backfiring

I would appreciate any help here. C180 1997 62k miles. The car starts ok from cold and then within a few seconds or so the revs climb to about 1200rpm. The engine then hunts and pops like small backfires until it warms a liitle a few minute later and returns to 700rpm. The car then drives...

Well here we go again. she starts, she run's perfectly, she's get's up to temp, then she's cut's out! after she die's and I try turning her over she make's a nasty popping that I think is coming from the air inlet, then she backfire's. So ive got to leave her to cool right back down to nothing...

I have been getting a little problem recently with the C230. It hickups at idle, backfires when you go from crusing for a while to fast - but generally, kickdown works quickly and smoothly. Can t work out if its is a loose air filter, or something much worse - I am stil suffering from an...