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common problems w/ 05 c230 kompressor?

117K views 55 replies 36 participants last post by  Sel-Prelaj 
#1 ·
hi everyone, just wanted to know ur experiences with those who have an 05 c230. i urrently drive one now. just deciding wheter if i want to keep or not. it already has 72000 miles on it now. i have extended warranty up to 100000 miles. i just wanted to know what were the most common problem people experience w/ the 05 c class. my experience i love the car. great gas mileage. looks great. i did have a few problems when i purchased it used. i had a few vacuum problems which were covered through warranty. noise coming from the power steering area. so they replaced belt tensioners and also replacesd my alternator all at once. just wanted to know ur experiences and opinions about the car 05 cclass kompressor.
 
#2 ·
ME TOO!

So I just bought a 05 with 21k on the clock and would be greatly interesting in the top 10 things to watch for as well. Im a faithfull 190E forum user and the girl and I just bought the 05.

Any input would be greatly apprecaited!
 
#4 ·
Well besides the fuse to the lighter constantly blowing when I plug in the car charger for my cell nothing else really to complain about. The car gets great gas mileage, fun to drive, and looks great. As for the other issues such as vaccum lines and oil in harness I had all those items replaced when I took the
car in to be serviced for a slight vibration I would get while putting the car in reverse. All repair costs were covered under warranty but the reverse issue came back so it's back to the service department we go :eek:
 
#5 ·
THATS WEIRD... I NEVER HAD THAT REVERSE ISSUE EVER YET. I HOPE NOT. MY WARRANTY IS ABOUT TO RUN OUT. I HAVE A SUNROOF PROBLEM HAVEING IT NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY AUTOMATICALLY. RIGHT WHEN IT HITS THE END IT OPENS UP AGAIN. AND I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY REAR SHADE NOT GOING DOWN. I DEFINETLY NEED TO TAKE THIS BABY IN..
 
#6 ·
i have the same issue with my 05 C230 sport "I HAVE A SUNROOF PROBLEM HAVEING IT NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY AUTOMATICALLY. RIGHT WHEN IT HITS THE END IT OPENS UP AGAIN"
 
#8 ·
I had the same issue with the sunroof. The dealer replaced the whole control module for the sunroof. IMO the switch seems pretty cheap. That is probably all that is wrong, but replacing the switch probably costs almost nothing where as replacing the whole unit probably cost around $1K. I dont know because my was covered under warranty.
 
#11 ·
Hi ya all, I have a problem with my parking lights. When I try to turn it on, (While Standing Still, because that only time when it should work) nothing happens. Is there a setting on the computer, where I need to make this function available...

Please help, couze this is really a nice feature to have, and mine does'nt work at all...
 
#12 ·
MY OPINION, I THINK IT SHOULD CLOSE ALL THE WAY WHEN U CLICK ALL THE WAY TO CLOSE AND NOT SWING BACK OPEN AS IT REACHES THE END. THATS TOTALLY USELESS AND DONT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL FOR IT TO BE DOING THAT.
I think you can click all the way to open, but not for closing...that's a safety feature in all Mercedes. You have to hold the switch in order to close...in case you're going to cut someone's finger, it will stop immediately when you take your hand off.
 
#18 ·
I had the same problem with my sunroof I took it to the dealer and they did a re-synch to fix it works like a charm now auto closing.

The only other problem I have had is that the small LED that illuminates the dash at night coming out of the rear view mirror stopped working. I took it in to the dealer right before the warranty went out they looked at it and had to order a whole new mirror. It was covered under warranty luckily other wise the service rep told me that if it wasn't still under warranty it would cost me a little over a grand for the mirror. If it goes out again it will sadly be something I live with out.
 
#19 ·
turn signal LED's in the mirrors are EXTREMELY flaky. one day they'll work, the next they'll throw a warning. strangely enough, if you're at a stop light per say and roll the window down while the turn signals are on, they'll slow down and act normal.

check coolant level warning comes on when heater is on. from some other posts, it looks like i'm low on coolant, but the warning doesn't trip until the heater is on. i have no idea where the coolant went...

the sunroof does the same thing you guys were describing. auto close pops back open 4 or 5 inches.
 
#21 ·
i just bought an 05 c230 kompressor ss. i had a problem with the sunroof not closing as well as the trunk release button rattling when my music has heavier bass. i went in and got everything fixed under warranty. they ordered a new button and replaced it, re-syncing the sunroof with their computer fixed my problem with the auto close. I couldn't resync it manually with the control button.
 
#23 ·
You might want to start a new thread, since this is unrelated to the thread you used.

It should be the same as almost any other serpentine belt. I haven't done it on a 2000, but it should be something like use a socket wrench to release the tensioner, unthread the belt, thread the new belt to the same pattern, release the tensioner. A second person might help. Hopefully someone can be more specific.
 
#24 ·
I looked at upgrading but the C230 runs well, no problems and I don't drive much, but the real deal killer is what these cars are worth used. So for example, if you only get $10-12K for it, and you are happy with it, why sell it. My only problem to date is I get warning message about once a month that says my right rear turn signal is on, which it's not and then it goes away next time you start the car. Nobody has been able to fix it and it's not a big deal to me. It even has the original brake pads at 45K miles and I had 4 years of free maintenance. I think this has been the cheapest car to run (not counting resale which not so good).

The biggest known major problem is leaking cam magnets and all MB's have leaking cam magnets but we are bless with a secondary condition where it leaks into the harness and causes thousands of dollars worth of damage. MB does have a part that isolates the harness from the cam magnet and it's fairly cheap.

The second most common major problem is the head design that causes misfire codes. The belief is the valves get dirty to the point of causing them to float. One fix that someone here was trying that was recomended by his dealer was stronger valve springs, haven't heard back if this fixes the problem. Most dealers typically fix this with a new head, figure $3,500 if it happens, but you are covered under warranty. Valve springs is probably a $500 repair, big difference.

But just because these are common on the forums, doesn't mean they are common in real life and some here have 150K miles without any problem.
 
#26 ·
No big problems. Had the sunroof thing happen..fixed under warranty. Will need new brakes, discs, etc. soon, but that's a maintenance item, and they've lasted 50,000 miles so far...

If you get a sport model with AMG styling, cover those fog lights with sturdy clear film to keep rocks from busting 'em up. They're expensive.
 
#29 ·
mine 4 cyl with 60,000km; needed resynched sunroof (same problem as everyone else); SRS light code = driver airbag sensor replaced $450 not covered under manuf warranty(Toronto Canada); esp light intermittent = steering angle sensor wire loose connection (caused a "limp mode" a scary thing to have happen on hwy @ 100km and suddenly being jerked back to 3km - lucky wasn't killed). Otherwise a great drive and even better on open road. Cheers.
 
#33 · (Edited)
I have owned an 05 c230k since new and 42k miles now. it has been the most reliable car I've ever owned (only "repair" needed was the chrome trim peeling on cupholder, replaced free under warranty). on the sunroof not closing all the way, I had that issue awhile back, sometimes I had to try few times before it would close all the way (it would reverse when it was a few inches from being closed). here's how I fixed in 10 seconds at no cost: note where it is reversing direction and imagine a line across the sunroof at that point. then look closely at the spot on the driver side where that line intersects the opening. you may see a tiny metal tab that is sticking out. I pushed that tab in and the problem has never happened again.
 
#34 ·
Continuing an old thread here, but since the subject pretty much what I'm also looking into, might as well continue here...

In my quest to find a new ride for my daughter, I have come across a 2005 C230K w/115K miles. Haven't driven it yet, maybe tomorrow, but thought I'd get some ideas here first as to what to look for and what to think about it with such miles. The price is right, so I'm seriously considering buying it if it runs/drives good.

Now... Onto the possible problems related to this one. The sunroof stuff has been discussed in this thread already, so no need for that.

What about M271 engine? What are the possible culprits with that? I think I've read something about the balancing shaft failing. Also something about valve/head problems? Oil in some connectors?

What about electrical stuff?

I know I'm looking at a car w/fairly high miles for an 05, but the price is really tempting (under 8K). That combination definitely comes with it's caveats... Hence checking here.

Any and all comments and ideas are appreciated.
 
#35 ·
At that mileage, I'd take a close look at all suspension components, look for transmission fluid change(s) which IMO should be done at 60K intervals, spark plugs at 72K or every 5 years, and regular/general maintenance fluid changes, and A/C maintenance.

I think the balance shaft and oily connectors occured on some models (earlier), but should've been addressed/replaced/etc under warranty. At this mileage, things will likely fail due to old age rather than typical recall or "open campaign" items as the mfg likes to call it. Service records would be a requirement for a car like this one.

Car might just have a lot hwy miles and be fairly "new" feeling. Electrical issues are likely, just make sure to push every button and lower your offer accordingly with every non-functioning item.

Take a code reader and plug it in and see what it tells you.

I plan on keeping my w203 into the high mileage years, so its of interest to me to see how these cars hold up.
 
#36 ·
Not specific to any car or make...

Whether highway mileage or not, at around 100,000 the rubber hoses that are in the line of engine heat have probably hardened. They will look perfectly fine, like a shiny hard plastic (think bakelyte from early telephones), but they used to be flexible rubber. Nickel-dime stuff if you can change them yourself, and will seal a lot of vacuum leakage that you may not even feel until it's gone.

earl
 
#37 ·
Thanks, guys!

I will definitely take a reader with me, just in case. I'm 99% sure I'm going to buy something tomorrow. Whether it is an E46 or W203 remains to be seen.

CarFax for this W203 shows even some recommended maintenance being performed at MB dealer, the latest being @ 96K miles, so at least something has been done to it. Since it is at a non-MB dealer, I doubt any records will be available, but I guess those could be obtained later on.
 
#39 ·
Well... The W203 was nowhere to be found, of course...

So I went ahead and got an 01 E46 330i. :cool: Really nice car. My daughter fell in love the second she saw it. :p

At least there's still one MB in the family. :thumbsup:
 
#41 ·
wow $700 for stabilizer bushings? I just did mine for $20....only an hour for a backyard mechanic...did the stabilizer links at the same time. might want to look out for a more honest mechanic. That said watch out for the mysterious misfire codes we are all starting to get now.. no one seems to know what it is
 
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