Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG - Schnell List
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Schnell List Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
Schnell List
Introduction
Mercedes went to the far corners of the Earth to develop car that would leave the Bmw M3 in its wake. This
rear wheel drive sedan will leave you with sweaty palms and an empty wallet after you replace the tires, but you
will have a smile from ear to ear. Quoting Jeremy Clarkson, “Lots of power and sliding the back end out,
that’s the AMG way.” Clarkson hit the nail on the head. The W204 C63 AMG provided people with enough
horsepower and torque to end all cars and coffee arguments with Bmw and Audi owners. The C63 AMG won
over car enthusiasts by packing a crazy 451hp and 443lbft of torque into the 6.2L V8. Mercedes left nothing
to chance with this car…or did they?
Engine
The numbers are truly mind boggling, 6.2L V8…but wait it says 6.3L on the side, why? One word, heritage,
Mercedes loves to remind us of their oh so great heritage. It’s a tribute to the original 300SEL 6.3 engine which
came out in 1968. But never mind heritage, the C63 AMG has a 6.2L V8 producing 451hp and 443lbft or
torque. Seems like a lot right? But this engine is simply a “tuned” version found in a few other AMG models.
This engine will however roost your rear tires and provide you with and exhaust note that wake up your
neighbors. All this equated to a test best of 3.9 sec to 60 MPH and a quarter mile time of about 12.3 at 116
MPH. Needless to say, Mercedes had created the perfect sleeper…not really with all the glitz and glam they
provided.
Interior - Exterior
In typical AMG style, they added everything possible to help the blind distinguish the C63 AMG from the
ordinary C Class, much like BMW and the M3. Mercedes upgraded the front fascia to look menacing
compared to the standard C Class. From 2008-2011, the C63 remained virtually unchanged except for small
improvements, which include, mirrors and the rear view camera.
The major transformation occurred in the 2012 C63 AMG model. Mercedes did a complete facelift and
interior upgrade. On the outside, the front had a new headlight design and front bumper, which turned out
to be a weak plastic grill. The rear looked almost identical except for newer LED tail lights and a slightly
different rear diffuser. This new design was quite controversial as purists thought the C63 looked more tame
compared to the 2008 model. The interior was given the luxury treatment with a larger dash display, new
steering wheel and color options. The Sedan version started in 2008 and still continues while Mercedes
thought it would be a good idea to release the coupe model in 2012.
All in all the C63 AMG is a beautiful car that will notify people of its arrival either by its looks or sound. The
coupe continues with this theme and would look excellent next to your G wagon in your garage.
2Schnell List
Transmission
A few purists believe the only weakness the C63 AMG has was the transmission. The C63 AMG came
standard with seven-speed automatic transmission which can be manually manipulated by paddles on the
back side of the steering wheel. If you miss a manual, I understand but the transmission does give you the
option of holding down the paddle for a few seconds and it will automatically shift to the lowest gear
possible for the current speed. The transmission features smooth rev-matching during downshifts and has
a launch mode for stoplight racing, if you are into that sort thing.
Maintenance
ce
When buying a car of this caliber one most expect the maintenance to increase over the standard C Class,
but the C63 AMG takes it to another level, main in reference to oil consumption and tires, the latter is
usually operator enjoyment.
First, you will rarely see 20 MPG and average close to 16 MPG and you could even see as low as 11 MPG
depending on how heavy your right foot is. Secondly the rear tires do not last long at all and probably
won’t last more than 7,000 miles. You can blame a lot of different things, torque, horsepower the narrow
stock tires or your right foot, just man up and tell everybody you drive sideways every time to get in it.
Gas and tires are expected maintenance costs that you should be aware of as everything listed below.
The biggest maintenance cost will be the oil consumption. Some C63 owners have quote topping off their
oil twice over 10000 miles. This engine is powerful and thirsty so save a few extra pesos, dollars or bitcoin
to pay for it. Service B difference at zero miles and at 40k miles is the fact that it calls for the transmission
fluid service, the brake fluid service, and the rear differential fluid. An average quote from Dealerships for
the Service B is anywhere from $1400 to $1500 dollars but could be different depending on dealerships
and parts required. Rear differential Fluid You'll need 2 quarts at $31 dollars each and expect labor to be
anywhere from .5 to 1hr. Engine oil and filter is roughly $150, brake fluid service on average for dealers
charge 1-2hrs plus $20-30 for fluid.
With cars of this performance potential buyers should expect it to cost more for ordinary maintenance.
3Schnell List
Market Value
Even though the C63 AMG has been out since 2008 prices seem to have stabilized and it
might be difficult to find one under $30,000 with lower miles. With the high performance and
engineering these cars have semi held their price. Here is an average market guide for the C63
AMG, keep in mind prices vary depending on year, condition, sedan or coupe and mileage.
Market Value
Here is an average price guide for the C63 AMG:
Unicorn: Low miles, newer model, meticulously maintained and pervious owner extremely detailed:
$60k - $75k
Enthusiast Owned: Lowerish miles and actually driven but maintained: $50k - $60k
Town Bicycle: Higher miles, normal maintenance and driven hard: $40k - $50k
Rust Bucket: You can’t call these cars a Rust Bucket yet, if ever! Higher miles, semi neglected but still
has that AMG spirit: $28k - $40k
4Schnell List
Problems
Every high performance car comes with its little problems and the C63 AMG did not escape. Before the
new models were released a head bolt issue was discovered in between the 2008 and 2011 models. The
design of the head bolts is faulty causing them to fail. The tops corrode off. This leads to a head gasket
failure which caught in time can be fixed. If you're under warranty it’s covered. Even if you’re out of
warranty there have been cases were MBZ will pick up a major portion of the cost. Indications of head
bolt failure is repetitive low coolant levels, high oil level, from coolant getting into the oil, CEL and
finally white exhaust smoke.
Mercedes will refuse to retrofit an engine until the failure occurs. They can check for it by pressurizing
the coolant system and letting it sit over night to see if the coolant level has dropped and coolant is
present in the oil. If you're out of warranty it's about $5,000. If you don't catch it in time, the engine will
hydro lock usually resulting in bent or broken rod(s). Just stick with a 2011 or newer C63 AMG.
Second major problem with the C63 AMG was the cam lobe issue. The cam lobe issue is not a problem
with the cam, it’s with the lifters not properly compressing and decompressing putting too much force
on the lobes causing premature wear.
Next on the list of problems to look for when purchasing a C63 AMG is the Intake manifold gasket leak,
which you could possibly feel a rough idle, rougher than normal, and CEL. Along with the intake gasket
leak the C63 AMG was prone to lots of minor squeaky, cracking and popping noises from various spots
in the car. Listed below are a few more things you should check for before buying a C63 AMG,
1.) Pre-mature wear of the leather seats
2.) Frequent oil top ups
3.) CEL due to a faulty purge valve
4.) Ticking noise from the motor due possibly to faulty cams, semi common
5.) Noisy cam chain adjusters
6.) cracking/pop sound when closing the sunroof
7.) digital oil temp displays erratic and incorrect temp
8.) in-cabin filter needing replacement too often
9.) creaking/rattle noise from driver's side of dash
10.) Squeaky passenger seat
11.) In-cabin smell, replace the cabin filter and start using the A/C non recirculating mode
12.) Oil Pan Leak
Remember, these issues can change between each year of the C63 AMG, and some owners have never
had a problem.
5Schnell List
Credit:
Benzworld.com
MBClub.co.uk
Secret Entourage
http://www.secretentourage.com/lifestyle/mercedes-c63-amg-buyers-guide/
Car & Driver
http://www.caranddriver.com/mercedes-benz/c63-amg
Left Lane
http://www.leftlanenews.com/new-car-buying/mercedes-benz/c63-amg/
Mercedes-Benz Club of America
http://www.mbca.org/news/2013-11-02/2013-mercedes-benz-c63-amg-sedan-review-notes-one-best-benzes-
lineup
MBWorld.com
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