Assuming your car is in tip top condition,
and you are at stop in "D".Where is the
needle in the economy gauge should be
pointing? I am just wondering because
after a long trip,I notice that the
pointer is almost all the way to the left.
Do I have to be concerned about this?
1990 190e 2.6
Thanks in advance.

Clauser1

It should point to the left, economy side. It should only move to the red under load. Newer Benzes actually have a guage that reads in terms of MPG. Go to eBay and look at the pictures of dashboards. You will see that the economy gauge is calibrated in terms of MPG. Mine moves all the way to economy when stopped and not under load. Whether your gauge position is a sign of a major problem I can't tell.

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1989 300TE "Alice"
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1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
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Not in this weather!

THIS type of "economy" guage is merely a vacuum guage. IF the engine is under a load then you gauge will go into the red.

Mine is about halfway to the red at idle. Does this mean I have a vacuum leak? Thanks

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1988 190E 2.3 (178,000)
FastLane, PartsShop and this forum rule!!!

Could be Kodiak, it should read almost all the way to the left at idle (no load)... check the line from the engine to the gage for a break or crack.

Damn i wish my car had an Economy guage, thats my only pet peeve about my car. Something I wish I had.

Alon

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Brother of The Benz, Alon
If it wasn't that my W124030 has an Eco Gauge, I would install an attractive Stewart Warner Motor Minder Vacuum Gauge.
It would tell me more about the condition of my engine than the rinky dink gauge I have.
I may get one anyway now that the subject has come forward.
Alon, don't wish for something that is just a indicator of your throttle position.
Get a Good Gauge and thumb your nose at we who have the M/B thing.
As for the position of the needle at idle in gear, to the left. Not as when in nuetral. When cruising, to the left. Underload, to the right.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

is this gauge a good yardstick for
vacuum leak?

i use my economy gauge to check if the engine is strained for some reason at idle. When my O2 sensor was malfunctioning for example, the engine computer compensated and tried to maintain idle speed. And you can see the effect on the economy gauge.

or when you have your cruise control on, it's interesting to watch the economy gauge as the car encounters an incline on the road.

Brother of The Benz, Joel
If you knew what the manifold pressure was before a leak, then yes it would note a drop in manifold pressure, less vacuum.
This could be something other than a leak in the system; it could be an improper operating engine.
There are many things that the Econo-gauge can detect. It's the awareness of the owner to identify the needle when it is further to the right.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

Thanks mbmatt,
I opened the hood last night and sure enough, up by the fuse box there was a vaccuum leak. One of those rubber elbows was cracked. I taped it up for now and the econo gauge works perfectly. I think this may also be linked to the occasional stall that occurs. Dunno, gonna wait and see.

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1988 190E 2.3 (178,000)
FastLane, PartsShop and this forum rule!!!