MoE55

Haha...so I'm nursing a used 2005 C55 w/97kmi for the last couple months that I got for cheap $13k and the voluntary repairs and essentially nickle and diming does not want to stop!!!

Fix leaking gas tank bomb-$6 (used JB weld marine version on seeping fuel regulator). New Bosch wipers-$40, K&N filters-$45, cabin charcoal filter-$15, Mobil1 oil change and dipstick-$85, transmission oil change flushed thru radiator with new tranny mount, pan gasket, TCM plug, missing dipstick cap/pin-$165, engine mounts-$80, Bosch Iridium plugs and Magnecor wires-$240, smelly differential oil-$20, rumbling idler pulley and new belt-$60, leaky valve cover gaskets and cracked breather hoses-$40, leaky MB gas cap-$30, rebuilt center speaker/replace weak *** tweeters-$50, 30%/30%/20% tint-$250, horn-$16, and then yesterday voltage regulator-$60.

I guess the total would be higher if I didn't DIY. Damn, my old 97 S500 with more miles was less headache. Yeah, I know the whining is easily drowned out by a nice V8 roar. Haven't really started modding.

I'm guessing this is typical for second hand C55's???????????

wawy

Ok you're scaring me....

Seriously though, it's as if the previous owner(s) ignored some of the more common problems or maintenance items specific to the C55. This is only the second C55 I've heard of with the Fuel Sender issue though. JB Weld? Sounds like you've been to the W211 E55 forum...lol You're lucky we don't have to put up with Airmatic. It seems like you've done your research and are on top of things. Good luck!

adl320

Ouch. Does seem like maint lapses with previous owner but all in all somewhat "common" issues. I picked up my C55 in February with 75k miles. One owner, all normal maintenance done and then some including tranny and motor mounts as well as voltage regulator. Previous owner also did fuel sending unit under warranty with MB. Among other concerns, the fuel sending unit thing is what made me hesitant in buying an E55. I was surprised to see it on the C but happy it was "resolved" by owner.

I did a tranny flush on mine and with about 4k miles left before my B service, I've noticed the oil burn smell. Time for valve cover replacement! I'm going to do these along with plugs for the B service at my local Indy. I consider all this normal maintenance and I've been thrilled with this car.

amgen

A "secret lover" cost a lot of money!

ghiaguy

Snagging it for $13k means you are still in the green despite all those nickels and dimes. Stay strong and your C55 will thank you in due time!!

durableswedish

none of those look like very severe repairs. When I bought my C32 I put about $3500 into it to get it back to perfect mechanical condition and I've still got a couple little things to do. Those c55s are lots of fun! good luck fixing the little things.

MoE55

You all are right! I am hanging in there and consider this a small investment in some automotive C55 bliss. "Secret lover"...LOL, my wife knows I've been spending significant time in the old garage....and she's actually OK with that since she likes the sleek lines of the W203 vs blimp like W140. Was about to drop some coin on E55 but ABC airmatic scared me even though I'm DIY worthy. Brothers 2001 S55 was leaning way sideways due to failed ABC and was $2500 to fix.

Are gas tank fuel pump/regulator/leaks under any recall or TSB???

I have justified in my mind this is just typical initiation into the C55 world and thanks for setting me straight!!!

Looks like tires and brakes are next by end of year.......

MoE55

BTW, I smelled slight gas smell when test driving and thought no big deal until I fill the tank from empty to full. Puddle of gas under my daughters booster chair...scary thought and fixed it on day one. No pax rode in it until a week later when JB weld fully cured. Parked it at airport!

wawy

Thanks for the pictures and description. Some of us may have to do this in the future. Lets hope it holds up..

kent426

Seriously, you are complaining about an oil change and wipers????? I'll sell you mine for $20K with all that work done. The leaking fuel regulator is more likely, someone replaced the fuel filter and stripped the threads or didn't replace an O ring.

Dknowz

I had to do all that on my c55 as well and now my conductor plate and voltage regulator went out. Currently I'm attempting to fix this fuel leak first which is what I'm questioning. How do I get to the fuel regulator gasket? I already have the seat up and It's leaking on the the left side. I'm assuming the part in the picture above with the JB weld comes appart to reveal a gasket. Is that not the case??

JonMBZ

I don't understand either I guess the s500 maintained itself. I have seen people with W140s have 100x more headaches than a W203.

C230 Mulac

Aside from the fuel thing, everything else is common C55 stuff (for anyone else that stumbles across this). Nothing major to worry about. Only thing I didn't see in the list is the front control arms; ball joints will eventually wear out and require replacement.

JakeMS3

Still all that is cheaper than having a chick on the side. And if the wife's cool with you being in the garage wrenching drink some brews and take your time. ****, I would turn a wiper blade change into a half day affair if I could sit in the garage and drink. Lol

RenC55AMG

Aside from the fuel issue, everything you mentioned is maintenance and shouldn't scare anyone off from buying a C55. The list isn't as imposing spread out over 25-30k miles.

F1Bobby

I've had my C55 for quite a few years now and if the thing is maintained it's pretty near bullet proof. I need to say mine has 37k miles but it's never given me the slightest headache!

Dknowz

So I tried the JB weld and unfortunatly it didn't work. I think its leaking fuel through the O ring in the fuel reg. Does anyone know what tool I'd use to spin off the black piece securing the fuel regulator to the fuel tank?

Supgee

Two ways... Mercedes makes a claw type device that is used to unscrew the black threaded part.. but I wouldn't buy the tool just to use it once.
Another option... take a screwdriver and a hammer and tap it to the left on the plastic fins... thats what most of us do at the dealership anyway.. since we can never find that damn tool..

Dknowz

Thanks supgee! I'll try that. Another question can a bad sos unit possibly be draining my battery? I tested the battery and the alternator and they're both showing that they're good. Getting an error message for sos and left turn signal on driverside rear view mirror.

Supgee

Sure, anything is possible.
More likely is the passenger seat module though, they tend to go bad on the 203's and drain the battery. I know C32's suffered from it, not sure of the c55 but since the chassis is the same I would be suspicious.
If that turns out not to be the case, remove the negative battery cable and hook an ammeter in series. (touch the negative battery terminal and then the chassis ground, with a DVOM on amperage). Don't try to start the vehicle like this.
Anything over 30mA is considered excessive, so go to the fuse panel and start removing the fuses one by one while watching your ammeter. When you find the correct one, the meter will drop to zero. Then you know which circuit the problem lies. Good luck

Dknowz

You're the man supgee thanks! I'll go pick up an ampmeter today as I don't have one. Cheers for the info.

adl320

Make that third. The previous single owner of my C55 had the whole sending unit and tank replaced under factory warranty back in the day. After I decided not to buy an E55 for this (and other) reason, believe me I was surprised when I saw this in the service history. :-)

Aaron

Dknowz

Mine has 121,456 miles F1bobby. The good news is all the problems have been common problems that you can find solutions to here in this great community. Good luck!

SL55_Forever

This thread reminds me of a beater SLK32 AMG with 100K+ miles I bought for $8.5K two years ago. I put in another $1,500 indy shop work into and sold it earlier this year for $12.5k to jump back into a CL600TT.

F1Bobby

Thanks! Hopefully that will be a long time coming. I drove it about 400 miles last year!