DIY 05 C230 Vacuum Pump replacement
 

I received so much assistance on here in regards to maintenance on my MB so I felt it only right to share. This seems to be a pretty consistent problem with C230 Kompressors. I got wind of it from my dealer when they were installing the "wire harness" campaign. They said there was an oil leak on the back wall of the engine and it was the vacuum pump. They wanted $480 to replace it...:rolleyes:

So, I felt this DIY tutorial would help out...

Vacuum Pump replacement

SEAL RING 6689970145
Gasket 2712380180
Pump 2712301165 (new pump comes with seals)
Pro-Line PPL-35610 oil filter for gasket
¼ inch ratchet
8mm socket or 5/16 12 wall socket
Torx socket set (if replacing seals)
About 45 minutes

There seems to be two options with this. Either replace entire pump (easiest, $140+-) OR take old one out and replace seals (less pricey 12+-, but cause for leak may not be seals)

Option #1
1. Better to do this repair when engine is cool.
2. Gather tools.
3. Locate pump on back engine, passenger side of engine, between fire wall and engine. Remove engine cover. Remove 2 hoses in image by squeezing and pulling up. Makes it easier to see and get to. (may need a light and mirror)
4. Loosen 8mm bolt on engine hook from driver side (easier to reach from driver’s side). There are 2 but you should only need to loosen the top one.
5. Put flat tip screwdriver in hole of engine hook and slide it towards the driver side. It may take a bit of muscle but its easier then taking the bottom 8mm bolt out and removing the engine hook. You only need it out of the way to get to the 8mm bolt on the pump. #1 bolt in the image. Be careful not to drop the bolt.
6. Then go around to passenger side. Loosen and remove 8mm bolt on passenger side. Make sure you have a hold of pump while getting to the last few threads of bolt. (You don’t want the pump to fall) These bolts should be pretty easy to remove once you loosen them with a rachet.
7. Look at the pump removed, the position of the gear. That’s the way you put the new one in. It will only go in one way.
8. Install new vacuum pump, tighten engine hook bolt, and replace hoses. Start car and inspect for leaks.

Option #2
1. Everything the same except you can replace gaskets. Once you have it out, you will see the first two. One is a ring gasket on the shaft and the other is a flat gasket on the mount.
2. There are 5-6 torx screws on the pump body. Unscrew and open. There is a gasket underneath that is the same size as the one that comes with the Pro-Line PPL-35610 oil filter. It’s a little tight but it can be stretched into place.
3. Put the torx screws back on and put back together, same as above.

I've attached the PDF file to print if needed. :)

- Steve

Well done my man
sticky worthy?

Good stuff!

Nicely done. Appreciate you putting this together.

Added to the DIY sticky. :y

It was only right for me to give back after you guys helping me out.
I'm doing p/s flush, brakes (front pads,rotors) and flush, tranny filter/fluid, coil change in the next couple weeks. (waiting on shipped parts, one thing that sucks about Hawaii)
I'll also be doing a fuel injector change, if I can get a hold of a DIY guide for a 05 C230 komp. Anyone...anyone...:)

- Steve

Excellent DIY!! :y:y

Thanks for putting this together!

What does this pump do exactly?

The info I got from the stealer was it had something to do with the brake system...? Of course, I took that with a grain of salt because we all know how the stealer is....

It was a pretty easy DIY once you found the pump and the bolts needing to be removed.

great post, thanks for sharing!

I'm glad John added it to the DIY sticky :y

Man, I've been looking for this since I've had my car for 3 months now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Now I won't be anxious when I replace this pump, because I stuck my hand in the back of the engine the other day where the pump is located and some oil was on my fingers. And, when putting the car in gear when cold, the engine seems like it wants to die until it warms up, then everything is okay. I'll get the part and put it on myself. Thanks again!!!

Steve:

Where did you get your pump from? I've searched all over the Internet and cannot find it! What is the proper name for the part and also part number? Thanks in advance for your help...

The part number is in the post you quoted..

what is the torque value for the bolt 1&2?

great write up by the way. :y

@ cjennjr,
rmeuropean has it listed.
just do a search on your year model, under engine, vacuum pump.

little pricer then what OP paid though... $213.
OP, where did you pick yours up at?

thanks.

Just ordered mine today - expect it here by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Cost - $220.00. Looked in the engine bay on the car this morning and it seems like a pretty simple job. I'll keep everyone posted as to the outcome.

I think my car may have this problem, too. 105,815 miles as of today. No significant oil loss, but noticing a burning oil smell particularly after heavy engine load.

Anyone else have this symptom?

$174 at Annapolis Mercedes parts online

https://www.getmercedesparts.com/mer...ass-parts.html

Just finished replacing my vacuum pump - a VERY easy job! I had to use a pivot rachet due to tight fit on passenger side bolt. Otherwise, it took approx. 35 minutes. The old part was coated with oil, so that was confirmation of a bad gasket. I wanted to change plugs, but no local shops carried the correct Bosch or NGK plugs!
So I ordered the NGK Iridium plugs online. After job was complete, I turned on the ignition, put the car in reverse, and oh so smooth!!!! No more rough running. Thanks again, nc1wynot for posting the DIY.

Glad to help!:cheers:

This makes it run rough in reverse? I thought that was a C230K trait - mine has done it forever. Well not rough running but a lot of vibrations.

Great diy, thanks op for posting.

I had recently taken my car in to the dealer for cam sensor replacement and they told me i had this leak.

They also told me it was leaking onto a coolant heater bypass hose and i needed to replace it. Has this happened to anyone? anyone have a part number for this hose?

thanks!

do you have the part # for the coolant heater hose?
thanks.

Looks like it's my turn to have this problem. Just need to clarify some questions.

1) There seems to be 3 seals in total:
a) small O-ring 668-997-01-45
b) gasket 271-238-01-80
c) large O-ring (no MB part #)
My understanding is that c) seems to be the culprit, and that a) and b) are actually fine. Is this correct?

2) To get to and replace c), do I need need to "unseal" where a) and b) are located? Wondering if I can get away with *only* replacing c).

3) Is there a cheaper (OEM or aftermarket) part for getting c)? Seems like a waste of material and $ to buy a whole Kia filter assembly just for a silly O-ring. If not, I'm wondering if there are any alternatives besides Pennzoil PZ-164 and Pro-Line PPL-35610? All the stores here carry FRAM CH9999 for the 2008 Sorrento, but it looks like the Kia has 2 engine sizes, so I'm not sure if the CH9999 is the same.

Thanks guys. :zoom: Happy St. Patty's Day to all.

Can I ask what it causes the car to do when you have a small vacuum leak like this? Lots of vibrations?

I'm not sure if you're mixing up 2 problems with these engines. There are 2 known issues.

a) Vacuum (hose) leak - causes engine to stutter. Caused by leak in $12 hose. (I started the thread :))

b) Vacuum pump leak - car runs fine, but engine oil drips all over the back of the engine and transmission. I'm in the process of getting this one fixed. Waiting for parts to arrive.

Got this thing replaced. Thanks to the OP for writing this!

Mine was leaking where the O-ring (the one you'd replace with the one off the Kia oil filter) is. And of course, while removing the 5 torx bolts that hold the 2 halves of the casing together, 1 stripped. :smash: Had to fall back to Plan B - replacing the entire pump instead.

Now for my 2 cents:

The bit you actually need is an inverted Torx E10 bit. NOT a 8mm hex. You can probably get away with the latter, but I always HIGHLY recommend you use the proper tool.

Other than the inverted E10 bit, what you really need is the "thinnest" ratchet with a flex handle you can get your hands on, due to the tight space. Especially for the one on the "right" side of the car (ie on your L side when you're looking at the engine). I didn't need to touch the engine hook at all, though I needed a differerent ratchet for each bolt as each one had a different space constraint.

If you're only replacing the gasket that seals the pump assembly to the engine block, the part # is 271-238-00-80 for a 2003. There is also a "newer" part 271-238-01-80 (looks fancier according to the photo), but my dealer insisted that it doesn't supersede the old one. I ended up putting a 00-80 back into my car. This isn't the one that typically fails anyways, so I don't see a problem with using the old part. Looking back, I'm 85% sure the newer part will fit the pump just the same. Groove looks like the exact same shape.

If you want to open the pump to do that 3rd O-ring, the casing can be taken apart by removing 5 Torx T-25 bolts. These bolts are TIGHT. Be VERY VERY carefuly not to strip them. Yes, you can strip Torx bolts. I found out the hard way doing this job.