27th Oct 2002, 15:46

I own a Mercedes C180 Elegance which is a great car, but!!!

The windows are forever fogging up so you have to cook yourself with the heater to get them cleared.

The headlights are so bad that I often have to hit the Dim/Headlight switch to see if they are actually on main beams. And this is with 130 Watt bulbs fitted to the main beams. Does anyone else have this problem or know if its possible to get spotlights to fit in the bottom grille or indeed any other suggestions?

9th Feb 2003, 21:06

I have just purchased a 1994 C180 auto. When the car is cold everything is fine, but once it reaches operating temperature there is a distinct drop in power. In addition the auxiliary fans in front of the radiator don't appear to be operating at all. I checked and found the fuse totally missing and also the fuse for the secondary air pump (whatever that is). I have replaced both, but there seems to be no difference. Also the motor is reluctant to start when hot. Has anyone else experienced similar problems? The care has only traveled a genuine 85,000 kilometers.

19th Feb 2003, 12:08

I just bought a C180 elegance '94 and also have the same problem with the radio antenna. Anti-rust solution seemed to work. Starting the car in the cold can be difficult as well. Overall I still think its great, smooth and solid on the road.

J. Anz

Amman, Jordan.

7th Apr 2003, 07:29

I just bought a 1995 C180 Euro version manual. The engine has conked out on me a couple of times after a long drive. Had to use a jumper cable to get it running. Could it be the battery? Someone please help. Email me please at deputy_tom@yahoo.com.

18th Apr 2003, 19:59

I bought a C180 1994 last year 2002 and it also has scratches on the driver's window glass. Is this a common problem and if so why isn't there a recall for replacement as toughened glass can explode into million bits if damaged. This will pose a serious driver's risk. Any comments? The engine is a lot noisier than many 1800cc cars especially the Jap ones. Maybe its the steel timing chain that's noisy? Response is pretty bad from normal speed unless you kick down. Going uphill also requires a kickdown to lower gears, isn't this "funny"? Other cars only change down when you have stepped hard enough without actual kickdown for the gears to change. Going round corners you have to really slow down due to the roll?

3rd May 2003, 07:57

Speedometer and Rev counter do not always work, but the mileage ticks over OK, Also a grating sound from front wheels when turning! Its not mud flaps as I do not have any fitted and the car has not been lowered. Any ideas?

27th May 2003, 13:45

I purchased a C180 Elegance about three years ago. No trouble whatsoever mechanically. However, bodywork starting to corrode.

Aerial sticking problem resolved by cleaning and lubrication.

As with all Mercedes I have had - condensation is a problem.

A few days ago I started the engine up - perfectly smooth response - went about 100 yards and the engine just stopped dead. Turned over OK without firing.

Petrol getting through, plugs sparking OK.

Any ideas here guys?

Wespaul@liverpoolhome.com.

14th Jun 2003, 00:54

I bought a 1994 C180 Elegance auto from the shiftiest car trader you can find here. I was in a great hurry to buy a Benz for a special occasion and made the fatal mistake of not getting it tested by a licensed tester. After I bought the car I found a long list of crap which shouldn't be there. The sun/moonroof was jammed, wouldn't open or tilt (now fixed), the front bonnet/hood had 5 golf ball dents and many stonechips I didn't see (now fixed), the left door RV mirror assembly was damaged, but cleverly glued back (now replaced), the vacuum box in the rear boot was making buzzing noises I didn't know was due to leaks (now fixed), the rear headrests couldn't drop (now fixed), the driver's door trim panel (backing board) was damaged by heavy elbowing (not fixed yet), the car was leaning on the driver's side on the right (now fixed), the roof had a few stonechips rusting under the paint like crows feet (DIY fix not pretty), the rear boot locking mechanism damaged (not fixed yet, but working), the dashboard center airflow roller jammed open (can't fix), the driver's door window scratched (like other owners too). Some dollars were spent fixing the stuff back to normal including other things like servicing, oil change, tuning,front bushes, fan belt, tensioner, water pump, sparks, filter, fuel pump and filter and so on. This is my horror story, but the car is now very good and it runs very well, thanks to my techie here.

27th Jun 2003, 09:21

I've a C180 classic that has just had the timing chain tensioner replaced due to an oil leak.

But now I've got the car back there is a distinct tapping noise coming from the engine, starts at 1000rpm and seems to fade after 3000rpm.

Any ideas?

Neil

8th Aug 2003, 06:50

I have a C180 Kompressor Classic SE registered 2003. Initial problems with the engine cutting out and not restarting have been rectified, but now I have a problem with the vehicle stalling intermittently on deceleration, seemingly when the tank is about quarter full. Any ideas anybody. MB say there is nothing wrong.

Richard

Gartree@lycos.co.uk.

16th Apr 2007, 23:14

Hey Guys, You all have happy smiley faces saying the car is so reliable and so on. Why do you all mark the C class Merc high when these cars sound like junk with all the problems. You don't get any of these problems with the BMW 318i of the same vintage, even with high mileage.

22nd Apr 2008, 09:38

Hi, my Mum has a 1995 C180 Auto, with 179k (km) on the dial. The car has outstanding Benz dealer service history and runs very well, except for a noticeable, but moderate 'jolt' when one engages either 'D' or 'R' moving from park. I have been told that this is either the bands in the auto box that need tightening or perhaps the tailshaft coupling, though I doubt the latter as you can't hear a knock when you lift your foot off the pedal whilst coasting. The worst perspective I have heard is that the 'box is on it's way out, though again, I doubt that as there are no leaks and shifts are fine, both up and down. Any ideas? Cheers!

23rd Apr 2008, 19:28

I had a serious problem when the bearing in the RF wheel of my 180 Mercedes Classic melted down on to the stud axle. The wheel almost came off and I had to pull in suddenly as I was losing control. There was smoke coming from the wheel and the dust cover was blown right off. The wheel was almost dislodged. Can anyone tell me the cause of the problem?

27th Apr 2008, 07:12

I love driving the C180 Elegance I've just bought.

My biggest problem is the fuel gage, it moves haphazardly, sometimes full when the tank is about half full etc.

The two 'gages' in the tanks has been changed and also the 'monitor'/panel on the dashboard, all to no avail.

Please help for another Auto-Electrician is about to work on it. Thanks. fredabbeyk@yahoo.com.