Mercedes-Benz S-Class

is4b2rd

but when used it on black interiors, no matter how little I tried to apply, it left a "coating". However, supposedly whatever is in it has UV protection, which is a good thing. So, it really is a double edged sword for me. I like the idea of UV protection, though my car has the UV glass, so I assume that helps anyway. I just was extremely happy with the Leatherique results. I used them on the steering wheel on my commute car that I had neglected, and the leather felt like new. It was amazing.

bolony

what??? "Rejuvenator oil?" "let it sit outdoors in sunlight for a few hours?" What is next, Thai massage for It? Armor All leather care my friend --- no hours in the sunlight and no reason to get involved with you seats my friend, get a girl for that.

bolony

What is the deal with Brrrrrrrrabus and Lorinzer?
Rear spoiler and all those plastic body parts on the S class? I wish that these guys did not get such an easy access to the plastics. I'd take the bbbbbbrabus engine and suspension and give the spoiler and front and rear plastic to the is4b2rd because I like to share.

hfrankel

Thought i was past the problems with my 2001 S500 suspension (found it "leaning" after 10 days of non-use). Dealer replaced the ABC strut and said the problem was fixed.

Just came back from a 10 day vacation and found the car "leaning" again in my garage...with the same red warning message "Car Too Low". When i started it, put it in gear, and then let it move a few inches, the front end rose to the correct height. Dealer towed it in again.

My question -- who should i contact at Mercedes (senior) if the dealer can't repair this properly.

Has anyone else had a problem with their S500 dropping it's suspension when parked?

Thanks

is4b2rd

Are you a member of MBCA? If they work like BMWCCA, they have an ombudsman who can assist you. I'd also call the 1800FORMERC and find out who the regional rep is. Send a letter directly to the MBUSA president as well. If this isn't resolved permanently, this will build your case for the lemon law hopefully. Please let us know how this progresses.

gdtobme

I used it on my 94 C280. I worked well; however, as tom sky said, it gets trapped in the perforations. Also, I had saddle leather and the Hide Food darkened it up a bit. Depending on your preference, it either ruined the color or made it look riches and keeper. I personally thought it looked riches and keeper. I didn't really notice any change in the leather's smell.

paulchiu

Someone accidently punctured 2 holes into the vinyl panel area next to the unlock tab in front of the rear passenger window. Can these punctures be fixed without having to replace the entire interior upper door panel section (above the armrest)?

Does any of those vinyl fix-it kits work?

drew_

How large/deep are the punctures? If they're not too bad, the same people who fix small tears in the leather seats should also be able to take care of it. I'd rather go with the professionals who can colour match much better than those DIY kits.

Good luck,

Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

paulchiu

They are four small 3/8" in diameter horizontal punctures. Problem is that they were forced in by a triangular object, so the ends of the punctures are sloped into the material; not a flushed cut by a sharp knife. They looked like bites by a vampire!

not LOL...

ahmadm

Does anyone know of any MB model which is a 4 door convertible and available in US?

merc1

There are no 4-door convertible Mercedes models in production today. Now I'm sure thre are several aftermarket companies that would gladly chop-top a C,E or S class for you, but that type of conversion wouldn't have nearly the structural rigidity of a factory effort. Mercedes' specialty is convertibles, they make the body more rigid than anyone else.

M

drew_

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:

http://www.edmunds.com/chat/mercedeschat.html

chapman7

I have not been able to find out anything about a delay in the production of the S55. The local dealer has heard nothing about any delays and I have had no reply whatsoever to 2 e-mails sent to MBUSA on the subject, which speaks volumes about this organization. Maybe the delays reported by some has more to do with their local dealer allocation than with actual production delays.

drew_

I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I wrote to my contact at MB Canada and within 5 hours I received a reply apologising for the delay in the reply (!!!) saying that they verified that they did not anticipate any delays for the S55AMG. MBC even asked if perhaps I was mistaken, and confusing the E55 AMG with the S55. I was told that production of the E55 will stop the end of the 2001 model year for a year, until the next generation E-class arrives. This I did not know, and they volunteered the info. to me!

Needless to say, I was impressed :-)

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

ramiash

Performance is great; however, the after purchase service & vehicle quality is very poor. When I complained to their field rep. and the MBUSA President Mr. Halata, the response was: "But you have a very good warranty, sir." Call me stupid, but I thought that warranty is for those "just in case" situations. The dealer I must admit was more then generous and exchanged my S430 for S500 with extra payment, of course. My new S500 car is more with my dealer then with me. I miss my money. From now on, I buy Lexus, the quality and workmanship are impeccable.

rexual

Chapman7, Drew & Rexconde,
I had originally posted the S55 schedule msg # 767 on 7/3/01. I wrote letters again to the CEO on 7/9/01 inquiring whether or not there was a production delay. I got a call back last night from a MBUSA CS rep, this time from the Bay Area that she did contact my dealer and confirmed that it was in production already. The confusion came about when my sales rep read the planned date of 01/07-2 on the NetStar fax, she read it as January 7th, 2002, where in Germany and as in Europe, that date means July 1st, model year 2002. That set off the inquisition. I had gone through order confirmation ordeal with this rep and the "six months" push back was not good news. My question is, my rep has been with that dealership for 8 years, doesn't she or anyone there know how to read German dates?

Anyhow, Drew, I have the PO #, should I just track it with the MBUSA CS rep from this point on until it reaches here. I have a couple of requests I would like to make to the dealership. Hope this clears up, well at least my encounter.

rexual

Sorry, I had to rush out to an off-site meeting and I kind of rambled on in my last post. The MBUSA rep assured me that there was no order glut or parts shortage with the S55, and that all s55 orders were on schedule. I'm so far very impressed with the way they have responded to and hanled my letters. Writing them to the big cheese seems to have gotten the wheels in motion quickly. I am sure if the emails were sent to Schrempp's address, his staff will come across it and handle them in a timely fashion. The challenge is to get his email address. Good Day.

pipingrock

My A/C sometimes takes up to 2 minutes for any air to come out after turning on the A/C. After two trips to purchasing dealer, they couldn't daignose problem and sent me home. Well I was pissed off and scheduled a visit with the area service rep and technician--after a week in the shop at another dealer; mercedes admits there is aproblem with the 2000 and 2001 A/C. They say to be patient and wait for an update. Anybody else having same problem and what about Mercedes saying to be patient and wait for update? My car is a 2001 S430 with 7,000 miles. Also after complaining about radio cutting out again--they finally acknowledged the problem and updated radoi/command with a fix that only area service techicians have.

chapman7

Rexual,Drew & Rexconde:
It would appear from what you have found out that there is no production delay with the S55. I also had this confirmed from the local dealer yesterday. I have one on order but must admit that reading about the problems with the 2000/2001 S class makes me wonder if I should cancel the order. Unless these are isolated instances they speak very poorly about MB quality and service. Does anyone think these are just a few isolated instances?

is4b2rd

you need to remember that car building these days is more and more dependent on external vendors for parts and assemblies. Mercedes has no way to totally control the quality of the parts they receive. They are building too many cars these days to even get a good handle on it IMHO. When these cars work they are heaven, when they cause headaches, they are like any other car out there.

I got an extended warranty for my CL. I can't imagine owning a car this complex without having a warranty in affect.

jtouga1

All you European car lovers out there, please check into "European Parallel Importing" on the Smart Shopper in the Town Hall.

I really need you opinons and advice on this subject. Thanks...

Jon

drew_

Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/chat/mercedeschat.html

drew_

Topic: July 24th: "What is the stupidest thing you've seen someone do while driving?"

merc1

Everyone knows that I'm a big fan of Mercedes-Benz cars, but for the life of me I can't figure out why an in-dash CD play still isn't standard equipment! Over at Audiworld.com I have just read their 2002 models will have a 6-disc IN DASH CD PLAYER. No a CD player does not a Mercedes make, but damn this omission is downright stupid now. I have looked at the new 2002 C320 Wagon and C230 Sports Coupe and they still have the same setup as the 2001 models. What in the world is wrong with my favorite carmaker????? Drew, am I missing something here?

M

mrman_3k1

I can't believe it, but I just saw the new 7 series sitting at the local BMW dealer. I had noticed as I was at the stoplight the car that looked like it and sure enough it was. Has anyone else seen the new 7?

rexconde1

Probably a test model. It isnt supposed to be out till after the Frankfurt AutoShow.

They do a lot of testing out in your area. the M3 SMGII is out there too!

R

chapman7

mrman: What was your impression of the body style of the new 2002 7 series that you saw at the dealers.

benz55amg

Go to whylifesucks.tripod.com to see a ton of S-Class picture including a couple of 600 and 55 pics. Also a slew of Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Ferrari pics.

christchurch

I am considering the purchase of a 1996 S 320 with about 75k miles on it... one owner, well maintained.

Anyone owned one like this or any 96' S series in general?
Likes / dislikes ?
Reliability / repair issues?
What should I look for in considering this Benz?
What would be a reasonable price?
Advice on whether this is a buy?

Appreciativly,
Christchurch

pfiorentino

What is the consensus on EZ Pass tag placement? I tried mounting it under the rear view mirror as I have on previous cars and found that didn't work, as others have posted, because of the special windshield glass M-Benz uses on the S500.

I then tried the black external EZ Pass tag mounted to my license plate. That was a pain, too. Sometimes it worked, other times it failed to be read at the toll booths -- responding to all the violation notices is torture, never mind tracking it all to see if you actually get the credits you're due from the NJ Turnpike Authority. Perhaps it was my partially my fault as the instructions that come with the external tag tell you to mount it to the top of the license plate which didn't work for me because of the type of license plate mounting bracket my dealer used. So, I placed it a few inches lower on the botom of the license plate -- could that 5 inch lower placement really make that big a difference in the ability of the tag to be read?!

Anyway, I finally placed one of the internal ivory EZ Pass tags (by now, I have quite a collection of them) on the lower right windshield where the owner's manual indicates that the cutout is. The EZ Pass tag works fine now, but I find this to be a distracting location, unfortunately. And not only does it precisely block my view of the right front fender and bumper, it's mighty unsightly, too. Furthermore, this placement completely eliminates one's ability to place a radar detector there -- which is almost a necessity in this fast, smooth car.

I'd much rather the EZ Pass tag were hidden away somewhere high up near the mirror.

Rather than experiment and go through another batch of violation notices, can anyone tell me if they've tried placing their EZ Pass in the black-dotted area found high up to the right and left of the rear view mirror? Does it work consistently?

drew_

sillydriver

Concerning placement against the black-dotted area behind the mirror -- I have tried it and it works.

tomkun

I had same experience, I sold my 98 LS400 and bought a 2000 S500 Sport, I went to dealer 4 times, they can't fix all the problems, I sold it at 8k miles, and cancelled my S55 order, bought a LS430 6 months ago, smoother, quieter, but I went to dealer to fix some rattles 3 times, one from rear seat can't be fix now, I'm still waiting... overall, I think most car's built quality is dropping nowadays, my 98 LS400 was a perfect car, I miss it a lots!

ljflx

I also had the 98 LS400 and took a 2001 LS430. The 98 car was perfect as is the 01. My 2001 does'nt make a sound and is an all around great car with better handling and road feel and yet an even smoother ride than the 98. I actually think the build quality has improved though again the 98 was a letter perfect car in the first place. Are you sure you don't have anything loose that you stored on your own. The only thing I had that made a rattling sound was all my cd's stored in the glovebox. Downright annoying in a whisper quiet car. If you want to keep this going come on over to the LS board.

jarogj

There is a tsb on the 2001 LS430 for weak welds in the rear wheelhouses which cause a creaking noise coming from the rear seat areas. If this is what you are experiencing talk to your Lexus dealer. They know about it. I noticed mine did it when I would accelerate slowly away from a stop but eventually it got to the point where any little body shift caused it. They have to open a couple of access panels and drill out the welds and replace them with bolts and clips. It totally eliminated the creaks. Hope this helps.

tomkun

I got exactly that noise, the dealer worked 5 hrs on it follow the TSB, the noise was gone for about a week, then came back again, it's noisier then before now, they didn't drill out the welds, they only used a hammer, now they want me to wait another TSB come out, I really don't want to wait, I got the noise since day one, I will call them Monday, ask them to drill out the welds, which dealer fixed your LS430? thanks!

jarogj

My LS430 was fixed by Lexus of Wayzata in Wayzata, Minnesota. The procedures for the fix were provided in print by Lexus themselves. Every dealer has access to the fix. Hope you get satisfaction.

georget3

Paul:

The best place to put the tag in my experience is the immediate right to the base of the rear view mirror( make sure it is in the black-dotted area). The black-dotted area was especially designed to allow infrared to pass through. This placement also make the tag inconspicuous. It really was a well thought out design.

George

pfiorentino

George and Sillydriver,

Thanks for the placement information. I'll give it a whirl today.

Paul

is4b2rd

http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/index_e.htm?/news/top/2001/t10731_e.htm

is4b2rd

http://62.26.119.112/satc/daimlerchrysler/20010730/dclive_en.ram

drew_

Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/chat/mercedeschat.html

christchurch

I am considering the purchase of a 1996 S 320 with about 75k miles on it... one owner, well maintained.

Anyone owned one like this or any 96' S series in general?
Likes / dislikes ?
Reliability / repair issues?
What should I look for in considering this Benz?
What would be a reasonable price?
Advice on whether this is a buy?

Appreciativly,
Christchurch

is4b2rd

One of the bad things I've heard on the 3.2 engine is that the gaskets tend to leak. Other than that the W140 body cars are glorious. However, they are VERY complex. You may have problems with the remote trunk release working, the hydraulics can be a headache. However, if you are diligent in maintaining the car, which can be very costly on its own, it should bring you lots of joy.

christchurch

Thanks for the post is4b2rd. I appreciate the information.
With the items you mentioned "on the watch list"
it seems prudent to purchase an extended warranty.
The extension would take the vehicle out from the 75k to, say another, 30k to 45k over 3 years. That should take care of potential expensive repairs.

Questions:

What reasonable mileage limits would you expect for this S series? (We are starting at the 75k point.)

Any advice on the best extended warranty which would cover all the items you list above and anything else during the mileage period?
I am really in the dark on this one. I have heard pros and cons. But, it seems to me that a warranty with this sort of expensive to repair vehicle is essential. Ideas?

I appreciate all of your loyal Benz owners advice.

Christchurch

benznut

Does the Espresso Designo Edition feature everything that the Desert silver does? Namely the leather covered dash extra wood etc?

is4b2rd

I don't know why they don't. If I am going to spend that much additional, I'd expect the extra leather.

drew_

Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/mercedeschat.html

paulchiu

I want to get money back for my 2001 S500 after seeing those spy shots of the 2003 E class.

Also, Is it hot in New York city or what! 6 straight 90 degrees days, 90 at 11pm last night. 103 yesterday.

tomkun

I have seen both pictures of 2003 E and SL, I'm going to try at least one of them, I put deposit for both 2003 E500 and SL500, see which one come first, hope they have less rattles than my 2000 S500(sold) and 2001 LS430.
Here, SF bay area is not that hot, 65-80 all day long.