First post, vibration woes on C230K!
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-2004 BMW M3 6MT, 2005 C230K 5AT, 2004 VW GTI VR6, 2005 Mazda 6i, 1986 Chevy S10
First post, vibration woes on C230K!
Good evening MBWorld,
I recently picked up a 2005 C230K A/T with about 145,000 miles to use as my Uber car! I'm coming from multiple BMW's, VW's and Audis and I have to say that this W203 is one of the best built vehicles I've ever owned. I'm in love with my first Mercedes. Picked it up for $3,000 in very good condition and am in the midst of sorting out the kinks. So far I need a valve cover gasket because it likes to **** oil into the #1 spark plug well(LOL) and am trying to hunt down a vibration that occurrs from about 15-50mph on accel/decel but is smooth while coasting.
I took the car to an Indy here(that might not be the best...) and they're recommending control arm bushings. The vibration is felt in the cabin and slightly through the steering wheel and stops at higher speed which is why I want to denote there diag. It feels to me like a trans/motor mount but the shop didn't say anything about that. So what's up with these 203's? Anybody deal with this before?!
Im going to DIY it because they want to charge me $26 for a spark plug so god knows what they want to do CA's for
Thank you for all the help in advance, I look forward to putting some serious miles on this piece of German art.
I recently picked up a 2005 C230K A/T with about 145,000 miles to use as my Uber car! I'm coming from multiple BMW's, VW's and Audis and I have to say that this W203 is one of the best built vehicles I've ever owned. I'm in love with my first Mercedes. Picked it up for $3,000 in very good condition and am in the midst of sorting out the kinks. So far I need a valve cover gasket because it likes to **** oil into the #1 spark plug well(LOL) and am trying to hunt down a vibration that occurrs from about 15-50mph on accel/decel but is smooth while coasting.
I took the car to an Indy here(that might not be the best...) and they're recommending control arm bushings. The vibration is felt in the cabin and slightly through the steering wheel and stops at higher speed which is why I want to denote there diag. It feels to me like a trans/motor mount but the shop didn't say anything about that. So what's up with these 203's? Anybody deal with this before?!
Im going to DIY it because they want to charge me $26 for a spark plug so god knows what they want to do CA's for
Thank you for all the help in advance, I look forward to putting some serious miles on this piece of German art.
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Joined: Sep 2011
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From: Austin, TX
2005 C230K(sold), Mk7 Jetta
O/T: I though Uber required a car no older than 8(?) years old?
I had something like this vibration, I believe it was the tires/wheel balance issues.
But bad control arm bushings will expose those vibrations more. At 145k might as well replace the whole control arms because the ball joints on them are most likely tired by now.
I had something like this vibration, I believe it was the tires/wheel balance issues.
But bad control arm bushings will expose those vibrations more. At 145k might as well replace the whole control arms because the ball joints on them are most likely tired by now.
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Joined: Apr 2016
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Consider using genuine Mercedes valve cover gasket. The Victor Reinz ones are known to be thinner then the genuine ones (at least for the M112/M113 engines) and leak right after replacement. Not sure about your engine.
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-2004 BMW M3 6MT, 2005 C230K 5AT, 2004 VW GTI VR6, 2005 Mazda 6i, 1986 Chevy S10
O\T response- it all varies my area my friend. Where I'm at, cars need to be 2001 or newer, some places require an '08+ but not here in NC.
I'm having the shop murder me for tires, so we'll see if proper balancing ales my concern. The tires were SHOT.. so I'll pray I guess.
Im going to DIY everything, so I'll replace the arms, struts, blah blah blah.
These W203's are stupid easy to work on, especially compared to my E46 M3, GTI and even the POS Mazda. This C230 is more accessible than the 240D and 300D that I've worked on. Pretty impressed with MB.
Whats up with the tranny mount? It's cheap as hell so I'm doing it for piece of mind but it could it potentially be the culprit? Sure feels like it...
I'm having the shop murder me for tires, so we'll see if proper balancing ales my concern. The tires were SHOT.. so I'll pray I guess.
Im going to DIY everything, so I'll replace the arms, struts, blah blah blah.
These W203's are stupid easy to work on, especially compared to my E46 M3, GTI and even the POS Mazda. This C230 is more accessible than the 240D and 300D that I've worked on. Pretty impressed with MB.
Whats up with the tranny mount? It's cheap as hell so I'm doing it for piece of mind but it could it potentially be the culprit? Sure feels like it...
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Joined: Jun 2016
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2004 C240
If There is vibration in the cabin as well, I think it's leaning towards motor mounts. My c240 has tires out of balance i believe and the vibrating is in the wheel at 50-65 mph that's all. My old Volvo s70 needed motor mounts and the vibrating was how yours is
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,657
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From: Austin, TX
2005 C230K(sold), Mk7 Jetta
Cool stuff, don't forget to pay the b̶i̶g̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ taxes 
Then maybe put it into Neutral when coasting and rev to the approx RPM you had in D to check the vibration.
Also you would def feel a lot of vibrations when the car is started after sitting overnight and you put it into R while holding the brake.
Then maybe put it into Neutral when coasting and rev to the approx RPM you had in D to check the vibration.
Also you would def feel a lot of vibrations when the car is started after sitting overnight and you put it into R while holding the brake.
