Mercedes-Benz C200 Problems

I’ll assume you’re talking about a C200, Kevin, which was the most popular Benz model with a 200 in its name back in those days. The good news is that, no, that engine doesn’t need a timing belt change. That’s because it uses a timing chain rather than a rubber timing belt and, all things being equal, the timing chain should last the lifespan of the car itself.

All Mercedes-Benz passenger cars from that era would all have been sold brand-new with two keys. If you’ve bought the car second-hand with just the one key, you can contact a Mercedes-Benz dealership, quote the car’s VIN and the dealer will be able to order the correct key and electronically code it to work in your car. It could cost several hundred dollars, however.

Is it a minor service? Perhaps it’s a major one? The cost depends on what needs to be done. The best thing to do is to ring around and check a number of service places, from main retails outlets like Kmart, Repco, Ultra-Tune etc., and some specialist Mercedes-Benz mechanics. That would you a good guide.

In terms of reliability and common faults there is little difference between Mazda, Honda and Toyota. They are all good, reputable brands building cars of a good quality with few reliability issues. Choose the one that best suits your family needs.

If it’s not getting hot it’s probably got a leak somewhere, and that shouldn’t be expensive to fix, but if it is getting hot it could be a leaking head gasket and fixing that could set you back quite a few bucks.

With a limited budget like yours I would suggest to go for a car with a good reliability record. While the Mercedes-Benz is a good car you are likely to be facing an expensive repair if anything should go wrong. Consider a Mitsubishi 380 or a Toyota Camry of around 2000-2003.

The oil fill with the filter is 5.5 litres, or 5.0 litres without.

Mercedes recommends you use 95-octane Premium fuel, but you could also use 98-octane. Do not use 91-octane regular unleaded.

Normally I would have expected the car to run roughly when the chain stretched. They stretch progressively, not overnight, so there should have been some warning that all was not well. But it is low kilometres for a chain to stretch, which might mean you have a case for a goodwill claim against Mercedes, although I wouldn’t fancy your chances of success.

There is nothing sinister or underhand here. Car companies rotate their plates on to their newest models to make life a little easier for their fleet administrators.