Deleted for complete lack of interest/assistance.

 

OK, here's the story for anyone who's interested.

After experiencing the bad idle after changing all ignition coils, O2 sensors and Mass Air Flow Sensor, I decided it was time to look for an air leak. Maybe that should've been first, but the other things were going to get changed anyway as I had just bought the car and it wasn't my first MB.

Spraying starting fluid around the MAF made no difference but...an erroneous and random "squirt" at the back of the intake manifold provided a clue as the rough idle cleared up immediately.

I felt around the back of the manifold to see if a large rubber vacuum line had cracked or was disconnected and that's when I found a rubber stopper inside the fitting that is circled above.

Short version: The intake manifold or possibly the entire engine is a replacement. The 2003 E320 does not utilize a brake booster which is what the circled object is a connection for. Would've been nice if I had that little piece of info from the forum members but nobody was interested.

My communication with the online "expert" resulted in his playing me along and trying to get more money out of me. I simply asked "What is this and why is it on my car?"

He wanted my VIN # and other data then he would "tell me his train of thought". Maybe he thought I was an idiot and thought that I believed I had a 2003 211 when it was something else but I hate it when "experts" start making assumptions.

I told him to go p*ss up a rope and never bother me again. He was less than helpful and that left me finding out what the fitting was and all the rest.

As it stands, the car runs fine as I replaced the homemade rubber stopper that was in the booster fitting with a better one and secured it with silicone. I don't care if it's a junkyard motor because I paid very little for the car. It buffed out beautifully and runs and drives very well. It has its problems as the '03-'05 211's are known for but I have all the accoutrements to troubleshoot and do my own work. I sometimes just need a small tidbit of information.

Honestly, I guess I shouldn't be annoyed that people on this forum didn't know what it is. Granted my little bad idle problem isn't interesting. However, I'm letting this be info for the next guy who comes along and can't figure out why their car has a bad idle.

When I bumped the rubber stopper and it came out, naturally the car didn't run at all. Classic too-much-air-at-idle. Had this happen on a 1985 Mitsubishi Montero in 1988...My memory served me well as to how to go about searching for an air leak like that.

Problem is solved....and confirmed that the 2003 E320 is not supposed to have this booster fitting. I examined another '03 E320 parts car and that fitting is absent because the car has an air pump.

EDIT: Looking at the intake manifold removal photos from Pelican Parts, they show the E320 as having this fitting (with no associated connecting vacuum line to a brake booster) so I'm thinking it may be normal on some VIN #'s. Again, if the "expert" had just told me this up front instead of fishing for money, I'd know it already.

Hope others can find the information useful.

Cheers

#6