LILBENZ230

My C230 passes the 120,000 mile mark today. No news is good news. As preventative maintenance I replaced the original battery a few weeks ago. Paid $149 at Autozone for a unit that matched the OEM specs. Starts seem a bit better, especially on cool mornings. The rear sunshade started sticking last month and so I stopped using it altogether once I got it retracted. I pressed the button a few days ago on a whim and nothing happened at all.. I used it all the time and will miss it, but the repair cost is just not worth it to me. The HVAC control unit definitely has a problem, too. For two years now it would shut down while in auto mode.. now it sometimes freaks out even when it is off. I'll start the car and the A/C will be on, even with the system off. I just keep control of it manually and an eye on it at start-up.. I'll replace it when it won't work anymore, but not a moment sooner.

Other than those minor issues, the car is fine. I hate the stupid ASX tires it has on it, but they're wearing pretty quickly as I expected and I can't wait to get rid of them. Wet and dry grip is OK, but they flatspot in the cold, have trouble staying balanced, etc. Never again will I buy them.

I bought a case of Shell 134 ATF and plan to have the transmission flushed before the end of the year. Shifts fine, fluid/filter and electrobushingthingy changed 20,000 miles ago. Transmission mount is shot.. ordering that from RME soon, too. Not sure why my car breaks these all the damn time.

Once Trey gets his STAR computer up and running he's going to do the coding I have always wanted. I'm not sure what favors I'll have to do for him in return but I'm sure it will be worth it.

As far as replacing the car, that was ruled out a while back. I still may end up with a new vehicle, but the C230 is staying as long as it keeps up the good work.

capt_paul

I just replaced my battery with a replacement from the dealer for about the same cost. I have 86,000 on my 2005, but I live in Las Vegas, which is known to kill batteries because of the intense heat. I got a good 7 years out of the old battery, that is why I chose an OEM replacement.

LILBENZ230

Yep, dealers here wanted $250 - I called around. My car was not eligible for roadside anymore, either, due to the changes. The replacement I got is fine. Specs are all the same and it has an 8 year warranty all included at the $150 price. The battery I replaced was the OEM one and was a few months shy of 7 years old.

tommy

So here's the question I ask myself all of the time:

what would it take in a possible repair bill for you to walk away from your C230? I find that a very tough question to answer. Especially since I've had some expensive repairs recently that I haven't nearly gotten the use out of that I'd like to.

LILBENZ230

1 four-figure repair and it's game over for the C230, or any other car I've ever had or will have.

samaritrey

LOL

Glyn M Ruck

Trey - make sure you charge him 4 figures

LILBENZ230

The big 120.

Should I be concerned with this? I was doing some general checks on the car yesterday and noticed it looks like some fluid escaped at some point:

ncmudbug

Glad things are going pretty well with your car! Hopefully it will continue and you'll keep enjoying your car. (We were pretty worried about what you'd get )

I don't think I'd worry about that spot (I would of course defer to Glyn or John).

LILBENZ230

Well the only reason I do at all is because no fluids have ever been added there.

tommy

I'll check at lunchtime, but I think that mine looks like that as well. You could take that as a good sign or a bad sign - your choice.

It is dirty, though - shame on you!

LILBENZ230

I've seen worse. I wiped it down a bit after taking the photos but overall the engine bay isn't a huge concern for me.

rocafel1a

Damn your car must have been manufactured to perfection. oh, and also how well the owner babies his car

LILBENZ230

Well this one has most definitely NOT been babied. It's been well maintained, though there are things I've done or not done that some of our more **** members would do differently. Overall though, the car has been rode hard and put up wet every night. Like Trey, as a matter of fact.

Glyn M Ruck

That is the power steering fluid reservior. Suggest you check the level - that's all.

samaritrey

Mine looked like that too as long as the level is fine don't worry about it.

MW_ATL

Matt -- Congrats on the milestone. I am less than a thousand from 155K, but mine needs a really good weekend of detailing.

Trey....."buddy!" Be great to see you when you come back to visit! Oh, and by the way...! I ran out of wife approved funding on my STAR effort. It is still a background project, so hopefully I will get around to it at some point, but in the mean time....

Tommy -- exactly. If I used Matt's four figures, it would have been gone a while back. My goal is 300,000 miles before I consider something else -- and expect some repairs I really don't want to do that.

The power steering pump is starting to groan, but I have found just turning the radio up has helped that issue, for now.

tommy

Don't forget to stop by your dealer soon and get your grille badge ordered.

samaritrey

+1 and by 165k it will be overnighted to your door
still can't believe Mercedes makes me wait a few months and then decides it is a good idea to overnight from CA.

FrankW

good to see no major issue reported

04mbc230

Hey guys. Since we are on the topic of dirty engine/bay, any recommendation how to clean up the dirt there? Any type of professional like a car wash can do an engine bay wash? Is this even a good idea?

FrankW

a towel and a detail spray.

Glyn M Ruck

+1 Try not to wash these engines. The electrics don't like it & once corrosion starts in the connectors it can make MB Dealers wealthy.

No engine washing permitted by SA dealers - only detail/wipe down.

LILBENZ230

If you can powerwash the interior of a CLS, I see no reason why you can't do the same to the engine bay of a C230..

I ordered the transmission mount, a new electrohydraulic pilot bushing (?) as insurance, and a new drive belt today. I figure the belt needs to be changed at this point, but I'm worried the common pulley problems on these cars will surface during/after a belt change. Should I hang on to the belt just in case there's a problem in the future, or go ahead and change it even though it looks fine and there's no issue?

dannyboy22

Well I just hit 140,000 coincidentaly (05 C230 Sport, Manual)