I am looking at purchasing this car with 140K and in fair condition. It has a lot of power options, seats, locks, windows, mirrors, climate control, etc, but it does not have a cruise control stalk. Is there away to look up the original sticker or figure out the delivered options to see if this car was originally equipped with cruise control? With this being a 280 and at the top end of the c class (engine wise) it would seem that cruise would be standard.

Thanks.

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

The dealer can run a option sheet, it is semi accurate as some option codes are reused making "Prepaired for Vietnam shipment " really out of place in a USA spec car. the build sheet will also get you the radio unlock code.

Going from my 97 C280 I don't think mine has cruise ( I got the car for Mom so it is at her house at the moment ) The window sticker had 2 options, 702 Smoke Silver and glass sun roof.

From what I recall

Standard
seats, locks, windows, mirrors, climate control, full sized spare ( regular road wheel in 97, maybe black spoked wheel for later cars )

Optional
Tilt wheel, leather, ASR / ETS , heated seats,cell phone , CD changer in trunk

These are good driving cars, I like the C better than my SL320 for around town. The C does fine on the highway but I'd take the SL if I going to drive hundreds of miles a day.

Just checked the official 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class brochure for the U.S. and it lists the "Electronic Cruise Control" as Standard under Interior Features.

The cruise control was an option on almost all world wide markets, but it definitely was a standard feature on U.S. C 280s.

__________________
A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

Maybe it has cruise but not on a stalk. My dad had a run of '80s Cadillacs where the cruise control stuff was on the left side under the headlight switch.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

What he said.

It should have the stalk. Is the stalk broken off perhaps?

It has a hole in the wheel shroud on the back of the steering wheel, but I have not investigated any further. I think I will send off for a copy of the sticker. I suppose the cruise actuator would still be there, if it had cc?

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

The throttle on these cars is drive by wire so making cruise work is a software thing and not an add on actuator.

PM me the VIN and I will pull the data card from the EPC for you.

VIN: WDBHA29G5WA510101.

So since it is drive by wire, the only cruise control component is the stalk?

Is the steering also drive by wire?

Thanks for all of the help. Since I sold my 240D and been Mercedes-less, I have really missed this forum.

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

Unfortunately I cannot compress the data card enough to attach it here. PM me your e-mail address and I will send it to you.

It does not specifically call out cruise control. I believe CC was part of the Elegance Package, which all US cars were equipped with, and is listed on your data card. When I go into the EPC and look at Group 54.640 (Switches) the CC Switch is valid for your vehicle (in the EPC parts not valid for a particular VIN will be "grayed out").

If the newest M-B you are familiar with is a W123, you will need to revise your thinking a lot. The W202 chassis was two generations later and went through a lot of changes through the model run, especially in 1998 when the engine, transmission and especially the electronics made a big leap.

To answer your other questions, the CC is on the engine Control Area Network (CAN). The CC switch is an input just as is the throttle position transmitter (which is in the engine compartment on the bulkhead just in front of the brake master cylinder). The ECU converts that information to an output signal to the electronic throttle actuator (which is on the back side of the intake manifold).

The steering is conventional, recirculating ball with hydraulic assist.

At lunch I did a little closer inspection of the steering column and noted that where the stalk is supposed to be located, there is a plastic cover over a squared out area in the column. This cover has hole in it so the stalk can pass through. A non CC car would have a cover without a hole. So I don't know whether it has been removed or broke off, but now am pretty certain it originally had one?

Thanks again for the help.

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

Does it look like this photo?

I am 100% certain the car came with CC. If the switch is gone someone took it out.

Attached Thumbnails

 

I looked at a 1998 C230 last year since my friend was thinking about getting it. The CC stalk was missing. I asked about it and the guy said he loaned the car to his friend who broke it off. I thought that was pretty weird. But the worse part of the story was after that happened his transmission wouldn't work right. So his indy diagnosed it as a bad transmission and put a used one in for $1500. Problem didn't go away. Was actually from the CC being broken off. I think he finally just unplugged it and the trouble went away. I didn't buy the car since it was also pretty beat up otherwise. I don't think CC was an option.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I had Mom check her 97 C280, it has cruise.

I wonder if the car you are looking at was a Canada spec car. Does it have black ( Canada / basic ) or chrome trimmed ( USA spec / Elegance package ) outside door handles?