Hi,
This is my first post so apologies in advance if I'm posting in the wrong area. I recently bought a 1996 C180 manual. The milage of 35,000 miles really appealed and all the documentaion supported it. In the last few weeks I've been told that the diff needs replacing. I'll be getting a second hand part to reduce cost butI can't understand how a car with such little milage could need an item like this replaced. There is no evidence of any towing. The early service history is patchy but the milage was logged every 2 years when given it's manditory road worthiness inspection. Apparently it only did 12,000 miles in it's first 8 years. I suppose my question is this, can a lack of being driven cause undue wear and tear on a transmission system. If this is unlikely then I guess I'll just have to accept that the car was in fact used for towing and/or the milage was messed with. Any guidance from the techies out there would be appreciated.

 

hi James,

So what is wrong with the diff?

So long as lubrication is OK (correct level) then these last indefinitely, even when used for towing.

I make the suggestion that the need to replace diagnosis is incprrect.

Diffs on this model range do give a degree of noise (whine)

Stuart.

 

Hi,
Thanks for the quick reply. The diff had been completely quiet and then a few weeks ago it started to whine. I had my mechanic take a look and he says that it has tightened. The oil level was also low but there was no sign of leaks. He showed me a diff he happened to have in the garage by way of comparison and it spun freely..really smooth. Not so with mine. I dunno, I suppose I'm just getting a little suspicious. I was told by the seller that he got the car from his mother who drove it for the first 8 or 9 years. He said she found too big and didn't like it so he bought it from her. Maybe it just sat there without anything being done to it but it's hard to see how wear and tear could occur under those circumstances. Does diff oilbreakdown? Can not running a car on a regular basis be bad for it...I mean cause a problem like this? As you've probably worked outI'm not mechanically minded at all.

 

hi James.

Not using a vehicle is not good for it. Things get a film of rust etc due to atmospheric moisture.
However the diff should not be a problem.

Low oil level. How low? Oil doesn't just disappear! wasthe car level when it was checked. At correct operating temperature?
Oil can degrade but the MB diff is sealed for life and should be OK to 100k / 10 years without any problem. Changing oil can't do any harm AS LONG AS the correct oil is used and it is run at the correct level.

So the guy has already taken the diff out? Sounds strange. Sure he's not trying to find something wrong with your car?.

Was the "tightness" demo with your diff installed and the replacement diff on the bench? If so I am not surprise that there is a difference in the effort required to turn it.

What are the symptoms that go you to get this guy to look at the car in the first place?

If the diff has recently become (significantly more) noisy and you have found the oil level significantly low, looks like it had no oil from the start. Unlikely but possible or somebody has been "working" on the diff at some time and not done a good job. (new seals etc.)

Not sure i can really help much more.

Oh. Just a thought. Maybe the car has been used in deep water (ford etc) which could have allowed water into the diff.

Good luck.

Stuart

 

Hi,

I guess I'll never know. I think it's fair to say that something doesn't add up though.Thanks for all the advise snanceki. By the way, does this model have an on board computer? I mean is there a way of verifying the mileage on a '96 C180?


JamesT

 

On Board Computer. Yes ...
but it depends what you mean by that term. If you are asking does it support OBDII diagnostics I'm not absolutely sure. It certainly supports MB diagnostics.

Service history is the only real way to get to grips with whether the mileage is correct and even then it can be falsified.

Stuart.