I purchased a “C220 FROM 2012 WITH 200K ON THE CLOCK” a lady one driver, meticulously maintained. The fuel bill is minuscule and performs better than its petrol equivalent. It reaches it top speed faster than the petrol version, with a higher top speed and on 25% less fuel, WINNER!!!!!!!!!.

I still miss my old Seat 1.9 TDI 110hp, in the end it was old, had a ton of miles, but the fairly simple engine was so tough. In the 15 years I had it, apart from some discs, bushes and normal servicing, it needed nothing, returned 50 to 60 mpg......it was quick enough after being chipped, utterly brilliant car !

I have the same car. So couple of points the engine will not regenerate the d.p.f if there is 1: an engine fault code present. 2: the fuel level is below 15 litres. 3: the ash content is too high. Fix the air mass first then drive the car it will heat up the Dpf rapid you will know it’s regenerating because it will drive faster than usual and a lot of heat will be felt under the the drivers side. It will clear the Dpf in about 15 miles if in good condition. They don’t suffer from Dpf problems unless the conditions haven’t been met. Good luck

I have the saloon version of this car on a 58 plate with 219K on the clock and the 6-speed manual transmission. The diesel engines are generally quite bulletproof. The intercooler hoses are prone to splitting but they're not too expensive to replace even from the dealer. It is worth running some Cataclean through the fuel system. I've done it on mine. One big issue with the W204 is corrosion on the rear subframe. Fortunately, this should be covered by warranty. I'm a Topdon fanboy myself and I would definitely recommend their products are they're good quality.

I just bought the Topdon Artidiag 600s. You and Car UK have pipped on about their products so much I thought I'd give it a go. Brilliant bit of kit. Cleared codes and solved the problems I'm amazed how it does stuff right in front of your eyes. Its incredible. Saved me £££ that a mechanic would have charged me and I can save again when future issues come up. Glad you and Car UK show us this stuff. And pay you guys for promoting it. Win win all round. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

P2463 is probably a result of the MAF being faulty. If the mass airflow sensor isn't reading correctly the DPF regeneration will be inhibited so it will keep accumulating soot. I'd take a gander and say that when the MAF works properly, the DPF will clear itself out during a few drive cycles. MAF code could also be caused by a leaky boost pipe or an EGR valve that is sticking open if it's a performance code.

My old 2.0 diesel xsara is touching on 250k miles What's wrong with old cars lmao? 😂

We had a 2 litre hdi automatic hatch back , kept it for 14 years used to cruise to south of France in it at 3,600 rpm in top = 106mph by the satnav And 50mpg overall , truly great car

I have a 2006 Citroën C4 1.6l, 16 valve diesel coupé which I bought for €2800 at the beginning of last year. 240K KMs (150K miles) on the clock. Apart from a freak occurence which broke the turbo (€600 replacement), it runs like clockwork. I know it will break down one of these days but is a great drive and gives me lots of freedom. I drive carefully and get 70 MPG from it. If you look after an old car it will look after you.

James I love the Mercedes. Quick note. These cars need a regen every so often. It should do it automatically. Hence the engine management light. Keep up the good work.

I had the intermittent engine light and limp mode that turned out to be the DPF needing a good clean. They told me to constantly keep the fuel over a quarter of a tank. I also had the bulb warnings, that was where someone had put LED upgraded bulbs in, the sensors couldn’t pick up a current. Went back to the old style bulbs and warnings went. I love my 2010 E Class Coupe … I always had big contract hires costing £400 a month so bought this for 5k and figure every month I don’t have a problem I’m building up a decent repair fund. Lovely looking cars and great drive… plus I get 43 to the gallon… but no Satnav was a shocker.

Will easily do 200,000 m but like all diesels needs regular long runs, no good for pottering around.

For anything DPF related have a look at O’Riley’s Autos on KZfaq. He has great success cleaning the DPF, without removing, and I think he’s covered a least one C220.

Great video and content. I love the Mercedes estate, it has a good service history. I would probably own that Mercedes and look after it. Love the sound of the engine, when it started.

Just found your channel today . Easy best car reviewer on the KZfaq. No one reviews like a normal person and you did. Your newest fan 😂

If the DPF is blocked, there's something preventing regeneration - possibly even just low oil quality. If you're getting MAF codes they might be the MAF or due the DPF being blocked... MAF is an easy change and then a DPF clean (not a forced regen). Then re-evaluate.

The problems you came across reminded me of one I had on an older Honda with a 2.2l diesel engine. It dropped into “limp mode”, with the engine restricted to 2000 rpm (70 mph in that one). It was a failed temperature sensor, which the dealer replaced.

My 1987 W201 190D 2.5 lasted 500,000km and then I traded it in for decent money. No worries there, back in the days.

Bought a E320d one year ago for £1950. Very little paperwork, so had full service at specialist Mercedes dealer. Only problem was temperature unit needed replacement plus had auto box serviced. Runs like a dream and just cruised this years MOT.

Check the intercooler pipe at the bottom of the engine for any holes or splits as well as that can cause massive issues

I’ve had a couple of these, one from 2011 in red with the same Sport trim in an estate, but the 200 CDi manual box. Fuel consumption was amazing, well into the 60s on a long run, but the engine had all sorts of annoyances. Meanwhile, my 2008 C180K was running without any problem and was returning 42mpg on average with very sporty driving. Overall, the supercharged petrol one was a cheaper and more reliable car to run. I’ve had a 2013 E220 CDi and I hated the small Diesel engine in that, that car deserves at least the 250 engine.

I replaced the front DPF sensor on my 2013 E250Cdi with 155k miles, then the MAF sensor failed … once this was done the car was literally transformed and drives beautifully with ample power, good economy and zero smoke.

You're not alone James it seems: we're suffering with a 2011 Vauxhall diesel bought recently from a dealer. In a few weeks the list is - gearbox replaced (and still having issues), lighting faults, traction control system warning lights, and this morning, just to add insult to injury, is the second day on the bounce it won't start. Rejection is on the cards for us I think.

Hi James. Just for info the car won’t regen if it has a fault code active. If you sort the mass airflow the dpf issue will probably disappear with a good run. Oh and should have a dipstick back of the engine on the left hand side.

I would say the opposite: old Diesels are less trouble than modern common rail, DPF, Ad Blue motors. Any pre Common Rail Merc Diesel is pretty bulletproof if looked after. If anyone has a nice clean late 90s E300 Turbodiesel I’ll have it off of you!

Boost leak and a DPF pressure sensor will be the problem. People over complicate DPFs you don't even need to remove them to clean them.

This is a lovely car with years of life left in it. There will be issues and pricing reflects this but a Mercedes CDI will probably double this mileage. Diesels can be more complicated but this car has the potential to be a reliable one and a joy to own. A DPF clean , Forte or Millers treatment, an oil change and a good run?

My old fiat diesel fiat stilo estate did over 300k (200k mine) miles before I retired it for an identical 19yr old replacement bought for £700. Blanked off the EGR valve, regularly clean air mass sensor, use Dipetane fuel additive to reduce particulates, 55mpg overall. Old school high mileage diesels rock !

I was fortunate to have a 6 month old 57 plate C220CDI Avantgarde for 5 weeks as a courtesy car when my Saab 9-5 Aero was involved in a RTA and needed repairing. I really liked it, as it had all the bells and whistles, but I was glad when I eventually got the Saab back, as I much preferred the Saab to drive.

My Seat Ibiza diesel ( VW golf engine) is 19 years old and runs lovely. 50 mpg regularly. Starts on the button every time. why change it? No dpf filter thankfully

I my experience high mileage diesels tend to be very reliable... Assuming they arent a bad construction. My b6 passat with a 2.0pd and dsg has 205k miles on it, bough it with 163k. In 3 years never had a major issue with it. Recently rebuilt the suspension because i knew i was gonna keep the car for another 3 years at least and wanted it to ride nice, and done the dual mass as well because I was starting to hear a little rattle, was told i could've used it for at least another year but I wanted it done. Apart from that car has been absolutely trouble free, its loaded with extras and everything works. Just recently had an engine light for glow plugs, which again, just regular maintenance stuff on diesels. Not even gonna take it to the garage, they are easy to do. Many of my friends own bimmer, audi and merc diesels, they are also trouble free. If they were looked after they will outlive most cars. Its just people buy these premium cars and then not do the proper maintenance and drive them into the ground, then someone buys it without proper inspection and when the engine goes because it had bad oil in it or not changed they blame the brand and thats how the bad reputation builds.

Ive had 3 high mileage 7- 10 year old bmw diesels. I didnt even do regular motorway runs. In fact the opposite- mainly short drives. I made sure tank was always over 1/4 and did a longish spirited drive once or twice a month. Never had any issues whatsoever. Only ever had one merc - it was a petrol 2010 and was terrible with tonnes of niggles (still expensive and often needed a specialist). My mate bought one too at same time- c180 kompressor. He spent 2k on it in the first 6 months. Both had full history and low owners. We swore never to touch a merc again (unless it was under warranty). Obviously good and bad in all makes but just my experience. Just remembered his dad had a A class auto that he had to scrap at less than 100k too. Mercs have fell a long way.

I rented a Mercedes C220 Sedan in Barcelona in 2010. It was a pretty good car and looked absolute dependable when new.

That fault code could be a boost leak causing that code and also to do a battery reset you need to be on the terminals

I had a lovely Subaru Legacy Tourer in silver like this Merc - great car (AWD, comfy, roomy) apart from the diesel engine.... EGR issues then the DPF went and it regen'd so often like James Bond smokescreen that other drivers would get annoyed. Was glad to get rid of the bloody thing and have never been near diesels since.

Old IDI diesels are fine, barring the high road tax. I have a bought from new 1997 Peugeot 1.9TD with 83,000 on the clock. I recall reading of a 405 with the same engine that had over 700,000 miles on it. A mate of mine had one and lamented trading it in for a 307 HDi that was in the workshop more often than on the road. Direct injection diesels have too many sensors and filters on them to be reliable and the savings in road tax are in no way compensatory. Best regards from South Wales.

I have this car and have an air con issue. When pressed the AC light flashes 3 times but wont work. Had it regassed and they said the compressor etc are all good but its a controls issue. Any advice would be welcome for next steps.

Back around 2004 I bought a Saab 93, 4 years old, petrol with 99,000 miles on it with a full Saab 2 year warranty. I added another 50,000 miles with no problems at all. I only paid £4000 and it had cost over £20,000 when new. The full warranty was handy as I had only a couple of faults sorted out free of charge and it only got sold because it was somewhat thirsty!

No dual mass flywheels on torque convertor type automatics. The shock absorbing function is done by the torque convertor slip instead.

Differential pressure sensors are prone to failing on these cars (found by removing the ECU). Change that and put some Wynns in the DPF and you should be good to go. Seen well over 300k miles on these engines.

Excellent Top Don advert. I couldn’t understand why the skip advert button wouldn’t come up 😂

I had a blocked DPF on my deisel BMW. Had a MAF sensor code but in the end, it turned out to be a boost leak from crack in the intercooler. Also had to change the glow plugs as it was also refusing to regen.

Im on my 4th 1.9tdi 2 golfs and 2 A4s both golfs 200,000 ish and both A4s 250k + my current is 260 k miles, 10 k on new cambelt n pump. Remapped, pulls like a train and has only used a 1l oil top up this year, and is due nice clean oil soon. Im prepared to put this one past 300k miles. PD130 ... best engine ever 💪

Yes you are right, all the things listed can happen quite soon, as a dealer a big risk. on the other hand that cars are still developed as cabs. If you repair the things as they occur, clean or change the DPF this cars can run perfectly 600.000 km and more, depending on the operating conditions. if you ran them only short trips, never getting them warm you can kill even these cars far below 100.000 km. As a dealer you have to calculate and to gamble , putting a little aside and do the work as it occurs, or repair all in advance, best use it yourself and repair as it occurs,

I have a 62 plate with 297k on it and other then the turbo hoses splitting regularly, it's been a dream.

Have you tried getting cars like the Merc and Jag Terracleaned? I had my old diesel Jag done a while ago and the difference was amazing. It did a great job on the DPF too. Not exactly cheap but it really worked

Own mk4 mondeo 2011 156 k drives great just had cambelt kit and alternator bearing fitted.plenty of oil changes.

Looks lovely car. Hope it’s nothing major wrong. Best wishes

I’ve just come back off holiday in Crete I used 4 taxis All Mercedes and all had over 500 km miles on clock And we’re still silky smooth

I have the same model on an 09 plate, its a 6 speed automatic box with a torque convertor. No DMF as its auto. Generally they are excellent cars though they switched to a single timing chain around this year.

I work on the 651 engines all the time. Prob got a split boost hose or inlet manifold issue. They snap studs in the head off the inlet manifold. These engines do well over 500k abused look after a fleet of 30 vehicles with that engine. Timing chain guides are an issue and can occur at 130k plus but not as common as the manifold.

I’m loving the new thumbnails James, and as always keep up the good content ❤

651 engine in these which are really good, it may have an outstanding recall for the airbags on it and also the rear subframes corrode from the inside out which the dealers will replace under warranty

Oil dipstick is to the rear of the engine near the bulkhead.

13:17 the earth point is in the top right of the pic on the turret top, but you shouldn't be testing a battery through the wiring unless you just want to get a feel for its health. if you want an accurate reading you need to connect the tester to the battery posts.

I have a 2008 C320CDI TURBO...I LOVE IT...done 250,000ks...new turbo 5000ks ago, new ignition, DeCarb, it's dam quick. Only thing is the leather seats are not the most comfortable on long trip. Handles really good...I also have 2008 ML 350CDI AMG...new turbo, decarb, had to replace the suspension pump ...248,000ks now...had it for 5yrs now...Awesum driver.. At higher k's I find that the previous owners have spent a small fortune on problems so I get a good run out of them...

Unless you do a high milage owning a diesel makes no sense. If you just use them for short journeys your DPF will clog up you can only purge them so many times before a new one is required.

There is an additive to buy that you put in the diesel tank that will clean the particle filter. Instructions for such are often that you should gas 3000 RPM for 15 minutes. There is of course more advanced stuff to clean the Particle Felt as well

I’m on my second one of these. My last one had 350k on it when I sold it, it’s still running perfectly, my current one is literally the most reliable car ive ever had. I service it every 10k. Nothing else is needed except consumables. This engine is been used in aviation now for the first time using diesels due to its reliability.

Furious Driving, fellow youtuber, had one of these as his daily, albeit the manual, and loved it. Did serious miles too He might have some useful intel

A friend of mine currently has one of these - a C220d Estate - far sale, as he no longer needs it. His is a 62 reg, and unusually for a Merc, it's a manual, not an auto. He's getting into business on his own, and has bought an Isuzu D-Max pick-up, so no longer needs the Merc... it's going cheap, as he needs to raise a bit of cash for his new business....... he's around 300 miles from you James, so he won't be stepping on your toes.... Your one looks to be worth every penny of £3495 James....the right colour too. My Skoda buggered up just like this James, and it turned out to be the DPF. It had so little grunt, I needed 2 attempts to get over speed humps.....

Another good video James 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👏👏👏👏

Does it have a DMF being automatic. Usually boost leaks and turbo actuators / turbos on the CDI's I've owned.

Don't buy badly built old diesels, should be the title. I have 3 all on over 400k , my rocky is on 700k and 34 years old

i have '12 model since new (s204 amg sports plus ) , now circa 135k miles up with 7 speed auto and i can asure you they dont have dual mass flywheels. the fault code could be dpf sensor which is cheap and easy to fix on a dyi basis.

160k miles!!, that’s just run in James. My 2.0L 2007 Ford Mondog with full service history has covered 224k miles and still pulls like a train. Still on the original clutch and exhaust.

Guy at work has a 2011 c220 with 110k miles. He said he's never had a significant problem. They look pretty good for their age.

2011 Passat 170 TDI 214k miles Original: DPF & EGR (never cleaned) Injectors and full fuel system Clutch and DMF Turbo and full exhaust Engine/gearbox never opened/separated. I get it from a dealers perspective - repairs are costly. All I do is wait till 80 degrees oil temp before booting, drive off boost last few miles before switch off and let it idle 20secs before I turn key off. Also I only use posh diesel. Never supermarket. Another trick to prolong DMF life is to cruise as close to 2k revs as possible, if you spend lots of time sub 1.5k revs the DMF is rattling itself to bits.

DPF issue is likely only the DPF sensor. Cheap and easy to fix though access can be tight, it's jammed up by the bulkhead.

Guy I work with has a 2012 Merc E220 diesel and it’s done 438k miles, it was used as an airport taxi from new

Regrettably am in issues with a 2010 BMW 520d 106000 miles bought from a car sales garage and it's used 2 litres coolant in 3000 miles car sales said 3months engine & gearbox warranty Warning light came on 9 days before warranty expired going back to them we'll see if they fix issue

My Kia diesel seems to like a tank of BP Ultimate diesel every few months, seems to help keep the DPF demons away.

Hi James I have a Vitara with high miles same issue ie Dpf had it bored out and ecu reprogrammed so it’s not looking egr and dpf is this sommit u do on mainland or just a N Ireland solution lol Ps top man love ur vids and ur honesty 💯👍

The dip stick is right at the back of the engine near the bulk head. The battery is under the boot floor. Did the previous owner ever change any bulbs?

All the bits you just mentioned are Fairly cheap if you go to the right places and nothing wrong with a Diesel with that mileage on it

1.9 tdi Pd engine in my Passat is still going strong 312k. Best diesel ive opened

It's usually the dpf pressure sensor not the dpf, mercs regen really well compared to others . The pressure sensor is much cheaper and quite common.

Just a thought. The speed limiter hasnt been set to 60mph has it? Its on the stalk to the left of the steering wheel.

Airport company near me runs base model diesel E Classes some of them have over 600k on the clock, Maintenance is absolutely everything.

i have a faulty MAF sensor on a 2015 diesel Focus mk.3.5 - the engine light comes on then it will go into limp mode after a few more miles - OBD error code is P1103 which is the MAF

I'm not a technician but the coolant temperature seems to be a little high for a diesel engine, so unfortunately I guess the problem might be the actual dpf filter.

Your correct chop in what you say about old cars. But I would go further and say people need to be realistic when buying any car. There's nothing to say that nothing will go wrong with a newer car. My last car was only 3 years old and had only 35k miles on it when I bought it from a local Peugeot garage. I only drive around 5k miles a year so thought I would have it for a good few years into the future. The next thing the dashboard started lighting up like a Christmas tree. Different warning lights in different combinations would come up at random times. So I would take it back to the Peugeot garage I bought it from and they would look at it, tinker with it, take the lights off, tell me I wasn't using it enough, then I would drive away only for it a few days later to light up again. So I got rid of it again at a loss. That's my rant on Peugeot's done. I won't have another one again after that even though that garage still sends me invites to special car sales events. In total contrast to this, one of the first cars I ever owned was an old Vauxhall Nova (maybe some people out there can still remember them), it had 95k on the clock when I bought it, I ran it for three years without spending anything beyond the usual MOT and service costs. I didn't even have to replace a tyre on it or a light bulb before I sold it for more money than what I originally bought it for. You can get a mid week built car or a Friday afternoon built car. It's the luck of the draw.

A sensor goes wrong and it will prevent DPF regen taking place as the ECU is no longer able to determine whats fully going on so can prevent DPF regen. I did notice its air intake temp seemed to think it was over 60 degrees id certainly hope thats farenhight else that can also cause poor running.

People don't like paying a premium for low mileage because often when trading in said low mileage car, it doesn't attract a premium.

lovely Merc. but I was in the market for one of these, petrol version due to ULEZ, saw one down south but on looking at the mot history it was shocking. Corroded brake lines and rust are common on these, i couldn't find one that didn't have these issues for up to £9k and the dealers were selling these at a high price! in the end i opted for a 2010 BMW 320i. I think ppl should have a good think about the kind of driving they will be doing before buying a disel as otherwise you are going to have dpf issues.

Just had my 06 BMW 116i MOT’d today. No advisories. Keep old cars alive people.

Took an Astra petrol to just shy of 500k - a 1.4. Have a soft spot for older 1.4 petrols with no gubbins ever since. They seem to be the sweet spot for "What petrol car will do big miles?" Diesels will do it but there will be big bills. Economy/reliability - pick one.

My 2012 bmw 320d M sport has 246000 miles on had it 7 years never misses a beat

Whats the update on the car? What happens when you unplugged the MAF?

My 2011 c250 CDI has 182k on it, it went into limp mode with full dpf code but it was split hoses, I use a Merc specialist (not main stealer) and once he’d changed the hoses he ran the dpf regen with no issues. Looking at that list of services mine had similar suspension linkage replacements etc. I’m looking at getting 250k out of mine 👍👍🤞🤞

The Earth connector is on the top of the strut as you can see in this video. Its the brass stand up stud on the right.

I bought a 61 plate Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE Lux with 153,000 on it for £5k with FSH in January and been really happy with it.

Does the automatic C220 have a dual mass fly wheel?

So why shouldn't we buy a old merc diesel then? I'm left a little confused?

The door handles on that Mercedes trigger an element of OCD in me. Because they don't appear to be in line. One of the Range Rovers does something similar with its handles. Funny thing is, when a Chinese company manufacturered a clone Range Rover, they actually placed the handles level!

I may be wrong! A torque converter gearbox doesn't have a DMF. Only required on Manual or DSG.

Is it common practice for a buyer to use a OBD diagnostic reader on a car when viewing ? Looking to get a reasonable high mileage A6 Avant.

Always fix every other code before even considering touching the DPF The DPF will not regen if there are other faults present, so any soot codes are often caused by continuing to drive the car when regen is disabled

Can you switch that tester to metric measurement terms?

I previously had a near new 220 in AMG trim for 10 days - not sporty, not good on fuel, rattly, narrow power band (nothing outside of 2500 to 3500 revs) , noisy, 9 speed gearbox didn't know what it was doing, rear lights were letting water in.