What is this nasty-looking gunk? W202 (and others ?)

diggerdave

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Hi. I'm just getting to know my new purchase (1995 C200 in unbelievably good order). In the engine bay I have noted the presence of this yellowish deposit on the engine, inlet manifold and other metal surfaces. It also extends over the plastic cover at the front of the engine. It can be scraped off with a fingernail.

I have noticed the same stuff in photos of other Mercedes engine bays on cars of a similar age, but I've never encountered it on other non-MB cars.

Is it some sort of Mercedes-applied coating that has gone off over the years?

Is it a corrosion product on the alloy of the engine casing?

Or is it where someone has used a dubious product to clean the engine bay?

Apologies if this is a daft question with an obvious answer!
 

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Craiglxviii

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970 Panamera Turbo; W221 S500L AMG Line, C215 CL500, W251 R350L AMG Line, plus several more now gone
Looks like some weird coloured oxidisation of aluminium alloy to me...
 

LostKiwi

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I think MB allied a lacquer over the engine and with age/heat cycles it's gotten a bit tired. If it bothers you get rid of it and relacquer (or better still powder coat) the bits.
 
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diggerdave

diggerdave

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I think I will get rid. It looks a bit ugly in an otherwise workmanlike engine bay.
 

grahamcol

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Yes, think it's some kind of lacquer. I had it on both of my C200's but not on the two v6's I've had. Glad you seem to be enjoying your car. As I've said before, massively underrated and lovely cars. I was offered just £250 p/x last week for my pristine condition C280 v6 with 82k miles - couldn't believe it and needless to say I didn't do a deal !
 

Jim2

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Yes, think it's some kind of lacquer. I had it on both of my C200's but not on the two v6's I've had. Glad you seem to be enjoying your car. As I've said before, massively underrated and lovely cars. I was offered just £250 p/x last week for my pristine condition C280 v6 with 82k miles - couldn't believe it and needless to say I didn't do a deal !

Why the low offer? I know that dealers generally offer low, and ask high, that's the nature of the business. What year is the car? General condition? Service history? I'm just wondering,, because I'm pretty sure that if you traded at that price, their selling price will be much higher.
 

grahamcol

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Well I guess they simply didn't want the car. It was a well respected Indy (on here occasionally I think, more so on the other forum) who supplied the car to me 10 years ago. Part service history as I've done much myself, but the car is obviously well cared for. In the interests of fairness, the offer was subject to inspection, but I can't see it rising much, if at all. Oh and it's a C280 v6 Elegance in Titanite metallic, year 2000. It's a really nice, well kept, stunning car, not perfect but way above average !
 

Jim2

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I've had a quick look at what's for sale here in Ireland....not even one that's the same spec as yours available. Nearest in the "C" class are some 1.8 Petrol and some 2.0 Diesels...and they are all 2001 models, with much higher mileage than yours. Max advertised price €500. Its a shame really.. I'm pretty sure that at 82000 miles, your's has not yet reached the halfway point in it's life. For the sake of argument, can you check what similar cars to yours are making in England? And is that model plentiful? Is it petrol or diesel?
 

davemercedes

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I've had a quick look at what's for sale here in Ireland....not even one that's the same spec as yours available. Nearest in the "C" class are some 1.8 Petrol and some 2.0 Diesels...and they are all 2001 models, with much higher mileage than yours. Max advertised price €500. Its a shame really.. I'm pretty sure that at 82000 miles, your's has not yet reached the halfway point in it's life. For the sake of argument, can you check what similar cars to yours are making in England? And is that model plentiful? Is it petrol or diesel?
Just goes to show that my '07 and 97K miles C220D has only one place to go - and that's back home where she's like a well loved family pet!
 

grahamcol

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Well Jim there arent many W202 C280's about and those that have survived are either mega mile hacks or low mileage well looked after examples. Pricing, therefore, is all over the place. I'm sure a classic car dealer recently advertised one similar to mine for about £3k or £4k odd, albeit a higher spec than mine. It didn't take too long to sell either ! Ultimately I couldn't replace my car with something to a similar standard for less than £5k retail, therefore I'm not going to bother. Better the devil you know !
Oh and it's petrol by the way.
 

Jim2

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Well Jim there arent many W202 C280's about and those that have survived are either mega mile hacks or low mileage well looked after examples. Pricing, therefore, is all over the place. I'm sure a classic car dealer recently advertised one similar to mine for about £3k or £4k odd, albeit a higher spec than mine. It didn't take too long to sell either ! Ultimately I couldn't replace my car with something to a similar standard for less than £5k retail, therefore I'm not going to bother. Better the devil you know !

Would agree with you 100% on that grahamcol. For sure, what you will get for it, wont replace it. As you said... "Devil you know " Lot to be said for that.
 

davemercedes

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Well I guess they simply didn't want the car. It was a well respected Indy (on here occasionally I think, more so on the other forum) who supplied the car to me 10 years ago. Part service history as I've done much myself, but the car is obviously well cared for. In the interests of fairness, the offer was subject to inspection, but I can't see it rising much, if at all. Oh and it's a C280 v6 Elegance in Titanite metallic, year 2000. It's a really nice, well kept, stunning car, not perfect but way above average !

Hmm even if they didn't want it, that's taking the "hiss" and downright rude imo - why can't they just be honest and say "sorry, we don't want it"? I just looked and today the cheapest C280 on the Bay is a 1998 at £995 with 126K (50% more miles than yours!) In fairness, it looks "okay" - so maybe yours is under-priced... good luck with the sale!
 

grahamcol

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Thanks Dave and my thoughts exactly ie just be honest.
To be fair, I was really just looking at what I might get for the C280, in case it made some kind of sense to trade it in against a 209 CLK that I've fancied for a while now. I now realise it makes no sense at all. Therefore if I do see the right CLK I'm just going to purchase it outright. However, the C280 really is a fantastic motor car, and I doubt very much if I'll find a good enough CLK with the right engine, spec etc to replace it. So it could well be that I'll still have it for many years to come. When (if) the time comes to part with it then it'll be a private sale - and a very sad day that will be !
 

LostKiwi

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Thanks Dave and my thoughts exactly ie just be honest.
To be fair, I was really just looking at what I might get for the C280, in case it made some kind of sense to trade it in against a 209 CLK that I've fancied for a while now. I now realise it makes no sense at all. Therefore if I do see the right CLK I'm just going to purchase it outright. However, the C280 really is a fantastic motor car, and I doubt very much if I'll find a good enough CLK with the right engine, spec etc to replace it. So it could well be that I'll still have it for many years to come. When (if) the time comes to part with it then it'll be a private sale - and a very sad day that will be !
If you're going to get a CLK as an extra car get a V8... ;)
 

davemercedes

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Shhh... LK keep quiet! - If SWMBO hears you I'll be in dead shtuck...
She won't part with her virtually unused 7-Seat Renault Scenic because it's "convenient" (yeah, it is about once a year) until she sees something like a CLK... then it's all lovesick stuff ;)
 

grahamcol

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Or a 55...?
No, I don't really have a great hankering for a 55. For me the 500 is right - lots of power, torque & refinement and hopefully it won't have attracted a careless owner who might have thrashed it.
 

Westheath

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Empty garage, awaiting new toy :)
No such thing as thrashing something that's designed for it.

:)

I've seen more vehicles that have been neglected with low miles
than fully maintained high mileage ones.

Personally.......
I would avoid a low miles garage queen and take the normal-high mileage
car, vehicles don't like sitting around doing nothing, especially those oil seals :)
 

Frontstep

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Neglected high mileage, neglected low mileage, thrashed and abused once a month or twice a day, astoundingly straight and almost unsat in looking cars blowing blue smoke its all part of the thrills of used car buying.

If my "Lady" was selling you her car it would be empty of fuel,driven in whatever gear moved it in the direction she wanted, have started off countless times with the handbrake on,chugged around bends and uphill and serviced;

"why, its still going isn't it"

oh and a old but her classic one was "don't move that little book off the dash its covers those annoying lights"
 
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