Am I a dork?

[Blackwaterslim]

I just took a 01 C240 Estate for a test drive....thinking about buying it as my C200 has blown a gasket...along with the ac packing up , the heater going south and it having 200K on the clock er ..and it needs new tyres....soooo new car ...I started this car up...lovely smooth as silk v6 no knocks nibbles wobbles thunks smoke bangs or vibrations....all corners look good, all the electric bits work..so out we went for a drive...now its been standing a while so the brakes squeaked a bit...but were overall good after a few miles...the issue was it did not up shift..(I had selected drive and reverse on startup) it would go in reverse and switch between D P R however the tip did not respond neither would it switch between S & W...so we pulled over, turned the car off...then on again...all good! drove off no worries all gears available..the dash showed 1 Malfunction...when we stopped to put some gas in it...on restart the dash showed no malfunctions.
So Am I a dork for putting deposite down (small and loosable) ????? I just got in a thought..oh Sxxt done it again is this car an electronic hell????
Help.

 

[rascalmaster]

battery needs a charge? sounds daft but a low battery can cause the car to 'stick in gear'

 

[Blackwaterslim]

Well we did have to jump start the car as it has been sat around for a while... I am terrible at commitment to buy as am not a mechanic...it started stopped drove and seemed all ok..we had a 30 min test drive ..got it up to 85 in fact it was totally undramatic ! we even sat talking in it for 15 mins with engine running...no drama with overheating etc...

 

[sinewave]

Ring the Guy up and tell him the Autobox needs £500 spending on it and make him a reduced offer!

New Batt or a good charge and you should be sweet!

 

[davidjpowell]

battery needs a charge? sounds daft but a low battery can cause the car to 'stick in gear'

I thought hat with the W211 that I bought. That car cost me a lot of money! Don't do it OP unless seller sorts it.

 

[Blackwaterslim]

Ring the Guy up and tell him the Autobox needs £500 spending on it and make him a reduced offer!

New Batt or a good charge and you should be sweet!

so this is not a 'blip' or a niggle ...you think its grim?

 

[Blackwaterslim]

I thought hat with the W211 that I bought. That car cost me a lot of money! Don't do it OP unless seller sorts it.

what was the problem with yours? I had this with my old W202 C class it would stick in gear...i just turned it off and on again and all good...the car I looked at is low mileage 88K now in two very wobbly minds.. have been looking for weeks! driving missus mad ....first one was 300 miles away and was a dog this one is a local car....so I know where he lives!

Seriously if this is a symptom others have come accross and its expensive guess I am walking away again.

 

[LTD]

Local car ?

Go back again and drive it again. If it shows the same symptoms - walk away.

There will be other cars. Just be patient.

 

[Blackwaterslim]

Local meaning less than 50 miles away.. I live in Cornwall and you have to trav el if you want a decent low mileage Merc estate...we tend to use em up down here.

 

[brucemillar]

Ask to come back when the owner has charged the battery. Tell him you want to check the car with it cold/not started by him. Check it is cold and drive it. If all good then buy it.