1997–2004 Mercedes A140, A160, A160CDI, A170CDI, A190, A210 Service Manual

• 140-page Italian-language PDF, published by Semantica srl as Supplement No. 5 of Edizioni Semantica per l’Automobile for December 2003–January 2004. Coverage is identified by W168 type code: A140 168.031/168.131; A160 168.033/168.133; A190 168.032/168.132; A210 168.035/168.135; A160 CDI 168.006/007; and A170 CDI 168.008/009/168.109.
• Documents M166 gasoline specifications for 166.940, 166.960, 166.990, and 166.995, with repair procedures centered on the 166.940/166.960 layout and noted as broadly similar across the range. Separate M668 CDI coverage addresses 668.940, 668.941, and 668.942 engines.
• Maps the VDO MSM 1.0/1.1 gasoline-management and Common Rail EDC diesel systems, with ECU connector and pin identification, sensors, actuators, CAN-linked modules, EOBD functions, self-adaptation, and emergency-running strategies.
• Breaks down conventional clutch and AKS automatic-clutch repair, hydraulic bleeding, HHT adaptation, manual-transmission removal, five-speed automatic service, torque-converter handling, selector/shift-lock adjustment, and the June/July 2000 removal-method change.
• Extends repair coverage to CV half-shafts, electronically controlled power steering, front and rear suspension, wheel bearings, brake hydraulics, ABS/ESP, parking brake, and wheel-alignment work.
• Supplies component-specific torque tables, fluid-capacity data, inspection limits, electrical test specifications, fuse charts, connector views, exploded component views, and multi-page wiring diagrams.

Engine and Powertrain Documentation

The gasoline chapter documents the air-filter/MSM assembly, intake manifold, accessory drive, valve cover, cylinder head, camshaft and rocker support, timing chain, oil pan, timing cover, oil pump, and pistons. Separate procedures address removing the engine with the front subframe and separating the engine from the transmission. Mechanical tables identify all four M166 versions, while the repair procedures and detailed VDO MSM 1.0/1.1 material are centered on the M166.940 and M166.960 engines used in the A140 and A160. That distinction matters to A190 and A210 owners.

For the M668 diesels, the publication traces the Common Rail EDC system through the rail, injectors, high- and low-pressure pumps, turbocharger, EGR hardware, glow controls, sensors, and ECU connections. Repair coverage reaches injector removal, cylinder-head work, camshaft and timing setup, turbocharger replacement, intake-manifold service, oil-pan and timing-cover removal, water-pump and oil-pump work, and bottom-end inspection. The high- and low-pressure fuel pumps are treated as sealed, non-overhaulable units, so this is not an internal injection-pump rebuilding manual.

The transmission chapters focus on removal, installation, external controls, adjustment, and operational setup rather than full internal gearset overhaul. Conventional clutch and AKS material covers clutch replacement, resetting the self-adjusting mechanism, master-cylinder service, bleeding, HHT control-unit adaptation, and clutch bite-point setup. Through June 2000, the manual transmission can be removed separately; from July 2000, the documented method removes the engine, transmission, and front subframe as an assembly. Automatic-transmission coverage includes removal, torque-converter handling, fluid-level checks, selector-cable and shift-lock adjustment, HHT coding after replacement, and the 2001 722.7 shift-lock revision identified at WDB sequence 548031.

Chassis, Electrical, and Diagnostic Coverage

Chassis sections document the steering rack and column, electronically controlled power-steering pump, steering-angle sensor activation, MacPherson front suspension, rear axle and trailing arms, hubs, brake hydraulics, parking brake, and ABS/ESP components. Variant notes distinguish the tapered-roller front wheel bearing used through February 1998 from the later double-row angular-contact design. They also identify the revised rear axle fitted from February 2001; upper rear shock-mount hardware from the two axle versions is not interchangeable.

The shop cautions are unusually specific. The suspension material warns that an impact wrench on the front strut shaft nut can disturb the damper’s internal valve assembly and permanently damage the unit. Brake leak-testing coverage also warns against using hydraulic-oil pressure-test equipment on the brake-fluid circuit because mineral-oil contamination can cause brake failure.

Electrical documentation combines fuse blocks A through F, component codes, wire-color legends, connector and pin-location views, and system schematics. Particularly useful examples are the VDO MSM engine-management diagrams, Common Rail EDC diagrams, M166/M668 starting and charging circuits, the Type 168 ESP system, power-window circuits, and air-conditioning wiring.

HVAC, SRS, and Body Repair

The remaining chapters cover R134a climate-control diagnosis and service for the HVAC case, blower motor, evaporator, condenser, compressor, and the receiver-drier layout change around March 2001. SRS material addresses driver, passenger, side, and curtain airbags; crash sensors; the airbag/pretensioner control unit; belt tensioners; and passenger-seat occupancy/child-seat recognition.

Body repair procedures cover exterior panels, doors and tailgate, bonded glass, movable door glass, headliner, slatted-sunroof removal and adjustment, dashboard, center console, and instrument-panel versions before and after March 2001. Work on common-rail fuel systems, brake hydraulics, refrigerant circuits, or SRS components requires proper isolation, depressurization, and approved shop equipment.