I don't have a Mercedes (yet) and I am curious about this Kompressor
feature.

Is it a turbo-charger, a supercharger, or something else?

Does it consume extra fuel, like the turbo? And is it permanently
engaged, unlike a turbo?

Is it chain or belt-driven? If belt, how often are they changed? What
happens if chain/belt breaks?

That's enough questions for now.

It's an engine driven supercharger whose function is to add air to the
cylinders prior to the piston's compression stroke and so give the
engine additional performance. A supercharger has no "turbo lag" and
that's its main benefit vs. an exhaust driven turbocharger.

Both add efficiency to an engine - that means performance and economy.

Others will have to tell you about the supercharger's drive system -
it's probably a belt.

What is interesting to me is that this technology -- used in the 'old days',
thirties I believe -- lay neglected until recent times when Merc picked it
up and has converted its entire smaller-petrol-engine range to it.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

"Richard Sexton" <richard (AT) news (DOT) vrx.net> wrote

[...]

Maybe lag is the wrong term to use. Driving the C230 Kompressor ('05) I
notice a lag / hesitation when hitting the gas pedal from a standing start
or very low engine RPM.

If I keep the RPM's up while driving, or 'feather' the gas pedal, it
provides nearly instant power when punched. This is an extremely
interesting, fun, agile, put a smile on your face, car to drive. It will
also stand up and run down the highway just as fast as anybody would
want/need to in my opinion.

I've gotten alot of experience playing with these cars as it is the standard
'loaner' car at my MB dealership and my wife's new ML350 has made multiple
trips to the service dept. for the stupid POS MB rear seat entertainment
system.

My wife has already said that when the kids are up and out of the house she
wants to get out of the SUV and into a smaller C Class. I'm hoping that the
supercharger returns to that class vehicle when that time arrives.

Kevin L. Bray
Cedar Park, TX

'85 300SD
'86 300SDL
'91 560SEL
'06 ML350


"T.G. Lambach" <tlambach (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote

All petrol 4-cylinder models across the Merc range have the supercharger
(well, I checked C and E-Class).

My guess is that the Kompressor will only be deleted if replaced by
something else with similar/better performance.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
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"Kevin L. Bray" <kbray (AT) austin (DOT) rr.com> wrote

[...]
I'm hoping that the