Dear Sir or Madam,
Is there a reliable hand held code reader for my 1993 300TE Wagon, that you would recommend/sell. My local shop charges $75 just to read the codes. I am also looking for a good shop manual for my wagon. This is my first Mercedes, and I am very impressed by the ride, but there is no way I can afford the upkeep without doing the work myself. In less than a month I have spent $750 in getting the air mass flow sensor changed ($590 for the part that was supposedly OEM, and that is why it cost so much, was actually a Bosch component) and $450 for a new vacuum shift delay relay. $150 of that $1200 total was for the diagnostic read.
Most of the detectors I am seeing say 1996 on. My regular mechanic can't read my codes because 1996 is as far back as he goes. So I have to go to the local high dollar foreign auto repair (porsche, BMW, Audi, MB etc) place to get the codes reads.
In summary I need:
1. A reliable code reader and the instructions to apply it.
2. A good manual for my 300TE.
3. To learn how to maintain my car. I am mechanically inclined and have taken care of my vehicles in the past, but the level of sophistication and the design approach in the Mercedes is new to me. I am patient and will put in the effort to learn, but would prefer to start my education with the best diagnostic and reference tools available.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Regards,
Lewis F. Sweeney
3800 West Devonshire Ave.
Apt G180
Hemet, Ca. 92545
(ducati.dude@roadrunner.com)