MB C250 buying advice

[flook]

Hi all,

Newcomer here looking at a 2011 C250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport 7G-Tronic with 78,000 miles on it. Other than the usual checks you should make when buying a used car, are there any MB C250 specific things to look for at that age/mileage?

cheers,
flook

 

[Gazwould]

Facelift model ?

 

[flook]

Facelift model ?

tbh, I don't know. How can you tell it's a facelift model? It was first registered on 31/05/2011.

 

[markjay]

Facelift model ?

Good point. If it's the facelift model, it will have Stop/Start and the Sport 7G-Tronic Plus transmission.

Check Service History.... the ATF is due every 5 years or 77,500 miles, so this year it will be due the second ATF change - make sure it has been done, or budget for it if it wasn't.

The car will probably have the OM561 engine. There are many issues reported with the AdBlue system, with NOX sensors, and with the so-called 'Dieselgate Software Update' - though I am not sure if the latter applies to 2011 cars. See also:

'Several hundred thousand' UK cars affected by Mercedes emissions software tweak | Autocar

Mercedes cars to account for most of affected models; brand says service action is to “strengthen confidence”

www.autocar.co.uk

Can offer any specific advice here, and don't want to put you off buying a Merc.

 

[markjay]

tbh, I don't know. How can you tell it's a facelift model? It was first registered on 31/05/2011.

View attachment 112588

Yes, this is the facelift model.

 

[flook]

Good point. If it's the facelift model, it will have Stop/Start and the Sport 7G-Tronic Plus transmission.

Check Service History.... the ATF is due every 5 years or 77,500 miles, so this year it will be due the second ATF change - make sure it has been done, or budget for it if it wasn't.

The car will probably have the OM561 engine. There are many issues reported with the AdBlue system, with NOX sensors, and with the so-called 'Dieselgate Software Update' - though I am not sure if the latter applies to 2011 cars. See also:

'Several hundred thousand' UK cars affected by Mercedes emissions software tweak | Autocar

Mercedes cars to account for most of affected models; brand says service action is to “strengthen confidence”

www.autocar.co.uk

Can offer any specific advice here, and don't want to put you off buying a Merc.

Hi MarkJay, that's useful to know. It's had a recent service so will check the ATF was done.

Just found it has full MB and specialist dealer service history. Are Bluetec the ones with Adblue?

 

[Gazwould]

No add poo on this one !

Palladium with gunmetal , just needs privacy

 

[markjay]

No add poo on this one !

That is good news indeed.

 

[flook]

Can offer any specific advice here, and don't want to put you off buying a Merc.

@markjay do you mean you can or can't offer any specific advice? Any info is good and I'll just weigh up pros and cons as far as I see them.

Stuff like reliability, things that are prone to failure etc. (not consumables like pads and discs).

 

[markjay]

This is the service schedule for the car (assuming less than 15,500 miles annually):

2012 - Service A

2013 - Service B (inc. cabin filter), brake fluid change

2104 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

2015 - Service B (inc. cabin filter), brake fluid change, air filter change, fuel filter change

2016 - Service A, ATF and filter change

2017 - Service B (inc. cabin filter), brake fluid change, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

2018 - Service A

2019 - Service B (inc. cabin filter), brake fluid change, air filter change, fuel filter change

2020 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

2021 - Service B (inc. cabin filter), brake fluid change, ATF and filter change

2022 - Service A

2023 - Service B (inc. cabin filter), brake fluid change, air filter change, fuel filter change, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

 

[markjay]

@markjay do you mean you can or can't offer any specific advice?..

Sorry, meant to say "can't".

 

[flook]

Sorry, meant to say "can't".

No worries. Am I right in thinking the engine has chain rather than belts so no attention needed until they break?

That service schedule was just what I was after but wasn't asking the right way! Thanks very much for your time, and the others who responded too, it's a big help. I think I'll go for a look at the car and the docs it has with it.

Cheers all.

 

[SarahAnn200]

Make sure it has full history including everything that should have been done. I usually buy nearly new that haven't had a service yet or have had just one. I've just started looking into slightly older ones. I've recently found the link that someone put up very useful that tells you what items/extras are due and at what age/mileage. I've looked at two cla45's and both were advertised with full MB history. When I asked to see the history, it didn't include gearbox oil change, brake fluid change or rear axle oil changes. The dealer admitted that it didn't but only because I queried it. He thought it was good enough that it had a warranty on it but they were saying 'full history' when it wasn't really a complete correct history. Naughty.

 

[geoffus]

If you know the vin number you can check the vehicle information and equipment details here Free online Mercedes-Benz VIN Decoder : MBDecoder
Even if it has got a full history the previous owner may have declined the ATF change as deemed it unnecessary and too expensive, as some have done.
I have the same engine and find the mix of performance and economy ideal.

Would love the E 63 AMG V8, maybe one day though.

 

[Tonygw]

Things to check, even at this mileage.
A rattle from the rear of the engine at cold start would be the timing chain starting to fail or the tensioner (its a debatable subject). Some cars go for ever with no issues some seem to suffer early timing chain issues. Not the end of the world as its around £700 to replace, but make sure you start the engine from cold.

Water leaks, check the water pump at the front of the engine for signs of water leaking. Or check the coolant level. They are a weak spot on these and usually show signs of wear/ leaking at around 100K. Again no major issue.

Sometimes they also leak from the diesel filter housing as this is a coolant path also. Passenger side rear of the engine.

Apart from that not to much to check. Make sure the engine is smooth and pulls strong with no strange noises. Check the gearbox changes smoothly and ask when the fluid was changed, it may well not have been at that mileage.

I own a S204 C250cdi and the engine is a real power house for what it is.. There are more powerful engines but I find this more than adequate.

Let us know how it goes or any concerns you have

 

[markjay]

I would add:

Check the the engine reaches 80 degrees within 15 minutes or so and stays well above 80, otherwise there may be an issue with the thermostat.

Check that the green ECO light on the dash comes-on after 15-20 minutes of driving, and that the Stop/Start function works, otherwise there may be an issue with either the main battery in the engine bay or the auxiliary battery in the boot.

The front suspension can suffer from knocks, check for these by moving the steering front lock to lock at parking speeds.

Check under the car for corrosion on the brake pipes (though this would have been flagged at MOT time).

If you can, bring an MB scanner such as iCarsoft or Carly and check for fault codes (or better still, get the car checked by someone with STAR).

 

[Gazwould]

Things to check, even at this mileage.
A rattle from the rear of the engine at cold start would be the timing chain starting to fail or the tensioner (its a debatable subject). Some cars go for ever with no issues some seem to suffer early timing chain issues. Not the end of the world as its around £700 to replace, but make sure you start the engine from cold.

Water leaks, check the water pump at the front of the engine for signs of water leaking. Or check the coolant level. They are a weak spot on these and usually show signs of wear/ leaking at around 100K. Again no major issue.

Sometimes they also leak from the diesel filter housing as this is a coolant path also. Passenger side rear of the engine.

Apart from that not to much to check. Make sure the engine is smooth and pulls strong with no strange noises. Check the gearbox changes smoothly and ask when the fluid was changed, it may well not have been at that mileage.

I own a S204 C250cdi and the engine is a real power house for what it is.. There are more powerful engines but I find this more than adequate.

Let us know how it goes or any concerns you have

Have you addressed the drive by wire throttle lag ?

 

[markjay]

Have you addressed the drive by wire throttle lag ?

Isn't that a characteristic of the automatic transmission, rather than a fault?

 

[Gazwould]

Some are within the tcu , some ecu .

 

[Tonygw]

Have you addressed the drive by wire throttle lag ?

Ah no its on my radar to do just had other priorities pushing this down the list, got to sort a noisy aux belt tensioner out and I think I might need a gearbox mount soon to before I can start doing the fun stuff :-(