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Originally Posted by adidasrta
I just got a 1998 C230 and love it to death. However it does have a few problems . . .
3. For some reason if the a/c is on and the engine is idling, the engine will start to click. It will stop once the a/c is turned off, I have a feeling its from the kompressor...any ideas?
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Hey, Robin,
I have the year previous to yours and am very pleased with it. See my thread "In praise of older W202s" in the Featured Cars section. When I first bought it and signed up here, one of the posters -- Michael Kerley, I think -- commented that it was "the world's most luxurious compact car."
I have had almost no troubles with mine after a year and some 12K miles. However, I did have to replace the a/c compressor last July. It was clicking/rattling, much as you describe. It still cooled. A poster here suggested it also might be that the mounts for the compressor unit simply needed to be replaced or tightened, so you should check that too. But my regular Benz mechanic, who worked on my W126 for several years and always tried to *save* me money, diagnosed the compressor as on its way out. It was the original factory unit, and had been giving excellent service for 59K miles over 7.5 years -- in other words, lots of city driving -- in vicious NO heat.
So I had him replace it, with a new unit, not a rebuilt, since he felt the rebuilts didn't last very long. The tab came to just under $1000 for parts and labor combined. Ouch, I know, but I need my A/C, and the unit should last for years and years more.
Otherwise, the car is solid, supple but firm-riding, easy to service -- and you've let somebody else take the depreciation hit, so you're ahead. Fix the minor things and drive the little beast like you stole it.