Buying Another W202?
 

Hey guys!

I might be looking for another 202 soon but the one I have now will be staying with the family.

This time Id want a 98-2000 C280...no more 4 cylinders for me..I love a refined smooth ride.

What should I watch out for when looking for C280 and how much worse are they than C230K? When browsing forums, the C280 seems to be the one with most issues.

Shouldnt be hard to spot trouble areas especially with worn suspensions as I replaced most of mine on the current 202 as maintenance items.

BUT, perhaps im doing a stupid thing...buying the same car just for more options and a smoother engine. My current 202 does not have a sunroof but, this car SPOILS me with its reliability...I drove it now for 2 years with little to non existant repairs. Unbelievable reliability and it just won 3rd place at the MBCA concours for its condition @ 70k.

All I can say now is "hmmm".....can you friends help me out with your opinions? :rolleyes: Kind of stuck.

Below is my current W202:
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/7...ercreeknn6.png

I am not sure I can agree with you in that the C280 is not as reliable. I currently have over 190,000 miles on my 1998 C280 and have had minimal repairs. The repairs I have had did NOT involve the engine itself (i.e. A/C compressor, rear end, and A/C vacuum modules).

The well-known and expensive C280 problems (engine wiring harness/throttle conrol module harness and head gasket) are problems that come with the inline 6 cylinder (M104) engine, and as far as I understand are mainly 1994-early 1996 issues. Your model range will have the V6 engine (M112) which doesn't have those faults. Make sure any used M112 you buy has had the oil changed with synthetic only.

On the later V-6 280 models, you're getting the best of the non-AMG W202 models. The engine and chassis combination is very smooth and "Mercedes."

Obviously, the oil sludge issue should be examined, and I would also suggest checking if the "lifetime" trans fluid has been flushed and replaced if the car has some miles on it.

Im found one on Autotrader with low mileage for its year (1998) only problem is its 4 hours away from me. Luckily im going that direction next week so I might stop.

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.aspx?vlotid=304045&adid=7071619

I don't know if MB Canada had the same recall on the crankshaft balancer as they did in the U.S.

All V6 and V8 engines (M112 and M113) from 1998 through mid-year 2000 had these recalled.

Make sure the one you buy has the new part #.

I wish I'd kept mine; just couldn't justify 2 used Mercedes. Even at 170k, my 202 drove better than my 06 203 does. The new one has more creature comforts which I love (harmon kardon, ASR, 10-way adjustable seats, and of course, 268hp) but it just doesn't DRIVE as nicely down the highway. If you can find a nice, latest-model 202, might be the time to do it. The newest ones are already 9 years old...

I don't think MB Canada recalled the harmonic balancer on the M112/113 series. They did however recall the rusting spring perches in the W210 which MBUSA did not. I don't think failing spring perches were a problem with the W202.

My 99 C280 is a very reliable,powerful and economical car so far.The 2.8L M112 is butter smooth and extremely torquey,a real good partner to the smooth 722.6.

It feels as solid as a real MB should.

I've had my 2000 C280 about 3 years now from 36m to now 63m. So far pretty reliable and nice smooth ride. Have replaced the crankshaft position sensor that was causing a random no-start and random stalling referred to as SSS (sudden stall syndrome). Recently I 've had a CEL that comes and goes. Code sez o2 sensor but I haven't gotten around to replacing it. Changed plugs recently and 2 were fouled causing a rough idle. New plugs and wires seemed to have solved the problem.

When searching for a used benz I zeroed in on this model because it had the most updated 722.6 tranny, the electronic HVAC which works like a charm, keyless entry and no power antenna.

glenmore
1991 300CE
2000 C280
1990 LS400

I can confirm that MB Canada did not recall this part. I checked when we bought our E320. I changed it shortly after buying the car. The part cost me $125 and my mechanic only charged me the time he was on my car, including all of the other maintenance I had done at the same time. $125 buys a lot of peace of mind.

The late 1999 and 2000's upgraded 722.6xx with better bearings is probably worth finding. There seem to be lots of 2000 coming on the market these days, so you should find a pretty decent one without too much trouble.