Idling Over 1000rpm in Standstill

djfrosty

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Hi All,

Newbie here, as not quite a Merc owner yet!

Thinking of purchasing a C Class Coupe C230K Evo Sport on 2003 plate.

However, has a problem, its idling at just over 1000rpm in standstill.
Now the fella tells me it needs a a new air flow meter at the cost of 160 pounds brand new from Merc.

However, is this the only problem and will sort it completely or is there another underlying problem? Is it a common problem?
ie will this effect emissions, as the MOT runs out next month, and is this why the fella is selling the car as there are more underlying problems he isnt telling me about?
He says he needs to sell the car for the funds due to a family bereavement abroad and he will be gone for a few months. Could be true.

Any help is greatly appreciated in this matter.

Regards,

Frosty
 

rpe2

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Whenever you get a sob story like this, beware.

If it only costs £160 to repair, then ask him to fit the part, and if it works, add it to the final price.

Bet you a shiny sixpense he declines.

Never heard of a MAF causing a car to rev (a techie will be along shortly to confirm or not).
 

television

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Hello and welcome,, please walk away from it,,it does not sound right
 
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djfrosty

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Thanks for the replies.

A part of me is saying walk, and another part is saying look into it more.
It maybe a straight car, with this one problem, and easy to fix, hence my need to find out before making any serious offers.

If anyone else could shed any light on this situation, it would be much appreciated.
 

television

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The MAF will not cause a high idle..the only way for you to be sure is tho put the car on STAR,, and MB indie will check it through for around £30 ish,, it could be the best £30 you ever spent
 

television

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The MAF will not cause a high idle..the only way for you to be sure is tho put the car on STAR,, and MB indie will check it through for around £30 ish,, it could be the best £30 you ever spent..

You could unplug the MAF and try it
 

BlackC55

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I very much doubt it is a maf issue. Do as Malcolm says and get it plugged in.
 

Alex Crow

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He says he needs to sell the car for the funds due to a family bereavement abroad and he will be gone for a few months.

....and so will be uncontactable for a few months. :rolleyes:

as above, play the game and, smilingly, agree that yes it probably does just need the £160 part and you will be happy to pay that amount extra on demonstration of the problem solved :neutral:. i would be amazed if that is what happens though.
 

Alex Crow

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whenever one buys a car, one should have at least half one`s attention concentrated on the seller, or seller`s uncle`s brother-in-law`s sister as is often the case - bit of a give away that one though.

it may be a plausible story, but how long has the seller owned the car? how many services has he/she paid for? how many reciepts? how many cars on the drive? was it their house? or a random car park? "it`s ok, i`ll meet you halfway to save you travelling too far"
 

television

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I was going to mention HPI money well spent
 

Alex Crow

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just remembered changing a throttle body on a `99 c230 komp, same symptom (high idle). is your prospective c230k late model m111 or early m271?? they changed over in 2003.
 

turbopete

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sounds a bit dodgy to me! could be simple fix but could be expensive too! as already stated,if its so cheap to fix, why not fix before selling and get a better price for it? and the family bereavement/need to go away for a while is the oldest line in the book im afraid! as has already been stated, get an expert to look at it before parting with any cash and get an hpi check or similar carried out! a merc specialist indie may take their diagnostic tool to the car with you and check it out for a few quid and last i heard an hpi check was about £30 and could save much more than that for you in the longer term!
 

124coupe

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You are on the brink of being ripped off:

Less than 1 month MOT left - for £40 he would be selling with an almost 13 month MOT if it had a hope of passing.....(does he have a reason why this car, this VIN or this reg/VIN combo can't go near an MOT centre?? Ringer? Clocked since last year? Major faults? Cut and shut?).

A high-idle fault. This is not the MAF. MAF could cause lumpy tickover, poor pickup and/or poor part-to-full throttle power. It can't cause a stable but high idle. He's savvy enough to know what a MAF is and how much it costs but the fault is NOT the MAF.....he's lying.

He's already saying that when you come looking for him (when you discover £1,000 is needed for a new throttle body or ECU for instance or the 20 things needed to pass the MOT) he will not be there....

The summary is:

Car is faulty and has essentially zero MOT. Seller wants a quick cash sale so he can disappear out of UK Law reach.

Sounds ideal!


Run away and buy one of the thousands of better cars out there....you already know he's a chancer, don't you?


If you insist on putting your head in the lion's mouth and pay out for an HPI check then beware the latest scam. A sticker is placed over the VIN visible at the windscreen so it matches the reg. Body etched VINs are covered up (by gluing the carpet flap for instance) or ground off. V5 docs from the stolen batch are then use as "proof" of ownership. Sale is always "cash in a hurry".... Make sure, if you use HPI, that you follow ALL their Terms to trigger the loss cover.
 
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rpe2

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Have to agree with above.
 


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