- #1603 of 1627
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02 or 03
by vulcan4d
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Dec 04, 2005 (12:40 am)
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Friend of mine got an 03 C230K. I took it for a spin and I must say I fell in love with this car. So now of course I want one  .
I can't decide between the 2002 or 2003 models. They seem identical except the 02 has a 2.3L engine while the 03 has a 1.8L. From what I gather in the end there isn't much of a difference but I was concerned about one person saying that the 2.3L version is much more louder. Is it only on a cold start or overall compared to the 1.8L? The 1.8L my friend has is really loud on a cold start but then it gets nice and quiet.
Well anyway I can't decide between the two year models. I can save quite a few K going with a 02 but I'm worried about the engine. There must have been some obvious reason why Mercedes changed the engine.
This will be my 3rd car by now and I must say I'm awaiting it with great anticipation.
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- #1604 of 1627
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Re: 02 or 03 [vulcan4d]
by jcat707
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Dec 04, 2005 (6:25 am)
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Replying to: vulcan4d (Dec 04, 2005 12:40 am)
My friend has an 02 C230 coupe with the 2.3 liter engine and my family has the 05 C230 sedan with the 1.8 liter engine. I have had the opportunity to drive my friend's C230 and while it feels a bit faster than my C230 the engine sounds alot worse. The 2.3 liter engines sound worse at all times whether it's cold or warm. The 1.8 liter is alot more refined and worthy of being in a Mercedes. However I wouldn't let the sound of the engine stop me from buying the 2.3 liter because the sound isn't that bad from the inside and it moves the car quickly.
As for the reason that Mercedes dropped the 2.3 liter, I'm guessing it's partly because of that engine's noise. I'm not sure of any common problems that engine may have. My friend's 02 C230k is nearing 40,000 miles and she hasn't had any problems with it. At least not with the engine.
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- #1605 of 1627
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C230
by alexwalex1
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Jan 24, 2006 (10:35 am)
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I've had 2003 C230 coupe for 3 years and except for one ESP failure requiring computer block replacement under warranty, the car has been a joy to drive and it has not been a trouble. Even after driving a new C230 with V6 engine, I am still pretty convinced that 1.8 supercharged engine is great and more powerful than a small V6.
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- #1606 of 1627
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Re: 02 or 03
by mercb230coupe
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Jan 30, 2006 (2:27 pm)
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Replying to: jcat707 (Dec 04, 2005 6:25 am)
Hi Board. I bought one of the first 02 coupes on the market, ordering it from the factory 6 months prior to my july 02 delivery. About the change in engines in this car. MB changed the engine option in the class for various reasons. One was a need to get better fleet gas mileage. The other, was the knowledge that they were going to make the larger 3.2 6 cyl available in the coupe. If they were going to offer the v6 in the coupe they had to have more "performance distance" between the two engines. That was only achieved by "downgrading" the coupe's base engine to a 1.8, because the 2.3 was/is a powerful engine. Hey...it was good enough as the base engine of the 02 and 03 convertible which cost $12K more than the coupe! (Can anyone tell me of other examples of a company lowering the size of it's base engine by 20%, other than during the 70's when we were dealing with the gas crisis AND the conversion to unleaded gas.) I have driven the c coupe with all engine choices; including the 3.2. Having done that, I am a firm believer that the 2.3 outperforms the 1.8 in every category, except gas mileage and noise; but the noise is "tolerable". (I am not saying the 1.8 is bad, but I would NEVER choose it in the long term over the 2.3.) The 2.3 engine in the 02 was MB latest evolution on that block and is likely to be reliable for a long time period. Plus, there are not a lot of the 02's out there; especially with leather as I have. Over the coming years depreciation on an 02 will be less than other years of the coupe due to its very limited availability. Remember, people laughed at the BMW 318i hatchback. The market for the 318 hatch is quite limited and it has held it's value VERY well! That should prove true for the coupe; especially the 02 if you get one with leather. Lastly, yes I have had some problems with my 02; nothing major, but more problems that there should have been. MB bought bulbs from a crappy subcontractor so they burn out too fast. Rusty lugnuts - spent a little money and replaced them. I also had problems with my fuel gauge and that needed to be replaced. I still have a squeak/rattle at times with my sunroof. I had to have front suspension parts replaced after 6,000 miles which is unbelievable. (under warranty) But, my thought is, I will keep my 02 for a while, perhaps another 10 years or so as I take care and garage all of my cars and will only drive it about 4 to 5 thousand miles a year. The 02 has a admirable balance of performance and near-luxury with the premium leather and the bose option. My two cents.
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- #1607 of 1627
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Re: 02 or 03 [mercb230coupe]
by mercb230coupe
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Feb 01, 2006 (11:51 am)
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Replying to: mercb230coupe (Jan 30, 2006 2:27 pm)
Oh, correction, that was a July 01 delivery. One added note, I have the Pirelli P Zero Nero all seasons on the car and they work much better than the original Micheys.
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- #1608 of 1627
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Re: to sunroof or not to sunroof? [chipman]
by missi7
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Apr 11, 2006 (10:38 am)
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Replying to: chipman (Apr 05, 2002 5:57 pm)
I am having problems with the sunroof on my C230 Coupe. I was wondering if anyone had a breakdown on it so I can take a look at it myself. I like doing my own maintainence
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- #1609 of 1627
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Are there no 2003 CLK Cabriolet owners out there?
by beepaj
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Feb 13, 2007 (3:22 pm)
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Would like to talk to someone who has experience with this vehicle. My wife & I are considering purchasing an '03 w/9k (yes, 9,000) miles on it. Had a 99 E-class & loved it. Like an idiot I traded for a 2005 Lexus ES330. Nice car --- no soul.
Anyone with info or experience would be gratefully appreciated.
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- #1610 of 1627
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Re: C230 Lug problems
by rdf63
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Mar 12, 2007 (6:08 am)
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Replying to: c_coupe (Nov 14, 2005 9:27 pm)
I bought new tires over the weekend and was told by a tire store that the lugs are too rusted to be removed. Because of this, I do not have new tires on the front two tires of my C230. Does anybody have any advice on how to remove a couple of rusted lugs that would allow me to change tires. FYI - I have tried to all some grease but that hasn't worked yet. The rusted lugs seems to be a problem a lot of people are having?
Thanks
Rich
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- #1611 of 1627
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I NEED HELP MY 1999 clk320 shuts off on me WHILE DRIVING
by mastariale
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Mar 13, 2007 (1:23 am)
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oK THIS IS THE PROBLEM IM DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10 15 MINS AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF IT WONT LET ME STRAT IN IT JUST CRANKS OVER AS IF THERE ISNT ANY GAS GETTING TO THE ENGINE BUT IF I WAIT ABOUT 15 MIN IT STARTS RIGHT UP AND LET ME DRIVE REPEATING THIS SAME PROCESS OVER AND OVER BUT THERE INS'T A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON? IT SEEM AS IF SOMETHING IS GETTING HOT AND SHUT THE CAR OF TO COOL DOWN THEN LETS ME DRIVE IT AGAIN. SO FAR I HAVE WASTE $120 ON NOTHING DOES ANYONE NO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. i NEED HELP FAST I REALLY DONT WANT TO TAKE TO DEALER. THANKS IN ADVANCE
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- #1612 of 1627
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Re: I NEED HELP MY 1999 clk320 shuts off on me WHILE DRIVING [mastariale]
by jsorto
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Apr 02, 2007 (10:01 am)
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Replying to: mastariale (Mar 13, 2007 1:23 am)
Same problem here!2000 CLK 320 does anyone know what the problem could be? THE PROBLEM IM DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10 15 MINS AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF IT WONT LET ME STRAT IN IT JUST CRANKS OVER AS IF THERE ISNT ANY GAS GETTING TO THE ENGINE BUT IF I WAIT ABOUT 15 MIN IT STARTS RIGHT UP AND LET ME DRIVE REPEATING THIS SAME PROCESS OVER AND OVER BUT THERE INS'T A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON
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