Ford cap and rotor on 400E??????? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

William73 · #16 02-09-2010, 10:29 PM

I LOVE the idea of a quality cap and rotor fitting a MB, that is sold as for another vehicle. Some MB owners will pay more for a part just so they can feel like it's better. I would love to hear what you find out.

88260e · #17 02-09-2010, 10:30 PM

Ford Pinto now thats a great idea, I bet I can get it for 50 cents:] All I was trying to do here is throw out some info I was given, to maybe aaaaaaaaahhhhhh I don't know save people some money!!!! Sorry if some people on here don't care about saving money. The way this country is going we might all be broke soon, Driving Pintos.

Hit Man X · #18 02-09-2010, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88260e

The way this country is going we might all be broke soon, Driving Pintos.

No, I purchase and drive what I like as I can afford it. Obviously you cannot afford to drive a near 20 year old MB if $200 for an ignition tune up breaks your bank.

Mercedes Guy · #19 02-09-2010, 10:48 PM

I look at it like this: Why risk damaging a nice Mercedes engine (big $$$) while trying to save a couple hundred dollars? I almost always buy OE parts and accessories because I can rest assured that they were designed for my car and won't damage any other components or systems. Better to spend the extra money on appropriate parts than to do damage that will require an expensive repair. Just my $.02.

JamesDean · #20 02-09-2010, 10:56 PM

I just replaced my cap/rotor on my m103: Bosch Made in Spain.

I mean how often do you really have to change this stuff?

Once every 30k? 60k? 75k at the most? So maybe once in 3-5 years depending on driving?

Granted things add up over the years, this breaks here, that breaks there...

I couldn't find any mention of changing the cap/rotor in the maintenance manual for my 190.

t walgamuth · #21 02-10-2010, 12:28 AM

I had a bad solenoid on my old Ferrari 250. I took it off the car and down to the local auto electrical shop and ask them to test it without saying what it was from. They were very cool and did not ask.

I followed the tech back to his test bench and watched him pull the solinoid off and walk back into the storage area. He looked around for about five minutes and walked out with a solinoid. After switching the linkage it was a bolt on replacement. He tested it and it worked fine.

He carried it out to the front desk and told them what number it was. They wrote me a bill for about $32. On it it said...."Thermo King Solinoid".

heh!

PS I wouldn't be surprised if they had a pretty good idea what it was from.

If a ford distributor cap fitted I doubt I would use it on my benz.....I might though.

pesuazo · #22 02-10-2010, 01:52 PM

Funny, when I had the 300E I used the O2 sensor from a ford mustang.
Did I have any problems?....NO
If Ford had distributor caps and rotors that would fit my E420.
I would use them. BUT I do no think Ford has anything that would fit the E420 (may be the O2 sensor).

mak · #23 02-12-2010, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88260e

Isn't some Bosch stuff made out of Germany now, maybe Spain or something not sure. I allways try to use Bosch stuff never had a problem with any of there stuff. Some people on here seem to not like there plug wires, but for half the price of OEM ???

[I] Bosch plugs made in india foul up quickly. I always prefer Beru plugs and leads .Just a personal preference by the built and feel of the product[/I]
mak

MTI · #24 02-12-2010, 05:54 PM

Ford, Volvo, many other brands, used Bosch components, just put into a FoMoCo blue box instead of an MB grey-blue one, so it is quite possible that there are other part crossovers like the O2 sensor.

Mercedes used Delco ac compressors before Nippondenso. . . Lucas brake parts . . . there's quite a list of suppliers.

johnjzjz · #25 02-14-2010, 05:47 PM

OK funny post but some is not all jest

it does look real close and some of those old timers can make you nuts : he is correct and wrong at the same time lots of 50s 60s American as well as the foreign at the time were interchangeable items, but that's over many years ago,

if you are short of cash than junk yard the part many good things can be had in a yard and should be - jz

JamesDean · #26 02-14-2010, 06:11 PM

We had this guest lecturer come into our senior capstone design class this past week. He was a EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) test engineer with Delphi. He presented how different products were tested in their labs. He had this giant list of tests they conduct, it was quite impressive. I've been to the test labs before. Theres quite a bit of money involved here. He also mentioned that the testing they conduct differs from company to company. They deal with primarily automotive applications, things for Mercedes, GM, etc. He said that the parts they test for Mercedes have a larger number of tests done on them to insure they meeting the mileage/warranty.

So I would surmise that other parts might work on our cars however the Mercedes designed one have typically been though a large amount of testing to ensure the quality.

He said they after a number of years they'll conduct field studies where they go out to junkyard and run the same battery of tests on the parts and more times than not they'll find that the parts are still fully functional..

He pointed out that every feature in the design served a purpose, everything was placed there for a good reason.

He also mentioned that they were currently testing stuff for the MY 2014 cars...I found that kind of interesting...

My senior design group is actually designing a new testing device for them....

88260e · #27 02-15-2010, 03:00 AM

JamesDean thanks for the info, makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kchemers · #28 02-15-2010, 08:10 PM

Bunch of snotty people here, just because it says Mercedes doesnt mean thats all you can use. Had a 1991 Volvo, needed a blower motor, Volvo blower motor $235.00, the kid at Autozone, yes Autozone said the blower motor from a Chevy would fit nicely, Chevy blower motor $18.95, still driving the car and getting plenty of heat from the Chevy blower motor!!!!!!!!!!!

NoSparkNeeded · #29 02-15-2010, 08:43 PM

I have a 12 cylinder Jaguar. MANY parts from other manufacturers will work.So much so there is a crossover guide for doing so. Some of those parts are actually made by the same companies and just re-labeled with the Jag Tag at many times the cost.IF you have the proper info, you'd be an idiot to pay 12x as much for a dealerpart. It does take effort and proper research to do this correctly, but for the time you spend, I'd say that you are saving without risking anything. The car parts industry is global now, so the incidence of proprietary parts, sure ain'tlike laptop computers. Many parts now are just the same part in a different box, marketed to a different demographic group. Do the research, and reap the rewards.

strelnik · #30 02-15-2010, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alamostation

Why should car companies re-invent the wheel, or for that matter the distributor cap?

Years ago, I had a '63 Sunbeam Alpine. Front shocks were about $100 in 1979. I took one to an auto parts store and they let me look through their inventory. Shocks from a Chrysler Newport were an exact match. $8 a piece.

Why should we be surprised if something from a Mercedes is interchangable with a cheaper make? Is a parts supplier such as Bosch going to make two different parts or try to sell the same thing to two different companies?

My uncle was a sales rep for a carberator company with a sales route in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. He sold the same design to a major motorcycle company, two snowmobile companies and a farm equipment company. The price difference in replacement parts was amazing.

I'm sure you can find many interchangable parts if you look. Actually the stupidest example was that the same GM alternator was priced differently depending on the way it was clocked. Take out the four long bolts, turn the mounts 90 degrees, put the bolts back in and the $29 alternator became the $89 alternator.

There was a time in the 50s and 60s when MB used parts like ignitrion parts compatible with other cars: Bisch, Bilstein etc. No more

Sometimes it matters, sometimes, not. you gotta check yourself.