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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

1969799101102140

Comments

  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    To answer lxq's question directly, the FSS calculates service intervals based on at least the following:

    -Number of cold starts
    -Ambient temp at start
    -Length of time the engine runs each time between starts
    -Miles
    -Months
    -Oil quality, as measured [rather primitively, actually] by how much electrical resistance exists in the oil and how it changes over time

    And, for all we know, the number of full moons in any given service period.

    All of this is pondered by the computer, and a mileage target is calculated as the miles accumulate and conditions change. IN GENERAL, this will result in the FSS chasing you in somewhere between 9,000 and 15,000 miles...depending...
  • nycanyca Member Posts: 232
    Comparing the oil change interval to a Camry, an 8 quart pan versus a 4 quart pan, is not appropriate. The more total oil, the longer you can go between changes as a general rule. Even so, I would always do at least 2 changes a year regardless of what the FSS says, even if you have to pay for it.

    How many miles did you get on your front brake pads before the indicator came on?
  • ngdienngdien Member Posts: 2
    This is the very first time that I post anything on the web, just been reading what everybody has to say about MB. Just bought my first ever brand new car, a brilliant silver C320 with C2 option about two months ago. Has about 1700 miles on it now and absolutely love it. It is everything that I expected a MB to be. Had only one problem with the alignment (pull to the right) which the dealer fix promptly, but they only gave me a Volvo for a loaner. I looked at BMW but liked the MB shape better, also looked at ES300 but it looks and feels cheap and besides it looks too much like a camry. This is only my opinion but whenever I looked at older Japanese brand cars (Lexus, Infinity) the materials always look old and cheap. The interiors fade out, the leather broke and the paint lost the luster of the new car. When you look at older MB they always look like new, I guess either MB owners take good care of their car or the materials is superior. Also when you open the hood, the engine compartment is much better than the Japnese, the Germans put more effort in packaging their engine compartment.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    You can try clairparts.com which is a discount MB dealer selling OEM parts over the Net, don't know how they get away with it.

    Also try your local junk yard. If you call them up, most of the time they can give you an answer over the phone. Most junk yards are now located miles away from the city.
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    if i was buying a car for 50 or 60 grand i dont care what the manufacturature was telling you about oil changes 10 15 thousand miles, it would seem to me common sense to change the oil at 4 or five thousand miles.DO YOU THINK THE CARS COMPUTER REALLY COULD DETECT WHEN MOTOR OIL IS BREAKING DOWN.i would'nt take a chance especially when i bought the car outright. TIRE ROTATION SHOULD BE DONE EVERY 5000 TO 7500 MILES. if you let them go 20k you will be buying a new set.just my thoughts thou.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    i like to change my oil every 2000 miles. car manufacturie's want you to change oil 5000 MILES DO YOU NO WHY. BECAUSE THEY TEST THESE CARS AND THEY NO THEY WILL START TO BREAK DOWN AFTER THE WARRANTY. ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY.the mobil oil will last longer ( more oil) but dont take a chance people. protect your investment.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    if mercedes is telling you 15000 first oil change pay or do it yourslf twice before your schedule oil change. short distances or alot of stop and go will break down your oil faster.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • semerrilsemerril Member Posts: 12
    Here's another point of view. While some say MB delays recommended oil changes to necessitate costly repairs after the warranty expires, I think that's a lot of bunk. Why would they drag down their fine reputation by essentially building in breakdowns? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. On the other hand, we've all been conditioned to change our oil every 3000, or 5000 miles. Who says so? Oil manufacturers and the "Jiffy Lube's" of the world. What's their interest? Getting you in for an oil change whether you need it or not. In my C240, I'm following what the computer says. In my other car, a Saab, I follow the book that calls for a change every 7500 miles. It has 70000 miles and had no problems.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Many folks seem to have interesting opinions about oil changes, so much so, that it seems like a religious thing. What evidence do you have that driving a C-Class 15,000 miles on a crank case full of Mobil 1 is hazardous to an engine? Have you ever run you car longer than 2000 miles and then had the oil analyzed? I would love to know where you get your information.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • nycanyca Member Posts: 232
    The science behind the FSS is sound: they have empirical data that shows what happens to a crankcase full of 8 quarts of oil in relationship to the measured parameters: # of cold starts, temperatures, miles, time, etc. The system measures these, and bases its judgement on the health of your oil accordingly. The motive for MB is to reduce statistics for maintenance costs on the vehicle, not to increase service revenue for the dealerships (that would be nuts). Changing 8 quarts of Mobil 1 everything 2000 miles is nuts, both in terms of costs and the environment.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    Think about the solid reputation MB has.

    Think of the reputation of cars that don't last 5 years, Yugo, early Hyundais, Renaults.

    You think MB would tarnish it's reputation so that dealerships and independent repair shops can make the money? I think not.

    On the other hand, think of all those money Jiffy Lubes and others are making now that they have succeeded in brainwashing you into changing your oil every 3K miles.

    I'm running about 10K between FSS's for my cars. Short trips only.
  • 404c404c Member Posts: 146
    Umm, excuse me, Renaults don't last 5 years? That's a pretty bold claim - let's see your proof.

    For an admittedly unscientific testimonial, I've had 7 Renaults over the years, some of which were as much as 25 years old, and sold others after 10 years and 160,000 trouble-free km. None of these cars were problematic in any way. My dad drove a 2.2 Fuego to 250,000 km over 14 years before selling it to its second (happy) owner. Any Renault owner with at least half a brain would be able to get 250,000 km out of any one of their models, past or present.

    Oh, and the Renault Laguna is safer than a W203 C-Class (EuroNCAP.com), a little icing on the cake.

    Although I can't speak for the other car brands you mention, I doubt that they disintegrate at exactly 5 years either. Even my dad's Russian Lada Niva 1.7 4x4 looks like new after 5 years and 80,000 km.

    Mercedes-Benz could easily dispel the rampant speculation on its FSS by providing the empirical data that support its variable-but-long service schedule. While in principle the FSS undoubtedly works, subject to the intelligence of its programming, the arbritrary "line" that triggers an FSS reminder is a tolerance for somewhat diminshed lubrication quality. That is, the oil's already gone "off" peak efficiency when the FSS triggers. It is therefore not unreasonable to change the oil as often as 8000-10000 km (5000-6000 miles), especially for drivers that apply heavy-duty demands to their cars' engines.

    Unless you dump your used oil into a sewer or a neighbour's back yard, exactly how is a more frequent oil change an unnecessary burden upon the environment? I've been recycling my used oil since 1978, how about you? And if the re-refining process creates too large of an ecological footprint for you to stomach, maybe you should not drive a car at all, but especially not one with a fuel-inefficient V6.

    Cheers,
    Mike T.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...and that is what oil change intervals always seem to be about: religion. No way to sway the beliefs of anyone who has a firm opinion. That's OK, as I believe firmly in free religious choice, but am an agnostic myself.

    Extended oil change intervals, using conventional oils [much less synthetics] have been routine in Europe for years. In the US, we have all been trained to dump the oil every 3000 miles, mostly for technical reasons that haven't applied to either modern engines nor motor oil for at least a decade. Oh, well....believe whatever works for you.

    I trust MB [and BMW and Audi and Toyota and....] to know what is best for their engine designs. They all go with extended intervals now, and these are not companies that are looking to acquire a reputation for building throwaway cars.

    If your religion requires you to ignore the engineering, I won't argue - it's a big waste of time to try to change minds on this topic.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    Alright, alright, I ran out of cars that would go kerplonk after 5 years so I just wrote Renault down. There must be some reason why Renault does not sell in the US anymore, right? I remembered those Le Cars and the fact that I'm not seeing any old ones alive.

    What's that dang East German brand that everyone makes fun about?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    The immortal Trabant! ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    here is my point on oil.mobil 1 oil 8 quartz mercedes is saying change at 15000. granted the 8 quartz should'nt be changed every 2000 like most oils but i would change it every 5000 miles. the oil in your car is the lifeline. if you cant afford to do a oil change every couple of months then you should not be driven.FOR 10 20 OR EVEN 30 DOLLARS ISN'T IT WORTH THE PEACE OF MIND.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    listen it is well documented about engine oil break down with alot of stop and go and short rides back and forth. listen if folks wanna believe changing oil once ayear is fine then i say roll the dice and good luck.if you really want your answer about mercedes benz schedule oil changes go to mbworld.org.you will find most mb owners are changing oil 2 even 3 times a year.YOU WOULD BE CRAZY NOT TO.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    brian125: First MBZ isn't saying change at 15K miles. It's saying change whenever FSS tells you to, which is a big difference. Mine is telling me 10K. And an oil change is not 10, 20 or 30 bucks. It's 60 bucks. Finally, peace of mind is following what the guys who made the car tells me.

    So if the guys at mbworld.org all jump off a bridge I should too?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I see that you are a religious man.

    Given that your rhetoric contains no factual evidence that would indicate any problem with keeping your oil in the engine until the computer tells you to change it, my guess is that your information on why oil should be changed is either about as scientific as consulting tea leaves or woefully out of date.

    Consider the following points:

    Back when I started turning wrenches on cars, there was no such a thing as unleaded gas that was commercially available. Back then, oil was your basic Dino Juice and it was changed every 3,000 miles or so. At the time there were several experiments with synthetic oil, and they were basically failures. Why? Synthetic oil was proven (and has been re-proven many times since then) to be a very poor lead scavenger. The result was a soft gray buildup on the piston rings, not surprisingly, said gray buildup was primarily made up of lead. Given that we cannot even buy leaded gasoline these days, this leaves the door wide open for synthetic oil.

    Modern engines that carry the LEV or the ULEV certification produce just a fraction of the of the combustion byproducts of engines from just 5 years ago (Mercedes-Benz or otherwise). Given that one of the primary jobs of engine oil is to keep said byproducts in suspension until they can be drained away at the next oil change, a massive reduction in those contaminates will allow for a longer oil change interval.

    Modern engine oil, specifically Synthetic Oil, have far greater abilities to keep contaminates in suspension with no appreciable loss in lubricity. Couple that with the ability of Synthetic oil to shrug off the effects of water (older Dino Juice used to react with water and form acids) without any loss in lubricity, and you have an oil that can withstand longer oil change intervals without ANY additional engine wear.

    Modern engine oil (once again, specifically Synthetic) is far more stable in extreme environments (high engine temps, high RPMs and extreme cold) than conventional oil, as such, it breaks down at a FAR slower rate when compared to the old stuff. Once again, this will reduce the necessity of frequent oil changes.

    Many car manufacturers that recommend Synthetic oil and extended oil changes have seen fit to enlarge the capacity of the sump by as much as 100% over the capacity of engines from other manufacturers of similar size. Case in point, my 328i has an oil capacity of almost 8 quarts, I have seen similar sized six cylinder engines with a capacity of only 4 quarts. Twice the oil means twice the capacity to hold contaminates in suspension, lower oil temperatures (spends more time in the sump cooling), fewer passes through the oil galleries getting the #$*^%~!@ beat out of it, and a much greater margin of error for low oil. Yet again, longer oil change intervals are the result.

    If all of this is not enough, when I was working for MBUSA in the mid 1990s, MB was testing a number of cars with Synthetic oil. A few of those cars only had the oil changed when the chemical analysis of the oil indicated that it was starting to degrade below acceptable minimums. Do you know what the average mileage was between changes on those cars turned out to be? Glad you asked, 25,000 miles.

    FWIW, I have been contributing here at Town Hall for over 3 years, during that time, I have heard MANY folks preach frequent oil changes. So far, NOT ONE of said preachers has presented so much as a single shred of scientific evidence that indicates that changing out the Synthetic oil on a modern LEV engine (or ULEV for that matter) will amount to even 1 extra mile of engine life. If you can, I am all ears. If you cannot, I suggest that you do your own research into the issue, trying your best to ignore the bilge that most folks spout about this issue.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • mleskovarmleskovar Member Posts: 171
    Well put.....and I believe accurate.
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    well said about oil. i'm not leaving oil in my car for 10 or 15 k miles.60 bucks every four five months gives me piece of mind. i'm not relying on my computer to tell me oil change. sorry i like to walk with the light.most people i know who own cars for 12- 15 years with 200 or 300 thou. miles were changing oil every 3 or four months.i like to hear from people who are on the flip side of my statement.i have never but could be wrong heard of any body owning a car for 12 to 15 years that changed there oil every 7,8,10,15k miles. i would bet that it had a motor or trany change. who in this forum can vouch on this statement. i bet not many. PEOPLE LEASE CARS ABUSE THEM FOR 3 YRS AND GIVE THEM BACK.i dont see many folks today holding on to cars long.HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    citC if your computer dosen't come on for a oil change you may be able to just get away with it and save 60 dollars.time will tell all you folks 10 12 years down the road i'll be in this forum telling you guys i told you so. anyway i'm looking to buy either a 2002 or 03 clk430 the rumor out there is there changing the car plus possibly a bigger motor. HAS ANYBODY HEARD THIS OR SEEN A PICTURE OF THE UP AND COMMING CLK.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • 404c404c Member Posts: 146
    So Shipo, you write that in real world trials, Mercedes-Benz found that its cars running on synthetic oil would go a mean of 25,000 miles before the oil began to break down. That is good. But what was the standard deviation? Until we know that vital piece of information, I will assume that the SD was small.

    In that case, why would the FSS in a modern, cleaner Benz say the oil should be changed at as little as 8000 miles? Is Mercedes-Benz being that wasteful of perfectly good oil? Should everyone should wait until their FSS indicator goes on and then double their mileage on the same oil?

    I would therefore be interested to see the algorhythm that M-B uses in its FSS. Until we know how it makes its decisions, and the research results that support the sensor calibrations and decision matrix for the FSS, debates such as this are inevitable.

    That said, what Shipo wrote was very good - particularly the fact that cleaner cars contaminate the oil less and synthetics are much more resistant than refined mineral oils. Another variable, however, is the cleanliness of the fuel, something that Canada is not notorious for. Our fuel has huge levels of Sulphur in it, which makes even the cleanest engine create nasty combustion by-products which contaminate the oil. I assume that the FSS proxy measurement for oil contamination/viscosity breakdown is capable of accommodating this variable. Which is, once again, why I'd like to know A LOT more about FSS before I trust it implicitly.

    About the Renault situation, they are not in North America for no other reason than the French are the world's worst marketing strategists. Incompetence would be too kind a description for these guys.

    I've owned a total of four examples of the Renault 5 (Le Car to the US) over the past 24 years, and each of them was a perfectly fine vehicle. They demand some care and attention - for example, they are not like a Toyota, where the hood can rust shut and it won't matter because the fluid levels never vary. In a Renault, the fluids do need to be checked occasionally. Many of them died prematurely because of ignorant owners who thought that basic meaitenance was a luxury they couldn't afford. People who buy inexpensive cars often subject them to the most hideous abuse like that.
  • bubba3007bubba3007 Member Posts: 38
    Being the resident "Old F**t" I can well remember the first few new cars I bought. Really low four figure price, (first new car, a convertible, $1,895) ninety day/1,000 mile warranty, required oil change intervals - 1.000 miles. Time has passed, technology improved, oil change intervals have grown and at each change the "True Believers" have howled that the sky was falling and the Luddites have cried that " My Granddaddy changed his oil at XXXX miles; my Daddy changed his oil at XXXX miles and they'd turn over in their graves if I didn't change my oil at XXXX miles.

    As Shipo said, show your factual evidence.

    Bubba
    "...My friends all drive Porsches, I must make AMENDS..." J. Joplin
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    people who are relying on this FSS system to change there oil i think are nuts.hopefully they took the extended warranty.in prev. post to citc he wont listen to fellowMB owners about oil changes but he will wait for his light to go on in his system to say its time. i hope all theses people are leasing.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...no one's mind gets changed by these discussions. Good opportunity to practice keyboard skills, though...
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    your absolutley right about theses discussions. MY KEYBOARD SKILLS ARE TERRIBLE.i must admit.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • tariktarik Member Posts: 344
    I have never but could be wrong heard of any body owning a car for 12 to 15 years that changed there oil every 7,8,10,15k miles.

    Just for your information, all Germans do. Ecological reasoning does not hit home among most americans (can you say "Bush"?), I know, but it is respected in other parts of the world. Cars in the German market normally do require oil changes every 8k to 12k miles, no more. All that even though engines are operated in more demanding environmental situations.

    I would bet that it had a motor or trany change.
    What is the scientific base for this statement? A gutt feeling? Argh...

    Tarik
  • acco20acco20 Member Posts: 211
    Brian125...I usually read, and seldom post, but... I owned one of the first Lexus LS400 sedans delivered in my state. Owned it for 10 years, almost to the day. Total miles,140,000+. Changed oil every 7500 to 10,000 miles.[not synthetic oil]. Never one second of engine problems. Car ran as well the day I sold it as the day I picked it up. I realize this does not prove anything except that there is probably no definitive solution to this discussion. Having said that...I guess it would not have done any harm, to change the oil more often. Interesting discussion.
  • scaredmbscaredmb Member Posts: 11
    After owning my 2001 C320 for 12 months now (and 14k miles), I could care less if changing the oil after 3-5k miles will reduce after warranty costs. I say this becuase there is NO way I can afford to own this car after it is out of warranty. I these 12 months the car has been in the shop at least that many times - windows, electric mirrors , tail lights repeatedly going out, power seats, trunk (locking shut), keys failing..... the list goes on. I have never owned such a terrible car. A friend with a '98 C280 (55k miles) just spent $1500+ fixing the power driver's seat and $2000+ on the power steering. I'm getting rid of this car soon and it will be a long time before MB sees me looking at one of their cars again.
  • jpstaxjpstax Member Posts: 250
    On December 5th I posted the following message:

    "My daughter would like to break the lease on her 1999 C-280, and lease a 2002 C-32 AMG this coming spring. Is there anyone in this forum who happens to own one, and if so, are they as fast and reliable as the reviewers say they are?"

    Since (thus far) I haven't received any response, I can only assume that no one in this forum owns a C-32 AMG, and therefore can answer my question.

    Is there another Mercedes forum where I might be able to get an answer? Thank you.
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    Got to MBWorld.org. There are C32 owners there.

    As far as reliablity I don't see how any auto reviewer would be qualified to comment unless the car in their possesion was real pooch aka Edmunds recent review of the Jag X-type. Given that this forum offers as good as any insight to expected reliablity.

    It sounds like you want confirmation that it is as fast as the reviewers state. Why are you interested in finding that out? There is little doubt that the car is very fast.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    As far as speed goes, you really need to test drive the car itself. Nothing anyone can tell you is the same as driving one yourself. As far as reliability goes, I think it's too new to tell, unless these cars are breaking down out the door. In any case, going to the dealer might answer this question too. Take a quick peek at the service parking lot, do you see any C-32's there? If you have a good relationship with a salesman, he might tell you too. Mine has been pretty honest with troubled cars, after all if he lies to you, you'll be seeing him everytime you visit the dealer and all your friends will know too.
  • michhalamichhala Member Posts: 375
    The MB Operation and Parts Manager for my area told me for the first oil change he would rather I wait for the FSS to indicate it. He said he has dealt with many cases where the engine did not break-in properly when first oil changes were done early.

    Miki
  • 404c404c Member Posts: 146
    "The MB Operation and Parts Manager for my area told me for the first oil change he would rather I wait for the FSS to indicate it. He said he has dealt with many cases where the engine did not break-in properly when first oil changes were done early."

    ...which would appear to indicate that the superior lubricating properties of newer oil would prevent the increased metal-to-metal contact that characterises the break-in process. So after break-in, may one then conclude that early (pre-FSS) oil changes will indeed be beneficial to engine longevity?

    ;-)

    Mike T.
  • michhalamichhala Member Posts: 375
    "may one then conclude that early (pre-FSS) oil changes will indeed be beneficial to engine longevity?"

    Mike -- One may conclude anything, particularly if they have all the answers. :)

    Happy Holidays Everybuddy.

    Miki
  • 404c404c Member Posts: 146
    Miki

    Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad that you understood my posting, too.

    ;-)

    Merry Xmas, etc to all!

    Mike T.
  • cdialcdial Member Posts: 3
    Dear jpstax, I own a C32. I have only owned it for 1 week as of now, so I can tell you from my limited experience that so far, I love it, and it has been an amazing car. I test-drove the C320, and the //AMG is nothing like it. It has different seats with different (Nappa) leather; it sits lower to the ground, and has firmer suspension. This car feels more sports-car like although the ride can be a bit stiff for some people, but for me, it is great. I would suggest testing one yourself and see if it is right for you (or your daughter). Let me know if there are any other questions I can help with.
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    did you pay msrp or under for your c32.also i noticed that there isn't a cd player that is standard with the c32.i'm wondering if the dealers are putting there own system in the car.whats your take on this. i hear the car is like a rocket at warp speed. lots of luck and enjoyment.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • cdialcdial Member Posts: 3
    Yes, I paid MSRP. The dealer was not interested in negotiation. The waiting list was long, and the car list was short.

    No, you do not get a CD player as standard (what a rip off on a 50k + car huh?) Yes, the dealers offer a 6 CD changer as a whopping $1,200.00 option(no way!) But I did get the COMMAND system with the Nav. system. You can play CDs in the Nav. slot, but you have to take out the Nav. disk.

    Is the car fast you say? Well, I am still breaking it in. I have not "punched it" yet. I still am waiting for the 1k mi. break in period. But as far as I can tell, the car is a beast waiting to be released. The rumble from the exhaust is just enough to let you know something is lurking under the hood. The gas pedal is both sensitive and very responsive. I will try and post my “after break in” opinion
  • brian125brian125 Member Posts: 5,244
    make sure your seatbelt is on and you notify houston when your returning home.will i have a problem fitting in the c32, i'm 6'2 235.happy holidays.

    23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE

  • newmbfannewmbfan Member Posts: 59
    Local service manager advised me that I could bring the car in for the service within 2000 miles of the the FSS.

    If the FSS indicates that service is due in 2,000 miles or less, bring it in for service.
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    On the older C-Class models (1994-00) and 190 Series (1984-93), are there any special maintenance requirements that need to be carried out? For example, is there a timing belt or chain that needs to be replaced every couple thousand miles or a transmission that needs to have its fluid changed periodically (just like on my Volvo 850)? These Mercedes sure do require lots of maintenance, unlike an old Chevy V-8.
  • pk6pk6 Member Posts: 26
    about oil... please get back to the malfunctioning keys and lease rates.

    Happy New Years everyone
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    Never heard about any special maintenance requirements such as timing belt or chain that needs to be replaced every couple thousand miles (???), or a transmission that needs to have its fluid changed periodically (???)

    My (94-00) C-class has only required 1 maintenance visit in 20K.
  • blakec320blakec320 Member Posts: 10
    For jpstax & board:
    I own a C320 and BMW 330Ci, with a C32 on order. Having driven one extensively I can offer the opinion that there is simply no a better car out there in this category short of $100,000 (the M5 is debatable). You will not be dissapointed. An excellent message board dedicated to this vehicle is at www.C32Life.com
    -Regards
  • jpstaxjpstax Member Posts: 250
    This is the first opportunity I've had to thank you for your response to my post. I will certainly let my daughter know of your positive comments about the C-32. I plan on test driving one in the spring (the streets are too icy here). I think she too will drive one when the weather gets better. Besides, the lease on her '99 C-280 doesn't expire until August '02 (unless she can break it sooner). Thanks again.
  • tluketluke Member Posts: 52
    I have a 99 C-230 with 22,000 miles. I have had my oil changed at regular 5000 mile intervals. I also had the A service when the FSS indicated. At my current mileage the FSS now says I should get the next service. I have made the decision that I will skip this service since I just had my oil changed within the last 1500 miles. I tried to reset the FSS indicator as per the owner's manual but I was not able to get it to reset. Did anyone ever reset the indicator using the method in the owner's manual or am I just doing something wrong. At this point I am trying to do this without contacting my dealer because I know if I consult them they will say that I must pay the big dollar to have them reset it after they perform the relatively unneccessary B service.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    I don't understand what the manual is getting at either since it would be mayhem if we could set FSS anytime we wanted to, or accidentally.

    You have to get the dealer to rest FSS. I'm pretty sure they won't charge you. If you are getting oil changes every 5K, you can just ignore FSS.
  • rs64rs64 Member Posts: 64
    I was able to reset the fss on my 00 ML320 by following the directions in the manual. This was after I picked it up from the A service and the dealer hadn't reset it.

    I'm sure that the dealer relies on their service history to see what has been done, plus the car's computer problem tells them all they need to know, anyway.
This discussion has been closed.