KevinH2000

I had actually polished the passenger side headlight more than the driver's side and the results were as shown in the pictures - significantly better on the driver's side.

I read a statement on one of the forums to the effect that the early w203's had "frosted" headlights. I thought that was a design issue, but I guess it could have been a reference to their tendency to lose clarity.

If all I need is a little more elbow grease, I will take another shot at the job this weekend.

By the way, I am keeping my eyes open for a set of Bi-Xenon headlights. I have a set on my 2000 Boxster (they are called litronics in Porsche speak) and they are a great upgrade. If I can find a set for a reasonable price, my independent mechanic has the Star system and should be able to perform the programming.

OneAdam12

I would love to go the Xenon route but the installation looks difficult. If you do acquire a set, please detail the installation with pictures. I was thinking about getting these on e-bay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CREE-LED-LOW...53.m1438.l2649


Also, you can buy just the plastic covers for your existing headlights, no idea how the installation is though:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-Headlig...53.m1438.l2649

KevinH2000

I think you need to remove the front bumper to install new headlights. There is a YouTube video showing how to remove the bumper. I would probably have a friend help me with the job. I need to paint my bumper, so I might try to coordinate the headlight replacement with the bumper repaint.

Those plastic covers are intriguing. I'm not sure how to install them either. I had to open my Boxster headlights to replace some wires that had failing insulation. (A common problem due to the biodegradeable insulation Porsche uses.) The technique with the Boxster is to bake the headlights in an oven until the sealant that holds the cover on softens. Then you pry them open. It took a while before I had sufficient nerve to take on the job, but it wasn't difficult.

C230 Sport Coup

you don't really need to remove the whole bumper. Jack up one side remove the wheel remove the covers from inside the wheel well. you will see a few screws on the fender holding the bumper to the fender. You unscrew those and there is a metal clip that holds the bumper on to the fender that you can slide out once the screws are removed. Once you've done that you can access all the screws for the headlights. there's a thread and photos around here somewhere. That's how I did mine after I found that thread. you just do one side at a time.
you'll have some unused connectors on the bixenon's since you won't have Auto leveling. just set the level manually.
and yes you need to set Xenon to present or they won't flash continuously because the computer thinks they are not using enough wattage. They only use 35 Watts instead of 55 so the computer thinks it must be a short. stupid computer!

KevinH2000

Thanks for the information. It hope it comes in handy someday. I probably won't start searching for Xenons until after Christmas.

KevinH2000

I had to add some additional work to my list. When I had the car aligned, my mechanic showed me that both of the front wheels were bent and that the driver's side front wheel had a crack in it. He was able to balance the wheels, but I thought I should consider a permanent fix. After being unsuccessful in locating replacement wheels, I had the crack in the driver's side wheel welded and the wheel straightened. It set me back $150.

When I had the wheel off, I spun the brake disk and discovered it was dragging in one spot. I suspect a warped rotor. So, I'm considering taking the rotor to have it machined. I think the O'Reilly's auto part store near me turns rotors. I'm also considering having the passenger side front wheel straightened.

Here's a picture of the car showing the "re-manufactured" front wheel.
It also shows the results of my polishing and waxing efforts. It looks great unless you get close to the hood and see the chips in the paint and the load rash.


I'm considering using the Dr. Colorchip system on the hood and on a few other chips I've found on various spots around the car.

I'm taking the driver's seat to an upholstery shop on my way home from work on Monday. That's the last major fix on my list - unless I make any more unpleasant discoveries.

C230 Sport Coup

Don't bother with machining rotors. A slight warp won't hurt anything if you don't feel in the pedal.
New rotors are cheap enough, don't bother machining. Stick with stock ones.
If you replace one you must replace both, and if you're going to do all that, put some Akebono ceramic pads in, and forget about brake for many many thousands of miles. My AMG Akebono fronts are finally just about done....after ~150K miles.
That being said, the AMG version isn't stressed much so it lasts a long time.
But I went through stock pads every 30K miles before switching to Akebono's at like 80K miles.
And despite having a Japanesey sounding name, they are made in Kentucky.

KevinH2000

Thanks
I'm concerned that the additional drag may create heat build up and ultimately degrade braking. I'll put the car on a jack stand and see whether I can capture the extent of the drag in a video. The previous owner changed the front brake pads in March, but I doubt he used Akebono pads. I also cannot tell what brand of rotors are on the car.

krazzdav

I realize this was replaced, but here are some additional pics to help others that may somehow come across this. The shaft that rides through the center of the plastic gear should have a round indented hole in the base of the motor to sit in and another in the top cover that is removed. I found it was easiest to put the shaft in the base of the motor housing then slide the gear over it. No tension is needed on the spring underneath the large gear.

Also the screw at the very end of the housing shouldn't stick out that far. There is a plastic sleeve that the screw goes into. This plastic needs to be pushed in all the way and the screw should be seen inside the housing -- it is a stop for the bigger gear so it doesn't go too far. Your pic is circled in red and appears some of the plastic insert is sticking out so wouldn't be set in all the way. This may be one of the reasons you heard a pop.

I was able to lower my shade while gently pushing on the arms and someone else occasionally pushing on the button. It seems my problem was just needing to lube the arms in the slider. You don't have to lube the entire track because the arms only slide through half of it. I used the same white lithium grease used for the sunroofs and no more problems.

Another thing I didn't know is that the sunshade and rear deck cover need to come out as one entire unit. The sunshade attaches to the rear deck cover.

Good luck with all your upgrades/repairs.

KevinH2000

Thanks for the information. I have the motor I removed from the car and I'd like to repair it and have it available in case I need it.

The replacement motor worked fine for a few days and now I find that I need to have someone push the control while I gently push down on the screen to get it to lower. It sounds like I need to lubricate the track. Will I be able to access the track without removing the mechanism? I just got through putting the back seat in the car again and I'm not ready for a repeat performance. If I stop the screen about half way up will that give me room to access the mechanism?

krazzdav

you can but be very very careful not to pull it down too far; I broke my arm on a working one for my dd trying to get in just to look at the motor assembly pushing it down too far. Each arm slides in a separate track of the shade and would just need to lube the half it slides in. You would probably want the screen all the way up---the track that you lube is the very top portion the arms actually slide in; maybe it would be easier to get to half way up....but might have too much tension from the arms to get to it properly??

KevinH2000

I installed the splash shields that fit under the engine on Saturday. (Mine were missing for some unknown reason that is locked in the memory of one of the three previous owners of my car.)

I also had the split in my driver's seat repaired.


Before



After
There is a slight difference in the texture and gloss of the new piece of material, but it isn't noticeable under normal lighting conditions. Unfortunately my driver's side heater no longer works. I'm going to start a separate thread on that topic in the hope that someone on the board can help me out.

KevinH2000

It's been a while since I've updated this thread, and I want to report that my revival is complete. I've met all my original goals for updates and repairs.

I had a few extra expenses that frankly did not surprise me.
1, I missed the fact that the splash shields were gone - $112.50
2. Two of the rims were cracked and another one was bent - $450
3. I forgot to ask if the seller had two keys before I settled on the price - $284
4. Although the Sumitomo all season tires were in OK shape, I decided to upgrade to Michelin Pilot Sport AS3's - $582

On the plus side, fixing the evaporative system leak was a relatively inexpensive $145. (The problem was the fuel filler and I found the upgraded part used on ebay. I found instructions for doing the work myself on MBWorld.)

Possible additions to my list of repairs and upgrades:
1. I'm contemplating changing the timing chain. It's not making any noise at start up, but it seems to be the Achilles heel of these cars. If I get really brave, I might do it myself.
2. I may replace the grille with an aftermarket "Star" model.
3. I may paint the bumper using rattle cans.

At this time, barring major mechanical issues, I'm pleased with the car. It rides and handles well and returns outstanding fuel economy in the type of driving I do. (I measure about 30 mpg per tank and on the highway I'm seeing 34-35 on a good day.) The 6 speed MT is engaging. It does show its age in places, but it is a good looking car
If I had to do it over again - I would.

C230 Sport Coup

Yeah,, they are great cars, you don't get much more out of a new car than you can get out of these.
When I bought mine, it was so far ahead for it's time, now at least it still on par
with many new cars.
If you haven't fixed the IR door sensors for the 'summer mode'
you just got to. One of the best and mostly unknown features of the car,
open and close the windows from outside with they key.
Sensors have cold solder joints and can be easily fixed, look around here or on
benzworld.

KevinH2000

I'll probably take care of it before summer hits. I found this on Youtube:

By the way, when I was at the dealer buying my $285 key, I asked one of the service advisers if he could check the service history of my car. He typed my VIN in the system and there were 20 or 30 lines of items listed. He didn't volunteer to give me a copy and I didn't want to be pushy and ask for it. However, it would be handy to know if any major items like the timing chain or clutch had been replaced. (They both seem OK, but it would be nice to know.) Does anyone know if Mercedes dealers will provide this information? Anyone have suggestions for arguments or strategies for obtaining the data?

Tater Tot

ddb

I enjoyed reading and seeing the progress you made on your Merc, congrats! I remember you from the 986 forum. I was on there back in the day when I had one.

Happy Motoring,

ddb

KevinH2000

Thanks. I envy you for finding such a low mileage car. I was looking for a 6-speed. so I had to compromise on the mileage and condition.

Regarding the wiring for the backup camera in the lift gate - I don't have any experience, but it is probably just a matter of carefully removing the trim and finding a good path for the wire.

Good luck.

KevinH2000

Thanks.

I still have my 986. Choosing whether to drive the C230 or the Boxster in the morning is a nice problem to have.

The two cars complement each other. The C230 is great when I need to carry more that one passenger or have to move something that won't fit in one of the Boxster's trunks. I also prefer a more substantial car when it rains or snows. The Boxster is a bit ahead in the performance and fun categories and a convertible is hard to beat when the weather is nice.

The C230 is engaging, and there are days when I think about simplifying my life by having only one car to worry about. However, neither the 986 nor the C230 are bullet proof. Having two cars increases the probability that at least one will be road worthy at any time.

KevinH2000

KevinH2000

drb930

What year & model did the A203 830 44 85 come out of?
Pretty cool upgrade

RedGray

I love the look of the digital display of the Thermatronic climate control!
Imho, it looks much more modern, and higher-end, than the analog/knob stock control.

Nice upgrade!

KevinH2000

KevinH2000