Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

ctic · April 2001

The arrogance of your dealer and MBUSA is astonishing indeed.

I've owned other brands and I found my MB dealer to be 10,000 times better in comparison.

Twice I've had some independent company that MB hires to call me up and ask if my service was satisfactory, plus I've had questionaires sent from MB and the dealership to make sure I was treated right. And this is all for service.

In the ML board, owners have asked for and gotten remarkably small items replaced, without any hindrance.

It has not been my experience from reading these boards that MB service has been pathetic. Why don't you go to the other dealer, or any other one? You don't need to get your car serviced where you bought it.

My lawyer charges me $350.00 a hour. Personally, I don't see what he could do that I can't do myself. It would look superflous if not stupid for me to bring a lawyer along to the service dept.

michhala · April 2001

Lapin -- You have my sincerest sympathy -- I am truly sorry for the abuse your 320 has received and hope nothing more occurs. Have you tried putting an offering at the feet of the God of New Cars? It couldn't hoit!

Miki

michhala · April 2001

Drew -- In your "humble opinion", do you recommend doing a one-time Mobil1 oil change at about 3,000 just to get the new-car sludge out or waiting until the FSS notification at 10,000?

Miki

drew_ · April 2001

Well this is what others have done in the past, as mentioned in earlier posts. The majority of people just leave it till the FSS recommends the change though. For me personally, it was more for peace of mind since I wanted to switch to Mobil 1. Bill (dennett) will be able to elaborate on his experiences on this too, I'm sure, including his costs. Since this early oil change is unscheduled (that is, not with the FSS), it will not be covered under the 4 years free maintenance.

Drew
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at59well · April 2001

Yea well we'll see how we get on today, if they can fix it for once and for all then, my pique will heal. The lemon laws in this state are very clear about the process which must be adhered to. unfortunately there is no paper evidence that I have returned the car previously.

The right hand drive version of this car has been launched in Europe for over a year, the 'bugs' should have worked their way out of the vehicle by now. They have sold over 150,000 new C'c since launch.

Like I said before I love the car, on the balance though, the key problem has simply tipped the 'value' equation into unfavourable.

As for the lawyer, mine comes free and makes a great witness.

rcess · April 2001

I ordered a 2001 C240 on 22 December 2000, and I was initially told the car would be delivered in three months. Now the dealer tells me the car will be built next week with delivery sometime in May. Is this sort of delay common?

p996 · April 2001

No, that is not normal. I ordered my C320 on March 10th. The car is going to be built on April 21st and delivered three weeks after that. Your dealer must be small. I wonder what their allocation is for the C. Maybe they just wanted to sell all their allocated cars on the lot before they ordered yours. If that is the case....then I would be mad.

Braman BMW here in South Florida did that to me. I ordered an E46 M3 and I am 10th on the list. I just found out that the dealer is going to take the first 8-10 of their allocated cars and sell them on the floor for a $25,000 premium...hence hanging all the wait list people out to dry and making our wait that much longer. They are only allocated two cars a month so the wait has increased significantly. Sooo sad.

sargent4 · April 2001

My dealer called and said they had two new keys for me - I already got 1 a few days after I got car with key problem. They will let me keep that one so I should have 3 good keys. I am not a car buff like most of you and stumbled onto this board which has been so great. Are the keys the only problem with getting locked out? I still worry so about that. Also, on the east exit how far is the seat supposed to go back? Salesguy said only a little and sometimes it does and sometimes not - I figure i will have Service go over this on Fri. when I get the keys.
Starting to enjoy this car - so different from the Lexus. I do feel more in control. Now going out and trying the rear mirrow tilting - will push button for passenger seat.

At59well, is your lockout problem strictly the keys? Why didn't they give you at least one new key like my dealer did? If not just the key, what should I check. Thanks

tomsky3 · April 2001

I asked my service advisor about whether it would be a good idea to have an early oil change. He told me that Mercedes does not recommend it. Nevertheless, I went ahead at 4,000 miles and had an oil change with Pennzoil at my local Nine Minute Lube and Oil. I found it interesting that the oil filter, which they also changed, is located in front of the engine, not below.

Jack

zmeenow · April 2001

for the few dollars difference.. id never go to a quick lube.

rsl007 · April 2001

I have just picked up my new silver sport C320. Initially everything looks good and works. I have been a Mercedes owner for 22 years and have owned 10, mostly diesel. One question now I have is, does my C320 or even further, do all new Mercedes come with factory fill of Mobil 1? My dealer says no, only AMG models, while several knowledgeable people on Mercedesshop.com say that all Mercedes as of 2001 come with the Mobil 1 fill. Does anyone here know for sure or do I have to call MBNA to see what they say. I will also be happy to let you all know how my new car goes and any problems I have with it. This column is very good. RSL007

michhala · April 2001

>For me personally, it was more for peace of mind >since I wanted to switch to Mobil 1.

Drew,

Am I correct in thinking then that you did an early oil change only to switch to Mobil 1, but hereafter you will go by the FSS recommendations with no oil changes in between? Would your answer be the same for those who lease as it would be for me who bought?

>Bill (dennett) will be able to elaborate on his >experiences on this >too, I'm sure, including his >costs

I have been keeping a close watch on everything Dennett does

)

Miki

lennyk1313 · April 2001

Here are some pictures of my car:

My pictures

Enjoy

mga3 · April 2001

Does anyone know if the sideview mirrors fold? When I tried folding them recently,they seem to fold then resisted,so I backed off. Just curious if they fold for situations like when you park on the street?

bigbaddad · April 2001

Here is the url, the link from their main page was only up for a short time today.

http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/models/future/future/index.jsp&modelCode=future

Hope it works - John

tarik · April 2001

How are all of you going to handle the transition of PhotoPoint from a free service to a membership-based set-up? Do you think their basic membership is worth the $9.95?

Not a cheapshot, just wanting to collect some opinions...

Tarik

nyca · April 2001

$25K over for the M3? I can't believe they will get that.

Some posters have reported that "new" keys are being issued, but what is the explanation as to what is wrong with the current keys?

ksydney · April 2001

re: Photopoint

If you are a Macintosh user, you can use Apple's itools program to do the same thing for free. You get 20MB free space for what ever you like. You can get more space, but you have to pay for it, however 20mb goes a long way in html.

I'm a photographer, so I use the space to show my clients how their projects are coming along. Here's an example:

http://homepage.mac.com/swanphoto/

While I made this site from scratch, Apple also offer photo album "templates".

I hope to order my C320 in the next few months, we'll see how business goes....

ksydney

p996 · April 2001

They have sold 3 so far. This is Palm Beach Florida were talking about.

tarik · April 2001

Thanks for the hint, but I'm a PC-slave. If your pictures are the decisive financial factor, I can see no reason not to opt for the C 32 AMG...

I kinda like the http://www.ofoto.com setup, we'll see.

Tarik

dennett · April 2001

If I were you I'd change the oil sometime between 3 and 4k. If I were leasing I wouldn't bother, but those of us who bought are in for the long hall. We changed ours to Mobil 1 at about 3800 miles, but from this point on we plan to go with the free service. This was just to get the break-in oil and filter out of the car and to get the Mobil 1 in the car earlier than 10k. I'm still in LA, but I'll be home tomorrow, if you have any questions or more good jokes, e-mail me!

zmeenow · April 2001

my sentiments exactly! better safe than sorry.. for a few bucks//

boonsboro · April 2001

There has been lots of talk about when to start using Mobil 1 oil. I'm not familiar with Mobil 1. What are the advantages of using Mobil 1 over "normal" oil?

yupyupyup · April 2001

I was wondering why you didn't use or request use of synthetic oil. it is what MB recommends for all their MY2000 and newer cars.

dennett · April 2001

While that car does look fantastic, it's not the new E. Somebody over at MBWorld posted it and the real photo of a C class, they were identical in every detail except the nose above the bumper and the wheels, which are from an S class. Even the numbers on the plate were the same! I hope the new E does look something like that fake photo, it would sure be a looker! Anybody have anymore new E photos? I for one would like to C the real car!!

dennett · April 2001

There were a bunch in there earlier!

drew_ · April 2001

Town Hall went down at 5:45pm (I know because I was getting ready for the chats at the time!) and a bunch of posts across Town Hallwere lost, starting from this morning. We are aware of the situation and have been working on it.

Thanks for your patience!

Drew
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p996 · April 2001

I got that picture from http://www.m-benz.com/future/e-03.html

This picture was also in The May Automobile on page 17.

I think it is you that is wrong.

drew_ · April 2001

Dennett is correct. This picture showed up in the E-class topic a few months ago and right away I knew it was a fake. It's definitely an artist rendering, and I do recall the image (of the C-class) that it was doctored from.

There is a disclaimer at the bottom of the page:
"So at this point there is nothing cast in stone. Not until 60 to 90 days prior to new model year production will we receive factual data on the make-up of any new model vehicle."

mleskovar · April 2001

No key, brake, trunk, seat, mirror, etc. problems. Just enjoyable motoring. Lanka doesn't make the chips invisible but if you're
careful it can make them darn (OK Pat?) hard to see and smoother.
The keys are about 4 year old technology for MB. I suspect either
poor integration (unlikely due to randomness of victims) or vendor
part quality problem (likely, still MB responsibility, but way
harder to find). Curious... don't attach my key to a ring with other keys... just keep it separate. I wonder what effect that has (more banging, more use of whole key chain). If it is a sub standard
component problem once they start failing they'll continue even after 'correction'. For the people who have failures... do you keep them on a key chain with other keys you use a lot? Should be more
durable than they are regardless.

dennett · April 2001

Try this link for the real photo of that C32.

http://mbworld.org/forum/w210/board/index1.shtml

Darn the link's not quite right!!!! When you get to the E class forum, go to page 4, it's at the bottom, the orginal post and pic were posted on 2/15, its title is 03 E class picture
I hope I didn't offend you, it's not you that are wrong, it's just that there are tons of fake photos out there. Just because it's in some mag doesn't mean it's real. And who knows, maybe the real 03 E will look just like that!!! LOL! It would be fine by me that car looks awesome! Peace

di320 · April 2001

Does anyone know why the U.S. MBs do not have tags? I think the U.K. C's have tags depending on the interior (classic, elegant, avantgarde). What would anyone here suggest for a sport model? Also, why aren't the 2 inside headlamps xenon? Instead there's a yellowish bulb. Thanks.

fredtwd · April 2001

While not an outstanding deal, the dealer is throwing in All-Season Mats and one of the following:

1) Sliding Trunk Draw
or
2) Trunk Convenience Nets

Has anyone installed or seen the Sliding Trunk Draw? The draw looks a little small. I thought if nothing else, it might me a nice place to store the owners manual. Which one would you choose?

Also, is $595 an OK price for the an invisible bra (Autobahnd, Full Kit - hood, grill surround, front bumper & from wheel arches, fender wings, wing ends, mirrors, headlights and foglights). I'm not looking for a great price, there is value in having it done before I pick up the car.

Just another week or two and I'll have my new
C320!

Thanks.

Robert

kenyee · April 2001

Robert:
Are you in the Boston area? Autobahnd seems to have fixed that price at all MB dealers in this area. Make sure you interview your installer and make sure he has a year of experience. Don't want a newbie doing it ;-)

mleskovar:
I wouldn't put a bunch of keys on the fob. With the ML, if you put too many on, the engine would shut down when going over railroad tracks because the transponder would be shaken too much. Might not happen to the C's different fob, but you can never be too careful :-)

p996 · April 2001

What are you talking about? FOB?

kenyee · April 2001

The thing you open your car w/ or set the alarm with.

michhala · April 2001

To share with the Forum -- I have not had any chips showing up on the Black C320 since I used the Klasse All-In-One. It may be just a coincidence or it may be the hard acrylic coating -- or it may be that the God of New Cars is saving up my paint chip allotment to deposit on a new, soon-to-be delivered MB.

Try as I might and with everyone's great advice and input, I still cannot seem to get too excited about buying lingerie to protect the exterior paint.

zmeenow · April 2001

u seem to have developed a talent for dodging the stones on the la freeways!

lingerie to protect paint.. are we assigning a gender to your car?.. why not... boxers for the exterior paint? hmmm?????

michhala · April 2001

Zmeenow wrote
>u seem to have developed a talent for dodging >the stones on the la freeways!

Or there is a "higher power" at work!

>lingerie to protect paint.. are we assigning a >gender to your car?.. why not... boxers for the >exterior paint? hmmm?????

Please, not boxers!!! Bikinis!

Miki

bobbysil · April 2001

I was quoted a 8.98% lease factor today with a 67%
residual,is that in the ballpark ?

mleskovar · April 2001

I've been using Klasse' for years, and since I picked up the C320 (2/28, 2500 miles ago) on it as well. Chips seem to have stopped for me too...I think the 'new car rock magnet' has worn off. Have you tried Klass' sealant glaze on top of
the One Step? It makes the finish harder, more
shiny, and lasts longer.

drew_ · April 2001

michhala · April 2001

Thank goodness I found another person who knows about and uses Klasse. Yes, I did use the additional sealant glaze, too.

After I brought the car home from the car wash, I dusted it off with the California Duster and applied the All-in-One. It seemed too easy, but the car looks wonderful.

Since the one product cleans, removes and polishes, do you remove any previous residue before applying? I have only done the process once. Do you have any tips for me or is there anything more I should know?

I called the importer in San Francisco. and he gave me a lot of information. He also recommended the Klasse Vinyl & Leather Cleaner & Protectant for dashboards, tires, rubber moldings, hoses and plastic trim. It will restore color, not leave a greasy residue, and has a strong UV screen.

Miki

p996 · April 2001

I heard that new paint is soft for at least 3 months after production.

This is why they say don't wax a new car for at least two months after delivery.

I think that might be why people get more paint chips during the first few months of the cars life and then it disappears after the paint has time to harden completely.

Comments?

zmeenow · April 2001

drew..or dennett.. wanna weigh in on this one?

dennett · April 2001

I've never heard of such a thing, but I too have noticed that the chipping problem seems to have lessoned on my car. It's nearly 6 months old now. I was at my dealer yesterday and talked about the chips, they told everyone has the same problem and that a lot of their customers come in once a year for scheduled appointments with their chip repair specialist. They said mine could all be repaired and would be absolutely invisible. We didn't talk price, yet. I may go that route. We'll see what Drew has to say about the hardening piant, maybe James is right.

mleskovar · April 2001

Yea, I talked to the importer a while back also when I had trouble finding Klasse...did he tell you about the micro fibre cloth he imports too? Works great on windows. The Klasse vinyl/rubber/plastic protectant works great as well. No special ritual when applying Klasse, just wash with good car soap first. If the oxidation is heavy, like it takes a lot of One Step and rubbing, or there's a lot of road tar, I use clay first, then
go straight to the sealant. Do you have leather? I want to treat it with something because I think it should be more supple...any recommendations?

ctic · April 2001

p996: You must be right on the money regarding the 3 month period of hardening. I have 2 MBs with silver paint.

Both got a lot of paint chipping when I first got them, but I haven't noticed any new ones since. I've always put it down to smarter freeway driving, but I'm sure you're right. I wish my salesmen had told me about this before.

michhala · April 2001

I heard that new paint is soft for at least 3 >months after production.
>This is why they say don't wax a new car for at >
>least two months after delivery.

When a car is detailed, does it always include waxing?

It makes some sense that paint hardens as it ages, but I would have to know more. Sometimes years ago, when former BMW was in the body shop for work, I was told to bring it back in a few weeks to let them polish and finish the repaired areas. Then in later years, after a repair, the shop sent the car out to be detailed immediately and I did not have to come back again in a few weeks. I always picked up a bright shiny car and assumed it had been waxed. (The BMW had several incidents of fender and door dents when the car was parked or not moving, plus it was keyed front to back.) BMW also had the old paint -- in the earlier years they used the unfriendly-to-the environment paint, but probably had to switch to the water-based for the later repairs methinks. This would mean, perhaps, that the unfriendly paint took longer to harden than the new water-based.

I also thought new cars were waxed/polished/buffed, ETC. when detailed for delivery to customer. Perhaps, it is a misconception on my part, and they do not wax when they prep the car. Would the paint be about one month old at that time?

Miki

michhala · April 2001

>customers come in once a year for scheduled >appointments with their chip repair specialist.

I checked this out with the owner of my dealership a few months ago. This is when I decided to stop worrying about chips and have their specialist go over the car once a year, or more if it gives me peace of mind. The cost to the dealer is about $50 or $60, and I would probably be charged $100 or a little more.

I used to have someone come to the house to remove shopping cart and other dings, and I am thinking there must be a way to have the chip repair specialist work that way, too. Not to save money, but just for the convenience. Once I meet him, I will try to persuade him to "c'mon a my house"

Miki

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

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