Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

nanky

We ordered a C320 with xenon lights. They look nice but more importantly are
supposed to be brighter than the standard lights. Are they any club members who
have experience with the xenon lights and if so, are they worth having?

bigbaddad

To answer your questions, I am not sure what you are asking in regards to the CD player. To change CDs, you have to use the numbers 1-6 on the radio itself. To check the oil, the car has to be off, but insert the key and turn it to the 'start' position. Basically, turn the key to the right without starting the car, then check the oil.

Hoope that helps - John

djasonw

Anyone out there know the procedure to permit the lights to operate when the windshield wipers are activated? Where in the setup is it? Thanks.

w2p2

will try that with the oil. I don't like to take my eyes off the road to push the buttons on the cd changer. I was hoping that there was a way to skip to another cd using the steering wheel pads. I know you can change the trac of the cd using the ^ and v pads. Yes is there a way to have the lights come on when the wipers are in use? I would think MB would have that as a standard equipment.

fedssocr

Why not just leave the lights in the auto mode? That way they'll come on when it's dark enough, altho I don't know what that level of darkness happens to be. I just have the constant light mode on anyway, so for me they're just always on.

Has anyone upgraded their regular halogen light bulbs to one of the brighter alternatives? Besides Philips there are several other companies like Sylvania that have what they claim are better bulbs. Some of their bulbs are "blue" that produce a light with a color temperature closer to sunlight than standard bulbs. I haven't gotten any yet, but am considering it. They claim the bulbs are not much more expensive than standard replacement bulbs and you can get more light without resorting to the expense of xenons.

I wish there was a way to change discs using the steering wheel buttons too, but it is not possible.

djasonw

Well... I do have the switch in AUTO MODE... however.... that only works when the ambient lighting triggers the lights to go on (sunset). I do recall reading that there is a way to have the lights go on when you turn the wipers on. I'll have a look in the manual which in my opinion is NOT well organized.

lperakis

Xenon light are terrific. They FOCUS (a key word!) a bright beam on the road and provide about 25% more (my estimate!) light on low beams than halogens. If all you do is city driving at night, it may not be a big deal, but if you live and drive in a rural area with few street lights, well, they just can't be beat. I understand that Xenon lights are legal in Eruope for both high and low beams but here in the USA the DOT or some other agency only allows them on low- beams.

michhala

kenyee -- I thank you kind person for your words of wisdom -- they were music to my ears.

>I don't understand what's causing the chips on >the doors for the person that reported that >though...

The person 'twas me

Miki

michhala

A few days ago, I gave my word not to discuss my situation over the Internet re any major transactions. This is the reason I posed my question as I did on the Chat.

Since I have never seen a car bra in my area, I checked out your location, thinking you lived in a climate of snow and ice, with gravel and salt on the roads. Of course, if the bra is "invisible" that would explain it......

I did see a Desert Silver and it did look pretty. Actually, I have been giving it some thought. I think on a larger car black is always best, but on the C320 the Desert Silver really works.

I hope you understand my situation

kenyee

michhala:

For my review of the bra, look at http://www.keysolutions.com/M-Class under Reviews. You'll also find things to look for in an installer...

michhala

Tee hee! It's obvious I do not have a clue as to what an invisible bra is all about. Thank you for bringing me out of the dark and directing me to your web site. I am very impressed.

mtroy

Fed up with trying to figure out the different lighting variations, I have given up, and like fedsscor, I just leave it in automatic mode all the time. That way, I never turn them on; I never turn them off. I assume they're on some sort of daylight mode during the day and on night mode when it gets dark, but I can't tell the difference. So I really assume they're just on all the time. If that is the case, I don't know why anyone would need them to come on just because it's raining. Re CD changer: it also would have been nice to have random play among all 6 cds. Oh, and I also still have no idea how the a/c work other than in automatic mode.

zmeenow

while loking at the list of topics on all subjects..i noticed that the maxima was near the top... having done a test drive in a 2000 maxima ...which i enjoyed,, i opened the room... and guess what the topic was???? PAINT CHIPS!!!
uhh folks.. its not an MB problem//its an industry problem!!Oh!! i vote for invisible bras!! no matter who... or what wears them!!!! oooops!!!! )))

djasonw

The lights ONLY come on at dark when in auto mode. If you want them on ALL the time when the car is running, then you can change that in the lighting settings. As far as having a desire to have the lights on when it rains, well... in NY/NJ/DE and other states it is REQUIRED that if you have your wipers on (during rain/snow) you MUST have your headlights on. On other cars there is a feature that will make the lights come on when you activate the wipers. I thought the new C had this feature but it does not. SO ...... if it's raining during the day, and you have your wipers on, you MUST turn the headlights two more ticks to the right.

w2p2

Did anyone have information on this? I cannot find a reference. That is a great idea to have an extra one or two with different music in them. I will have to get 4 at least once I find them.

djasonw

I am sure that you can get these from Clair. Give them a call or log on to their website.

www.clair.com

djasonw

I noticed in the quick summary pamphlet that there appears to be numerous icons in the display for various systems. I noticed that there is an icon for door open/trunk open/hood open and quite a few others. I am not sure if this feature is operating on my vehicle. Is it possible its going to be available later in the model year? I called up MB through Teleaid but the rep had no clue and didn't have the pamphlet available.

dennett

Mums the word!!

michhala

>My car is the Magma Red one

Dennett -- of course. The first thing I saw when I came to this forum was a picture of a very proud man standing ten feet tall beside a red car, and holding an adorable little boy. I did not notice your name at the time.

Delete the upgrade -- details in the future when this mess is over, I promise.

dennett

Sorry to hear all isn't well. You should come by the Friday Freeway chat at 5 pacific. Drew and Ian, plus many other regulars, MB owners, will be there. We'll offer up some moral support! If not, we'll talk to you on Tuesday night! Hang in there!

michhala

Fact or fiction? Has anyone heard that after a time (approx 4 yrs) the silver color on all manufacturers' models loses its metallic finish, leaving one with just a gray car? Or is this just a possibility if the car is not taken care of or not kept in a garage?

ME, the queen of black cars, after hearing some good things from y'all about Desert Gold and Brilliant Silver is trying to loosen up a little and come down to earth and look at other alternatives. Maybe it is not so bad that silver is too common. Maybe Charcoal interior (that's an absolute) would be O.K. with Desert Gold, but better with Desert Silver.

I promise this will be my last car color request for help -- by Friday, I will have to make a final decision: Black Obsidian, Desert Gold, or Brilliant Silver. (I already know all the drawbacks of Black Obsidian methinks) Want to do it right this time with the NEW C320.

Miki

dennett

We've got a year and half old Nissan Crew cab, Silver mist, and it's as metallic as the day we got it! I've seen many older silver MBs, and all of them looked great. Drew has a silver ML and an E, so I'm sure he'd be very qualified to tell you all about it. Ian's got a desert silver/ charcoal C and he couldn't be happier. If it were me, I'd go Brilliant Silver, with the desert silver a close second. When most people think MB they think silver, I'd say they're very popular and common for good reason, they look awesome! I like all the C colors, except that blue/purple one, ugg! My dealer's had one on his lot since Oct, it's a loaded 320 with the sport pac, they said they'll have to discount it $10k to get rid of it! It'd be a good bargain for someone who likes that color.

michhala

Dennett --You have helped me tremendously. My thanks.

UGH! Such a color that blue/purple!

Miki

anthonyv1

Check out that tectite grey metallic at a dealership if you can (you might be able to find it on another model, as well). It's a beautiful dark color. A little more dough, but I think that it's worth it.

michhala

Anthony -- Tectite is a wonderful custom color. It costs $1000 as opposed to $675 for most of the other metallics. Because it is a dark charcoal, I am concerned that chipping will be just as prevalent with this color as with the black. It is available for me, however.

djasonw

At least I am not driving a silver car like 70% of all new C owners. I got an amethyst loaded C320 sport off the lot for close to $3,000 off list. You guys are just TOO conservative. I can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten already. And at least I don't see myself coming and going which will be sooner than you think. Good thing is I don't have to worry about resale as in three years I'll turn it in for another. Bottom line is the driving pleasure. I'd rather have this color than GOLD... talk about UGLY..... THINK BOWEL MOVEMENT!

nanky

Imperakis - Thanks for the input. I will keep the xenon on the order since I do a lot of driving at night.

Has anyone seen a C in obsidian black/charcoal and if so, any thoughts on appearance?

fedssocr

Ahhh...the great color debate continues. I'm certainly happy to have one of the only Aspen green C's out there. I specifically didn't want silver because it is just so COMMON. :-) I don't think I'd want the purple for myself though. I really wanted Wedgewood blue but I wasn't going to pay $1000 extra just to get it. After my green I think my choices would be Bordeaux red and then Desert silver. Ian's pix of his desert silver car look really awesome. One of my neighbors owns one too, but his car down in the garage doesn't look as nice. It looks smaller for some reason, I can't explain it. I think they have java interior. I guess I'm not really all that concerned about paint chips and so forth. I've been really careful so far, but it's inevitable living in the big city that little dings and chips are going to happen. I'll cry when it happens but I'll get over it.

One annoying thing I've noticed is that no matter how far away from the store I park and no matter how many empty spaces I leave around me, when I come back out of the store my baby is surrounded by other cars! It never fails...

djasonw

Good for you.... Aspen Green is a gorgeous color. I traded in a silver c280 and was almost going to get another silver one (C320) and it was equipped the same way as the Amethyst. Only thing was they ONLY were discounting the amethyst one for nearly $3,000. I couldn't pass it up! Oh.. and this is coming from a guy that has a purple couch (art deco) and two red wing chairs. So.... what the heck!

dennett

Tectite will cost $1625, $1k special order plus the $625 metalic cost. My boss is in the process of ordering a C320 in Tectite, she's having a hard time justifying the money but it's what she wants. Has anyone actually seen a Tectite new C? Know of any links to pics of the color?

djasonw- sorry about the comments on amethyst, I didn't know anyone here had the color. I'm glad you like your color, it is an unusual color and I'm sure people really check it out. I'm not too conservative, ours is Magma Red, that's a rare color on a C. If you know anyone else in the Southern California area who wants amethyst with the sport pack tell them MB of San Diego has one that they're willing to sell at a steep discount. I don't understand why you're bad mouthing silver and desert silver, I guess it's just because you got upset about what was said about your color. You can imagine how the silver, especially desert silver owners, will feel after reading your post. The C really is an awesome drive, peace.

merson

Does anyone know the interior/exterior dimensions of the C-Class Wagon? Any information you can share about this car would be great.

Thanks

404c

The one I'm most partial to at the moment is Wedgewood Blue (it's a sort of light blue/green metallic). It seems that MBUSA has a major profit centre on colours, what with special order charges of $1000 and the $625 metallic charge. That'd be $1625 US, or $2500 CDN, and seems rather stiff compared to the maximum of $860 CDN we in Canada have to pay for the same thing. Why US customers are charged 3 times the rate for some of the same colours, I don't know.

On the other hand, some of the options in Canada are damned expensive compared to the US. The sunroof, for example, costs $1925 CDN ($1250 US)by itself in Canada, that's without the rear blind and whatever else the C2 (?) package costs in USA.

It seems as though the marketers and bean counters have been at work, as these costs bear no relation to the value of the option.

djasonw

There is NOTHING wrong with Silver or Desert Silver.. I meant BROWN... but there are tons of people who would disagree with me. I LOVE silver but it's just too common. I still think the car looks BEST in silver and white. Darker colors definitely take away the lines of the car.

I'd get red in a hearbeat if they gave me the same discount as on the amethyst. Regardless of color, the car is sweet! Any chance of the San Diego dealer shipping to NY Metro area? Hmm ... I like having the odd color in the group anyway.. hehehe. Oh... a question for all!!

On page 286 or so in the manual there are pictures of icons for various malfunctions. i.e. Door Open/ Trunk Open etc... I THINK THIS IS A MISTAKE! My car does not display this when a door or the trunk is open. Can anyone confirm this? MB of American has NO CLUE... neither does my dealer. Kinda the same fiasco as in remote unlocking!!

fedssocr

It's likely that these error icons only will show up if you actually put the car in gear and drive while the trunk/door is open. I know for instance that if you try to adjust the tilt wheel while moving the red warning display pops up that tells you not to do that. And I also forgot the parking/emergency brake one time and as the car started moving the display turned red and I got a big warning message about the brake being engaged.

jayone

HI ALL , got my new c320 a few days ago and absolutely love it. I am trying to figure out the exit mode and auto reverse angling side mirrors. I guess I havent read the directions carefully enough. Any hints/tips..THANKS

djasonw

I did try this (open door while in drive and open trunk) and NO warning. Not sure if it's an early build issue. This kind of stuff bothers me even though it's petty. The remote unlock doesn't bother me but silly stuff like this is quite annoying!!

drew_

Hi all,

For those of you who are wondering about the chat transcript, I checked and unfortunately, chat transcripts will not be offered for the owner's club chats. However, please feel free to drop by on next Tuesday's MB chat (March 13th, 6-7pm Pacific/9-10pm Eastern) to ask any questions, or simply to chat with your fellow C-class owners/owners-to-be/enthusiasts. FYI, the link to enter the MB chat will always be near the top of this page, just under the discussion topic title.

Will get to the other questions later today. Thanks!

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

laurasdada

Just FYI: I live in MA where I believe the law is that if the wipers are on, the lights must be also. My '99 Chrylser 300M has auto headlight setting, which I use. Also, the headlights automatically come on after 10 seconds of wiper use. If it is not too dark, when you shut off the wipers, the headlights also shut off.
I'm a potential C class buyer (next year?). Partial to white myself.....

diwc240

Fantastic, isn't the C a Dream !!!
The passenger side view mirror is priceless:
Just make sure the small button is depressed (as if you were going to adjust that mirror), then when you put your C in reverse, watch the mirror rotate / angle downwards so you can see the Curb !! I had to leave the stereo off just to listen to the mirror and stop laughing. Then after you have finished trying a few parallel parks, once you shift into first (I'm a 6MT) or Drive, watch the RHS passenger mirror return to normal position. The Rear Sunshade is the other priceless Toy / gadget. I also like to show friends the windows and Sunroof safety feature if you leave your hand in between the window or sunroof and the frame as it tries to close. (I better hope that safety feature always works...).

The Convenience Entry / Exit mode was already setup, and has worked
100 % for me. Do you go into the Console display and the page that has lighting setting (set lights to go out after 30 secs. etc...)
somewhere in those selections ?

Enjoy your new C 320 !!! Post some pics if you can in the Photo Gallery. Ian

zmeenow

theres very few exterior colors ive seen the car in i havent liked.... saw the amythist when i went to pick mine up.. had the charcoal interior and was the sport susp option... looked very cool! just not for me.. there are some interior colors that in my opinion.. just dont look all that"rich"..the grey..and the beige..just my opinion.. i have black/charcoal... for 2 reasons...#1/ i purchased didnt lease.. and black and silver.. are,in the northeast... the 2 easiest colors to sell..#2..i didnt want to wait any longer than i had to..and in oct.. they gave me a 5-6 week wait for a car coming off the assembly line.. as opposed to a 3-4 MONTH wait for a special order.
dennet.. the magenta red is definately HOT ..if i had my choice of other colors.. it would be the red..for sure!!

kimj1

As of Monday my car was sitting in Jacksonville waiting to be put on a truck and be on its way to San Antonio. My dealer said that they should have it by early next week. If so, I should be able to pick it up next Friday. My SA dealer knows the trouble we had with the Austin dealer and he knows that I am quite anxious, so he said he will do what he can to have the car ready as soon as possible after they get it.

I tell you, this has been a long wait (since Nov. 10), but this next week will probably be the longest. I hope to be able to post next weekend that I am officially a proud owner of a bright shiny new C320.

One question. For all of you who have received your cars, how long did it take at the dealer to do all of the paperwork and go over the car? I have arranged my own financing through my bank and will have a buyers check to pay for the car. That should cut down a little time. It's not that I will be in a hurry, It's that I will have my 6 yr. old son with us and I would like to be able to tell him what to expect. Even he is excited about mommy getting a new car. His favorite feature: the rear air vents. He was so excited to learn that this car has them.

Well, that's all for now. I will let you know when I get my car!!! :-)

Kim

ctk1

Hi

I am looking for MB C240 for my wife. We want to see $1000.00 to $1500.00 off sticker price. Does any one know what dealer offer discount in Boston or new england areas.

Thank in advance

fedssocr

I would say expect to spend about 1.5-2 hours doing the paperwork and having them go over the car's features. I think it took about 2 hours for me but that's because they were still prepping the car for most of that time.

michhala

djasonw,

Sorry, I should have said "in the eyes of this beholder" -- actually, purple looks good on me

Miki

kenyee

Stop by Clair in Norwood and see Jerry Pillari. He's their Autobytel dealer. I doubt you'll get that much off, but $500 off shouldn't be a problem since they normally throw in a Lojack for their Autobytel customers...

michhala

In the past I always had a protective coat put on a new car by the dealer. When I asked for it on the 320, the sales person told me not to bother and that it was a waste of money.

Is this true? I was thinking that might be the reason I have such an excessive chipping problem.

Please notice everybody -- As promised in a previous post, I did not mention the five-letter word beginning with "c" and ending with "r".

Miki

zmeenow

most consumer reports sources,mags etc.. will tell you that the extra coating is no more effective than investing in a good car care system such as zaino.. or a similar product.. the dealers have hi mark up on it.. making quite a bit of commission.. i had it on my 2000 acura 3.2tl.. they even said it ciontained teflon...
teflon my #%@#%^@#%!!!... didnt make any difference.... live and learn.

c320buyer

Does Comand give you voice control for the radio and cd without the phone option installed?

jayone

One more thing I was curious to know if the side mirrors fold in or not, I didnt see any mention of it, so I am assuming not! thanks!

djasonw

Well... I spoke wit Bernard over at Mercedes headquarters. He told me that there was an ERROR in the owner's manual. The C320 does NOT have malfunction icons for door ajar/hood open/trunk open etc. Amazing that you ask three different people and you get three different answers. Great car.. but it would be NICE is someone knew information about what they were selling!! Scarey is ya ask me!!

Anyone notice that this year's model seems to have LESS brake dust than models in the past?