Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

L8_Apex

Welcome to the continuation of the Mercedes-Benz
E-Class (Part 6) topic. Those of you joining us
from that topic are welcome to continue your
discussion.

If you're new to this topic, you may want to
follow the above link for additional archived
posts.

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Sedans Host

aling

Oo\=|=/oO
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference

muddog

I like the Zaino stuff (but, do most of you users have families and jobs and things that take time? Man, I can burn some hours with the Z-man!)

I have a 2-month old '01 430E. The hood is scratched like crazy. I only wash and handle the car myself, and I think I'm doing everything according to Sal (Zaino). I have on 3 coats of Z-5 even, and still scratches. Will it just take a bunch more? (The car is black, which is a pain.)

Cats -- our cat likes to sleep on the hood of my 430. Warm and in a covered carport. Messy. Could the scratches relate to him? My mother used mothballs to keep cats off her car. I tried that -- came out the next morning and the cat was doing everything but eating the mothballs. Snuggled right up next to 'em. Bummer!

Can anyone offer a foolproof, hood-safe way out of this box?

Thanks.

Muddog

scargo160quick

Meant to say 55 instead of 255. 55 represents the sidewall to footprint ratio. Nevertheless, it will affect your speedo accuracy (not to mention slightly better cornering and appearance)

dingbenz

Thanks, that clears it up.

sddlw

I think your (and my first) expectations are too high. The Z5 is great at hiding swirls due to dust and dirt, polishing with dirty or less than 100% cotton rags, etc. But scraches are very hard to hide. So are other paint blemishes like scuffs, old water spots, etc. You might need to buff them out with an abrasive product first. Look at http://www.meguiars.com/ under professional products for their line of glazes. Many are available at the better auto part stores or body shop supply stores.

But that being said, the Z5 really does hide the polishing swirls very well, and after a few coats with Z5 and Z2, it is you poured glass on the car!

About the cat, it's lucky to be alive.

sddlw

Well, that is a good point. But it is a rather harmless outlet for my obsessive/compulsive side, and even though Zaino products are not cheap, they are a lot cheaper than many other posible compulsive activities. And once the prep work is done and the first couple of coats are on the car, it doesn't take as much time. Besides, If you do your wife's car first, she is apt to be more understanding.

acd7

I just picked up my '01 E320 and notice that the SOS light stays on continuously - is this normal? I did not subscribe to Tele - Aid. The dealer says that all '01 SOS lights stay on. I was wondering if that's true.

bad10

No doubt the scratches are from your cats. Black is the hardest color to maintain even in the best conditions and allowing your cats to sleep on the hood is crazy and makes it a hopeless situation. OMG, I cant believe a cat would be allowed to sleep on the hood of a new BENZ! Maybe you could put a moving blanket on the hood at night, or better yet, keep the cats out of the garage. BAD10

tkurtz01

My 2001 E55 should arrive in 14 days and I would like to know if there is any way to get the comand system to pick up TV like it does in Europe. I know that several states do not allow TV viewing from the front seat so the system does not work in the US, but is there a simple way to get around the blockage?

retiredjeff

I was told by a local MB dealer that they'll never get TV in the US due to legal issues. Imagine that .

Jeff

aling

Well, not only that. The TV systems (SECAM and PAL) in Europe are completely different than the one North America (NTSC). The COMAND systems fitted in the European cars have TV tuners for these Euro. systems, so they wouldn't work here anyway. Besides, from what I've been told the reception isn't always that great anyway.

Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference

kilian1

Just a follow up question on your ML.

Can you remove one or two of the third row seats to free up space? If yes, is it difficult procedure.

Need a third row but, on long trips would prefer the luggage space.

Do you think the current E320 sedan drives similar to the E wagon?

I am debating the ML, E320 Wagon ,and Volvo Station wagon.

hjborn

Has anyone had a remote start mechanism installed on an E-class? Any problems? Does it invalidate the warranty? I could call my dealership about the last question, but they don't seem too knowledgeable about matters like that.
We built our house back in the early 60's when most people had a one car garage, and I promised my wife she could keep her car in the garage this winter. It would save me a lot of early-morning windshield scraping if I could get the car warmed up a few minutes before I went outside.

muddog

Thanks for the responses. (David, I did my wife's and my daughter's cars first, and it does help.)

Bad choices on the cat (the car is in an open air carport):

1. Sleep inside. Nah.

2. Put a towel on the car. I guess so, but I really want him to be far from the hood, and this would encourage him.

3. Kill the cat(take it too far to find its way home). Not enough goodwill with the wife and daughter, yet.

I'm open to any other thoughts. No one else had this problem?

Thanks!

Muddog

tkurtz01

That makes sense but the car must be sold in some county that uses the same standards for TV transmission as the US. Is TV available in Canada? or do they have the same stupid rule?

aling

No, Canada also uses NTSC since the standard was developed for North America, so no COMAND TV here either. NTSC is actually inferior to PAL, but it was developed partly because they wanted to be different from the rest of the world.

As someone mentioned, the TV button is not available also because of legal reasons. I believe that North American law prohibits a factory-installed TV to be directly next to the driver while the vehicle is in motion. Although I like the setup, I don't think that it is a "stupid rule". There are enough drivers going around with cellphones in one hand already.

aling

Yes, both 3rd row seats in the ML can be removed very easily (and seperately). They're also light, so it's not a problem lugging them around. If you want the luggage space but down want to remove the seats, you can simply fold the 3rd row seatbacks down.

The E320 wagon does drive similarily to the sedan. It feels a tad slower off the line because of the extra weight; this is a non-issue for normal city and highway driving.

aling

I'm not sure that a remote starter mechanism can be added to the E-class because it uses the infrared signals to disable the immobiliser. It can be done in the M-class (which doesn't have the SmartKey), but only by compromising the security system somewhat- the spare key with the transponder has to be mounted closeby so that the immobiliser is permanently disabled. No, it shouldn't void the vehicle's warranty.

Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference

parfive1

Buy the cat a cat tree (with sleeping quarters) thats higher than the hood of the car. Cats like high places.
Cost of cat tree $75
Cost of cat tree with Mercedes logo $175

muddog

I'm pretty gullible, Gary. Is there really a cat tree? The cat does like to hang out, and sleep, in the joists for the carport. But the heat of the hood sucks his dirty paws right down on my Benz. I'd even pay the $175.

Thanks.

Muddog

taison

Does anyone know anything about the blue tinted windows and if they can be done aftermarket? I know that they are a factory option on the CLK's.

ised8em

Something that you need to be careful of, Muddog.
When ever approaching your car, with the cat on the hood, don't EVER startle, scare or tick-off the cat...personal experience. The first thing the cat does is extend its bloody claws into your paint (hence the new scratches) and then it turns to hiss and spit at you...Now assuming that you have better aim with your briefcase, I have yet to be able to cleanly remove the cat with a single swing...(hence the old scratches). Plus at no extra cost, the wife will remind you of the time you tried to kill her favorite pet. Try to get a dog that hates cats...don't know if its better to have something pee on your tires or scratch your paint. Good luck
Keith

albell

better yet...train the cat (on the sly, of course) to sleep in the wheel wells

jason64

Does anyone have any experience using motor oil additives like Slick 50 or Prolong on their MB's? Please share your comments and thanks for your reply in advance.

ctic

The only thing you can do (short of getting rid of it) is to cover your car with a cover every night.

aling

MB specifically states in the owner's manual not to add any engine or fuel additives because they could cause damage (and may void the warranty). Use them at your own risk.

Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference

muddog

Thanks, again, to all for the advice. None of the solutions is perfect, so I guess I'll just muddle through as best I can. Does anyone have cat burial service materials?

Muddog

sddlw

I think the car cover is the best idea. Besides, it's good for your car even without the cat. Look at http://www.precisionauto.com/ for some you can buy on-line.

A college roomate of mine (many years ago) had a book called "Kitty Torture" regarding behavioral modification of cats. I believe the correct kitty torture in this case is to super glue the cat to the hood and drive around using it as a hood ornament for a week. ..... this is not my idea, I am merly restating someone else's idea.

muddog

Thanks, David, for the advice. Microwaving comes to mind, but I just can't. I don't like the idea of a cover, really, but that makes as much sense as anything (moral).

Thanks, again.

Muddog

ctic

Hope you guys are kidding around regarding the cat. You can find a cat tree at any pet store.

parfive1

Just kidding about the mercedes logo, but actually there are cat trees (also called cat houses, cat condos etc) at any major pet outlet. They range in size from 2' high to 6' high. The cost can vary from $75 to $300 depending on height and number of sleeping levels. My suggestion, being the owner of 2 cats & 2 small dogs, is to buy one higher than your car, and perhaps put a heating pad, plugged in at night, on the highest level.
Your cat is probably attracted to the engine heat on the hood of your car. A cat tree with a nice warm sleeping area should lure him/her away from the car and to the cat tree.
This should save both your MB and your marriage.
Good luck

valueguy

Hi Drew:

I scratched the edge (about 1 inch) of my Sport Rim today. My car is a '00 E430. Is there anything I can do to touch it up? I think I parked to close to the curb and just scraped the very edge of the rim. Does M-B have a touch-up for alloy wheels?

aling

Sorry to hear that. I've scratched (about 3/4 to 1 cm long, deep inside one of the lug holes ) my ML's alloy wheel as well, when rotating the tires.

AFAIK, MB doesn't have touch-up paint for the wheels. However, you can try buying a generic Silver touch-up paint stick at your autoparts store and using that. There should be one that is close in colour. The MB Brilliant Silver is not, BTW, so don't try it as it will be somewhat obvious. Can you tell that I learnt from my mistake? :-). Thank goodness the scratch is deep inside the hole!

Good luck!
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference

microrepair

cat burial service materials ???

Like a shovel ??? I think any shovel will work fine..

muddog

Thanks, all.

Fred, I meant like "words," like cemetery service.

Thanks.

turbotc

my aunt has a cat a long time ago and she sends the cat out to the vet to have the claws clipped off periodically since the animal was also scratching the sofa. This is much more a humane thing to do than pick up the shovel. Or bring him to the animal pound if worse case.

mbdriver

muddog:

The obvious solution -- and it works at our house -- keep the cat indoors, period. It's not only healthier for the cat, it also eliminates claw hood scratches in MBs. Try it -- you'll like it!! So will your wife!!

jason64

My MY01 E320 comes with Goodyears tires. I thought Michelin would be the standard issue for all MB's. Does anyone know why they use Goodyears tires now? Do you think the Goodyears are better than the Michelin MXV4 Energy's?

ctic

Keep your wife outdoors and cat indoors. Solve all problems.

parfive1

My 00 E320 came with Continental tires. Thought they were fine. I did switch to Michelins though, only because I decided to go to a 17" rim and had to buy new tires. IMO I think Goodyears are just as good as Michelins, or any other tire for that matter. Unless your planning on switching rims (for a larger size) I'd be happy with the Goodyears.

automophile

In several of the pet products catalogs, I have seen an electric pad that gives the pet a mild shock when they go where they are not supposed to - sofas, counters or M-B hoods.

With a web search, you should be able to find these. After a few tries and perhaps a warm condo as an alternative, you can then buff out your hood and Zaino it.

rokinkead

What is the typical sale price for the 2001 e320? Everything indicates MSRP. Is this always the case? Also, what are typical lease terms? i.e. for 48 month lease and no money down, what is the monthly payment, residual value going out there?

If anyone knows, what is the money factors and residual values being used in computing the e320 4 year or 3 year leases?

srd3

I am buying my E320 RWD for $1000.00 less than MSRP. I had to go out of state though. My three local Mercedes dealers would not take a dime off of the MSRP. The local dealers were also offering me several thousand dollars less on my 300 TE trade-in. Shop around. Persistence may pay off.

tomotomo

I purchased an '01 E320 in Houston, Texas for 2 percent off MSRP. I ordered it 6/21/00 and took delivery on 8/17/00.

jason64

I bought mine with E2 package for $48900, roughly $1800 off of MSRP. I bought it on Sep 29 and the dealer told me that they have incentives to make a deal for me due to month-end. BTW, does anyone know why the invoice price from the dealer is very different from Edmunds or KBBs? Does the luxury tax and dealer association fee get added on before T&L is calculated?

tomotomo

I don't know about your invoice question. The luxury tax is 5% of the total MSRP. In Texas the sales tax is 6.25% of the (total MSRP - trade). I don't know what "dealer Association Fee" is. I did not have a "documentary fee" of $50. I hope this helps

ctic

Luxury tax is a percentage of the price above a certain amount like $40K. It's only a few hundred bucks and is scheduled to go down every year until it disappears in 2004 or something like that.

If luxury tax was 5% of the MSRP then it'd be $2000 for a 40K vehicle, totally unacceptable!

muddog

Thanks for all of the suggestions. If something works pretty well, I'll circle back and let you know.

Muddog

tomotomo

ctic is correct, in my earlier posting I neglected to substract $38000. from the MSRP. The luxury tax in year 2001 is 5% times (MSRP-$38,000.) Sorry for the mistake!

turbotc

actually you can confuse people by saying "MSRP". It is better to use the term "selling price of the car" since many people here have posted that they paid below "MSRP".

Drew,
The bulbs came out nice, easy to install. I can't really tell if it is any brighter but definitely whiter. I noticed they had the H7 bulbs with higher wattage on their site as well.