Hello, and a c180k 3dr?

[Connorap]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum as i am looking to upgrade to a c class 180k 3 door 200-2004 for my next car as i love mercs and the insurance for me once i turn 19 and get my years no claims (not long after Christmas) will be £1200! compared to the £2100 i pay for my 1.2 corsa b now (im 18 with 0 no years).

I was wondering if anyone had some info on how they are to run, costs of general repairs, tyres, servicing and what is likley to go wrong with them.

Thanks

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Hello and welcome to you.

 

[Connorap]

Thankyou

 

[st4]

Nice choice of car. I'd go as close to 2004 as you can get and try and get a facelifted one.

 

[trapperjohn]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Connorap]

Thanks john, and okay ***, ive been trying to find out what the general running costs of a model around this year would be? Any ideas? I had one reply from a dealer who claimed they would be around the same cost as running a mondeo or a vectra, but my preconception of Mercedes (Which is probably wrong) Was that they are expensive to get repaired if something goes wrong.

 

[j20rdan]

Welcome, i just recently turned 19 myself in april and had a 1.2 clio so very much like yourself although a corsa and insurance has gone down a fair bit! c180k is a good choice. i have the amg sport edition 5dr c180k great engine! 3dr would be fairly nippy id imagine. cant complain with peformance however mpg (for me personally) is not good. depending on how heavy my right foot is it varies from 20 - 34mpg . im sure there are a lot more mercs on here that have worse mpg but i guess its the weight of the car that would not help ! best of luck for the c180k ! good choice here's a photo of my pride and joy

 

[Connorap]

Welcome, i just recently turned 19 myself in april and had a 1.2 clio so very much like yourself although a corsa and insurance has gone down a fair bit! c180k is a good choice. i have the amg sport edition 5dr c180k great engine! 3dr would be fairly nippy id imagine. cant complain with peformance however mpg (for me personally) is not good. depending on how heavy my right foot is it varies from 20 - 34mpg . im sure there are a lot more mercs on here that have worse mpg but i guess its the weight of the car that would not help ! best of luck for the c180k ! good choice here's a photo of my pride and joy

Im very jealous of you mate, that’s a lovely motor! do you know the rough cost of tyres and servicing as these are the only thing that’s making me wary of making my next car a merc, also was wondering what kind of mileage yours has as im wondering at what mileage the 180k begins with problems? If you have a project thread id love to check it out btw.

Cheers

 

[shorty]

If your thinking of buying a car with the 1.8 litre M271 engine , as fitted to the 180k and 200k post 2002 than watch out for the timing chain . These can stretch at as little as 40k miles . This can cause damage to the cam sprockets , these cost over 700 euro each or even damage the valves .

 

[Connorap]

If your thinking of buying a car with the 1.8 litre M271 engine , as fitted to the 180k and 200k post 2002 than watch out for the timing chain . These can stretch at as little as 40k miles . This can cause damage to the cam sprockets , these cost over 700 euro each or even damage the valves .

Thanks for the warning mate, do you know the best way to get these checked? my knowledge of mechanics is pretty basic, best just to take it to a garage?

 

[shorty]

My local indy checks these chains after 40 k and every service after that . Check for E200 and C180/200 for sale that need engines ,theres loads comming up for sale now , most due to cam chain failures .
The only way to check the chain is to undo the tensioner and lift the rocker cover . The tensioner is under the alternator , theres a rubber grommet that has to be removed to access it , this grommet then has to be replaced with a new one

 

[Connorap]

Thanks for the warning, its something ill be keeping an eye out for when i come to looking around to buy one

 

[shorty]

No bother mate . Id not wish the hert ache my 200k has given me and my wallet last winter . It jumped its timing and wrecked the sprockets , then the head gasket went followed by the balancer shafts going . Id reckon it cost over 2500 in repairs

 

[Connorap]

blimey not a cheap job then, was the car well looked after before you had it? Full service history etc?

 

[BillyW124]

We bought an 06 c200k coupe last year oct/nov. Cracking car. Has surpasssed my expectations. Originally bought it for the missus for a run around which we still use it for, however It now sees me covering 240 motorway miles a week as work has got my switching between offices. It returns 38mpg on these trips so not bad at all. Its a pleasure to drive in town and on the motorway.

Full tank is around 60litres so you are looking at around £84 quid in filling her up. My tank combined usage gets me circa 320ish miles. More if it was soley motorway driving for that tank.

Ive only had one service since ownership and that was at the beginning. One is due end of this year. Clock says B SERVICE due in 5000 miles however i tend to keep things systematic and have my own schedule and dont follow the clock so it gets reset after my service.

The car when bought went under a full thourough service by my trusted mechanic @ a cost of £1000 inc parts and labour to put things in perspective for you. I'm **** so dont let that put you off. Obviously this time around will be a lot less. Oh, and £300 on new Falken's on all four corners. (discounted rate). I believe some models do not have a staggered setup i.e. wider wheels at the rear so costs on tyres can vary.

Make sure you go for the facelift interior as its a nicer place to be in with leathers. Its the interior you would find in newer CLC's. Pano roof is a great feature. Just make sure your one works before you buy as these are troublesome.

You can search one of my threads entitled merc for SWMBO! If you want to see pics of a lifted interior.

A newer 06 plate coupe will have xenon's with auto function and rain sense wipers etc.

Interesting point regarding the chain Shorty

Would you know if a 2006> model would also suffer this chain issue? The mileage when bought was 21k and since stands at 25k.

 

[shorty]

Im the second owner of the car , the car had full history up till I bought it . The cam chain had been changed before Id bought the car , with 85k miles . I had to change it again at 120k miles

 

[BillyW124]

i'm a bit weary now if i should be expecting such change on my one in the future? I'm hoping they sorted any issues out 06>

 

[st4]

Would you not consider a 200 or 220cdi. Far more reliable, far more economical and won't be too hard to insure.

 

[Connorap]

Would you not consider a 200 or 220cdi. Far more reliable, far more economical and won't be too hard to insure.

I have just been looking at the 200 as there only about £200 more to insure and they are pretty much the same, couldnt get a 230 though because my insurance rockets up about £800. I have no problems with getting a diesel, just after good economy and a nice ride.

 

[M3 SHAM]

C180K is a very good engine. My 2005 C180K with sports pack currently has 175,000 miles on the clock and still on the original clutch, exthaust and timing chain and has never caused me any issues Parts are not too expensive if you stay out of the main dealer network, Euro Car Parts offer decent quality and value for money

Have some friends who have the C200 / C220 CDI's with less miles than mine and all 3 of them seem to be having ongoing reliability issues so not so sure about reliability with the diesels.