Who makes the MB parts? OE quality recommendations ? W221 brakes, engine mounts, oil cooler, swirl flaps, glow plugs

[BMole]

My 2010 S350CDI AMG Sport needs various jobs doing. Because of currently unresolved issues with poor ride and vibration I’d like your help to identify two options for parts – a proper job (if I’m keeping it long term) and a cheap but adequate job (if I’m going to move it on within 12 months).

A proper job would be using parts made by the manufacturer of the genuine MB parts if they can conclusively identified, MB parts if they are demonstratively better or a similar price, or other manufacturers' parts if they genuinely are of equal quality. It would also include preventative maintenance and for example in the case of the oil cooler leak, cleaning of all parts removed and replacement of all the seals and gaskets etc. on those parts.

A cheap job would just be to cure the immediate issue using decent quality but cheaper parts.

My research so far has come up with the following manufacturers and MB prices – quote below

• Engine and transmission mounts – Lemforder. £301.68

• Oil cooler – Nissens?. £163.20 plus £11.28 seals

• Glow plugs – Beru. £128.88 set of 6

• Brake discs (and pads?) - Pagid. £183.12 front discs pair

• £111.20 pads*

• £16.20 each? wear sensor

• *MB description – parts kit brakes – so I’m wondering if this includes more than just the pads. The Pagid discs are similar in price to the MB ones but the pads are almost half the price of the MB at £66.99.

• Swirl flap motor aka inlet manifold actuator. £217.20 – no idea of manufacturer. This doesn’t need to be done but may be part of preventative maintenance done with the oil cooler & glow plugs. There are many much cheaper alternatives.

Is this manufacturer information correct and do you know the missing makers ?

Are the genuine MB parts better in some cases ?

Have you any recommendations for cheaper decent quality parts ?

Any recommendations for preventative maintenance ?

 

[BMole]

Update

Swirl flap motor aka inlet manifold actuator. £217.20 – no idea of manufacturer. This doesn’t need to be done but may be part of preventative maintenance done with the oil cooler & glow plugs. There are many much cheaper alternatives.

Have found manufacturer is Pierberg, courtesy of a thread reply from @MrGreedy and @unclebuck. I was wrong in saying there are many much cheaper alternatives.

 

[markjay]

MB Spark Plugs are made by Bosch, Beru, and (for performance models) by NGK.

Filters are often made by Mann and Knecht.

Dampers usually by Sachs.

 

[MrGreedy]

Autodoc is your friend for cheaper prices on higher quality OEM parts. Install the app register, add some parts to your basket and wait a few days for the 37% to 40odd% discount to roll in.

I wrote a significant thread on E350 brake calipers, discs and pads that might be useful.

I've gone for ATE pads instead of Merc.

The Merc pads throw of SOOOO much filth! Luckily I have all the car wheel cleaning detailing products. 1.5 hours per wheel!

Before cleaning




After cleaning

 

[MrGreedy]

here:

The w212 E350 brake thread (including ceramic pad options) | Wheels, Tyres, Brakes & Suspension

So, I've been looking how to get ceramic pads on my 2011 E350 for a while. There has been conflicting reports of what is needed, so I thought it would be useful and helpful to some others to get to the bottom of what was needed disc, pad and caliper-wise for the various E350s around the...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

Might apply, might not. Gives you a steer anyway

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Dealers were told to give wear sensors out with pads for free , unsure if the trend is ongoing.

 

[Flyinspanner]

There is only 1 brake pad wear indicator per axle.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Worth saying: MB don't make parts. Everything is OEM. Just like every other vehicle manufacturer. (Assembler)

So your question should be "which OEM manufacturers make these parts that MB use?"

And prepare yourself for a barrage of opinions as to whether one parts manufacturer is better than another. (Plugs, brakes, tyres, yada yada)

 

[OneForTheRoad]

There is only 1 brake pad wear indicator per axle.

Depends on model , some have 2 front 1 rear .

 

[BMole]

There is only 1 brake pad wear indicator per axle

Depends on model , some have 2 front 1 rear .

Thanks for this - I'll have a look.

 

[BMole]

here:

The w212 E350 brake thread (including ceramic pad options) | Wheels, Tyres, Brakes & Suspension

So, I've been looking how to get ceramic pads on my 2011 E350 for a while. There has been conflicting reports of what is needed, so I thought it would be useful and helpful to some others to get to the bottom of what was needed disc, pad and caliper-wise for the various E350s around the...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

Might apply, might not. Gives you a steer anyway

Thanks - very interesting and also useful in reminding me of one of my (too many) pet hates - brake dust. So I won't be getting MB or Pagid pads and will look at the low dust alternatives.

 

[BMole]

Worth saying: MB don't make parts. Everything is OEM. Just like every other vehicle manufacturer. (Assembler)

So your question should be "which OEM manufacturers make these parts that MB use?"

And prepare yourself for a barrage of opinions as to whether one parts manufacturer is better than another. (Plugs, brakes, tyres, yada yada)

Yes and this is where I get confused by the vast spread of prices and definition of OEM parts.

I think I understand the difference between OE (as fitted by MB), OEM (manufactured to MB OE spec, although not necessarily a supplier to MB) and aftermarket, so yes, my question should probably have been who are the manufacturers which make these parts (OE) that MB use?

What I'm trying to get a handle on is how to choose if apparently everything is to OE spec. Is there some sort of approval process to certify that a manufacturer is adhering to OE spec.? Or do we rely on the manufacturer's assertion?

I'm not trying (consciously anyway) to be dense or argumentative.

Today on autodoc (25% discount) front brake discs showing as in stock range from £35.57 JP Group to £275.37 Champion. It seems unlikely to me that these are all identical - although it would be good (££'s cheaper) to be wrong

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Yes and this is where I get confused by the vast spread of prices and definition of OEM parts.

I think I understand the difference between OE (as fitted by MB), OEM (manufactured to MB OE spec, although not necessarily a supplier to MB) and aftermarket, so yes, my question should probably have been who are the manufacturers which make these parts (OE) that MB use?

What I'm trying to get a handle on is how to choose if apparently everything is to OE spec. Is there some sort of approval process to certify that a manufacturer is adhering to OE spec.? Or do we rely on the manufacturer's assertion?

I'm not trying (consciously anyway) to be dense or argumentative.

Today on autodoc (25% discount) front brake discs showing as in stock range from £35.57 JP Group to £275.37 Champion. It seems unlikely to me that these are all identical - although it would be good (££'s cheaper) to be wrong

Folks tend to buy brakes by brembo.
Suspension components by lemforder.
Shock absorbers by Sachs .
All things electronic either a dealer part or Bosch .
Thermostats by Mercedes.
Glow plugs beru .
Filters by Bosch./ Mann

Just a few I use, if people want to ad to the list .

 

[BMole]

Folks tend to buy brakes by brembo.
Suspension components by lemforder.
Shock absorbers by Sachs .
All things electronic either a dealer part or Bosch .
Thermostats by Mercedes.
Glow plugs beru .
Filters by Bosch./ Mann

Thank you.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I think I understand the difference between OE (as fitted by MB), OEM (manufactured to MB OE spec, although not necessarily a supplier to MB) and aftermarket, so yes, my question should probably have been who are the manufacturers which make these parts (OE) that MB use?

Unfortunately such terms are misused just as often as they are used. My interpretation is the following, but there are plenty more:

OE means that it’s exactly the same part as is fitted to the car when new. It’s exactly the same part, specification and manufacturer as parts supplied to Mercedes when the car was built. It may be a revised or updated specification as parts do evolve during the course production.

OEM means that it’s made to equivalent Mercedes specification by a manufacturer who supplies OE parts to Mercedes, but did not supply this specific part when the car was built. In other words it’s a credible manufacturer, but they didn’t actually supply that particular part to Mercedes.

It then gets murkier when the word “quality” gets appended to these terms. Others will have other opinions - there are many.

 

[BMole]

Unfortunately such terms are misused just as often as they are used.

It then gets murkier when the word “quality” gets appended to these terms. Others will have other opinions - there are many.

Murkier - exactly. Now, where did I put that dartboard ?

 

[BMole]

BTW @Flyinspanner and @OneForTheRoad, thanks for prompting me to do the obvious and look (why hadn't that occurred to me? doh!). So I have and there's just the one.

Am a newbie to the Mercedes universe and had been using an EPC nemigaparts which didn't recognise my VIN so produced duplicate options - hence uncertainty. Now found ilcats which does and confirms just the one.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

BTW @Flyinspanner and @OneForTheRoad, thanks for prompting me to do the obvious and look (why hadn't that occurred to me? doh!). So I have and there's just the one.

Am a newbie to the Mercedes universe and had been using an EPC nemigaparts which didn't recognise my VIN so produced duplicate options - hence uncertainty. Now found ilcats which does and confirms just the one.

You can reuse the old sensors if you can get them out . Providing the ends are not worn away. I myself keep an eye on my pads so the sensors are not really important to me . I've cut the wires and joined them in the past and not bothered with a sensor . But that's just me .

 

[HB]

Looking through your list on non MB parts, I would say they are all fine to use.

 

[JoolsB]

Ferodo pads seem to produce a lot of dust, Brembo not so much. A lot of range rover people suggest EBC green stuff as decent and not dusty.