I am considering looking at some mid 90's C280's in the 80 to 90k mile range. I am trying to gather info on maintenance. I am wondering what type of maintenance I may have to do if not yet done and what are costs. I own a 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo so I am not afraid to do work myself. Are these cars easy to work on? Any failure points that typically need to be updated? Are there any websites that might have info on buying used. From what I can gather these cars are long lived. But are they like other cars such as my 944T, in that they will be long lived as long as you maintain them? Appreciate any info.


John

Thanks for the response Black. Interesting to hear that the rediator is plastic. So is the one on my 944T. How long should the timing chain go for assuming timely oil changes?


John

Good choice of car, but then again, I'm biased, having just bought a '96. I am of the opinion that you can expect to spend 2-3 thousand on stuff right away on a car that age. Factor this into the purchase price. You may spend less, I am a bit of a perfectionist and a fanatic about maintenance. I replaced lower ball joints, as they were finished as far as I was concerned. If you live in a jurisdiction that requires safety checks, this should be no problem, but just because it passes a safety doesn't mean someone was thorough, especially if they are associated with a used car dealer. Poke around thoroughly. My car had 55k miles. I also did shocks, steering damper, drive belt, fluids, sway bar bushings (they rattled on small bumps) and 2 tires. The comments about the '96 and it's climate control are right on. It's fantastic. Do take it to a dealer and have the climate control system fault codes checked out before buying. They don't announce themselves as do engine faults. Even this new a Benz is cheaper to fix than my old Honda Civic that I bought new in '88.

Mine spent it's early years in Montreal. That should say it all if you've ever driven the roads there.

I think that the US and Canada are getting an AC system that exists out of different components as the euro-spec models...mercedes AC systems in the Netherlands tend to leak within 3 years from new! Changing the AC radiator is common practice here although only half of the cars are actually equipped with an AC system...

greetingz,

Actually, unlike the C220/230, the 280s had a good sound system. They came with an 8 speaker Bose sound system.
I have a 1995 C280 and love it.
Things to look for are the head gasket leak and the wiring harness.
It seems every year got something. I'd say go for 1996 because of standard remote/flip key and newer climate control (though function is really the same, just different setup).
But in 1997 they got the 5 speed auto, driver adaptive.
And then in 1998 they got a make-over and the smart key.

For me, it's been a great car. It's been fun to drive, it handles great. It actually can take a lot more than you think it can. It's got great acceleration, great brakes (last set of brakes lasted 35k miles, not bad for my driving style), and is a nice compromise between luxury and sporty, though considered luxury.
Any other questions?.... I'd love to answer them!

John,
To the 'trained ear' I am sure you are correct.
But my BOSE stereo is NEVER distorted (to the plain ear) and is always as clear as can be. I found it lacking some mid and low bass also, that's why I bought a 300 watt amp and a 10 inch sub. It's perfect now.
My friend has an ES300, and I personally don't really like the stereo, definitely not a bad stereo though. Though you are probably a better judge of that.
So to the normal ear, I think the BOSE is a good sound system, albeit some lack of bass. And it's not the loudest, but always as clear as can be, to me anyway. And I know distortion when I hear it (for the most part, I think...).

The location of the stock tweeters suck; that is right, but Pioneer has a nice solution for that.

http://members.tripodnet.nl/mbenz/14063f10.jpg

greetingz,

John,
That was a good explanation. I think I understand now!
As for the Harmon Kardon stereos in Bimmers, I agree completely. Really good stereo but gets real distorted at high volume. 2 of my friends had that stereo.

Well back on to answering his questions about used C280s!

I prefer the Bose 8 speaker system in my C-Class to either the six or ten speaker systems I have encountered in the BMW 7-er cars. I agree about those systems' distortion at high-ish volumes.

My C-Class is a very rewarding car. I wish I had spent a bit more on a V-6, but then it would have cost more...