estro_pajo

Hello everyone!
I'm a new, proud owner of a 2001 C180 Coupe!

I must say I'm a very lucky guy, I'm only 25yo and working in film industry which, as you probably know, is not an industry that allows young people to earn piles of bloody moola... I've worked all around the world, sometimes illegally (including some construction work in the States) put some money aside and now I wanted to buy my very first car!

I've been a driver for over six years now and also I'm an avid biker, but till now I've always been driving/riding someone else's rides. So I've said to myself "This spring I must buy me a ride, it is high time!". I kinda opted for a bike at first, but my girlfriend talked some sense into me and I've settled for a car (we're both working as photographers so we kinda needed a vehicle to hurl our equipment around).
I wanted to buy a used VW Golf, well you know, good machine for a first car and was in my price range. But then my family has heard that I'm buying a car and they've decided they need to pitch in, so my possibilities broadened and finally I've settled on a silver 2001 C180 Coupe!
(it has been arranged for me by my family in Germany and then I brought it home with me)



I call him Grandpa Four-Eyes


To be honest it's not entirely my style as I'm more of an academic/artistic (I'm a film historian and art critic working as a photographer and grip and learning for a DoP... yeah, weird...) country-blues kind of guy, but this car... it got me wholesale! I just saw myself in it, I've just felt its groove, I've felt a connection... I don't know how to express it - it just feels right.


As I've mentioned above it's my very first car and I'd love to hear some tips from You guys!
What to watch out for, what to avoid...
What are the strong points of my new precious?
Where my new coupe is at its lowest?

Is the age of my car a very significant and bad factor? Are 9 years for a Benz a lot? Or is it like human years compared to dog years?

It has automatic transmission and I'm used to a manual - what should I remember when using auto so not to break the bugger?
How the automatic transmission will affect my driving in the long run?
Is there a general consensus which type of transmission is preferable with this kind of car? (as in: was it a bad idea to get an automatic?)

My model is equipped with the Kompressor engine - what's the main difference, if any, between this one and an ordinary one? I know the fuel consumption is slightly lower, but anything else?


I hope I don't sound too daft, but it's really my first car and I'm bursting with excitement, but I'm also little embarrassed because I feel that it is a bit too much for my first car and so I feel obliged to know it in and out...

Well, thanks in advance!

Midnight Koop

congrats and welcome~!

XsuperbeeX

welcome...

jreC230

Welcome

laneshift

What to watch out for, what to avoid... - Treat it nice, don't go doing brakestands every other day. Drive it with care, and it'll last.

What are the strong points of my new precious? - It's less common than the sedan, and imo, looks much cleaner when modded. Also, very fuel efficient!

Where my new coupe is at its lowest? - The cons? Perhaps reliability issues (which should be taken care of since it's nine years old!), but I'd have to say speed. Our cars are not as quick as they cars look.

Is the age of my car a very significant and bad factor? Are 9 years for a Benz a lot? Or is it like human years compared to dog years? - It depends how you/the past owner treat/treated it. My car is eight years old.. no major problems yet.

It has automatic transmission and I'm used to a manual - what should I remember when using auto so not to break the bugger? - Try not to shock the transmission. MB trannies are very nice in general, but aren't invincible. Burnouts, putting the car into gear when it's moving the opposite direction, etc, will hurt it.

How the automatic transmission will affect my driving in the long run?
Is there a general consensus which type of transmission is preferable with this kind of car? (as in: was it a bad idea to get an automatic?) - Your manual skills may get a bit rusty is all, imo. Maybe your multitasking skills, too, since when driving manual, you have to focus on two things. Generally, these cars are more fun with a manual.

My model is equipped with the Kompressor engine - what's the main difference, if any, between this one and an ordinary one? I know the fuel consumption is slightly lower, but anything else? - It's got a supercharger. You hear a whine? That's the charger doing its job. C-classes with a kompressor usually are off the line faster, but it's hard to tell for you, since it's rare to see a C180K in my parts!


I hope I don't sound too daft, but it's really my first car and I'm bursting with excitement, but I'm also little embarrassed because I feel that it is a bit too much for my first car and so I feel obliged to know it in and out... - No problem! This forum is teeming with information. Search about!

-Laneshift

03MBC320

Hey congrats on the new car its a beautiful machine enjoy it to its fullest!!

nrg_mike

Welcome to the forum! Your enthusiasm reminds me of how I felt when I first got my coupe in 2002. Treat it well and it won't give you any real issues.
This forum is full of info and a lot of randomness. Don't mind the randomness, it's simply all in good fun.

estro_pajo

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I've been reading a lot of pretty much anything regarding my new car, but there's one thing that really bugs me.

This wired Nokia set that came with the car. It's for the old Nokia 6210 (if I'm not mistaken) and it seems that I can't remove it (not easily and without leaving a gaping hole at least) so I'd like to adapt it to my cell somehow.

I'm using two mobile phones at the moment - one older Sony Ericsson and an iPhone3G.
I know there is a device called ViseeO that I can plug into the cradle and will pair my car with my iPhone via Bluetooth. There is a drawback though - it costs over $600... this little doodad that basically will duplicate what a $20 headset does, but I really want to do something with this stupid Nokia cradle.

So what'd you recommend?
Is there a cheaper solution that will make my iPhone/SE work? (preferably at the same time?)
Alternatively do you know how to get rid of the cradle altogether in an easy and estetic fashion?

Thanks in advance!

nrg_mike

I cheated and ran an extra BT kit through my aux input. (-=

bdgdl08

Welcome to the forum. I'm not personally familiar with the way your cell package is wired. I've seen some interesting ones, and yours seems to be one of those. I'll let someone else chime in with that. Other than that, you have a great car. I agree with everything Laneshift said. As for longevity, I previously owned a 1999 CLK 320 (handed down from my dad who bought it brand new) that lasted us 10 years and 232,000 miles. I sold it to a guy in my home town a year ago, and it's still going. I went by last week to take a look at it and took some pictures...



Anyway, these cars tend to last a while. Enjoy your car, take care of it, and it will be there for you!

estro_pajo

232,000 miles? You surely drive a lot!

My car is 9yo and has mere 71,000 miles on the clock (wasn't tinkered with - I have all the proper service papers and there was a constant and steady incline through the years so it's all legit) so it was moderately used+the interior is in pristine condition and the engine runs just like a song. Totally dry.

From what you wrote I see that I'll be driving this baby for quite some time Good times.

bdgdl08

My dad put most on, I only really contributed the last 35,000 in the two years I had it. He had a long comute to work 6 days a week. His previous (and first) Mercedes was a 1986 300E. He bought that new, sold it in '99 to his brother who traded it for a newer E in 2004. It was then sold to the mom of one of my high school's chearleaders. I still see it driving around today! My dad will probably never buy any other brand of car (and, given that he currently has a 2008 S550, he may never buy another car at all). Between their safety and their longevity, you really will never be disappointed - except, in our cases, for speed.

nrg_mike

That's still a lot lol. Average for 2 years is 24-26k or so. I've had my car for 5 years and am barely still at 35,000.

bdgdl08

I didn't say it wasn't... I have put 30,000 (ish) miles on my C in the past year. I got it at the beginning of April '09 with just over 8,000 miles and I just passed 40,000 a week or so ago. I have just recently moved, and should be putting fewer miles on my car now. I hope to keep this car for a while.

laneshift

We've been getting a lot of these spam ads lately, but I find it funny they put "honda" for what they drive. lol

nrg_mike

Has anyone actually looked to see the site? Of course it's a Chinese rip off mall... Fail.