Mercedes C Class W202

[carlo]

This is winking at me seriously:

 

 http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201503252059726/sort/locasc/make/mercedes-benz/channel/cars/model/c_class/postcode/pl210nf/radius/1500/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/usedcars/page/1/transmission/automatic/price-to/3000/keywords/SUNROOF?logcode=p

 

Always fancied an early C Class.  Anyone any idea about its weak points?  I've always read how comfortable the ride is on these which is very appealing, I'm presuming though it will feel very different to my 405 on the road.

 

Also like the colour and the fact there's loads of them around for cheap bits (?)

[srad34]

Rust is a big enemy, from what I have seen they are either mint or riddled with the stuff. I had a late 2000 model and EVERY panel was blistered, the engines are bulletproof and it was like driving a boat.....

 

Get it fetched

 

You have not been charged for this service.....

[carlo]

I thought I heard that the earlier ones were very well built i.e 'over-engineered'.  Did Merc's paint problems affect all the cars then?

[EssDeeWon]

I would suggest the dealer has had that a little while, the price in the screen is £995, so might be able to beat that price down some more.

 

Only 3 months MOT, wonder why the dealer wont bang it through another test and sell it with a years ticket?

 

I noticed a lovely silver one for sale on a driveway near me at the weekend, couldn't see the price but it looked lovely.

[Fat_Pirate]

That looks lovely!  I had a C200 some years ago, it was a lovely place to be, if rather pedestrian in the performance department.  It was all very nicely put together, but the rust started biting it, particularly around the rear subframe mounts. The head gasket and cat went on mine, but these issues are restricted to the 2 litre motor as far as I remember.

 

Conclusion: buy it.

[Partridge]

I thought I heard that the earlier ones were very well built i.e 'over-engineered'.  Did Merc's paint problems affect all the cars then?

In E-Classes the rust or no rust issue depended on if the car was made in seeeef ifffricah or Germany. SA cars rotted, German cars were a bit better. No idea what the case with the C-Class is, or if they were even made in SA.

[Lukas]

Had one of these in 2005/2006, a C220 Diesel Elegance. Was a lovely car to drive, relaxing and comfortable. But rust is it´s big enemy. And the reason why I sold it. 

[Negative Creep]

Have to say that looks horrible in red

[Lord Sterling]

The Merc in your ad is a C280 and being an early model I'd hazard a guess its got the same engine as my S124 which is the straight 6. Later 6-pot W202s came with the V6.

 

As everone says, corrosion can be a problem so watch for rust blebs as they will certainly quickly eat away at the metal. These 280s are very smooth to drive, I've only driven the 280 in mine and its wonderful, I'd guess in a smaller chassis it would be even better.

 

If you like your 405, you'll like this even better. I love my E280 and I'm supposed to be a Rover 800 man.

 

Verdict: Yes, buy it, you'll love it, but take a good look around/test drive it first.

[Junkman]

The real problem here is that it's a 405 which is supposed to be replaced, hence nothing you replace it with will feel or be in fact better.

I replaced 405s on numerous occasions, only to ruefully return to 405s after a surprisingly short period.

Having written that, the 405 currently on duty has just pissed its coolant, though.

[carlo]

The real problem here is that it's a 405 which is supposed to be replaced, hence nothing you replace it with will feel or be in fact better.

I replaced 405s on numerous occasions, only to ruefully return to 405s after a surprisingly short period.

Having written that, the 405 currently on duty has just pissed its coolant, though.

 

A very good point, which is why nothing will ever replace it, I was looking for something to compliment it though.

[Junkman]

You mean complement?

That's an entirely different story. Cars come and go. 405s stay.

[Cavcraft]

Rust like a bastard and incredibly hard to sell.

[320touring]

Rust like a bastard and incredibly hard to sell.

Ahh, so a bit too easy for you ?

[Partridge]

Rust like a bastard and incredibly hard to sell.

Coming from a man who sells cars as desirable as polio with bodies crustier than month old dog shit in the middle of summer. That's very worrying.

[r.welfare]

280 has a biodegradable wiring loom that can cause havoc.

[Cavcraft]

Seem to recall they also have springs that snap whenever the mood takes them. They're probably nice to own/drive, but they need to be desperately cheap.

[carlo]

Not really a ringing endorsement then...

[barmatt]

I like them, had a doozil w202 for a bit and it drove lovely. They are prone to rust but plenty out there have had it fixed, find one with no electrical gremlins and decent service history and you'll not regret it. I've driven a 280 and it was gr9.

 

Skattrd is currently wafting around in w202 estate and he seems to like it as well.

[gary_davidson]

I have one, 180 elegance (read basic as fuck) spec estate with auto box. Rust on mine is a problem, it needs the sills doing and most of the panels have some blistering on them. On the plus side it's comfortable and easy to drive, I'd quite happily have another. I'd tell you to  buy it but by now you should be mid collection.

[Rusty_Rocket]

My neighbour had a C250TD example.

I used to help him maintain it, the bonnet was up most weekends.  It went well but the fuel system was forever letting air in; the numerous fuel pipes have cheap and nasty push-fit connections with rubber 'o' rings that aren't up to it apparently.  The autobox failed too.  After lots of messing about, he bought a new electrical board that goes underneath some solenoids in the sump, which I fitted for him.  That fixed the problem but the part was Merc only and hence 'reassuringly expensive'.

The rust was a constant battle and after the near side lower arm pulled out of the bracket on the chassis leg due to rotting straight through, it was time to say goodbye.

[Lacquer Peel]

I have been tempted by that era of C/E class in diesel form but they sound fucking shite if you get a bad one.

[Bear]

All Mercedes post 1993 rust, have shit paint and have biodegradable wiring looms. The cost reduction progressed at different rates, so the W201 escaped it, the W202 was the vanguard, the W124 with facelift grille got some of the issues (they always rusted, as do W123s and older - it's just that they were super-expensive cars and got looked after), the R129 is the absolute worst for starting out engineered like a tank and gradually getting nastier and nastier, though I'd still take a late M113 SL 500 like a shot. W140s have the wiring issues too.

Big problem with the 722.6 5-speed autobox is the pin bushing for the ECU connector. It leaks internally, the oil wicks up the loom and if not caught in time reaches the ECU and combined with the loom degrading, causes havoc. Dead easy to catch. Also gearboxes were sold as 'sealed for life' and have no dipstick, so progressive owners tend to neglect them and to change ATF needs a Starscan (on later ones with temp sensor) or IR-thermometer and a chart of temp/level if you suspect the level to be wrong when changing (if not just measure what comes out, put same back in). Pre 99 the torque convertors might have a drain making changing ATF a shitload easier.

Steering damper is £16 and always gets forgotten; fit one and it'll steer a million times better with less kickback. Merc parts are often cheaper than you'd expect, particularly consumables.

Rust is the killer but they don't hide it will - a rotten W202 or W210 will look ropey as anything, they're not worth the paint and Isopon to try and tart them up.

 

Supercharged models - lift the plastic cover at the front of the engine on the M111 four-pot, there's a camshaft magnet that does the timing handover. If it rattles at idle, this is probably dead - they leak oil internally (but will do so externally too, so you get a clue) and the oil comes out of the connector, into the wiring loom and yes, you've guessed it... they've also got a relay pack that controls boost and so forth which gets dry joints, not helped by Mercedes' habit of putting the ECUs in a box with a cooling fan that the owners rarely know about and thus, don't know when the cooling fan has failed.

I hated them when they first came out, right in the "it's not a proper Mercedes" camp, but having driven a 180 wagon recently I am much more prepared to give one a go, it has many of the qualities of the W201 190 and in some areas looks more attractive.