A bit over a year and 8000 miles on...

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Telebass

Active Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2013
Messages
112
Location
Tavistock
Car
S204 C220CDI 2009
Having bought my S204 C220CDI Blue Efficiency during lockdown, it became evident after a month or two that I'd been done unto. And later on, come MOT time, it was also clear that the MOT it was sold with was, at the very least, suspect...
That MOT cost £894. OK, so got through it, but had an annoyingly intermittent EML referring variously to DPF soot accumulation and/or DPF pressure sensor fail. Eventually acquired the funds to get it sorted, so booked into MB Motor Services to have the following done:
Remove towbar swan neck.
Replace air filter.
Fit new foglights.
SWap out faulty DPF pressure sensor.
All done in one day, and I finally have the car I thought I'd bought.
Went up from Tavistock to Bristol for some medical appointments. As the journey progressed, it just got better, which I'm assuming was the DPF getting itself cleaned up a bit.
Previous similar trips yielded, at most, 47mpg. This time, the trip up was done at regeneration speeds, and average for the journey was 55.5mpg. The return today was a little more leisurely, and returned 60.4mpg, peaking twice at 61.8.
Altogether less gruff, smoother all round, and definitely more responsive. Like a new car!
 
to have the following done:
Remove towbar swan neck.
Replace air filter.
Fit new foglights.
SWap out faulty DPF pressure sensor.
Forgot to add that there was also a slow but persistent water leak that turned out to be three leaky hoses AND a dying water pump. I was informed that the pump was likely original, and it was a miracle it had lasted that long - just shy of 180,000 miles.
 
I am glad you seem to have sorted it. With that huge increase in fuel efficiency, you will be able to enjoy "savings". Preventative maintenance, rather than delaying things is the key. Good luck.
 
How is the rear subframe looking ?
A very good question. I have just this last 20 minutes been reading up on this, and it's not too pleasant a read...
Might just ask my indie to have a gander.
 
Update: Having run well since the above, a trip to Newquay saw the EML return, and a code of P2279 Air Intake Leak (Nonda Zus code reader). Cleared the code and light, but firmly in limp mode, so the problem is not a blip.
Back to MB Motor Services. Inlet manifold is split. Oil cooler also in dodgy nick. I'd hoped it was some minor thing they'd left loose after the previous work, but no such luck.
B****cks.
What a bag-of-nails design, too, so much work to get it out, which is a massive part of the cost.
This just might be my last car, let alone last Merc...
:(
Edit; as an aside, I just looked up how to change the rear number plate bulbs. A joke, surely?
 
Don't know about that , after all , not that long ago someone sold it to the OP in worse condition than it is in now . 🤷‍♂️
 
Yet more update: Problem with the manifold was that a previous"technician" had left one of the bolts undone and flapping about. The rattling bolt did the damage to what these days is a lightweight component, not the heavy casting of yesteryear.
New one fitted, along with oil cooler and some damaged hoses. Original quote £1689, final bill actually £1527, so some small mercy.
@Petrol Pete the car was purchased sight unseen due to Lockdown 1. So it was a risk. A big one, as it turned out. The seller and his associates have been pretty much been proven to be of some ill-repute, and most certainly in their do-whatever-we-want attitude to issuing MOT certificates.
The car is running sweetly again, and the garage gave it good once-over to try and spot any other problems. There might be suspension work in its future, but with the local road surface conditions, that's becoming normal for any car...
I've quite a few miles need covering over the next three months or so, let's hope that's it for the moment!
 

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