No comments about Mercedes-benz E-class: Petrol W124 & W210 Workshop Manual 1993-2000.

5 comments about Mercedes-Benz: Coupes/Sedans/Wagons 1974-84 (Chilton's Total Car Care Repair Manual).

1. This book is not all that bad. This is better than the Haynes manual any day. Its problem is that it is too vague. The only things it covers are the basic mechanical aspects. If you are having problems with say the vacuum system for the door locks on a 79 450sl, there is nothing. They lead you to believe that they have complete vacuum diagrams. In fact, most of the vacuum system is NOT covered.



2. AsI suspected whenI bought this book, it covers too many models and is far too thin on the ground. It is little better than a general maintenance book. In contrast to the Robert Bentley manuals which are 5 star+, I found this book to be of almost no practical value.



3. This book should be called the "Totally Useless Series". Below
   I describe a realworld example of the use of this book and how
   it fails to live up to its stated purpose.

   I just recently purchased this manual to work on a 1980 300D that
   I bought from a friend. I needed to replace the starter, so I got this book.

   I purchased this book sight unseen because repair manuals are
   almost always shrink wrapped at autoparts stores (I now think
   this may be because the books often stink, so they don't want
   potential customers to find this out beforehand and not
   purchase the book).

   So - how'd it play out?

   The instructions for removing the starter were (paraphrased,
   but only slightly condensed):
   1) Disconnect battery
   2) Remove electrical connections from the starter
   3) Remove the two bolts holding the starter to the bell
   housing.
   4) You might need to turn the wheels to the left or to the
   right to get the starter to clear.

   Here's what the instructions neglected to mention since they
   were written in the generic for the 50 trillion different
   mercedes models (gas and electric):
   1) The two bolts are really hard to get to, and will quite
   possibly be really torqued on. I was able to get the
   lower bolt to let go only after applying lots of thread
   penetrating oil and lots of heat from a propane torch.
   NOTE: You really can't get a breaker bar in there to
   undo the bolts.
   2) Should you actually manage to get the bolts off, you will
   find that it is nigh impossible to get the starter out
   from the bottom of the car (keep in mind this is the
   case for a 1980 300D - your car may be easier, but my
   point is, the manual made ZERO mention of this beyond
   the useless turn the wheels directive)

   I ended up removing the battery, battery tray (4 bolts, not
   hard), and the intake manifold (harder but doable). Once I did
   this, the two bolts holding the starter to the engine block were
   relatively easy to get to (I still had to use a bendy head and
   shaft ratchet).

   Let me re-iterate, the Chilton's manual had no model specific
   instructions and thus did not help me with this task.

   Other areas where the manual was sadly lacking (either because
   the information is just not there, or because it's not findable
   from the index or via skimming):
   - No mention as to where the oil pressure sender is, much less
   if it has an electrical connection or a pressure connection
   to the instrument cluster
   - The instructions for removing the intake manifold were
   missing if you went by the section headers (only intake
   manifold removal instructions were for the gas V8). The
   instructions in the exhause manifold section were sortof
   right, but they didn't make any mention of the EGR valve
   on the underside of the manifold, much less how to
   disconnect the tube between the intake and the exhaust.

   On the whole, I feel that too much of this book is wasted on
   generic car stuff (eg. rotating tires) and trying to cover too
   many models in one place.

   Chilton's manuals used to be the car "bible", but sadly this
   doesn't appear to be the case anymore.

   I'm buying the Haynes manual (though I hear that Chilton's
   parent company now owns Haynes as well - hope they don't go down
   the tubes too)
   - diesel, 123 series isbn: 0856966975




4. Im driving a Mercedes 280SE 1979, and that kind of book gives me ideas and help to repair it.
   I think its very intresting to get information for maintenance and reparations; nobody is better to repair your own car as your selve!
   (Sorry, my English is terrible!)
   Best regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina.



5. This book is of no use if you own a diesel model.There are only a few pages that mention anything about diesels and they are vague.

No comments about Mercedes-Benz 280-560SL & SLC: W107 series Roadsters & Coupes 1971 to 1989 (Essential Buyer's Guide).

5 comments about Illustrated Buyer's Guide: Mercedes-Benz (Illustrated Buyer's Guide).

1. This is pretty much an essential book if you're thinking about acquiring a Mercedes, or just want to know your way around the line. Great explanations of features. Great info on the various models and how they changed over their years of production. Lots of photos and tables with specs. Succinct and to the point. Definitely worth getting.



2. The title is very misleading. Remember that this book has not been updated since 1998, so unless you are looking to buy a car older than '98 this is really not a "buyer's guide". It has good coverage of Mercedes historically, so if you want to know about the various models from a collectors point of view this book would be appropriate, if you are in the market for a current model Mercedes ('98-'01) do not waste your time with this book.



3. Frank Barrett, as editor of "The Star," the magazine of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, has become THE guru for classic Mercedes-Benz knowledge. I've been in the Mercedes business for 20 years. I'm considered very knowledgeable about Mercedes-Benz. But when someone talks about acquiring a classic Mercedes, I tell them to first buy this book. It can save a prospective purchaser a lot of money. It also acts as a quick source for statistics I've long since forgotten. It's a great reference book I'll expect to have available at my desk for a long time. It's well written, interesting, and accurate. If you need information about pre-owned or classic Mercedes, buy it.



4. This book is invaluable to MBZ lovers. It is written with love and experience and knowledge. If you've seen the others in this series (BMW, Jaguar, Corvette, Porsche, etc.) they simply don't compare in quality. The photos are terrific; the advice honest.

   This is a must have for any MBZ lover.




5. will appreciate this fine book . . . an excellent reference for ANY Mercedes-Bens enthusiast, collector, researcher, etc.

   Lots of black and white photographs with a brief synopsis covering virtually all "production" (and a few non-production "custom-prototype") Mercedes cars from 1886 thru 2002.

   Anecdotal information tells you why your particular model/version of a Mercedes car could be important.

   Has an "Investment Rating" potential table.

No comments about Silver Arrows: A photographic history of the Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union.

2 comments about Mercedes Benz 124 Series (85-93) Service and Repair Manual (Haynes Service and Repair Manuals).

1. A solid built book. Good pictures and easy to understand. If you have a decent stock of tools yo can perform practically any minor job and some medium level repair work in your Mercedes Benz 300E. If in doubt take the book to a non dealer Mercedes Benz shop and ask a mechanic for a further explantion. You will save a lot of money.
   An advise: Read the needed repair instructions SEVERAL times until you have identified the parts and visualized the procedure.



2. This manual shares the common fault of any manual that tries to cover too broad a range of years and models- it simply has little or no useful specific information on the sort of repair questions that (I believe) most purchasers would buy such a manual for. This manual tells me in a very general manner how to rebuild the 6-cylinder engine in my 300E but it gives me absolutely no information on the auxilary cooling fans. I'm betting that fan problems occur a lot more frequently than motor rebuilds. The wiring diagrams are useful if you happen by chance to have the one model that Haynes chose to print. Save your money and buy the real from M/B, even if it costs 3 times as much.

3 comments about Daimler & Benz: The Complete History: The Birth and Evolution of the Mercedes-Benz.

1. After being disappointed by Adler's Duesenberg book, I approached this book with some trepidation. In the Duesenberg book,the one redeeming factor was the excellent photos. This book, Mercedes-Benz, not only exhibits worthless and erroneous history and information, the photos are a huge disappointment. Poorly cropped, over or under-developed and poorly printed, this book will become the first automobile title that I will actually return for a refund; it will not find its way onto my bookshelf!



2. Adler has done it again with a sumptious book showing the true evolution of the marque. Original photogaphy of very rare cars is complimented by museum archive shots, most of which I've never seen elsewhere. What amazed me was the 1930's poster art as well... Stuttgart clearly gave him total access!
   No stone unturned, here are the cars we all love (and sometimes drive - or dream we could drive).



3. JUST RECEIVED THIS BOOK AND AM WELL PLEASED. I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME FAN OF MR. ADLER'S BOOKS AND MUST SAY I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH HIS MERCEDES BENZ SILVER STAR CENTURY BOOK. THE NEW BOOK IS MUCH MORE OF WHAT I'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM MR. ADLER. ENTHUSIASTICALLY WRITTEN, MUCH MORE DEPTH OF MODEL COVERAGE, EXCELLANT PHOTOGRAPHS, ETC. I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 1ST MERCEDES, A 1993 600 SEC. AFTER HAVING OWNED VARIOUS ENGLISH CARS, LOTUS, JENSEN ET AL. I NOW KNOW WHAT THE FUSS IS ALL ABOUT. A BEAUTIFUL CAR THAT WILL ACTUALLY GET YOU TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. THIS BOOK FROM MR. ADLER IS A GREAT WAY TO GAIN A SENSE OF WHAT MERCEDES BENZ IS ALL ABOUT FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME. THANK YOU MR. ADLER

5 comments about The SL Experience: The Ultimate Mercedes-Benz SL Resource Book.

1. I agree fully with David L. Stanley's review of this book. To spend over $60 on a publication that contains advertising is ridiculous. Granted, it does contain some useful technical information, but the bulk of this book serves as a diary of the author's adventures. If your looking for useful information when purchasing a Mercedes SL, there are plenty of other sources. For the price, this book might qualify as a coffee-table collectible, but its small size and print prevent even this. I will probably be throwing this one into the fire, so I won't be reminded in the future of how bad a ripoff it was.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, which is written by a real automotive enthusiast. I actually read its 350 pages in two days -- I couldn't put it down. As an owner of a dozen Mercedes-Benz automobiles, I enjoy reading everything I can about these cars and this book, while it had some things I knew, was rich in lots of details that were new to me. I'm going on a trip soon, and I'll take it along and read through it a second time. The $60 price ... not a bad deal. That's lunch at the Williamsburg Inn for my wife and myself.



3. This is a must have publication for anyone that owns currently or who has previously owned or will one day own a SL of any year.



4. The book was full of glossy pages, there was a lot of information on the most expensive SL (GullWings etc) not so much practical information on the the newer models from the 80 and 90. The watch out for what you are buying guide was only limited to general common sense, the book was informative but not worth the price, will there be a paper back addition?
   However I did read it in a week as I was interested in the subject, there was a lot of history in the book, I wanted a book that would be a buyers guide this has some of that but mainly the history of the SL and where you can drive it if you are a millionaire.The SL Experience: The Ultimate Mercedes-Benz SL Resource Book



5. The best book I have found on the history of the Mercedes SL. Easy to tell the author has a passion for the subject. I keep it handy as a resource book to refresh my memory about the features of this exciting line of automobiles.

5 comments about Mercedes-Benz 190, 1984-1988 (Haynes Manuals).

1. I've relied on the thoroughness and quality of Haynes manuals for two other vehicles so I was really disappointed in this one. The quality SEEMS to be there but it is not at all thorough. It does include a broad array of topics including "windshield washer water contact areas" (with measurements down to the last millimeter - WHY?!) but when it comes to the specific jobs I need to do, I couldn't find: any specs, diagrams or other info about the vacuum system, how to test and troublshoot the temperature sending units and gauges (to get the fan clutch to engage), how to check the vacuum modulator on the auto. transmission (plenty of info for the manual), how to get the tachometer working, how to get the fuel gauge/sending unit working etc. Maybe I just got unlucky and all the car's problems are rare, but this manual has not helped me with a SINGLE one so far. I'm confident that the book will be of value for future projects on the car but I'm going to have to turn elsewhere to get the information I need now.



2. Amazing source of information on the inner-workings of the MB. I have saved $ and been able to diagnose and fix problems that without it would have cost me big.



3. As its been said since Time's inception..you get what you pay for. If you make a habit to read other folks comments before buying [wise choice],or real smart and use your tax-payer-funded local library to preview stuff
   before buying you can maybe use the money for an evening out instead. To reiterate what others have said on these reference texts, I'll just reiterate their comments: some possibly handy diagrams & torque specs; some areas are more involved & advanced for the average backyard joe to tackle...and their "steps" always seem to leave out important steps or the fact you might need specialized/high $ tools; the first half of the book I would say is generally wasted on material/info only a machine shop or experienced "car guy/gal" would generally handle; some of the info/pages are common sense for the simplest weekend warriors and only barely good for rainy day reading to waste time and show you how much you probably already know, already done, can figure out on your own, and how stupid you now feel for wasting [$...] Like one reader said: invest in a factory CD or service manual if you're gonna get be getting dirty or into the nitty gritty of things; not his exact words, but thats my rendition of it; but
   overall, not necessarily a bad deal for a couple of bucks since it has some pretty pictures and explosions to help make some things seemingly 'idiot-proof'[as we used to say in the military]. Like I said,not bad for for the money & rainy day reading- but it aint gonna get you un-stranded if you get in over your head :) whether by by accident, or by a false sense of confidence derived from relying solely on this book. Me, I'd rather experiment on my own, even if i bust something as it leaves a more lasting impression than this book! Hope this helps someone.



4. My husband finds this book very helpfull as he repairs all our auto's this book is easy to understand.Also very informative.Good car repair book



5. Price was right. Book arrived quickly and in good condition. Company is good to deal with.

4 comments about Mercedes-Benz: 110 Years of Excellence (Enthusiast Color).

1. To me this was a really good book. It tells the whole history of Mercedes starting with thir first "horseless cariage" ending with the "SLK-class" It is a very good book. It has many color pictures in it showing you very good detail of all the cars. I suggest this one to everyone.



2. This is a fairly good book for someone that is just learning what Mercedes-Benz is all about, but it lacks the deeper details that a true Mercedes devotee would be looking for. This book has a great many beautiful color photos of older collector models from various private collections. Not much info here for people looking for more information about the daily-driver Mercedes. Also the book is somewhat dated now. The history in this book ends before the A-class and the SLK were in production!



3. I found the information from the early years to the present fascinating and the pictures available quite striking. However, the major emphasis was prior to 1990, and provided very little about my daily driver, a 1995 S600, even though published in 1995. More was detailed regarding the upcoming models for 1997. I would recommend this publication as a remarkably comprehensive yet concise presentation around the pre-1990 history of Mercedes-Benz.



4. Adler depicts the majesty of the noblest products of German automotive history in a mixture of words and images. The photography is gorgeous and covers a range of cars dating from before the turn of the 19th century to the late 1990s models. I especially loved being able to see the inner workings of the 540K from the 1930s.