Hey guys, not new to the boards but new to your section. Friend of mine is interested in a C43 we found in great neck new york on auto trader. It has 70k and they are asking 8900. Not bad right? So, what am I looking for? What are some easily identifiable problems? Sounds to listen for? ANYTHING! We are leaving in an hour or so to go have a look at it. Feel free to check it out on Autotrader also. Its black. Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance for your help.

Given that the trans in the C43 almost always fails, I would look to see if it has been replaced, if not, calculate the cost of a replacement into your final price

When do they typically start to show signs of problems? Are they always totally replaced or are certian parts the cuplrits? Also, what is the cost of a new transmission for this car?

i think "always" fails is a bit harsh- more fail than should, but certainly not all (well, all transmissions will fail on a long enough timeline i suppose, but many seem to last decently long)

Ask if the harmonic balancer has been replaced ( free-service recall).Check rear differential seal,rotors,brake pads,any and all servics performed on the transmission,ask if plugs have been replaced - doubt it considering the price.Check the a/c to make sure its blowing cold.Good luck , if he buys it , post some pics!

8900 is really really low for a 70k mile car. the only legitimate reason would be the owner needs to sell it in order to move or something. otherwise, its been wrecked/repaired OR has a severe mechanical problem. a 70k mile c43 should run for about 12k, that would be a great deal if the car was in excellent shape, otherwise i would expect to find something wrong. test drive the car, see if the gears slip. check under the car, see if the diff needs to be resealed, thats pretty common on these cars. see if the cel is currently on etc etc... good luck.

if the owner just priced it to move fast and its in good working order there is NO reason not to buy it. even with the cost of a tranny (~3600) youre still lookin golden for that c43.

check the wear on the brakes, cuz to do all 4 corners you'll be out $$$

the diff is probrably leaking...

trans is probably bad already

also you may want to see when the CATS were last replaced, cuz that was a service recall at one time too.

Reallly ? Please post some info on this.

yeah if it was a recall then we could potentially have a dealership swap em out for free....

Car ended up being a TMU or true mileage unkown. We left right after hearing that haha. Anyone looking to sell C36 or 43? Would rather buy from a member on the boards if possible. Let me know! PM me or bump me here I will check back!

If you are interested, I've just put my '99 up for sale...75K miles and in very good condition. I'm located in Charlotte, NC. All stock except for the C32 AMG replica wheels. All original paint. Great car, but I've had it for ~2.5 years and that's usually the point I get bored and want something different...same case this time.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ice=&cardist=0