abir246 Posted April 28 Posted April 28 Well, this has been in the planning for a while. The 1 Series's gearbox/clutch problems have started to become more frequent and more alarming the past couple of months, and trying to stomach the cost of a new clutch (with a constant ticking noise brewing from the engine) was not going to be any pill I was prepared to swallow. So I began the search for a new car, something nicer but older, something slightly more comfortable, and maybe with a bit of a kick... I must admit, working on and driving my mate's C280 did have me slightly fall in love with them, so I had a looksie loo at those. Turns out they're not that easy to find. Some were modified, some were specced with nothing, some were both. Then one popped up on everyone's favourite FB marketplace, some messages were exchanged and 1 week later... A slightly molested, highly specced one has appeared! It does need some work: The headrests are buggered The 12v socket died on my way home Does squeak on occasion But it's clean underneath, has extensive service history and is overall quite nice! The indicators and the plates are a let down, as well as the (unpictured) shameless AMG badge on the bootlid. New normal indicators have been procured, the AMG badge will be deleted and I'll even pop into my local merc dealer for some nice plates. Doesn't drink as much petroleum as I thought it would either, result! Did almost shat myself when I accidentally triggered resume cruise instead of the indicator, it kicked down and launched! Needs a Android Auto/CarPlay box for more modern usability, but bar that I'm rather pleased with it. A bird did crap on it as soon as I got home though, that was annoying. Thanks for reading and hope you're all having a lovely evening! Westbay, ProgRocker, Fat_Pirate and 22 others 21 4
vaughant Posted April 29 Posted April 29 8 hours ago, abir246 said: Did almost shat myself when I accidentally triggered resume cruise instead of the indicator, it kicked down and launched That's one of very few bugbears I have with my c class w205 as it's a really poor place to put the cruise. I think they rectified it a year or so later as mines a 64 plate and a lad has a 16 plate where they're on the steering wheel itself. It's one of the very few things I don't like about the car, pretty fantastic in an honesty. Mines a lowly 2.1d but still moves along well. Never knew the C280 had an actual turbo V6 beastie in it 😀😀😀. I think my shape one only got a 2.0 turbo, even in the c43 AMG.
vaughant Posted April 29 Posted April 29 Ah I've re read the title, you had a turbo now a lusty V6. Even better, tough as old boots and quick to boot.
Aston Martin Posted April 29 Posted April 29 Congrats. £795 tax, is what will kill stuff like this. 😢
abir246 Posted April 29 Author Posted April 29 34 minutes ago, Aston Martin said: Congrats. £795 tax, is what will kill stuff like this. 😢 440 actually! I wasnt prepared to buy the C350 😂 Aston Martin 1
chaseracer Posted April 29 Posted April 29 1 hour ago, vaughant said: That's one of very few bugbears I have with my c class w205 as it's a really poor place to put the cruise. Same issue on the W203. vaughant 1
Talbot Posted April 29 Posted April 29 9 hours ago, abir246 said: A bird did crap on it as soon as I got home though, that was annoying. Classy ladies around your area then? The location of the cruise stalk initially will feel wrong. After a month of driving it, it will feel much more natural. What I find odd is that Resume and Cancel should be the other way around to make most sense. But you get used to it. abir246, vaughant and Lord Sterling 1 2
yes oui si Posted April 29 Posted April 29 They're a handsome car, these. I occasionally spot a maroon one around here. vaughant 1
abir246 Posted April 30 Author Posted April 30 Well the first of the unmolestation process began yesterday, with the removal of bright blue LEDs from the interior lights, in exchange for normal bulbs. This morning, I deleted the sequential indicator bollocks for these And it looks a damm slight better now if you ask me! Next it'll be the near gear selector (the all aluminium one is flaking quite badly, so sourced a new different replacement which will suit it well i think), the reinstating of the C280 badge, and maybe later on a wheel refurbishment to the original alloy colour. Mod wise it'll have a MMI box fitted to the COMAND, and then it'll be grand! Brigsy, mk2_craig, Dick Cheeseburger and 7 others 10
abir246 Posted April 30 Author Posted April 30 New gear selector came today - looks and feels more nicer than the all aluminium one (plus isn't flaking to bits like the old one either) SiC, Lord Sterling, Schaefft and 3 others 6
SiC Posted April 30 Posted April 30 1 hour ago, abir246 said: Has the REST function - a very convenient button in the winter!
Lord Sterling Posted April 30 Posted April 30 Nice choice of vehicular transportation. I drove a few of these back in the bad old days of trade-plating.
abir246 Posted April 30 Author Posted April 30 8 hours ago, SiC said: Has the REST function - a very convenient button in the winter! What does it do - pressing it leads to nothing on the dash as far as I know 😂
SiC Posted April 30 Posted April 30 What does it do - pressing it leads to nothing on the dash as far as I know Any residue heat left in the engine coolant with the ignition off will be pumped around the cabin for a period. Ideal if you're just nipping into the shops and keep the car warm. abir246 1
abir246 Posted April 30 Author Posted April 30 Just now, SiC said: 5 minutes ago, abir246 said: What does it do - pressing it leads to nothing on the dash as far as I know Any residue heat left in the engine coolant with the ignition off will be pumped around the cabin for a period. Ideal if you're just nipping into the shops and keep the car warm. That's cool! Touch wood/aluminum trim it makes it to winter with no issues it'll be fun to try out beko1987 1
abir246 Posted May 1 Author Posted May 1 Mini update for you all: It threw an engine light at me yesterday, mild heart attack aside it was for a intake/airflow sensor, cleared it and it hasn't come back (fixed i guess?) Drove it to Canterbury today to assist in collecting some wheels (they didn't fit in the boot nor onto the car they're for - so semi wasted trip). It did clock in it's best MPG in my ownership however, 38.2! MMI box, correct boot badging and a new cup holder insert has been ordered. Also the tints days are numbered as its bloody impossible to park it at night (better off doing it blindfolded) Apart from that it's been wondrous, the 1 series looks on in sadness as im still waiting for my brother to insure it for himself (stopgap until he gets a new car/blows the clutch up) Thanks for reading all, hope you have a lovely evening! beko1987, Dick Cheeseburger, Peter C and 2 others 4 1
abir246 Posted May 2 Author Posted May 2 Went to collect these today Naturally things went wrong - the EML came on today again and it was actually for the Secondary Air Injection System, not the intake thing i mentioned earlier (must've misread). Cleared it again and it seems happy - googling it indicates a blown fuse amongst other things. At the dealer they fumbled making the plates and produced this (bloke said i could have it for free - so I had it of course) Just in time too as I got tailed by the constabulary from the dealer all the way back to one road before my house 😂 beko1987, privatewire, mercedade and 1 other 2 2
abir246 Posted May 5 Author Posted May 5 Hi folks. We are officially 1 week and 200 odd miles into ownership! No issues to report bar the EML from that air thing, still pulls well and gets me around 26 mpg locally. Yesterday saw the removal of the Birmingham spec 4D plates, with the car now looking more respectable in my eyes! Went to near Hampton Court to assist again in collecting some wheels for C280 matey, where on the way back his car decided "many gears are called upon, but none are selected, drive shall be called, and a thunder thunk shall be delivered". Got the car to a petrol station to calm down and the drive back after was uneventful afterwards. Hope you all approve of the de-yobbification, thanks for reading! Peter C, Westbay, privatewire and 7 others 8 1 1
mk2_craig Posted May 5 Posted May 5 Yeah that looks a lot better! Amazing how a small change like that can make such a difference. mercedade 1
timolloyd Posted May 5 Posted May 5 Amazing how nice these look, once they’ve been de-chavved. And yet so many are! mercedade and mk2_craig 2
SiC Posted May 5 Posted May 5 Check the fuses and relays first for the secondary air pump The relays get a hard life as the motor is quite a load that gets switched in/out. Usually only runs for the first few seconds/minute of a cold engine to allow the cat to get hotter quicker for emissions. Quite a load for the relay to switch and may have failed. Also could be the pump itself. Both aren't expensive. Don't really need it for drivability but the error warning light on all the time would annoy me. I imagine it'd clear long enough to get through an MOT.
abir246 Posted May 5 Author Posted May 5 2 hours ago, SiC said: Check the fuses and relays first for the secondary air pump The relays get a hard life as the motor is quite a load that gets switched in/out. Usually only runs for the first few seconds/minute of a cold engine to allow the cat to get hotter quicker for emissions. Quite a load for the relay to switch and may have failed. Also could be the pump itself. Both aren't expensive. Don't really need it for drivability but the error warning light on all the time would annoy me. I imagine it'd clear long enough to get through an MOT. Thanks @SiC! Does make sense as it only comes on every other "other" time I cold start the car in the morning. Have armed myself with a battery of fuses and prepared to do relay shopping. Car runs happily enough after clearing and while the light is on tbh. Going to sort it out when it goes in for a physical in a few weeks. beko1987 1
beko1987 Posted May 6 Posted May 6 Has the poor car been more than 50mph for further than half a mile in its recent past? 😂 Looks far better with the new plates! Mine say "reading trade centre" on the bottom which has bugged me a couple of times but not enough to bother getting a new set made. Their not 4d plates though. I drove to alum rock and back twice last Saturday, I could have taken a photo of where the car used to live for you abir246 1
abir246 Posted May 6 Author Posted May 6 Well it's provided the first actual arse ache of my ownership yesterday evening! No photos sadly, I was too locked in/swearing to even attempt photos Thankfully not mechanical, the COMAND knob doesn't scroll, which is a common issue as a little rod inside the controller snaps. There's a mod you can do which replaces it for a metal one, so I ordered it, studied some videos and began removing it. Removal was a bastard, not the trims or even the actual control unit, but where they clipped the wiring up, they used the strongest clip on earth buried right in a corner that you can't see. Mangled my hands but managed to get it out after applying swearing. Only 2 screws to get the controller out, one right under the arm rest and one under the whole trim (will require trim around gear selector to be deleted) Right, unit out, 10 screws and 1 little screw under the knob itself, and we're in! Pop some little plastic covers off that operate the D-pad aspect of it, lift the board and take the old broken rod out. New rod slips in easy enough. Pop it back together and ah, we've lost click down for OK. Right back apart, take apart the whole cunting mechanism, layer it back piece by piece, pop it back together again. Right D-pad working, OK working, scroll is scrolling. Let's pop the screws back in. Remember that little screw i mentioned under the knob? Yeah that doesn't go in now. Power of deduction is the screw hole was poorly made on the new part, as it's metal it won't be forced etc, so I spent a nasty amount of time trying to get the screw in. It's almost 11 at this point, and I just gave up. No one else is going to drive it bar me, and the knob can easily just slot back in. I could throw it at someone if they annoy me. So it went back together without the screw. Gingerly return back to the car, half hazardly connect everything. Turn car on, wake COMAND and hey presto we have scrolling! OK function is slightly worse as no screw but I can live with it Smash the dash back together, give it a final test and all is well! Finally go to bed as I've been at this for well over 3 hours atp. Pop back to the car this morning, and the scrolling works! For about 5 minutes. Stopped working while I was moving it to a spot nearer to the house. Bastard. I've just ordered it a new scroller off eBay, it was an experience to try and I'd like to try it again one day, but bollocks to that day being anytime soon! yes oui si, mercedade and beko1987 3
beko1987 Posted May 6 Posted May 6 Why do you need to fiddle with the thing every time you drive it though? Surely set it all up once then never touch it again?
abir246 Posted May 6 Author Posted May 6 8 hours ago, beko1987 said: Why do you need to fiddle with the thing every time you drive it though? Surely set it all up once then never touch it again? For music and telephone functionality - plus when the CarPlay/AA Auto box comes its essential that it works! Cancelled the eBay order for the new scroller, found a breaker car about 20 mins away, went there and got a scroller thing for 10 quid 😂 The place was amazing, bloke had a Turbo R and a CL 600 beko1987 and yes oui si 1 1
beko1987 Posted May 6 Posted May 6 Nice! Tin of brake clean and an old toothbrush next time, strip, clean and reassemble and hopefully have no issues again 🤞
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