Everything You Need To Know About "Mercedes C Class Tuning"

Mercedes replaced the successful 190 range with the C class (W201 series).

They have an excellent chassis and this has been used as the base for a number of the high performance Mercedes sports models.

There was highly tuned AMG version of the C Class Mercedes and this has a stunning selection of tuned 24 valve engines and uprated handling and braking.

The flagship of the Mk1 Class was the 340hp C55 AMG a target that all other C Class owners aspire to.

Standard Mercedes C Class engines ranges from a 1.8 in the 180 to a 2.8 in the 280. All engines respond well to tuning but we recommend you start off with the biggest engine you can as the rewards are much greater.

Mercedes replaced the successful 190 range with the C class (W201 series). They have an excellent chassis and this has been used as the bases for a number of the high performance mercedes sports models.

Before we detail your best tuning upgrade options as stages of tune, let's list the most effective tuning upgrades for you.

1. Tunes & remaps - remapping, piggyback ECU's and aftermarket ECU's can all make decent gains
2. Fuelling (injectors & pump) - when you've increased power you'll need to match this with more fuel
3. Turbo upgrades - Improving the intake with a large turbo and better flowing intercooler will be the biggest power gain you'll see (but one of the most complex).
4. Suspension Upgrades - always improve your cars handling
5. Brake Upgrades - Even before adding power improve those brakes
6. Intake - make sure your cars intake isn't restricted, use performance filters and intake upgrades to improve this
7. Exhaust - as with 3 ensure there is not restriction in the exhaust, cats are the usual bottleneck

This video guide to tuning cars is a great starting point to work from in your project.

Stage 1 mods:

Sports exhaust, Suspension upgrade (drop 29mm - 43 mm.), Lighter flywheel, Panel air filter, Alloy wheels, Remap.

Stage 2 mods: 

Ported and polished head, Fast road cam, fuel pump upgrades, Power/Sport clutch, high flow fuel injector.

Stage 3 mods: 

Competition cam, Internal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), Adding or upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Sports gearbox, Engine balancing.

There was highly tuned AMG version of the C Class mercedes and this has a stunning selection of tuned 24 valve engines and uprated handling and braking.

The flagship of the Mk1 Class was the 340hp C55 AMG a target that all other C Class owners aspire to.

Standard Mercedes C Class engines ranges from a 1.8 in the 180 to a 2.8 in the 280. All engines respond well to tuning but we recommend you start off with the biggest engine you can as the rewards are much greater.

The Mk2 (W203 range) was released a few years after the initial success with the MK1  in 2000 and the car was refined and improved upon.

Engine options were topped by a supercharged 3.2litre V6 AMG tuned unit with options in the standard Mercedes line up ranging from a 1.8 right up to a 3.5l V6 engine. Engines again respond well to tuning

The MK3 W204 was introduced in 2007 and engine options were limited as Mercedes refined and developed the units on offer to meet stringent emissions requirements.

A Kompressor was offered on the 1.8 engines which raised power significantly.

The AMG flagship C class C63 now boasted a 6.2l V6 engine and the car was completely redesigned and re-engineered rather than just being another tuned up standard car.

This was build to be a real drivers car and the C63 has received rave reviews from a number of magazines and motoring journalists and took the record of being the fastest production car 4 door saloon.

The Mercedes branded C Class were also endowed with a number of electronic driver assists to help keep the power down and the car pointing in the right direction.

C Class engine tuning.
Most engines in the C Class range are good candidates for tuning.

As with most things the more you spend the greater the return will be.

First up we need to improve the airflow through the engine. Adding a sports exhaust with custom headers and a sports catalyst will free up the exit.

Next things we do to see a power gain is work on the engine head. Porting the head and gas flowing it on a professional flow bench will fully release the potential of the engine.

Larger valves and a fast road cam would be the final elements to add to your C Class tuning project.

A rebore can also be done on most engines, providing you  get your block stress tested first, and this will raise the potential power of the engine to new heights.

Blue printing and balancing the engine will allow you to run at higher RPM and this will  also keep the engines reliability intact.

After all of these internal engine modifications are complete we recommend that you get a remap done and this will allow you to exploit the very best from your tuning modifications.

Only by remapping can you fully realise the potential power.

If you have a turbocharged, or supercharged engine a remap will make quite a big difference to it without any other modifications needed.

On a standard NASP engine a remap alone will be useful in removing the limiter and will release a modest peak power spot.

Turbo diesel engines will respond very well to a remap and this is really the most effective thing you can do on a modern TDI engine.

Exhaust and intake are already fairly derestricted and the engine has been optimised to deliver its full potential.

The downside to a remap is that you will need to service the car more regularly and you may also need to stick to using high quality fuels.

Furher reading.

For more information on C Class tuning mods see the information provided in these links. Fast road cams  - A fast road camshaft and some head work will help raise the power on most B class engines.

It always helps to get the air intake modifications sorted early on in your B Class tuning project and a sports exhaust will not only give a sporty sound to the engine but when combined with a sports catalyst give you a bit more power.

Finally doing some port matching  and head work such as  porting and gas flowing the  head and you will see greater torque throughout the power band. Add in a 3 angle valve job will further increase the potential power of your C Class engine.

Wheels
Bigger wheels look good on the C CLass, but we would caution anyone thinking of fitting 19inch rims.

The ride quality and handling would be seriously compromised. Stick with 17 or 18inch rims and get some good quality tyres. At car tuning tips we have been quite impressed with the Eagle F1's and Toyo Proxies.

Brakes
Whilst we have focused so far on making the car go faster we need to stress the importance of getting the brakes uprated.

Options for uprated C CLass brakes start off with just getting uprated pads.

If you want  to go to the next level then you need a big brake conversion kit.

A greater friction surface will also help so if the disks need replacing see what your options are of getting a bigger disk, and calipers and then get larger pads to match this.

AMG brakes may be suitable but there are also a number of aftermarket options available to you.

Handling and suspension upgrades
AMG point the way when it comes to uprating the handling of your C Class.

Lowering the car should be done judiciously and certainly no more than 40mm or so (depending on which model you have). Coilovers are highly rated but anything that gives a stiffer spring rate will help minimise body roll.

Don't go too stiff of your wheels will skip and this will not help traction.

We suggest you join a good forum where you can chat with other C Class owners about their tuning projects and we recommend that you check out the TorqueCars tuning forums for starters.

This entry was posted under Makes and Models. Tags: mercedes
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