W203 Help. Restoration project ? Or Junker ?
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Joined: Mar 2018
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C320
W203 Help. Restoration project ? Or Junker ?
Ok. First time posting. Before I begin I just want to put it out there that I have done a lot of research. I have spent hours searching and seeking info. So I’m not expecting a handout. I’m not being lazy & I do appreciate any feedback. This is more of a priority step list to get this car running.
So. I have a 2002 c320. I’m the second owner. And I have all original parts and 112K on the body and engine. Now I must say, I have had this car for about 4 years now & never any major issues. The only issue I ever had was replacing the fan belt. Thats it.
Lets get to business. I was away for 7 months. And I left my car in the care of my dad, who is an old school marine that drives nothing but pickup trucks. According to him, any car after 1995 sucks. Regardless. I asked him to take care of my car. Long story short. He didn’t. It’s also partly not his fault because for. 3 months I couldn’t contact anyone due to my military training so he couldn’t inform me what was going on.
So so here it goes....
When I finally spoke to him. He told me what happened and this is the order.
1) Car would get stuck in gear. Would not drive past 25 MPH. High rev. I believe this is “Limp Mode” from my research.
2) Car would not start. Electronics went on in position 1 & 2, but car would not turn over. Also mentioned the fan would turn on at 100%. From my research. This has to do with the ECU not communicating properly. I could be wrong
3) The battery went completely dead. Even with a jump. Car would not receive power.
4) Sign of water damage. There was some sign of water under the hood. And even inside of the car where the CD player is. Pretty odd.
So so that really sums it up. It seems like a lot. I have done research. My question are. Is this car is a total loss, or is there still a chance to bring it back to life ? Also. Where should I start in regards to fixing this baby up ? I also want to add that the car has been sitting for months in Upstate Ny. So you can imagine the elements. Thank you guys in advance.
So. I have a 2002 c320. I’m the second owner. And I have all original parts and 112K on the body and engine. Now I must say, I have had this car for about 4 years now & never any major issues. The only issue I ever had was replacing the fan belt. Thats it.
Lets get to business. I was away for 7 months. And I left my car in the care of my dad, who is an old school marine that drives nothing but pickup trucks. According to him, any car after 1995 sucks. Regardless. I asked him to take care of my car. Long story short. He didn’t. It’s also partly not his fault because for. 3 months I couldn’t contact anyone due to my military training so he couldn’t inform me what was going on.
So so here it goes....
When I finally spoke to him. He told me what happened and this is the order.
1) Car would get stuck in gear. Would not drive past 25 MPH. High rev. I believe this is “Limp Mode” from my research.
2) Car would not start. Electronics went on in position 1 & 2, but car would not turn over. Also mentioned the fan would turn on at 100%. From my research. This has to do with the ECU not communicating properly. I could be wrong
3) The battery went completely dead. Even with a jump. Car would not receive power.
4) Sign of water damage. There was some sign of water under the hood. And even inside of the car where the CD player is. Pretty odd.
So so that really sums it up. It seems like a lot. I have done research. My question are. Is this car is a total loss, or is there still a chance to bring it back to life ? Also. Where should I start in regards to fixing this baby up ? I also want to add that the car has been sitting for months in Upstate Ny. So you can imagine the elements. Thank you guys in advance.
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From: New England! :-)
2005 C230K Sport Coupe
According to him, any car after 1995 sucks.
Yea, he's right. :-) '95 was the last 5.0 in a Stang. Imho, the '95 Cobra is a great car. Still, I'm more of a "4-eye" type.
First off, the car IS fixable. No question about that.
But, the big question is the cost and time.
You can get a "rebuilt" ECU. There's even a forum sponsor that does that.
The tranny could be the conductor plate. That's common.
When the battery dies on a C-Class, the owner can get mega-********ed. Plain and simple. See the sticky up top.
To start, you would need
1) A good new battery (~$150-$200)
2) A *proper* scanner for *your* car. Not, Mike's car. Not Jan's car. But, *your* car.
The iCarsoft MB is ~$150.
That's the starting point.
You may need:
Rebuilt ECU (unlikely) ~~$300+
New SAM ~~$100
New tranny conductor plate. ~$200 if you DYI. Don't forget, you need tranny fluid, fliter, and gasket.
So, if you DYI the repairs, you're looking at ~~1,000 to ~$2,000 (tools/etc).
If you have an independent do the repairs, my pull it from my @ss guess is between ~~~$1,000 to $3,000.
For a Dealer, I'd say $2,000 to $5,000.
Fwiw, I do not know any of the potential issues for your car or your engine. That's also important.
Plus, figure because of the age, you should get an idler pulley, tensioner pulley, and the alternator may be needed to be replaced in the near future.
Thanks to you and your dad for your Service!
Yea, he's right. :-) '95 was the last 5.0 in a Stang. Imho, the '95 Cobra is a great car. Still, I'm more of a "4-eye" type.
First off, the car IS fixable. No question about that.
But, the big question is the cost and time.
You can get a "rebuilt" ECU. There's even a forum sponsor that does that.
The tranny could be the conductor plate. That's common.
When the battery dies on a C-Class, the owner can get mega-********ed. Plain and simple. See the sticky up top.
To start, you would need
1) A good new battery (~$150-$200)
2) A *proper* scanner for *your* car. Not, Mike's car. Not Jan's car. But, *your* car.
The iCarsoft MB is ~$150.
That's the starting point.
You may need:
Rebuilt ECU (unlikely) ~~$300+
New SAM ~~$100
New tranny conductor plate. ~$200 if you DYI. Don't forget, you need tranny fluid, fliter, and gasket.
So, if you DYI the repairs, you're looking at ~~1,000 to ~$2,000 (tools/etc).
If you have an independent do the repairs, my pull it from my @ss guess is between ~~~$1,000 to $3,000.
For a Dealer, I'd say $2,000 to $5,000.
Fwiw, I do not know any of the potential issues for your car or your engine. That's also important.
Plus, figure because of the age, you should get an idler pulley, tensioner pulley, and the alternator may be needed to be replaced in the near future.
Thanks to you and your dad for your Service!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
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C320
Thanks for the reply.
I appreciate the feedback. I’m going to purchase that Car reader & tackle this the way you presented it to me. I figured I would dish out some money. I just don’t want this to get into the 4-5K range. Luckily, this isn’t my only car so this should
be a fun project and I’m hoping to get this car back & running by spring.
be a fun project and I’m hoping to get this car back & running by spring.
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
From: florida
2001 C320
hey newby!!!---if you need a multi-funtion light switch-(controls all lights and the rear view mirrors)---easy plug in installation. MB wants 400 bucks (this one is used but excellent.)--i have it listed above on this list.-----i will take $100 shipped in usa---thx doug 352 634 4685 (i have a 2001 C320)
Last edited by bkrdoug85; Mar 12, 2018 at 09:53 PM.
