch say will work ok in your car ,,they are resistor type plugs. I fitted a set in my m103 after i was told by Bosch it was thev right plug .. And only to find out they should have been none resistor plugs.

ptcruiser

I made sure that the number stamped on the plug metal nut, did not contain an R in the code number. Also they are a single contact from the electrode, which is correct.
These are NOS, so not easy to find. Ebay had them in the UK listings, and I would have bought them, but I needed them now. I will probably buy 2 more sets from the UK just to have in stock for later.
I had a 2005 PT cruiser turbo convertible. Black, and I redid the interior in black leather, upgraded the wheels, chrome overlay grill, which are hard to find for convertibles, chrome door handle protectors, front and rear bumper corner chrome moldings, and a rear bumper protection pad, so you don't scratch the bumper moving things in and out of the trunk, plus a factory car cover.
Opinion of the car, and I VERY rarely drove it, maybe 3 or 4 times a year, is it is a cute, eye catching car, but basically, a badly designed car, with almost zero engine room to work on it. Tons of rattles, because it was a convertible. Doors are huge, and not easy to open from inside, because of the weight, and the gas mileage was the worst I have ever encountered. If it got over 10 to 12 MPG, I was lucky.
When I finally sold it about a year ago, it had 32,000 miles. I had to replace the turbo, and BOV, which took a good 2 days, because of the lack of under the hood room.
Also the dash and on board computer needed to be replaced, which is not uncommon.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 3.
I will say, that when you punched it with the turbo, the sucker had lots more get up than I figured it would. Quite spectacular actually.
I just bought it as a toy, because I liked the way it looked.

optimusprime m1

PT .Thanks for the gen on the cruiser . I loved these the first day i saw them in the uk .They looked like a replica of an old type american car. So i think i will just have a good think about what else will fill the bill . Thinking about it i dint know when i last saw one on the roads localy. Regards Trevor uk

ptcruiser

Just out of curiosity, is rust a problem in the UK? I am not sure how the PT would hold up if that is the case. If your looking for something that I consider unique, and your in the right country to find it, is the old Morris Minor convertible, or the woody wagon. They are subject to rust, as it is unit body design, and comes with the wonderful Lucas electrical system, which falls apart just by looking at it. Regardless, they are super cool little cars, and lots of fun to putt around in.

optimusprime m1

PT The last classic i had was a Sunbeam Rapier 1965 . This was in 1988 She was built like a tank .Dont know why the others i saw were as rotten as a pear . Never had a problem with any electricals in any old english car i had .It was body work if anything . I even had a Jensen that the passengers floor fell out in the back . Put that down to it being a convertable. The strongest i had was the old Alvis TH 14 . But was running at 10 miles to the gallon she never last long in my garage . Austins you name the model i have had it . Most classics of to-day i can say i have had most of them . Another good car was my Saab 900 go forever, well made ..

ptcruiser

So, in a nutshell, you have maintained somewhat of your passion for cars. It is something that you either love, or don't give a damn about, but when you love it, it never leaves you. The costs of anything interesting to buy, has skyrocketed beyond the reach of most average peoples play money. I think for the moment, I may make one more purchase, and I am on the hunt for a mint AMG. I found one in Miami, but it got away. When I find it, that will be the end of my car playing days.

optimusprime m1

AMG very nice . I have this fetish for a Jaguar MK2 3.8 . I did have one back in the 70s that was very nice on top .But the tin worm had been in the bottom of the floor in the passengers foot well . It was going through a auction sales room .I turned up just as it was going through the sale. I had no time to check it over . Well on my way home with it , she was driving a little bit off . Like a bad brake problem . Well to put it short the chassis leg on rear wheel section was rusted through . I lost out on that one. But i just put it down to experience ..Still have the leaping Jaguar from the hood in my garage in the hope to fit it to another Jaguar in the future.[ Hope ]

ptcruiser

Here is a teaser for you. I took this in on trade for a house I was selling. Sold it quick, and now they are selling for over a million dollars. All I can do is shake my head. I allowed the guy about $20,000.00 at the time, which was a long time ago.
Lamborghini Mura SV
I was certainly a cool looking car, and you basically drove laying flat out, with your legs fully extended. There is a glass panel behind the driver, and you could see the bank of downdraft Webbers. I always though it would be a fun getaway car for a bank robbery. The big problem was the oil pump was electric, and you had to wait for the oil pressure to rise before starting it. I seriously doubted the bank robbery capability.

optimusprime m1

PT You only have these chances once in a lifetime .And looking at my Alvis against your Laqmbo i think your win hands down . My Alvis never had a chance to sit in my garage .At just over 8 miles to the gallon it was not a runabout .She was soon on the forcourt of the car lot for sale .And i took out another car from there that was more economical .

ptcruiser

It was sort of a once in a lifetime thing, and all I can do is weep about it.
Do you still have the 260E? I have spent the last 2 days, 8 hours a day, detailing my C230. Being retired gives me lots of time to waste. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say I am at 9.5. Only thing left for tomorrow, is some tiny touch ups from a few small stone chips.

optimusprime m1

PT Yes i still have the 260E I was not my choice .But a gift from my cousin who purchased a brand New Nisan 350 Z So afte a few years of sorting it out , i can now say its about 80% ready . Just the replacent of one front wing on the driver side . Its showing the tin worm in bottom edge passengers wing in the normal place. .Most all the repairs i did my self .And like you i needed a project after i had retired from work .It keept me going .All the repairs that tag along with these old girls , i know about by now.

ptcruiser

Touch ups finished, and looking sweet, for an old 4 door, base sedan. Just a nice smooth classic look. I am living in Mexico, but I am Canadian who took refuge in the year round wonderful sunny weather, about 30 years ago. Great place to live, and NO winters. I passed by the Mercedes dealer today to get a metric bolt I needed. All the people that sell bolts here seem to only carry standard thread. The parts guy said they don't have bolts, or nuts. I said you have to be kidding? What happens if a mechanic has a stripped bolt to replace? His reply was, they order it from the factory. Can you imagine how stupid that is. I just shook my head and left.
To top it off, they have a 2017 AMG coupe on the showroom floor. I checked the list price, converted it to US dollars, and searched it out on the US MB site to see what the difference was. Sit down for this one....$80,000.00 above US list price.
My neighbor has a 2016 E43 AMG, that lists for just over $70,000.00 in the US. It cost him $126,000.00 in Mexico. The dealer said the prices are non negotiable.
Isn't retirement wonderful....Play with cars, and chat with your friends at the local.

optimusprime m1

PT Your location sounds ideal . I have lots of nuts and bolts .I worked in enginering most of my life .Building and making parts for the car industry and Massy Ferguson tractors .Ford cars, along with Jaguar , and Rolls Royce , ..The containers we used to send these parts to the said company , on return would have nuts, and bolts, along with plastic bits and pieces in them , These i keept in a tin .Every now and then i would take them home with me ,,So after all these years i have a good selection of fixings .. Not many know this , but the tools for making the dashboard on the Rolls was made of ply wood .We also made the great big head lights for R.R The quantity was 20 a time .In which we would get 9 or 10 of them returned as -rejected and not good enough . You could try a breakers yard for bolts , or as they say in the usa, a pick and pull yard.

ptcruiser

I solved the problem. I am replacing the engine shock absorber, which is located at the front of the engine, and is simply old, and you could hear a slight rattle. The top bolt is easily accessible, and the bottom bolt requires removing the tensioner belt pulley.
The bottom bolt has a collar that fits in the rubber grommet of the shock. When I removed the bolt, something dropped, which I now surmise was nothing more that a washer. I got our my magnet extension. and tried to find what dropped, but no luck. I reassembled it, and everything went together, as it came off. The only thing that I could come up with, is a flat, or lock washer must have dropped, as it was probably behind the collar for security reasons.

I should have the new one tomorrow.
I love the Brit words for things, and it takes a bit of translation to figure it out. Bonnet for example? That one had me going for awhile. Here it's wrecking yard, or bone yard.
In Spanish, it's called campo de hueso. Field of bones is the translation. I have a Brit friend that calls a stove a cooker. I am still laughing over that one.
Never disclose your treasure trove of neat things, as you will get immediately picked over by new friends.
Tomorrow, along with the shock, I am replacing the MAF. My gas mileage dropped substantially, and I got a check engine light, which indicated the rear CO2 sensor. On the Mercedes Star analyzer, the MAF showed it was running rich, and hence, the sensor was affected. The Star analyzer is an amazing tool. Far beyond any OBD scanners on the market. Lucky, I found a Mercedes tech who had one locally, and pin pointed the problem in 5 minutes. Cost me $35.00, versus the dealer for $150.00