Hello All:

I seek your wisdom, as I have little of it. I am converting from the land of BMW and it's E36 faith. My 328i was beloved but it's flaws in the cooling system were fatal, sadly. Twice lost a cooling component on the freeway (reserve tank, lower radiator hose), both times overheat,->head gasket/coolant issues $2k to repair.

I am not yet familiar with my new used 203W. After 22 years of marriage I surely know don't compare you wife to another woman for ANY reason, but the car is more dude like in that fashion. Here is what I think so far.
- 203W interior is better. Stronger. Lasts better
- Low profile tires are silly. Never had an issue with cornering with the B'mr and I think it had a better ride.
- Steering feel seems a bit different, mainly in it seems slow to correct back to center during the end of turns. maybe going too slow.

I seek your wisdom on the following
- Where can I get low cost parts? I will need a few bits here and there and only mildly scared of getting my hand dirty (I now use latex gloves).

- is there a software (carsoft?) that is useful to connect to the car?

- Does the 203W have any points to be attentive to other than the normal oil change.

Look forward to sharing an interesting journey.
SilkyPirate

 

It's a W203...not 203W
Welcome. I also came from a 3 series and am well familiar with the cooling system woes on the e36 and e46. I had a reserve tank go out on a 325i, killed it in time before it boiled. You'll like the c230, but you'll miss some things about the BMW.
Parts are everywhere...lots of vendors with decent prices, just search.
For software, you can get MB's DAS system, works like BMW's DIS/INPA. Look on fleabay or you can get direct from china.
The M271 is a good motor, look for signs of chain/sprocket wear. The fiber optics and SAMs/key issues also get a lot of mention here. Like BMW, MB uses a lot of plastic components under the hood, eg intake manifold and a good chunk of the cooling plumbing. Luckily it holds better than BMW's plastics. Also worth noting is the alternator pulley clutch, which could take out other belt driven components if it's seized. If you have to replace your battery don't go with anything with less amps than specs...it will make a difference. These cars do not like weak batteries. There is a vane type vac pump at the back of the engine that likes to leak...as do the two cam sensors at the front of the engine. Take it to a dealer and verify that the necessary work regarding the cam sensors/oil in harness has been done.
That's all I can think of now. Hope I didn't scare you.

 

That's a Mercedes "trait". You'll have to dial down your expectations on fun, as it is less of a driver's car than your BMW was.

No such thing as low cost parts, but Trademotion, Autohaus AZ, and some other online parts places are somewhat cheaper than the dealerships. But no real bargains.

Endlinks and bushings like to give out for no reason; the already-mentioned EIS issue is painful, differentials tend to blow up as well. Also, the MFD dies after a certain amount of time.

In short, you went from one high-priced car of questionable reliability to another. So I hope you like the car itself better, because you're in the same quicksand you were in before.

 

My bad on the W203, practicing to be dyslexic.

thanks for the replies and info. I am so far good with the change. I agree as a drivers car the 328 had more power and a nicer driving feel, but the interior was clearly a couple of step behind. For a 10 year old car the C230 interior looks good all things considered. I am not a fan of the chromed 18" low profile wheels. Maybe gangsta to some, but my need for high speed cornering is basically zero, which is where I like it. I will try to swap them out for something more practical later.

I am using it for a commuter car so I am good with the trade. Like most european cars, they need to be maintained at a generally higher level. If you see a problem, best to get on it and hope for the best.

If looking for a OBDII software package, is DAS worth the trouble? Carsoft was simple and easy enough, and was helpful from time to time. In fact I think carsoft does MB also, but will need to look it up.

Thanks Again.

 

Welcome to the club, man! I have the same 05 W203 SS, it's a great car, but like any German vehicle, over-engineered in many ways. RWDlifer offered the best advice above. He's helped me with a lot of projects thus far. I haven't had any major issues yet, but I'd recommend the following:

First and foremost, I use www.eeuroparts.com for all aftermarket parts, their prices are always competitive and if they don't have what you want, they'll find it for you. Great customer service and all orders are free shipping over $99.

1. Make sure you use 229.5 MB approved oil - nothing else. Mobil 1 0W40 seems to be the favorite, but I go with Pennzoil 5w40 Pure Plus; Motul 8100 5W40 seems to be a good choice as well. Go with a Hengst or Mahle branded oil filter, They're only like $10 on Amazon and are EXACT quality of MB, but for much less. If you want to be on the safe side, change your oil every 8k miles. 13k is intended for Fleece filters and they're not made for our car... Trust me, I've tried looking.

2. Timing Chain has been known to have a stretching issue in the M271, due to it being a single-link chain. The only way to check this is to remove the entire engine cover an observe the chain directly to see if it has any slack. I haven't done this yet myself, still building up the courage. Currently at 92k and hoping I don't fall victim.. Keep an ear out for any funny noises upon start-up. If it goes, it's $$$$$$.

3. Vacuum Pump does leak oil, not too problematic, but can be replace pretty easily. It's directly behind the engine head, facing the cloth firewall. If it's leaking, you'll see oil dripping on the transmission below it. https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/674...ump-724807070/

4. Depending on your mileage, swap out Spark Plugs. It's pretty easy on this engine, they're directly on top of the valve cover, I went with BOSCH. K&N Air Filter as well - Easy fix.

5. Fuel Filter replaced after car is over 100k. I'm about to do this job. It's located enderneath by the rear driver-side wheel well. Great DIY's on here for that as well. https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/550...-Filter-71058/

6. Lastly, I'd check the Throttle Body. It's directly below the Airbox. I just did this recently (Thanks RWDlifer) and I noticed mine being all gunked up. It's a fairly easy DIY. https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ttle-body.html

Overall, I love the car. It's been my favorite so far. Good luck, man!

 

I change oil at 6-7k intervals to be on the safe side. Sent a sample to Blackstone for an analysis on previous oil change (141k mi), came out great and they suggested 8k changes, but Mobil1 0w40 is cheap at walmart so I am continuing the 6k intervals.

Pirate,
the 18'' wheels were likely installed by the previous owner, the originals are 16 to 17''.
The forum's go-to parts websites are (in no order) parts.com, fcpeuro.com, rmeuropean.com, ecstuning.com, autohausaz.com, mbpartsworld.com .