http://www.straightlineautomotivegro...8179/index.htm

That's what I bought today... rides like a dream, 2002 C32, with only 32,000'ish miles on it. Woo hoo, I'm excited. First thing I wanna do is replace grill and headlights. Any advice for other things for a newb?

Looks great. Is that obsidian? What color inside- inserts?

Changing the headlights for the clear xenon versions is a must but i'd leave the grille as it is.

I used to run a C32. It's still in the family. A wonderful car and you'll love it. The ultimate sleeper.

Has the IC pump already been changed? Our's is still ok but many board members have had this problem.

Anyways, enjoy.

Anyone know where the best place to get new headlights is? And how hard is the install (just plug and play, or what?) It's black on black, not sure the technical colors though, I'm not sure about the IC pump, is there a way for me to be able to tell, or do I just wait for it to break? How much is that fix anyway?

Congrats and welcome.

As far as I/C pump, you will notice when it brakes- car feels like there is no power (ecu shots off SC so you wouldn't damage engine). than power comes back.
Easy fix. ( don't get fooled buying new pump from MB, Ford or Chrysler ).
here is link to the thread how to fix it and buy parts:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c55-amg-w203/146457-1fastc32-s-cheep-intercooler-pump-replacement.html

Good Luck, Have Fun,

When you're ready for mods, the biggest single jump for the cost will be pullies & software. Everything else is more $$ for less return.

Congrats. I think you should either leave the grille stock or get one from an 05+ sport model.

Congrats on the purchase. You should also check your radiator and if it's "Valeo" check if there is any glycol contamination in your transmission. Regardless if there is contamination or not, change the radiator to avoid the problem.

gotcha, I'll check that out, thanks for the advice !

Nice ride...

Wait till you feel the difference after Evo Stage II upgrade...

Let the mods begin...

Congrats!. You will find a wealth of information on your car here!

I got my headlights on ebay.. You can get new ones from Steve he is a member here.. MBenzNL.. shipped from overseas for less than half the dealer cost here. If you have xenon's already they are plug and play. If you have halogens then you need to have your dealer change a setting.

You can tell if its obsidian if it is metallic paint. Looks like tiny gold flakes

Congrats, looks to be in great condition.

Welcome to the club!

I got mine about 2 months ago and love it too. I have some OEM BiXenon's on the way and also some 19's. Congrats on the new car man!

Looks nice!!!

First thing I'd do is get rid of that "goofy gap" and lower it. These cars look ridiculous, especially the front gap. Then, I would do Green air filters or K & N's. This is basically a free ($50-60) 2-3 HP mod as it unrestricts some air flow for you. Good luck and enjoy.

Congrats and welcome!

Hey, I have a C320, can I add those air filters? Is it a noticable difference? What other small modifications can I do to increase power?


Tee_Tz.

Nice looking C32. You will enjoy that car. If you are going to wait on the new headlights, at least ditch the funky chrome rings around the headlights. It's just a little too East L.A.

I've seen tests (not on C32) comparing the "high performance" filters to stock filters, and even with NO filters in the box, there is no noticeable improvement over a clean, stock filter. But who knows. K&N makes millions on this.

I have followed car projects in Grassroots Motorsports where they replace intake systems (using a "cold intake" aftermarket) and it rarely adds more than 1 or 2 HP - and that's a full system, not a filter. It's amazing to read those articles and find out the real benefit of some of these mods. They put an open exhaust on an old Honda Civic and actually lost HP!

Yeah, I agree on the filter part that it doesn't add significant hp or anything, I think the use is that you can clean it instead of replace it. However, the cold air intake on my previous car helped shave .2 off my 1/4th mile, not great, but not bad, exhaust didn't do anything for it alone, without the intake. I see Fram makes an oil filter for the C32, is that just as good as using an overpriced mercedes brand?

Oh okay. So as long as the filter is clean really the K&N won't help much, if at all.


Tee_Tz.

For the C32, particularly if you intend to extend oil change intervals (over 4,000 miles) I would stick with the Benz "fleece" filter. It's a very unusual filter (not paper media) that must be needed with long intervals. If you do your own oil changes, then you're saving enough money to justify using a good filter.

Can you get the filter without having to physically go to the dealership? Like online somewhere, or something like that?

Go to www.thepartsbin.com and follow the links to C32 Oil Filter Kit. It's not cheap, but any of the three options are good. (You inspired me to buy three. Free shipping!)

So, does the first filter (Mahle) work here?

http://oem.thepartsbin.com/parts/the...y=All&dp=false