C350 CDI - Cheap with a few issues :C350

Razputin

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Just got my first ever Mercedes. It's a 2012 facelift C350 CDI, was a bargain buy but has a few problems.

First, the 'Top up coolant' message just came on so after a quick check it was a bit low, so topped it up. Message hasn't cleared yet and engine temperature all seems fine and no leak (yet) of any coolant. Seen there's a list of possible problems which mostly point to a sensor??

Secondly, blower fan works great, but no heat at all. Could they be related/linked?

Thanks
 

gassed up

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How many miles? No heat suggests lack of water circulation/air lock. Could be a stuck thermostat, could be cylinder compression leaking into the water jacket via a head gasket or casting crack. I wouldn't use the car until some basic diagnostics have been carried out.
 
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Razputin

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165k on it. Had a major £1767 oil leak fixed last year on it from what I can see in its paperwork. Just dawned on me that the heater was working until I topped up the coolant

I'll maybe bite the bullet and drop it into an indie and see what gems they can find. Love the car but and it badly needs new discs and pads in the front, can feel they're warped when braking
 

gassed up

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165k on it. Had a major £1767 oil leak fixed last year on it from what I can see in its paperwork. Just dawned on me that the heater was working until I topped up the coolant

I'll maybe bite the bullet and drop it into an indie and see what gems they can find. Love the car but and it badly needs new discs and pads in the front, can feel they're warped when braking
The clue is in the fact that it expelled its coolant not that you had to top it up.
 
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Razputin

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I live just outside Belfast and have already dropped it off to my mechanic. He's going to have it a few days and go through the whole car from end to end. Wouldn't trust anyone else to be honest. He's not the cheapest, nor the dearest, but seriously good with all make and models, particularly German. Please let it all be inexpensive to fix ;)
 

Wighty

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I live just outside Belfast and have already dropped it off to my mechanic. He's going to have it a few days and go through the whole car from end to end. Wouldn't trust anyone else to be honest. He's not the cheapest, nor the dearest, but seriously good with all make and models, particularly German. Please let it all be inexpensive to fix ;)
Yep , trust is worth paying for !
 
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Razputin

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I'm just up the road from you in Ballyclare :)
 

A.J.

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Hi and welcome to the forum :)
 
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Razputin

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Listen to Mr Optimistic :D

It is a complete gamble, but if it turns out that it's not too expensive to put right (touch wood) I'll post some photos as it's a really nice looking motor.
 

gassed up

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Listen to Mr Optimistic :D

It is a complete gamble, but if it turns out that it's not too expensive to put right (touch wood) I'll post some photos as it's a really nice looking motor.
Always bear in mind that the car cost in the region of £45,000 when it was new so you're already on a massive discount for the privilege of ownership. The real question with this car is the price difference between buying cheap with "issues" plus repairing it and buying a low mileage one that's sorted.
 
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Razputin

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Low mileage cars come with their own issues too from time to time. I know I've had almost new Beemers, Audi's and VW's with silly faults that you wouldn't expect. Take my wife's 3 year old A7, it recently had its Adblue injector replaced with less than 50k miles on it. Car cost £61k new. So low mileage and sorted aren't guaranteed either, but nothing mechanical is :(
 

gassed up

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Point taken, I've got the same attitude to this as you. Virtually all of my major workshop equipment was purchased as faulty/issues/parts only. I love the challenge! But there is a tipping point in the cost/benefit equation. The trick is being on the right end of the see-saw and backing your own judgement,
 
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Razputin

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That's exactly it you know, think I like the challenge of it all too. I go with a gut feeling which has been reasonably lucky so far, few costly experiences but nothing major. Buying a new house and it needs a lot of work so had to sell off my last car to free up some money. Thought a cheap bargain runaround would serve me well for a year or two :)
 

Oldspanners

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Buying any car new or used is a gamble but the more you know about the history of a used car the better the chance of not getting surprised by expensive problems. Going by instinct when you think you see a bargain is just another unknown added to the mix.
I had a gamble on mine as I was pressed for time and eventually got it sorted (so far) but as you like a challenge and a bargain and are able to work on the car you'll probably be well satisfied by the result.
Good luck and happy motoring.
 
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Razputin

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Sure what else would we spend our money on? Drugs and loose women? :D
 

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