Considering purschase of a '97 C280...advice please.

[Nabeel]

Checked out a '97 C280 today with 95K miles. I am aware of the headgasket issue with these 24v inline-6 engines, but chances are that by 95K miles the gasket probably would have already been replaced, right? Still, I plan to take the car for a pre-purchase inspection to make sure that everything is in working order.

More importantly, I'm concerned about the 722.6 tranny. I know that '97 was the first year, and these units were somewhat problematic. When test driving the car, the tranny felt fine. When warmed up, the shifts were very smooth and quick. However, I found an old service record in the glovebox indicating that about 15K miles ago the car was taken into the shop due to the transmission slipping. The shop found the transmission to be about a quart low, and changed/replaced the fluid. I'm concerned about the slipping tranny, even though that was 15K miles ago and the vehicle was acting fine for the 1hr+ that I drove it. Do you all think this is something to be concerned about?

Other than that, I liked the car. It has some minor stuff wrong, like a broken antenna, cloudy radio display, and a broken cupholder, but all that stuff seems to be minor. The paint looks to be original, and the MB-tex interior is in good shape. The asking price is $9500. I already know about the car's book value, but I'm just curious if you all think that is a fair price for the car. I'm not willing to pay $9500, I may offer about $8-8.5K.

Thanks, and sorry about so many questions.


-Nabeel

[jrmd01]

Unless the head gasket and Tranny has been already replaced, I wouldn't buy the car....those 2 things will need to be done (probably the reason it's for sale).

Another thing I would check out is the A/C. This is another big job if repairs are needed.

[Nabeel]

Is there any way to tell whether the gasket has been replaced or not? I thought that by 95K it most likely would have been replaced, but I guess you never know.

The tranny is what I am mainly concerned about. I understand that many 722.6 transmissions in '97+ cars have easily gone 100K+ miles, but it does seem a little bit like taking a gamble. Maybe I should look into a '98 model with the M112 engine and other upgrades like the slightly updated 722.6, electronic key, rear-window antenna, etc.

[blackmercedes]

Get the newest W202 you can afford. The 96's are pretty good, especially the C220 version as the M111 engine is very sturdy and mated to the four-speed automatic, it's a very reliable combination.

The 2000 C280 would be the pick of the litter as long as the harmonic balancer on the M112 has been done. The 722.6 was well sorted by then.

The M104 2.8L engine does have a fairly high occurance of head gasket failure, but otherwise it's an excellent engine and will outlast the remainder of the car.

[jrmd01]

blackmercedes, what years (in the USA) did the C class have the M111?

Does the older M111 with the older transmissions still have 30MPG? Or are those values only seen in the newer models with the 5-speed transmission?

[unkl300d]

My '95 C280 sure does not get that high gas milage !! (auto trans)

But so far so good on the mechanicals. (Low milage car.)

BTW another issue that seems to stick on these cars is the wiring harness. Do a search.

Good luck. Fun car.

[Ali Al-Chalabi]

My '97 C280 has 140,000 miles. Still original tranny and original headgasket with no leaks. The headgasket was a common weakness, but they haven't ALL needed to be replaced. I would check to see if it has been specifically reaplaced on that car. The updated headgasket had added metal inserts to help keep it in place.

[Nabeel]

Originally Posted by unkl300d

BTW another issue that seems to stick on these cars is the wiring harness. Do a search.

Good luck. Fun car.

I was under the impression that the wiring harness was only an issue on '94-'95 models? I agree on the fun car part. I was originally looking around for an Audi A4 or BMW 3-series, but the C280, esp with the sport package, is surprisingly fun to drive. Plus, the W202 seems to hold up better over the long run than wither of those cars.

[Nabeel]

On a related note, do the '97 W202 cars have no lock cylinder on the exterior driver door handle? The car I drove today did not, but a '96 that I drove on Satarday did. I can understand the reasoning of not having a lock on the passenger side, but the driver side also? It struck me as odd that if the keyless entry system was not working, the only way to unlock/lock the car would be with lock on the trunklid. Then I suppose a mechanical lock reappeared in '98 with the introduction of the electronic key and the metal emergency insert inside those keys.

[blackmercedes]

The wiring harness issues were solved by model year 1996. I would NOT buy a 94-95 model unless it was confirmed that the harness had been replaced. In fact, why not just look out for a 96 or later model?

The 722.6 is an excellent transmission if it's been updated. The earlier models needed various bits including valve bodies, software, ETC's and conductor plates.

The M111 engine is a four cylinder engine, and despite being only 500cc or so smaller than the inline six, it get's exceptional mileage in the aspro form (94-98). My own 98 C230 gets a solid 9.5L/100kms in city driving (25USMPG) and on the highway I get from 6.5L/100km (driving at the speed limit or slightly higher) to 8.0L/100kms (hauling arse...) which is a range of 37USMPG to 30USMPG. Keep in mind my car has the five speed (the four is geared a bit steeper and won't do quite as well on the highway) and is kept in top tune and I use synthetic oil. Sure, those things aren't a big deal, but every bit counts.

[Nabeel]

Thank you for all of the advice. Looks like I'll be looking for either a '96 or a '98+ W202. I've never really considered the 4-cylinder cars, but now you've got me thinking. How much slower are the 4-cylinders compared to the 6-cylinder cars? I know the '99+ supercharged cars can match the 6-cylinder as far as speed, but how 'underpowered' does the C220/230 feel, compared with a 280? Given the cost of fuel, I'd be willing to sacrifice a little speed for economy. Plus, the 4 bangers seem to be more reliable and fewer of them come equipped with the Bose music system, making it a lot easier to upgrade the stereo later on down the road.

[blackmercedes]

The extra 40+ ponies of the 2.8L make a pretty big difference, but it depends on your priorities. The M111 is one of the most reliable gasoline engines MB has made with a very low incidence of leaks (head gasket failure is very rare) and both the bottom and top ends are very strong. It has a large double timing chain that lasts a long time if the oil is changed regularly. I am a DIY and find the roomy engine bay a real help with all sorts of tasks.

For me, I wanted an economical to operate car (gas here is now $1.15 a litre, or $4.45 per US gallon) and one that would be inexpensive to maintain in the long run. I bought mine new in the fall of 1997 and it is easily the least expensive car to maintain we've ever owned.

As to power, I have never lacked for highway passing power. At slow speeds around town, it's no jackrabbit, but that's not the reason I bought it.

[glenmore]

Based on the advice from blackmercedes and other kind contributors, I zeroed in on a 2000 C280. Here in Southern California, there is a much larger pool of cars to choose from. For a data point, I bought mine with 34k for $13,900. Since the car had so few miles, I wasn't too particular on service records but with an older car and a lot more miles I would suggest you only consider cars with a reasonably complete service record and try and buy the the most recent MY that you can afford.

glenmore

[Will_w202]

$13,900? I paid that for my 97 c230 with 60k - then again, that was 18months ago and I got 2 yrs of warranty with it. The market has realllllly dropped on these cars since spring - not sure why. You should be able to find a good deal.

[mpolli]

Glenmore,

Was that from a private party, dealer or used car lot? Did you get a carfax ?

Mike