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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans
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Comments
The salesman said, if I don't want to add the c4 then I can't get the Xenon light. Some advice please ??
Joe
Miki
As for the heated seats, you can use them after a hard weekend of partying/dancing too! Sort of like a heatpad for your lower back and your own "seat" :-)
BTW, the Xenon headlamps should be aligned by the dealer using a special device that can measure the light output/level. It's not very complex at all. There are not really any strict rules in the US regarding these Xenon lamps, no more than the usual lamps and definitely much less so than Europe which requires the headlamp leveling + washers with these HID lamps. It is more likely that your dealer said that just so they can't be held accountable in case you get a ticket for these lamps being too high.
Of course, because they have a sharp cutoff (i.e. very distinct separation from the lighted area to the dark area above the beams) this can be an issue too if the lamps are aimed too low since there is very little stray light for you to see further up ahead. Perhaps you can use this argument too if your dealership declines to raise them just a bit? If you haven't already noticed, the headlamps have auto-leveling, which basically makes them "hug" the road when going uphill/downhill so as to not blind oncoming drivers.
Regarding the oil change, your local Walmart should have Mobil 1 15W50 in 4.5 Quart containers. If they don't, they should be able to order it for you. Your engine requires 8.5 Quarts, so you should have 0.5 Quarts left over from the second bottle. You can either drain this 1/2 quart out and store it so that they don't overfill your crankcase (the computer will tell you if it's overfilled), or they should return 0.5 Quarts of the oil back to you after the service.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Indeed we did -- but such fun would be at the expense of my pride and joy's beautiful complexion.
>As for the heated seats, you can use them after a hard weekend of partying/dancing too! Sort of like a heat pad for your lower back and your own "seat" :-)
As long as you mentioned it (I have been wanting to do so for quite a while) -- women's seats do not get as cold as that of men Really!! Proof of this provocative statement: Watch a man warming up standing in front of a fireplace -- then watch a woman. The man stands with his back to the fire, hands clasped behind his back; the woman faces it with arms in front hugging herself LOL
Now that I have given you the above information one cannot do without, I do thank you for all of yours. When I go to have the lights adjusted I will be armed and ready for them. I got the idea they wanted to make me happy. No, I did not know they were auto-leveling, but I notice that when I get off the freeway which is where I am always driving at night and onto my street that I can the see the light square the Xenon produces -- something that would be annoying if seen a lot.
Appreciate your telling me about the oil, amount of quarts, weight, and what to look for as leftover. I don't have a local Walmart, so it will have to be Pep Boys. Perhaps I will call and have them order ahead as you suggest when the time comes.
Miki
:-)
Miki
Here is a link for the 02 ordering guide for the C class for those that want option pricing:
http://content.communities.msn.com/CLKOwnersDiscussion/PhotoAlbums?Page=5
What do you think of the new C-Coupe?
thanks
On a lighter note there was a new wagon and 2 new coupes on the lot. Not crazy about the coupes back end and the cheezy interior look but sure would like to have those ponies under the hood of my 240. The wagon is real handsome if you're in the market for an estate vehicle.
I still REALLY like my 240 and am having a blast with the 6 speed (glad I didn't go with the auto). Planning a 10K mile journey in August (provided I have keys to start the car).
Any info would be appreciated. Any SC "C" owners out there?? Chuck in Charleston
Mark,
Since this has happened to you twice, do you suppose it could be possible that the problem is with the car's computer programming config rather than defective keys? Just a thought.... and probably a weird one at that!
Miki
As before, a more pictures of these two cars + details over in the C-class owner's club Photo gallery topic:
drew_ "MB C-Class Owners: Photo Gallery" Jul 16, 2001 3:44pm
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I'd never seen a picture of the new C with those AMG wheels (second picture), it looks good. Anyone else have them? Can the C accomodate a wider tire than the stock size?
Where the 320 is concerned, I must remember your profound statement. I sure escalated with the Black, but I made up my mind not to do so with the Obsidian. So far so good. It diminishes the joy.
Miki
Whaddya mean JUST two black C320s this time! ;-)
http://www.comfortliving.com/obus.htm
http://www.sitincomfort.com/bacandsup.html
http://www.obusforme.com/products/lowback.htm. Look at their Driver Seat Series #20, 21, 50, 51 -- the others I think are massage.
I use for driving their BM01418 Black Obus Seat. It does not have a back but works great for me.
I use for my computer chair that is too deep the Black low-back BM01518. I have, but do not use the Black side-to-side BM02613. The colors are black, blue, Burgundy, grey, and the model nos change with the color.
These are specially engineered and work well.
Miki
Drew, what's with all these C-crash pictures? From what you can see, are all luxury cars equally represented or are just C-class drivers particularly bad?
Regards to all,
JR
PS - my C got "popped" in the rear but not nearly as bad as those pics. It still hurt though, and the entire bumper had to be replaced. Found a great body shop, recommended by the dealer, and all is well again.
Any feedback from Coupe owners? Trying to decide if a year wait is worth waiting for the convertible. Drove the coupe and sure like it.
Thanks.
So no, you don't have to buy a phone you don't need to get a CD player in this or any MB. And good luck finding a "stereo place" that will touch this car with a ten-foot pole...you can get all kinds of FM broadcast CD players for this or any car, but doing it right with the fiber connections is another matter. Beware.
Ans: Because the dealer has 4 kids in college, a waterfront mansion, a luxury yatch, 4 cars, and vacations twice a year.
I don't need another cell phone, but you can't get the CD Player without the cell phone. Was thinking of foregoing this option, and getting the CD player at a auto stereo place. Could do better than $1800.
Any feedback from Coupe owners?
Ans: When I bought my C a few years back I refused to add the CD player for the same reason. I bought the OEM CD player from www.clairparts.com for a few hundred bucks and installed it with my friend in 5 minutes. I saved myself mucho bucks and my dealer had to make do with a trip to Aspen instead of the Alps.
Worse come to worse, if you can't install it yourself, take it to the dealer and have them install it, or catch a technician on break and slip him $50 to do it, or get a outside MB shop to do it, or in the worse case scenario return it to clairparts minus the stocking fee. Feel lucky today?
I put 18" OZ wheel on my 2001 C320. 18x8/235-40-18 front and 18x9/245-40-18 back. Noticeable improvement in braking and cornering.
Can't cheat the dealer out of this yatch payments and ski trips can we?
Don't miss the weekly MB Tuesdays chat at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10pm Eastern! All MB fans/enthusists/owners/potential owners are welcome to participate. Hope to see you there!
Click on the link below to enter the chat at the times above. Note that the link to the chat is always near the top of this page, just under the discussion topic title:
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Why would they make the CD player so difficult to install? Even for the dealer, it has to be a pain...
Jerry, where did you buy your wheels and did you have any problems with the 18" tires rubbing against the insides of the fenders? I am considering 17" with AMG wheels for mine. Tirerack.com is the only placed I've shopped so far. Also, did you sell your stock rims and if so, how easy was it to do so?
AMG wheels are actually manufactured by OZ. AMG puts a logo on it and marks up the price. You can get exclusive AMG 17" for C32 at autoclass.net, but they are very expensive. I brought my wheels directly from OZ, and tires from tire rack. You have to get someone to mount and balance them, and may need to bring it back to MB dealer for re-alignment. Most of my local dealers charge $79.95 for four wheels alignment. Try www.ozwheels.com, they will sell you wheels at very low prices, and no sales tax if you are outside of Florida.
Out come the entire halogen headlamp units, and in go the Xenon ones. You then need to bring in the vehicle to the dealership to get them to properly align the Xenons with an optical device. That's it! What you do lose compared to the factory option, are the headlamp washers, and the auto-leveling system. Cost is about $1200, not bad considering that the Xenons, from the factory, are $875, plus the fact that you need to order the $3500 M-class Sport package in order to get them (this is changed for MY2002 though, due to the new front bumper design).
http://www.exconde.com/hidmod.htm
Xenon headlamp retrofits are also available for the E-class, which also has headlamps with the integrated ballasts and ignitors. I haven't seen the back of the HID Xenons on the C-class, so I have no idea if they're integrated like all of the other cars. However, I have a strong suspicion that they are like the rest of the MB lineup.
PUMA Access is the authorised Hella retailer that M-class owners are purchasing their headlamps from, so they probably have a lot more information on whether a swap is possible for the C-class, and if there are any other parts required. If I bought a C230K coupe, this would definitely be the first thing that I'd investigate since Xenons are not offered in N.America on that model.
Other vehicle manufacturers don't go to the expense of integrating the ballasts and ignitors into the headlamps, so you have to find a spot to drill and mount them + any special wiring from the ballasts/ignitors to the Xenon bulbs. This is a situation that I would definitely not want to be in.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Now, to the temperature. It seems as if the Obsidian temp gauge runs a bit higher than the Black, so I want to check this out with others. Driving normal and not traffic congested, the gauge reads approx 90 (halfway between 80 and the line marker which would be 100) This is where it usually stayed on the Black most of the time. When driving Obsidian in congested traffic, the gauge reads about 98 approx (stays a little below the 100 marker) Rarely, if ever, did I catch the Black that high.
How does this compare with other 320's out there?
Because of past bad experiences with cars overheating, I am very sensitive, not to mention uptight, to temperatures.
Miki
Miki - After close to 2000 miles I don't recall seeing my temperature gauge rise that high. I actually checked the gauge two days ago while in traffic and it was right around the 89 mark and around 85 or so when the car was moving. Since my wife has commandeered the car for now, I will verify this information later in the day to make sure my statement is accurate. I bet I would have noticed if the gauge had read close to 100.
I would certainly take care to get the sanction of a dealer in any such swap, because if something goes wrong, the results, if handled outside of warranty, could get exponentially expensive very fast.
Look, I like the xenons, but don't understand paying this kind of money when the combination of standard lights with fogs do a pretty fair job of getting you where you need to go. It is also a mystery, like so many other mysteries associated with the way the Germans do business, why this needs to cost anything at all on these cars when Honda can do it on the TL, CL, RL, etc. for too little to consider charging extra for. At the factory production level, if this adds more than $150-200 to the cost of the car, I'll eat this computer...
to Pasadena last week it rose to 100 in traffic.
Tom
I'll try and post some of the technical details (very interesting analysis) at a later time. If there was some way of linking to the magazine article online...
Ian -- thanks -- if you ever find a way to link to The Star, it would be interesting to read the article to which you refer.
Nanky -- would appreciate verification of your numbers, since our kids are twins.
Thanks all.
Miki