Page created on: 28/01/2004 / Last Updated: 06/07/2009 16:21:12 |
Mercedes A-Class and problems we´ve had
Have you ever had something that you really like?
We have, our Mercedes A-classes. We ve had three of them now and we love them to bits.
We´ll start with our first A-class, an A160 Avantgarde, in Athol Blue, which we bought in 2000.
We´d initially wanted to purchase the new VW Beetle as we where smitten with it after taking a test drive, however we wanted an Automatic and this pushed the price of the beetle up to around £18,000.
At the time this was way beyond our budget.
In the mean time our old VW Golf was busy dying, it was an G reg Golf Driver Auto with all these stupid emission control systems which had really screwed up, it either ran okay or idled at 2000rpm with a viscious gear change and everywhere where quoting us a fortune to replace it.
At round about the time as the Golf was dying our local Mercedes garage where holding a sale so we decided to take a look at the A-class as they had several on offer at the time.
We entered the garage to see a brand new A160 Avantgarde, Auto with all the bells and whistles, the only thing it didn´t have was Air Conditioning. We took it for a test drive, loved it and bought it there and then!
We decided on the A-class over the Beetle on 3 things,
Mercedes Benz over Volkswagen (Bit of a no brainer that one),
Practicality (The A-class is a more practical vehicle that the beetle, which looks nice)
Space (The glove box on the A-class is more spacey than a Beetles boot)
 To be brutally honest the A-class is basically a 5 door van with seats and windows. Don´t get me wrong I like its van like interior which brings us on to space. The A-class is massive inside compared with the VW Beetle which is both handy for my own and my wife´s business as we both need to move large items from time to time.
My wife shifts large pottery items, materials and equipment and I move large amounts of computer equipment.
All the seats come out of the A-class, and with the seats in the Long Wheel Base version has either loads of legroom or you can move the seats forward for loads of boot space. Not as much as some MPV´s on the market admitidly but they don´t come with a Mercedes Benz badge on the front.
I´ve even had two cement mixers in our first A-Class with all but the driver´s seat removed. Quite funny when I turned up at HSS with both cement mixers in the car. The staff at the store didn´t believe me until they saw it. (On later models the removal of the front seats has become an optional extra as the front seats are now bolted in)
We had the A160 for just over a year and did 7500 miles in it driving as far away as Cornwall to John O´Groats. In all the time we owned the car we didn´t have a single problem and all the garbage people told us about the car tipping over when forced to swerve hard was dismissed late one night driving down the M7 at 90mph, when a fox ran out in front of us and I had to swerve to miss it.
We ended up facing the wrong way on the motorway however we didn´t tip over and we didn´t hit the fox, but we did leave some groovy looking skid marks on the motorway! Glad it was at about 2am in the morning though!
After driving the A160 round for a year, we´d only had the sunroof open a few times and began to wish we´d gone for Air Conditioning instead. So we swapped our A160 for a brand new A140 Avantgarde with AC. Same car, smaller engine, and different colour. Mangrove Green.
 Now the A140 was a different beast to the A160 as the A140 was a Post face lift model and looked slightly different to the A160. It was also cosmetically different inside. The dials and switches being the most noticable.
We did just less than 7000 miles in the A140 in two years, not because we didn´t want to drive it but because 2001/2002 was a busy period for me and the wife and we didn´t drive very far. My wife was in Japan for 5 months in these two years and if I was away, I was using my Crown as at the time my business was paying my insurance/petrol/etc.
By the way the cheapest I have found for A-class Insurance for our Mercedes has been
, we pay under £300 for the A210 Evo.
However we did do some epic trips, driving to Southern Spain and back and Cornwall Twice!
The A140 did cause us two problems though, one major, one minor but extremely irritating. Lets stick with the minor problem first. When we where away in Japan the car sat idle in the Garage for 4 weeks and on our return the car only just started, however it did start. But the engine management warning light came on as it started and stayed on.
 After driving the car round for about 50 miles, the battery was charged enough to start the car no problem but the engine management light was still on even though the official user handbook says the light should go out within 20-30 miles.
So, off down to the local MB dealer, who informs me that it will cost £43 to reset the computer. What! Okay I part with £43 to get it reset but the dealer informs me that this was because of the flat battery. How can I avoid paying £43 every time I go to Japan for 4 weeks?
I have since found out that you can reset the service indicator only manually, but any errors are still logged in the engine management computer and it can invalidate your warranty if anything major goes wrong at a later date because of this error. Anyway I complained to MB head office several time and got a voucher for £100! So not to bad after all.
Next onto what I class a major problem. Mercedes Assyst. (Click here if you want to know how to reset mercedes assyst on your A-class.)
What a pain in the arse this was, as it kept telling us the car needed a service first at 3500 miles and then after the dealer reset it again at 4200 miles, then again after it was reset at 4800 miles. After throwing my toys out of the pram in the dealers they replaced the instrument panel but the assyst went off again at 5200 miles so I had the car serviced. Didn´t stop assist kicking in again just 600 miles later, the dealer replaced the instrument panel again and this sorted it out. However we did trade the car in soon afterwards so I don´t know if this problem continued or not. (I see the car quite regularly as its now owned by elderly couple - if you own Y131 SBN or my old Athol Blue W637 JHE please send me an email)
This brings us onto our current A-Class.
 The A210 Evolution LWB
At the time we bought this car we where looking at buying a smaller sportier car but in the end we bought a A210 Evo which is a cross between something sporty and something with a load of room inside.
Now some would say its not sporty, well define sporty. 0-60 isn´t Porsche territory and it´s not as cheap as something like the Honda Civic, but I´ve already stated on this site that I wanted a White Civic Type-R but Honda UK wouldn´t accommodate me. I´ll have one though if the price is right next time I go to Japan. The Jap Spec is a better car anyway!
I have to say the A210 is brilliant to drive compared to the other A-Classes I´ve owned. It´s fast, a little too fast sometimes and it handles miles better than the other two, although it does have a tendency to drive on three wheels when pushed near the limit on the corners as I found out on a recent track day. On the straight and narrow the speedo does have a tendency to climb round to the wrong side of the dial rather quickly. I wont say how far round the needle has been.
Okay its not as quick as some cars for the same money but they don´t have the three pointed star on the front. Plus even though I live in an A-Class hot spot, our A-Class stands out because of its body kit and nice alloys.
Besides, if I´d have bought the Honda Civic Type-R I wouldn´t be able to nearly as much stuff in the back as I can in the A-Class and i d have probably wrapped it round a tree by now!
I have loads of friends who own A-Classes and constantly meet people who own A-Classes and ask me about ours. For those who are reading this and want to meet other A-Class owners then I always point people in the direction of the Baby Benz website, who have regular meetings of like minded people throughout the country.
If your interested in an A-Class then there are a few things to check before you hand over your hard earned cash.
The most common faults are listed below,
1. Steering rack. With the engine turned off, move the steering wheel from left to right. If it makes a clunking noise then the bearing which connects the wheel to the rack is in need of replacing. Its an expensive part especially with labour from MB. The A-Class steering rack has been updated three times since the model was released, that I know of, and this has been the topic of many a subject at Baby Benz meetings. This affects all W168 models upto 2005 although Mercedes will dispute this.
2. Rear suspension, Where the spring is held onto the rear trailing arms have a tendency to rust which allows the spring to move. Parts are cheap, labour is expensive. Have a look under the rear, its worth getting your hands dirty for this one. This only affects older models.
3. Rear trailing arms bushes. While you´re down checking the springs check the trailing arm bushes.
4. Rear Wheel bearings, these can go. Check them. Jack the car up and wiggle the wheels. Cheap to replace.
5. Rattles from interior. Its not that the interior isn´t put together well, its just that some bits might not be secured properly, the part didn´t fit exactly or they fit so well the bits touch each other. Common areas to look at are: Rear seats (take them out and put either insulation tape or foam over the securing posts in the floor), headrests (Easy one this, take them out and pull the posts further apart, not too much mind you. When they go back in they will fit more snugly than before). Tailgate (remove the cover and install bits of foam around the door, then screw the cover back on) Any other rattles can be fixed as per the tailgate.
6. Air Mass Sensor. This is £500ish just for the part! However whether or not this needs replacing is like the lottery. I know people who´ve done 90,000 miles and it´s been okay and other with 10,000 miles and it needed replacing. If it worries you get a warranty if you can. Remember that all MB under 3 years old should have a warranty with MB. There are companies now selling re-manufactured Air Sensors but these are still around the £300 mark.
If you buy an A-Class then Join the Baby Benz Club, its free and the people you meet are a nice bunch who share a common enthusiasm the A-Class and who knows if you turn up, I might even take you for a spin in my A210!
Links
» A-Class Owners Club (Baby-Benz Club)- http://www.baby-benz.com/portal/
» Loftys A160 site - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/albert.rowe/
» Elchfans German A-Class site (Its in German though) - http://www.elchfans.de
Share this web page with others.
       
 top of page
Your Comments on this article:
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed below are strictly those of the individual author/poster. The views and opinions shown below are not necessarily those of Mike Porter, his associates and/or sponsors. We do not endorse any view below or necessarily agree/disagree with these views. Views posted below are entirely those of the poster, not me!
Mass air filter?
I had to call recovery as my mercedes a160 had no power when accelerator full down, going about 5 mph...eventually came to a halt....garage replaced mass air filter £445...then they said it still wasn t running right and replaced fuel filter £150 plus labour...was it fuel filter all the time? or am I being paranoid?
mykp says:
could have been either but fuel filter might have been best to change first
Posted by: Virginia on 20 July 2010
rattles
i have an a class v reg runs well starts ok runs ok . when its been running aprox 15 mins .driving that is u can hear a rattleing souns from under neath the car its becomeing rather anoying is there any one who has any idea what it can be as i would be great full.
Posted by: andy on 19 July 2010
Fab site
This site is fab- i am about to buy an A160 and this has really helped! thanx
mykp says:
good oh!
Posted by: Alisha on 15 July 2010
tried to start my car and it wont even tick over, a message comes up displaying start error and my milage and petrol gages moved considerably....help anyone???
mykp says:
no idea!
Posted by: louise on 14 July 2010
drinking too much petrol and misfiring at times
can anyone please help, my car is drinknig way too much fuel, also i can smell petrol when driving, it occsionally misfires too, does it need an air mass filter? and how much am i looking at to rectify this problem? Thanks
mykp says:
sounds like your fuel filter.
Posted by: khamal hussain on 18 June 2010
clock light
hi clock light wont go bright?its very dull a class 2000 plate 140 elagance
mykp says:
keep pushing the + button when the lights are switched on and it will get brighter.
Posted by: derek stenstrom on 12 June 2010
A140 REAR SHOCKERS
HOW DO I CHANGE THE REAR SHOCKERS ON MY MERC A140 1999 MODEL
mykp says:
no idea!
Posted by: DERICK ULPH on 22 May 2010
A Class 1400
Recently purchased 2004 A Class motor, when parked & locked at night , the right front & back light ( head on facing the vechicle) comes on , tried resetting lock, but remains on for hrs. can this be fixed, will it run my battery down??
mykp says:
you need to look the manual as its the night light and i m not sure on this but the switch is with the headlights
Posted by: Lex on 19 May 2010
noisy air con
we are looking at buying one but on test drive doncerns regarding a noise which is worse with engine gear changes (semi-automatic) but been told it is AC.Anyone any advice?
Its a 2005 model and 1700 engine semi-automatic
mykp says:
move on to the next one, plenty more to view and if something doesnt seem right, it probably isnt.
Posted by: jackie knowles on 14 May 2010
Avangarde A160 semi-automatic
I was driving my car and it started having problems shifting through the gears and an F appeared on the dash. It then just cut-out as I came to the traffic lights! Called the AA and after about 10-15 minutes waiting, I tried starting it again - it worked! I the acceleration was a bit laboured but it worked. I went out again that day and all was well - until I was ready to come home in the early hours of the morning! The car just would not start and the ignition just clicked! After the 5th try, the car started, but would not go into gear! I ended up leaving it parked outside a friends! Any clues about what s going on (by the way, the F appeared on the dash again).
mykp says:
sounds like your battery is knackered. How old is it?
Posted by: Carol on 03 May 2010
A160 utomatic transmission problem
On our A160 Diesel the gear jumps from D to second or third gear a couple of times a year. Thre different drivers has experienced this. The MB dealer finds nothing. Can anybody help?
Posted by: Einart on 27 April 2010
starting in first gear
I recently passed my driving test and can drive any other car fine, I learnt in a Seat Ibiza 2.0, in my A140 i have a real problem moving off in 1st gear, especially when going uphill. Does anyone else experience this? Also the A210 looks amazing!
Posted by: Alex on 11 April 2010
a class 160 auto
just bought a class 160 02 auto. not very familiar with automatic. every time i shift from P to R,N,D, 1,2,3 and 4, sometime it change and letter F appear on dash instead of D or P,R etc. can anyone help me as i have no idea whats the hell is that....thx
mykp says:
how old is the battery. whenthe battery is getting old and not holding power this can happen.
Posted by: muzzy on 06 April 2010
Nice site.
Interesting read thank you.
I too have an A class; an A140 Elegance on an 02 plate.
The good things about it are the space, the thing is like a Tardis! I have literally had a full-size sofa bed in it when helping my son move digs. it is also comfortable and easy to drive (especially as ours is automatic).
The bad things - A pillars restrict visibility way too much. Reliability has been very poor. The engine management light has been on now 6 different times - it is on right now. Mercedes have changed all the sensors and the EMC; at a cost to me of over 2500 quid! It seems pretty obvious they don t know the root cause and are just going through everything.
Now the front offside wheelbearing is on it s way out. I will change that myself but I would have Mercedes do it if I still trusted them.
All-in-all I am very disappointed in my first Mercedes, I will not buy another if I can avoid it. My next car will be a Honda, maybe then I can finally get the reliability I am looking for?
Posted by: Pedro on 02 April 2010
noisy pump
when the engine is running it sounds like there is a noisy pump that increases with engine speed. It appears to get quieter as the engine warms up. Any ideas please
mykp says:
fuel pump. when was the last time the fuel filter was changed?
Posted by: Alan on 30 March 2010
Mercedes A Class
Hi
i recently bought the used mercedes A Class 160 Avangarde, but when i drive and press the acceleretor, it making a sound, i donno whts tht, plz can u help out...thanx
mykp says:
no idea!
Posted by: teesha on 15 March 2010
flat battery
a garage removed the battery when is went in for body repairs recently. since then the engine icon warning light has come on and after a few days the battery has gone flat. are these two things connected? what s the cure? thanks.
Posted by: Frank on 02 March 2010
no milage display
just got a second hand a160 1999. there is no milage display or colck. please help . caroline
mykp says:
Only way I know how to fix this is to take it to Mercedes Benz!
Posted by: caroline on 16 February 2010
re: A140 elegance
I have a A140 and the petrol guage only shows about a quarter no matter how much i put in, seems like its the in tank float......is it a know common fault with this model ???? anyone...?? thanks
Posted by: steve on 03 February 2010
my a class ont start
has anybody encounterd this problem
my car starts fine in the morning then if i stop for petrol etc it wont start i have to leave it for 10 min then it starts up fine i m reluctent to get a new starter motor a garrage sugested because i think its just imboblizeing itself
any ideas many thanks julie
mykp says:
sorry i have no idea.
Posted by: julie on 31 January 2010
miss firing
my mb A140 sounds like its missfiring it just happend one morning ive checked the plugs there fine it sounds like a fuel problem does anyone no wot this mite be thanks. mark
Posted by: mark on 19 January 2010
My engine will not hold
Hi I have A140 2001 plate, my question is that why it is that the engine refused to hold as the engine was turning fine, new battery and new key which was programme by MB. Please can someone show me what to do? Thanks.
mykp says:
when you say hold do you mean run?
A trip to MB might be in order.
Posted by: Phil on 09 January 2010
bleeping computer
hi have a mercedes classic A140 runs perfectly but since cold weather computer has been bleeping every 30 seconds there are no warning lights on - any ideas?
mykp says:
nope sorry!
Posted by: Emma on 08 January 2010
2000 A 160
Got my A 160 today second hand. Do not want to idel properly. Smell petroll and have a miss, like miss fire. Engin picture appears on instrument pannel (yellow picture ) Can you help????
mykp says:
If the engine light is on then your gonna have to pay someone to switch it off, so you might as well get them to check the error in the ECU! There is no way of switching it off without a diagnostics computer.
It sounds like the fuel filter though and fuel starvation.
Posted by: Willem on 22 December 2009
A Class
hi i have a 160 elegance plate 2003. i have had no problems with it till it hit 50,000 this time last year. this yr has been a nightmare! central locking broke, heating not working and now one that no one can fix it seems! it hs been off the road for 6 weeks now as it just wont start, and if it does i cant get back. they have changed the starter motor - (£££££££ s) but it still dont work ............... has any one got any ideas please? or does anyone know where i can get a manual? im desperate as MB are charging me a fortune and the money has run out - but i know a man who can with a manual! cheers Denise
mykp says:
Denise, if its out of warranty i d find a local independant as MB charge way to much in my opinion. My local MB charge over £100 per hour, my local independant (who also get the job done quicker) charge £45!
Posted by: Denise Smith on 25 October 2009
a quick question
We have a 2001 a140 classic, we just got the engine service light sorted but now and again (whilst drivin) the letters ""HI"" will appear on the mileage screen followed by beeping, it stops after 5 seconds but its enough to get us concerned, any idea wat that is?
thanx :D
mykp says:
This is indicating you have too much oil in the engine.
Posted by: alex stevenson on 12 October 2009
Rattles on A Class
Mine is an A190 and ok that makes it 10 years old. Its a lovely car to drive but it s always had rattles on it that sound a bit like a loose exhaust on any other car. I ve even suspected that at some stage a MB mechanic has left a spanner or something in the sandwich floor but I ve had every mechanic at every service look for something and none can find anything wrong
I think it s just that MB don t put things together as well as Ford which is really disappointing. Bits do have a habit of just falling off (inside I mean). Still I ve kept it for 10 years despite the auto gear box packing up after 5 years (25,000 miles) and MB refusing to accept any liability (that cost just under £5,000 inc labour) and I ve just had a new wheel put on it it £200. Oh how I hate those low profile tyres - You feel every bump in the road.
Having said all that it accelerates well and has lots of space and all the bells and whistles you would expect.
I bought it in 2000 and actually went out to buy a Ford Focus but they didn t do an auto at that time so here I am with an A class with red Maclaren racing stripes. I think I ve kept it longer than any other car I ve had so I guess that must say something.
mykp says:
You might want to take a look at the Baby Benz website as there are loads of tips and tricks to cure rattles and squeeks.
Where are these noises coming from? If it’s the floor then my advice is to take out the seats and then put insulation tape round the bars which the seats fix to in the floor. Once round should be enough. Then put them back in. this should prevent the mounts moving too much.
If its coming from the back seats then it might be the head rests, again easy to solve. Take them out, pull the legs further apart then put them back in.
If its from the rear it could be the parcel shelf or the rear tailgate. My second a-class rattled and I took the rear door cover off then put little blobs of silicone sealant near to the areas where the clips hold it in place and copper grease on the clips. I then put the cover back on when the silicone was dry and this stopped it.
Posted by: John Ashfield on 26 September 2009
a class,
I realy like this site. I own a a class 170 06 plate. the warranty is run out. I have knowedge about cars. not very hi tec. service oil change etc iam going to do my self. I would like to join baby benz club.
many thanks.
Danny.
mykp says:
to join baby benz club goto http://baby-benz.com/portal/
Posted by: Danny Dhanasiri on 23 July 2009
Have something to say about this article? Post your comments here.
Please fill in all the required fields below, marked with a *
top of page
|
