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What should I anticipate going wrong on my C230 Sportcoupe?
I’m considering getting out of my 02 Sportcoupe – I replaced an AC condenser earlier last year, and soon thereafter the antenna amplifier died (pretty miffed about that one, and debating whether I put the 1-2k into fixing it or to a new car instead).
I’m at 92,500 miles – if I keep the coupe, what am I looking at up to, say, 150k miles for regular repairs, wear and tear, and things-that-are-likely-to-go-wrong? Any expensive service items I should know about in my future? Any components I should be wary of dying? I looked all this up when I first bought the car but can’t find my notes. Also, a lot of known issues have come up since I’ve made my purchase (eg the antenna amp), so it’d be nice to compare experiences here.
Thanks!
It's a very good time to consider what you want to do.
I just passed 150k, and have had a bunch of stuff replaced from 90-150k.
Rear diff
Motor mounts
Clutch
End links
Rust in: both rear quarterpanels, both front fenders (replaced both), front supporting undercarriage
Driver's side window regular seems like it needs to be replaced
Had an oil leak that took a couple of thousand to finally get done right
So if you haven't had any of those done, there's a good chance that you will in that time. Also, the supercharger will probably need to be rebuilt, and as you can tell from my lisiting above, the paint on 02s and 03s in particular was awful, so rust will be an issue as well.
In general, 2002 is a lemon-ish year; if you don't have it in you to possibly do a bunch of stuff in the next couple of years, it would probably be a good time to reconsider.
i'd get rid of that money pit ...at that mileage and that year ur asking for trouble
u can blow a head gasket or need a trans rebulid at that milage
We have PLENTY of members here beyond 92.5k miles. The 722.6 transmission is plenty reliable.. and you just pulled "head gasket" out of your.. well you get the picture.
My car rolled over 200K kms (~120K miles) and has been fantastic (knock on wood) the last 4 years after sorting out all the little issues.
At ~100K miles (160K kms) a lot of things start coming due for maintenance or will start to fail and leave you stranded:
- fuel filter
- serpentine belt and idler pulley
- battery/alternator
- thermostat
- rear diff fluid
- struts
- cats
- sensors
- coil packs
- ...
Nothing catastrophic, just it starts eating away at your wallet a couple $100s at a time. Just gotta keep a few $$$s handy to fix what breaks, or spend a couple $Ks to do a bunch of preventative maintenance. All cheaper than buying a new car, yet certainly more frustrating.
The biggest issue I have is the front end. All my bushings are in a state of needing some love, and at $140/each for 4 control arms, plus tie rods, plus end links it gets expensive. Bushings are cheaper, yet for the labour might as well replace the entire arm so you get fresh ball joints too. I figure ~$1000 to get rid of all the rattles and shakes in my front end.
For a car valued at ~$6K its not worth it. Instead I'm throwing in new end links and waiting till the ball joints show signs of going then replacing each arm as needed.
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Originally Posted by blk
What should I anticipate going wrong on my C230 Sportcoupe?
Everything - Joke!
You should have an M111 engine & they are tough if a little rough. Tommy, C230 Sport Coup & SeaCoupe have lived with these things for a long time & can give you lots of good advice.
Out of curiosity, what did the antenna amplifier cost? If it was more than a Benjamin, I would have just gotten a new attenna.
I'm due to schedule my appointment to get my 225k mile badge. The M111 engine is a tough little bunny. Loud, obnoxious, and willing to live a full life.
Normal wear and tear like spark plugs, coil packs, air meters, fuel filters, 02 sensors, and at higher mileage flex discs, CV rubber, super charger rebuild about every 125k.
I feel like I have had good luck, but, I also do my own wrenching.
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
Aye Aye.
I'm cut of the same cloth ye old C dog.
Things have finite lifespans,
I don't like being on the side of a road when I was expecting a vacation.
So don't wait for your alternator brushes to wear down to nothing,
don't wait till your supercharger siezes somewhere in the deep deep swamp,
don't wait till your transmission won't shift, or your brakes need a 3K repair because you never replaced your brake fluid, or tranny fluid.
Don't rely on mechanics to have your best interest at heart.
DIY, or at least be informed so when your mechanic feeds you a line of you can at least have a clue.
Originally Posted by SeaCoupe
I'm a big advocate of preventitive maintece. Before the part breaks down. The bearings in the snout can wear, and the oil needs changing.
I agree with preventative maintenance to an extent.. But rebuilding a supercharger that works absolutely fine is not on my list. Why not just replace the engine? It, too, has a finite lifespan. I'll just replace the whole car.. that should be preventative enough. Supercharger failures are not something I see much of on this forum at all, even with the higher mileage guys.
Last edited by LILBENZ230; 02-08-2012 at 09:20 AM.
All I can say is at 161K I am happy. I have had some not so cheap repairs (water pump for one), but I haven't spent over a couple of months car payments at once - and so far have gotten over the couple of months use each time. And I have a good looking (IMHO), clean and paid for car.
I also have to admit that some of my high shop bills have included replacing worn trim parts and removing door dings. I am a believer in regular maintenance and in doing the little things before they build up to critical mass.
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
There is a recommended Supercharger Oil replacement at
100K.
But fact is, to get to the plug to drain the oil is quite a beetch, even with it off the car.
In the end you discover that aside from the oil, the snout has these rubber
doo dads, that transfer the power from the snout the the internals,
and after an actual discussion with an Eaton tech rep, you also discover that the supercharger is built and designed with a 100K mean time between failure.
So, while, many experience long periods, and don't need repairs, others may find they need it sooner. He mentioned he'd heard of people going 200K miles without a failure.
A proper rebuild is anywhere from $300-600 depending on how much you have done, but basically, snout, seals, bearings, new oil that sort of thing.
But that requires taking it your off the car, and sending it off or buying a rebuilt one and
then paying a core charge. OR you can even attempt a rebuild yourself with kits I've seen.
I had to replace a leaky exhaust gasket, so while I was in there at 120K miles, I decided to make the car ready to go another 100K miles.
Thats when I 1st flushed the tranny, replaced the diff oil, replaced the belts,
took out the alternator for a rebuild, and also, found a brand new supercharger on ebay for $600 and sold my old one to a member for $250.
So, my out of pocket on the SC was only around $350- 400 on that.
My feeling was, if it happened on a trip, and me at the mercy of a dealer, it would be a 2-3 grand repair. I just dealt with it in advance. My butt dyno noticed a bit more oooph, but who knows.
I had been having an issue with the boost cutting in and out, but that might have just been a belt slipping.
The engine has a finite lifespan? Really?
I expect the M111 block could go 500K miles without a rebuild.
The head maybe not.
Originally Posted by LILBENZ230
I agree with preventative maintenance to an extent.. But rebuilding a supercharger that works absolutely fine is not on my list. Why not just replace the engine? It, too, has a finite lifespan. I'll just replace the whole car.. that should be preventative enough. Supercharger failures are not something I see much of on this forum at all, even with the higher mileage guys.
Last edited by C230 Sport Coup; 02-09-2012 at 09:44 PM.
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
How much for the water pump?
I was told by a local mechanic, that since I use distilled water (and they do NOT) I have probably dodged the bullet so far. But I expect that could happen soon. (Now at 183K)
Originally Posted by MW_ATL
All I can say is at 161K I am happy. I have had some not so cheap repairs (water pump for one), but I haven't spent over a couple of months car payments at once - and so far have gotten over the couple of months use each time. And I have a good looking (IMHO), clean and paid for car.
I also have to admit that some of my high shop bills have included replacing worn trim parts and removing door dings. I am a believer in regular maintenance and in doing the little things before they build up to critical mass.
The engine has a finite lifespan? Really?
I expect the M111 block could go 500K miles without a rebuild.
The head maybe not.
500k miles is certainly a lot, however it is also certainly finite.
I will cross that S/C bridge when I get there. I did read that Eaton blowers were designed for about 100k miles of use. A lot of guys here are well over that, though.
How much for the water pump?
I was told by a local mechanic, that since I use distilled water (and they do NOT)
The mechanic does not use distilled water?! My car has the ultra long life coolant from the factory, I've had to top it up though. Used a 50/50 mix of distilled water and Mercedes genuine coolant. I swear I read that distilled water was an absolute must.
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Distilled or deionised water IS a must.
You could maybe get away with ice/snow melt or rain water in non polluted areas but I would not even do that. I'm not going to the middle of Montana to collect water.
I agree with preventative maintenance to an extent.. But rebuilding a supercharger that works absolutely fine is not on my list. Why not just replace the engine? It, too, has a finite lifespan. I'll just replace the whole car.. that should be preventative enough. Supercharger failures are not something I see much of on this forum at all, even with the higher mileage guys.
You didn't really mean that did you? Hmm, I think the engine will die, so I will do a preventative rebuild. I know you were joking. But you get my meaning. I know some parts have a shorter lifespan than others. I do what I can to change them out before I have an issue.
You certainly don't wait to rebuild your brakes until you hear metal to metal do you?
You didn't really mean that did you? Hmm, I think the engine will die, so I will do a preventative rebuild. I know you were joking. But you get my meaning. I know some parts have a shorter lifespan than others. I do what I can to change them out before I have an issue.
You certainly don't wait to rebuild your brakes until you hear metal to metal do you?
No, but I don't fly blind either. I don't say "Okay, well I've gotten 35,000 miles on this set, so I'll replace them" based on the fact that that's about the right time. When the car trips the sensor at 10%, they get replaced.
My point was you can pre-emptively replace a lot of things, but that's not my style (and my car does not suffer for it, either). I was a little confused about the supercharger rebuilds and questioned why - not that you guys are wrong, it is your car and your money. I'll take care of the supercharger when it doesn't work 100% fine anymore because that's what makes sense to me.
I’m considering getting out of my 02 Sportcoupe – I replaced an AC condenser earlier last year, and soon thereafter the antenna amplifier died (pretty miffed about that one, and debating whether I put the 1-2k into fixing it or to a new car instead).
I’m at 92,500 miles – if I keep the coupe, what am I looking at up to, say, 150k miles for regular repairs, wear and tear, and things-that-are-likely-to-go-wrong? Any expensive service items I should know about in my future? Any components I should be wary of dying? I looked all this up when I first bought the car but can’t find my notes. Also, a lot of known issues have come up since I’ve made my purchase (eg the antenna amp), so it’d be nice to compare experiences here.
Thanks!
I know that i will upset some of you. I have a 2005 c230 compressor . Us of now I have 351000 miles. If you will not race this car and be nice to it it will serve you well. I still have original clutch . I change oil every 7000 miles and my baby is still going strong. At this point Im ready for new car but I will drive this one until it dies. No point to sell . My mechanic can't belive that this car is still on road.
My car just turned 183K yesterday. Had the plugs and coilpacks replaced a month ago, and still seems to be running fine. As I say every year, if I can get one more year out of it, I'll be happy. I'm actually surprised it's lasted this long. But I do anticpate a new Fit entering my life at some point...
So no problems with the valves, head, timing chain or timing gears?
If so, maybe the every 7K oil changes prevented that?
Just passed 222K. Going to try to catch it at 222,222.2 if I can for a photo.
How about a photo of your car and odometer? Love to see it.
And add your location to your profile please.
Originally Posted by Max07
I know that i will upset some of you. I have a 2005 c230 compressor . Us of now I have 351000 miles. If you will not race this car and be nice to it it will serve you well. I still have original clutch . I change oil every 7000 miles and my baby is still going strong. At this point Im ready for new car but I will drive this one until it dies. No point to sell . My mechanic can't belive that this car is still on road.
02-05-2012, 05:30 PM
you can at least have a clue.
My car has the ultra long life coolant from the factory, I've had to top it up though. Used a 50/50 mix of distilled water and Mercedes genuine coolant. I swear I read that distilled water was an absolute must.
