What is my engine?

[Tilly]

Im just looking through kleemann performance kits and my car is only a C180k, its a brand spanker, will it be an M271 engine or something else? The kleemann website shows powers increasing from 143 to 193 bhp and torque from 220 to 275Nm meaning its in C230K territory, pleaaaaaaaase tell me this is the engine I have! and how much is one of these performance kits? http://www.kleemann.dk/site/Main/tuningproducts/performancekits

Will they void warranty or are they approved by mercedes?

 

[mobeyone]

i think it will void your warranty and will cost you a lot of money! plus your insurance company will probably void your policy if you dont tell them!

For the amount of money it will cost, you probably would have been able to buy a c230k.

 

[Tilly]

I would tell the insurance and a few uprated parts must surely be less in cost and in insurance than paying the extra money on the on the road cost to go from a 180 to a 230 and the extra four insurance groups going from a 12 to a 16 would it not? What needs to be remembered is I am only young and so 4 insurance groups makes a hell of a lot of difference, especially once it reaches group 14+. The other reason I wanted to do it is because the 180 retains a higher compression ratio and so theoretically it would have a better torque curve than a 230 once the kit had been fitted... I may be completely wrong but the idea behind it is I couldn't afford a bigger engined car because of one, the cars cost itself and two the insurance didnt want to know on anything beyond a C200k can so I thought by going down the 180 route, as and when they allow, I can add the performance kit with the money I've saved by buying a 180 and not a 200 and take the power from a 180 to a 230 without having to change the car

 

[Tilly]

confused? you should be I probably just ranted on about a load of stuff that didnt make sense, but I know myself what i mean hehe

 

[Bazzle]

 

[Doodle]

Insurers tend to take a much more negative view of modified cars (for power increases) than an original more powerful car in the first place.

It generally comes down to "How much hassle is this going to be to resolve/replace in the event of an accident" which is why things like power mods and bodykits tend to get hit harder than simpler items like alloy wheels.

Unfortunately, at your age the insurance companies are not very favourable at all, and any car with significant performance or modifications will be costly to insure, as you are viewed as a poor risk. As you get older, and you establish a good driving record, things improve. Last year, as a 24 year old with 5 years NCB, I was looking at around £500 fully comprehensive on our SL500. 4 years previous to that, I was struggling to get below £1000 for a Honda Civic VTi...

 

[mobeyone]

thats what i was trying to say!

i think that a young person, brand new top marque car, modyfying engine etc and you will be classed as high risk which is why going out and buying a standard c230k woudl have been a better option. Once you get past your first year and incident free, you can normally expect to see a possible 40% drop - has happened with me. I bougt my c230k when i was 24, still at uni and working part time and i was paying around £1400, this then went down to £800 and then finally to £600 all fc. My c320 set me back £1200 in its first year and now £800 so not bad.

I am thinking beyond what you are proposing to do, problems etc which you will probably get at some point and costs sprial. remember you have bought new and will be hit with depreciation big time. Would someone want to buy your car knowing it has been modified? 180 owners will more than likely be the more shrewd (no offence intended) type and i think you would have trouble selling on to a specific market.

Just my opinion of course, but if you do go for the above, would love to see the results! dont think it will be cheap looking at the suggested gains, sure andycyp was looking at a kleeman upgrade for his c32?

edit* just read the gains on a c320.........

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

insurance will not allow it....keep the car a 180 its not too bad and in a few years you can get something quicker.

BTW - i am 23, 5 years ncb and living in London with the car parked off the road...i'm paying 900 p.a

not a lot you can do about it...

 

[portzy]

Tilly.

Why dont you push the boat out a little more and get the C200 which is at the top end of your insurers limits. All three engines, 180 - 200 - 230, are the same thing (CC) but with different compressor pulleys and ecu mapping.

As others have said, you will be canned?, caned?, big time if you present your insurers with a heavily modded C180 as opposed to an off the shelf 200 or 230. The 200 aint a bad engine .

Portzy.

 

[Tilly]

I see where you guys were coming from, it was just an idea as im not really in a normal everyday kind of position.... im only 18 years old but work for a finance broker so get silly amounts of discounts off cars, bought a brand new merc, let my mum use it occassionally and drive my dads SRi astra in its place because its a diesel so we swap and change between our cars so im a named driver on both cars and so insurance is quite cheap considering, its 1200 fully comp for me and my mum to drive the merc

 

[Tilly]

portzy... id love to but the thing is, i got this car becuase it was on my price limit, with working for a broker i get great discounts but the discounts at the moment only apply to cars registered before the end of the year and so its not even like i could wait a bit longer to save up for the 200 because most people will break up from work over christmas so realistically it would have to be ordered before to for it to be registered in time and i couldnt source another grand that quickly because it only left two cars available to me, the diamond black 180 ive ordered or a 200 in silver. I wanted a black car but would've had the 200 with it being quicker but unfortunately it had a few bits of spec on it that just pushed it out of my price range and so only the 180 was within my reach, but due to the price ive got the car at, i can sell it after a year of driving and not lose any money on it even with the immediate depreciation of new cars, i got approx 20% off the car so Im happy to either put up with it for a year and get rid or keep it and mod it as above

 

[mobeyone]

its 1200 fully comp for me and my mum to drive the merc

£1200 for a bn merc is top money imo. Enjoy it and then trade it in for a c230 in 2 years or so!!

 

[Tilly]

norwich union mate, they're great on mercs and BM's, they've beat most other insurance quotes by 3-400 quid, thats who my beemer was insured with, 2.0 3 series coupe on an '03 plate for £1100

 

[Bazzle]

Back to topic????

Bazzle

 

[PJH]

On W203s the C160, C180k & C200k are all 1,796cc.
Could the upgrade wait until you've had another birthday (or two)?

 

[mark.t]

Im just looking through kleemann performance kits and my car is only a C180k, its a brand spanker, will it be an M271 engine or something else? The kleemann website shows powers increasing from 143 to 193 bhp and torque from 220 to 275Nm meaning its in C230K territory, pleaaaaaaaase tell me this is the engine I have! and how much is one of these performance kits? http://www.kleemann.dk/site/Main/tuningproducts/performancekits

Will they void warranty or are they approved by mercedes?

if you wanted grunt a diesel may have been better as torque is the preferred method of travel ...wooossshhhhhhh ....slight plume ......gone

 

[Tilly]

True, its just me, always loved petrols even if there is a torquier diesel equivalent, I prefer the longer gears and the sound, easily pleased Theres just something about diesel + sport that doesnt add up to me, I guess im just living in the world of old school motors and straight down the line TDi's but now common rail diesels are around admittedly they will slaughter a petrol in most ways! but still.... its a diesel

 

[mark.t]

True, its just me, always loved petrols even if there is a torquier diesel equivalent, I prefer the longer gears and the sound, easily pleased Theres just something about diesel + sport that doesnt add up to me, I guess im just living in the world of old school motors and straight down the line TDi's but now common rail diesels are around admittedly they will slaughter a petrol in most ways! but still.... its a diesel

check out Mambos BMW coff coff....... its cool a bit like mine on