W203 C-Class - Air conditioning problem - C200 CDI, 2002

[Encyclo1]

Hello,

I would be grateful for any help/ advice.

I am looking to buy a W203 C200 CDI estate, 2002, manual.

The car seems to be in excellent condition and has pretty much full service records.

But the air conditioning appears not to be working - it blows warm. The dealer says he will fix this, which he suggests can be solved by adding air-con fluid.

If this is the problem, what is likely to be causing it and what else will need to be done to stop it from recurring?

If the problem is something else, what is it likely to be and what costs might be involved?

Is there anything else I should be looking out for with this model? I do understand that pre-facelift W203's don't have the best reputation!

I really appreciate your time and suggestions.

Many thanks.

 

[David Richardson]

A common problem with this model is that leaves & other debris builds up at the bottom of the condenser & it rots through so all of the gas escapes. Check if its been replaced & you'll find it at the very front of the car & I'm not sure if its in front or behind the main water radiator.

Also check for the dash board controls to work correctly & listen for the famous clicking noise of broken motor flap vents which can be expensive to replace as in most cases the dashboard has to taken out.
I'm not trying to scare you away fro the car at all, but it may be wise for you to search on heater motor flaps or dashboard clicking noise

dave

 

[umblecumbuz]

If the aircon is being fixed by the dealer, does it really matter what the current cause is? Possibly as he says, it's just low on gas.
Just make sure you get him to clearly commit himself to fixing it before agreeing to buy.

When I used to import cars into Malta, we often bought them from the UK (lhd in both countries). The aircon systems frequently did not work, whereas the generic Maltese cars had aircons that always worked. The reason was lack of use for the UK imports.

Nothing kills an aircon system quicker than infrequent use, so when you get your car and the aircon is working, make sure it is in use often!

Umble

 

[Rappey69]

my 2001 cars aircon had not worked for at least 5 years... the condensor at the very front gets hit by road debris which eventually punture the condensor ?
I replaced mine from ecp for around £120, got it gassed and it has all worked fine ever since..
I have a jimny, that aircon had never been run for at least 3 years, took a gamble and just got it regassed as was extremely low, and wow, its actually better and a lot faster than the mercedes !

 

[Steve@Avantgarde]

A regas wont fix the issue, an AC system is a sealed unit and shouldn't leak unless something is broken.

However it will need a regas with a leak dye to show where the leak is which should show up under a Florissant light.