theC280

Newbie C280 owner here. 1997 C280 IOHC-6.

Yesterday my CEL came on because my Serp. belt took a dump and started to unravel at 60mph, so I pulled over and realized that about 2 feet of Serp belt was ripped off and wrapped around my water pump,a couple of those cloth wrapped vacuum hoses were broken off due to age and dry rot, then I get all these codes. from P0102 thru P0106, then other codes about my O2 sensors are bad etc...So I replace the vacuum lines with regular vaccum tubing form O'Reillys. didn't look like the same size as the old but it worked. fished out the debris of the belt that wrapped around the pump and just stewed overnight...so I make it to the shop this morning and I have only about 2cm of belt left. so my indie mech. changes the Serp belt and clear all codes and BAM! we're back in business right? wrong. the CEL came back on 2 miles down the road. . but this time all the cylinder codes go away, including the O2 sensor codes, and my car seems to starve a little bit for air because my shifts usually happen at
25-30 rpms, but now it takes it up to 40 before it shifts out.

could the culprit be the vac hose I used? if so, where can I find the correct vac hoses with the canvass wrapped around them?

Also, my lower grill facia was damaged by a vandal, but he left the grill piece, but tore the rubber. where can I find that replacement rubber to make those little grill inserts stay in place? or do I have to buy them new or what?

thanks for any advice.

theC280

these are the codes I'm getting now after the Serp belt change. never had these prior:...

P1453
P1420
P0443
P1525
P0135
P0141

RANDY_P

that many codes at once? Exhaust gas temp sensor short to camshaft timing solenoid-

Engine harness must've gotten bunged up somewhere when the belt cut loose. Look again.

rjp

theC280

I think it has something to do with the tiny hose I used to replaced the old ones. you know those plastic vacuum hoses that break apart in your hand after age and drying out gets them? well I usesd some window waasher vacuum hose to replace the clear plastic ones and I think the exhaust is being restricted a little bit. I will fix that once I order the correct vaccum hoses. the car is going in for head gasket upgrade Monday so that gives me plenty of down time to order the hoses.

Also, what all parts do I need for the head gasket repair? just the head gasket right? I don't wanna pay triple mark up price for something I can order online cheaper and just let the shop charge me for the labor.

theC280

when I reset the codes and crank the car the CEL goes away until the next time I turn off the car and start it again. I will do the hose repair after the head gasket repair and see what happens. the light should stay off after that.

RANDY_P

You didn't mention it needed a HG..Try the hoses, I guess. Window washer line probably wouldn't hold up to the heat underhood. Those codes point to electrical problems and hard failures. I would think they would be caused by the belt hitting something it shouldn't have on the way out.

Be careful when you bring parts of your own to the mechanic.

Besides offending them (not a good thing if they haven't finished your car) it also gives them a convenient excuse not to warrant your car if something goes wrong, not to mention they crank up the labor to compensate anyhow....

rjp

theC280

yeah the failing Serp belt is what tripped the CEL to start with. but it didn't snap completely. and yes I the belt knocked a wire loose that went to this thing on the front of the engine. but I just plugged it back up. nothing was torn or ripped except the vac hose that was deteriorated and cracked. I used the window vac hose because that's all I had available at the time. it worked but I do need the correct hoses.

I see. I will just let them do it all then because I need that gurantee of workmanship. they told me $1350- $1400 would get me done right. is that a good price?

RANDY_P

At that price if they know the car, seems fair to me. Where was this at?

benz rider

Ok, here's my write up on my HG issue, but the CEL still comes on stating I have a fouled O2 sensor bank 1. I suspect it's because of the oil mixture dripping down the exhaust and maybe fouling it out?:

I'm theC280 btw. had to re-register my account.

hit the wall at 196,404 miles before my head gasket took a **** and began to mix oil with coolant creating the too well known chocolate milk in the expansion tank fiasco. My indie mechanic did the job for $1,392 which included a brand new expansion tank, various hoses, and even threw in some shifter rod bushings just because my shifter was clanking from old ones.. car was ready on day 2. not bad. I was impressed with how quick he finished my car. Also, not sure if any of you knew this, but my mechanic says there's a "seep hole" that Mercedes built into the heads where it allows a drip of oil pass through. He says that hole is almost always the first spot where the gasket gives up. So to fix it, he he says he plugs the hole with a set screw to block it off and you'll never have to worry about your head gasket going out again. He said he hasn't had one come back yet I tend to believe him. he's a awesome mechanic. the car now pulls with more authority than when I first bought it at 75,000 miles. I just put brand new Goodyear Eagle GT's all around. 2weeks prior to this job so the car grips well and hugs the road like it was brand new. I always felt my car was a little tired when I bought it, and now my hunch was confirmed. I love the results. no overheating issues, temp hovers lower than before(80), now running at (70). good times ahead.

I say if you wanna keep your CClass, get it done if you're up against the wall when that thing goes. you'll be glad you re-invested. Lotta CClass owners regret selling their C's vs. doing the head gasket because they love the car but can't fathom the repair. I struggled with that decision when it happened too. thought about selling it(even put it up for sale here) and getting into another model, but then thought about it, weighed my options and decided to get the head gasket done. because I wanna keep my C. this is my first benz so it is the cornerstone to my collection... not to mention it's paid for .