1995 C 280. Great car in many respects. 114K miles. Check engine light comes on. Air meeter or "mass airflow sensor" replaced @$800 and light goes off. 300 miles later, light is back on. Performance does not apear to be affected. But, light just came on. I understand this is a big problem and complaint these cars. Oil sensors, vacuum, etc.

What do C280 owners do about this without spending thousands?

Any serious replies appreciated.

 

I see your a new member, welcome to the forum! I own a 99 C280 and in the 5 years I had the car I have had only 3 check engine lights. Mine were a MAS and a O2 sensor. The third was a false alarm. I had to replace the battery, this is the 4th battery since I bought the car, this is a problem area. Plus the Mercedes batteries are maintenance batteries. The check light came on right after I had the battery changed. But when off after three starts, which is a clue to what is going on. I took my code scanner and came up with a bad O2 sensor. I went to my friendly Mercedes dealer and told them about the check engine light, they told me to just clear the code as the check engine light will go off but the engine is programmed to turn off the light after 10 starts. The Service Manager said it was probably a glicth that happened when they changed the battery.

The check engine light is for the pollution control system and there are many, many conponents. Also when they changed the MAS did they clear the code? If not the light has been known to come on again. Go to your local Auto Zone store and they will run a scan and give you the code and what the fault is. If you have no Auto Zone's around, most big auto parts stores will do a scan for you. Pep Boys charges I understand.

Also, $800 for a MAS, that is outright robbery. the MAS is expensive, around $300 but it takes about 15 to 30 minutes to change it out, most Mercedes dealer charge a 1/2 hour minimum labor so around here that would be $45 plus the cost of the MAS. You got took. You could have bought one and did it yourself as it is a easy DIY job.

As I said go to your local Auto Zone and have your car scanned or any big parts store and see what it says, there is an outside possiblity the MAS is not connected correctly, the connection might be loose. Or you got a bad 02 sensor, but I am sure the place where you had it fixed would have picked that up, as most dealers scan the car for other faults routinely.

 

I own a 94' c280 with one anoying problem The AM reception is crappy with original radio. I have changed the radio two times now first a Sony unit with a newAlpine amp,then to an Alpine unit still no help. I changed the antenna mast in the rear of the car with again no help. My wife is anAM talk show listner and complaines all the time about it . Please help if youcan.....
Thanks
John Kelly Alameda Ca.

 

I have a 2000 C280 SPORT. WITH ONLY 54,000 MILES. GREAT IT HAS BEEN. BUT YES MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALSO. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF WHAT THIS COULD BE?

 

C280 wizard
you stated that you MAS and O2 sensors were the problem for the first 2 occurences did you have to repace them or were they false signals? I have had my check engine light come on and the first time I had it scanned at auto zone with it saying it was my front and rear O2 sensors bad and they were $140 each, but as I was going home the light went off. about two weeks later the light came back on but through out the day it went back off (maybe after the 3 starts as you stated) yesturday it has come back on so I want to fix it but I hate to start chasing the problem by just changing parts I have a hard time believing that both O2 sensors went out at the same time. any help would be great I am new to mercedes, I just bought it for the gas mileage. I am driving a 1998 C280 with 105K miles.

 

Hi to everyone, i have mercedes c280 from 94 with 212000 mil. And before a couple days chechk engine light turns on can someone help me pleaseee i dont have some problems evrything is fine just the light