My C320 came with Continental All Weather Low Profile, and I was disappointed that they were Continental. There will be another C320 in the garage in late May and I am wondering what they will be.
Question: I see that some of the C's came with Pirelli and Goodyear Eagles RS-A -- are these All Season? It's a much bigger tire than I had before and I like how it looks.
My dealer called and said my C320 is in (Desert Silver, Java leather, C2, C4, K2a & COMMAND). The invisible bra (Autobahnd) will be applied today and I can pick it up tomorrow on Saturday. Thanks to everyone for all the great information.
I plan to run several "tests": seat memory settings with exit mode enabled; test unlocking with the keys (although most experience problems after delivery); test the trunk closing and unlocking with the key; the passenger side mirror returning to position after backing up; the front seat rocking and making noise; steering wheel at 12:00. Would you recommend anything else when I pickup the car?
I ordered my C240 (Black, w/oyster interior) on March 24, 2001 from my dealer in the Toronto, Canada area. I was informed that I would have to order the 2002 model and wait until September or October to get it. I was very surprised and disappointed to say the least. I had a friend who purchased the Volvo S80 and got it within days. I think that a 6-7 month waiting period is a little riduculous. Hopefully my wait will be worth it.
Picked up C320 on Thursday. Came with Good year Eagles, has Mobile one in it, so far everything works (and I tried just about everything), great dealership.(International Autos in Milwaukee) My salesman handled everything, spent an hour and a half with us. I wrote out a check gave it to him, not the usual see the credit manager thing and have him pitch all the extra stuff! By far,the best car buying experience I have had over the last 30 years! My wife drove it home, I don't know if I will get it away from her now. Will use Zaino system as I have been very pleased with it in the past. My youngest son porters cars, working his way through school and has used many waxes and only uses Zaino on his year old Civic. Have enjoyed information on this site and will update as time goes on!
I was at my dealer last week and all the Cs there had Pirellis on them. Mine has Contis too. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them to me, but the Perelli name does have a better ring to it! Those Cal dusters really are awesome aren't they! I too couldn't imagine not having it. The Meguiars Quick Wipe is a must, or Quick Wipe, it and the duster can really give you that just washed look in about 2 minutes. I dust off the car and look for spots, then I hit the spots with the detailer. I have a friend with a black 540 who was washing his car 2-3 times a week, now that he has these products he's down to 2-3 times a month! Have a great weekend!!
Sandy, When I was in Ottawa over Christmas, Carling Motors MB Dealer said an order in Jan., car would arrive August. I could not believe it would take that long. New Jersey orders were about 3 months for a C with the options you wanted. Have you tried other MB Dealers outside / around T.O. ? You may find a 320 at a Dealer, but if you want the 240 with Oyster interior hang in there for the wait, it is worth it IMO !! I was just back in Ottawa for Easter, and only saw one Bordeaux Red 320 in the week I was there. A friend of a friend owns it. And no C Class on the 401 !!
that switch on the dash that drops the rear headrests! What a waste of space. I wished they would have left that off and save me a useless button. Still think the wood looks like plastic. Thanks for the info on the trunk release.
I finally finished upgrade my stock tires and wheels on the C320. The original tires are Pirelli P6. The new wheels were OZ Opera 18x8 all around and 225/40/18 Yokohama Prada front and back. The Prada tires aren't very quiet, but braking is significantly improved. Tires are $138 each, and wheels are $350(1pc only, not modular). Also saw Pirelli Supersport at same size for $163. I figure those tires will only last 15k-20k miles anyway, so I saved $100 by getting the Pradas. The installer at Firestone tires charged me $105 to mount and balance them(what a rip off), and Penske Mercedes charged $100 for alignment. Therefore, after almost $2300 later, I got my new set of wheel and tires. Next project is the sound system, and I will update everyone after I finish it.
It's standard, but I'll agree with you, it sure isn't used often! The only I've ever used it for is to show people! LOL! I'm sure if you carried passengers a lot, you'd want the headrests up for safety purposes, then you'd use the switch and may find it very handy and use it often. I've heard people refer to the rear sunshade as useless, but I couldn't disagree more. We have a baby in a rear facing car seat, and he hates the sun in his eyes, we use that sunshade everytime he's in the car.
You've got to post some pics!!! I really want to see what the car looks like now, I'm sure others here would as well. Be sure to post them in the owner's club photo section, that they'll be easy to find in the future for people who want to upgrade their wheels. I can't wait to C them!
Very embarrassed to ask. I work for a major graphics chip maker, but I have no clue how to post a picture on this board. Should I register ofoto.com or photoimage.com, and use their sharing features?
I'm no expert, but I was able to do it. Go to the C Class owner's club, there's a link at the top of this page. The first post in the photo section tells you how to do it. If you need help beyond that, Drew would be the best person to help. If you have more questions, post them here and somebody will absolutely help you! The first thing you need to do is either take some digital pictures or scan some regular photos. I posted mine at photopoint, but I believe at the end of the month they're going to start charging for their services. Maybe you, or somebody else, knows where we can load pics for free. I have a Mac, so I can do it for free at the itools site.
dennett, rowlandi, itaback, jerry 320 (glad to hear Mobil 1 came with car) -- Thank you all for your replies -- It seems the All Weather tire is a standard feature on the C regardless of manufacturer.
>I plan to run several "tests": seat memory >settings with exit mode enabled
Be sure to include a check on your seat memory's ability to hold three different positions with exit mode enabled. (if this feature is important to you) Miki
Three people, 2 men and 1 woman, and their dogs are in the Vets waiting room. The first man's dog asked the second man's dog what he's there for. "They are putting me down". "Oh no", says the first dog, "why?" The second dog says,"Well, you see... I've been chasing the Postman for years. Yesterday, I finally caught him, and bit him. So, I'm going to be put to sleep." The second dog says, "Well, my master just completely remodeled the inside of his house. I didn't like it because my scent wasn't anywhere, anymore. So, when he went to bed last night, I pissed on everything I could find, to get my scent back. This morning, my master found out what I had done, so he is putting me to sleep also.
The third dog said,"This is my masters new girlfriend. She runs around the house all the time without her clothes. This makes me very horny. So, this morning, as she was getting out of the shower, and bent over to wipe up the water on the floor. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I jumped on her a gave it to her good!" The other dogs say, " so' that's why they are putting you to sleep?" No says the dog, "She is bringing me here to get my toenails clipped!"
>It's standard, but I'll agree with you, it sure >isn't used often! The only time I've ever used it is to show people! LOL!
dennett -- LOL! The headrest feature was one of the reasons that I chose the C over the 330i. I was coming from a car with excellent rear-window visibility and would have had to remove the headrests from the back seat of the 330 (I do not carry passengers in back seat)
>I've heard people refer to the rear sunshade as >useless
That would have been me you heard! I will never use it, but it is fun to show people! It is a wonderful thing for your baby, however.
Meguiar has a product for tar and bug removal in addition to their Quick Detail. You are using just the Quick Detail for bugs and all and not their tar and bug removal?
I like the California Duster and used it for 14 years on a black car with old paint; however, I am now finding people claiming it scratches the paint. I looked for wool dusters but came up with ostrich dusters
Re the California Duster -- one of the car detailing sights had some negative feedback about its scratching. I also had a friend who said it scratched his car. Methinks he let his car get too dirty and that the secret is to go over the car lightly and often (daily).
I use Carbon Zymol wax to help hide my minor scratches and rock chips. It works for about two to three weeks on my black car.
I haven't found anything else that can hide a scratch like Zymol. I've used GS27 and all the other gimmicks but Zymol Carbon seems to work the best, although temporary....
i havent looked for a "wool" duster yet...the guy was hired to keep the cars clean and polished... so i guess they know what theyre doin... i would suppose.. as to how a duster may or may not scratch...wasnt long ago i was advised to polish my car with only domestic cotten towels. why? those from china,india,,etc.. may often contain synthetic fibers,which will cause very fine scratches on clearcoat paint!so even the most innocuous things can be more harmfull than one thinks!!!
A journalist from one of the country's largest newspapers has asked us for help finding consumers who recently purchased a Lexus L430, Mercedes C class or BMW 3 series after considering a more expensive vehicle, or anyone who recently considered purchasing a luxury vehicle, but decided not to because of the economy.
If you fit this description and care to share your story, please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com and/or rpopely@tribune.com with your e-mail, phone number, city and state of residence, and a brief description of your experience. The journalist promises to keep you identity hidden at your request.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Jeannine Fallon
Director of Public Relations
PLEASE NOTE: Respond by clicking on the email addresses above. Responses posted here will NOT be seen by the folks who want to hear from you. Thanks!
Pat Host Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
I went here and got lots of good advice. The forum solved my swirl and wax problems. I am sure you will be happy. You got to read the forum it really helps.
thank you rainers -- already been there. Actually, it was from their forum that I saw the extremely negative thread for the California Duster. Somebody, perhaps he is a detailer, really, really, really has it in for the Duster.
If you ever find a wool duster, I would appreciate your letting me know.
>may often contain synthetic fibers,which will >cause very fine scratches on clearcoat paint!
Re synthetics -- I am trying to find someone who has used one of the microfiber detailing cloths so highly recommended by many of the car-care sites. Being synthetic, I am concerned they can scratch the paint, too.
I actually thought I'd NEVER use the rear shade. If some moron has his brights on and he is behind you one flick of the switch will REALLY reduce the glare significantly! I find that I use this feature much more often than I thought. As for the switch to lower the rear head restraints, I RARELY take rear passengers so it's not an issue. But it is a nice feature.
best use of rear shade so far as been to stick it to the idiots that insist on tailgateing! i just raise the shade... and send them a message! maybe now that summer months are close.. and the temp goes up.. the shade may becaome more important...it does seem that the feature has found its way into many of the luxury cars..saw it often at the auto show
As I mentioned a little while ago, we are changing the names of some of our discussions to drop the various "Part" indicators.
Now that we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. Since this discussion can continue as long as anyone wants to talk about the C-Class, there is no longer a need for the "Part 6" that has been included in the discussion name. Down the road, that could confuse our newer members so I have removed it. I altered the name of the original C-Class discussion in the Archives to distinguish it from this one.
Pat Host Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Bill: Drew was not hosting, I popped in for a few minutes but only 4 or so people, so did not stay. I'm hoping the rear sunshade along with one in the front windscreen during the spring / summer weather will keep the heat down in the interior (and harmful sun rays) as my car is parked outside at work. I have not been able to just "crack" the driver's side window, it moves too fast even when you just touch the power window button down or up. I can tilt the sun roof up, but not too keen when chance of sudden thunderstorms roll thru frequently. A friend's large rear window blew out last summer when she was parked outside and a thunderstorm rolled thru, Temp. changed from 90 F to 70 F and her vehicle was closed up tight. The rapid differential temp. & pressure change blew out her $500 window. As Miki mentioned (BMW rear headrests obstructed rear view), I really appreciate the excellent rear window visibility in the C.
A "shot in the head" for lowering your sunshade? Maybe you should move out of LA. New York is sounding safe from your posts: guns, carjacking, kidnapped people locked in trunks, etc.
For those who don't know, Zymol is a two step process. HD-Cleanse to clean and prepare the surface, followed by one of the various waxes. Carbon wax is specifically designed for darker colors. Yes, it can "fill in" some light scratches, but I have found that if you add a coat of Meguiars Show Car Glaze after the HD-Cleanse and before the wax coat, you can not only get a better "fill in", but also a dazzling shine to the finish..
well... they dont shoot drivers out here..... yet!then again i could tack a piece of paper to the shade that reads something like...."BACK OFF,FOOL!" or"KISS MY MB's BUDDINSKI"
Seriously, z, it cannot be that different on the East Coast (I am from Boston). I travel 90% of the time on freeways, where tempers can be short and you cannot choose who is driving behind or beside you. We surely are not the only city with gang members or crazies using freeways/highways, where it is better advised to not get involved.
Different on surface streets where you are not tied up in traffic -- before I send a "message", I want to make sure I can "send" and have a fast getaway!
Programming the 3rd memory seat position does indeed knock out the passenger mirror drop down for parking, but all you need to do is reprogram the mirror per the instructions on pages 90-91 in the manual.
The absolute best wax ( shine, depth, ease of use, swirl hiding, longevity etc.) is Pinnacle Souveran. I have used all of the waxes discussed on these boards. All I can say is try it once and you will understand what I mean.
though i dont get into the "inner city" much i do drive for a living in the new york metro area.. road rage of the level that has been reported in the LA environs is not the par here.. thank god.. not to say that there arent nuts that drive like nuts,.. and people that wave digits,curse..and even occasionally swerve to scare a driver.. but actually shooting at one another..... no.. keep your head down...!!!!
And in Boston, the bored politicians are trying to get laws passed to increase revenue. Little things like changing lanes w/o signaling are defined as "road rage" so they can ticket you. There were a bunch of other odd things (that seemed to not qualify as road rage) in the suggested bill. I've never heard of a shooting here as a result of road rage. The only weird one was some guy grabbed some lady's poodle and threw it into oncoming traffic...
I am considering my first MB purchase, a C320. The dealer is trying hard to sell me a demo with 1400 miles. they are offering 500 over invoice. As I have little experience with standard discounts, I am unsure if this is a sound deal. Any advice?
Also, After turning off the ignition and removing the key, the message center reads "one malfunction". The dealer states that this is normal and means nothing. Is this correct?
re: the "one malfunction" message, that sounds odd. I have a 2000 E320 and it never shows that message when I remove the key. I can't believe the 2 cars are different. Sounds fishy to me.
That will show up until the teleaid feature has been activated. If you check the error it will report that. We had the same on our C and E at pick up and when the teleaid is activated the malfunction message is cleared.
....is a total RIPOFF!! My Amethyst C320 Sport LOADED sans COMMAND had 347 miles on it and I got $2300 off list. The MAIN reason was the color as the conservative nature of MB buyers were turned off by it. I myself actually LIKED the color. I doubt I will EVER see one on the road. I've gotten many compliments too. I would steer away from that dealer. Sounds like a greedy bum.
This particular vehicle is also Amethyst. I also like this color. The purchase price is actually 3500 under sticker price. It includes packages C2 and C3 in addition to the sports package. My understanding is that for most German autos the discounts are rather conservative
This sounds like a ok deal, but as I mentioned this would be my first Benz. I have up to this point never spent more than around 15K for an automobile.
Actually, changing lanes without signalling is already an offense in any jurisdiction I've heard of, and has been for decades. There shouldn't have to be a "road rage" designation to allow ticketing for this.
This behaviour is one thing that really disturbs me, as it shows absolute contempt for other road users. I wish it was more heavily policed. People in BMWs and Porsches seem to be the worst offenders.
Picked up my C320 yesterday. It came with Continental tires and factory filled with Mobil 1. The keys look good (so far), but I did loose my memory positions while the salesperson was going over the features. One other thing I noticed today was an occasional popping sound, I believe from the sub-woofer.
Mike is correct. In California it has always been illegal to change lanes without signalling IF your lane change affects anyone. Meaning, on a deserted highway you don't have to signal a lane change because there is no one around to compensate for any mistake that you may have made. As far as the BMW and Porche drivers go, they seem to be pretty attentive to their surroundings. Now Volvo drivers, that is a completely different story. They seem to be completely oblivious to the entire world around them. Not trying to offend anyone. Just sharing some real world experiences. (I have been writing traffic tickets for the past 25 years) ;-)
Comments
Question: I see that some of the C's came with Pirelli and Goodyear Eagles RS-A -- are these All Season? It's a much bigger tire than I had before and I like how it looks.
Miki
I plan to run several "tests": seat memory settings with exit mode enabled; test unlocking with the keys (although most experience problems after delivery); test the trunk closing and unlocking with the key; the passenger side mirror returning to position after backing up; the front seat rocking and making noise; steering wheel at 12:00. Would you recommend anything else when I pickup the car?
Thanks once again.
Robert
JR
When I was in Ottawa over Christmas, Carling Motors MB Dealer said an order in Jan., car would arrive August. I could not believe it would take that long. New Jersey orders were about 3 months for a C with the options you wanted. Have you tried other MB Dealers outside / around T.O. ? You may find a 320 at a Dealer, but if you want the 240 with Oyster interior hang in there for the wait, it is worth it IMO !! I was just back in Ottawa for Easter, and only saw one Bordeaux Red 320 in the week I was there. A friend of a friend owns it. And no C Class on the 401 !!
What a waste of space. I wished they would have left that off and save me a useless button. Still think the wood looks like plastic. Thanks for the info on the trunk release.
Miki
Be sure to include a check on your seat memory's ability to hold three different positions with exit mode enabled. (if this feature is important to you)
Miki
The third dog said,"This is my masters new girlfriend. She runs around the house all the time without her clothes. This makes me very horny. So, this morning, as she was getting out of the shower, and bent over to wipe up the water on the floor. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I jumped on her a gave it to her good!" The other dogs say, " so' that's why they are putting you to sleep?" No says the dog, "She is bringing me here to get my toenails clipped!"
dennett -- LOL! The headrest feature was one of the reasons that I chose the C over the 330i. I was coming from a car with excellent rear-window visibility and would have had to remove the headrests from the back seat of the 330 (I do not carry passengers in back seat)
>I've heard people refer to the rear sunshade as >useless
That would have been me you heard!
Meguiar has a product for tar and bug removal in addition to their Quick Detail. You are using just the Quick Detail for bugs and all and not their tar and bug removal?
I like the California Duster and used it for 14 years on a black car with old paint; however, I am now finding people claiming it scratches the paint. I looked for wool dusters but came up with ostrich dusters
Miki
James -- To which Zymol product do you refer? HD-Cleanse, Cleaner Wax or Lehm Klay?
Miki
Re the California Duster -- one of the car detailing sights had some negative feedback about its scratching. I also had a friend who said it scratched his car. Methinks he let his car get too dirty and that the secret is to go over the car lightly and often (daily).
Miki
I use Carbon Zymol wax to help hide my minor scratches and rock chips. It works for about two to three weeks on my black car.
I haven't found anything else that can hide a scratch like Zymol. I've used GS27 and all the other gimmicks but Zymol Carbon seems to work the best, although temporary....
James
as to how a duster may or may not scratch...wasnt long ago i was advised to polish my car with only domestic cotten towels. why? those from china,india,,etc.. may often contain synthetic fibers,which will cause very fine scratches on clearcoat paint!so even the most innocuous things can be more harmfull than one thinks!!!
Miki
A journalist from one of the country's largest newspapers has asked us for help finding consumers who recently purchased a Lexus L430, Mercedes C class or BMW 3 series after considering a more expensive vehicle, or anyone who recently considered purchasing a luxury vehicle, but decided not to because of the economy.
If you fit this description and care to share your story, please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com and/or rpopely@tribune.com with your e-mail, phone number, city and state of residence, and a brief description of your experience. The journalist promises to keep you identity hidden at your request.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Jeannine Fallon
Director of Public Relations
PLEASE NOTE: Respond by clicking on the email addresses above. Responses posted here will NOT be seen by the folks who want to hear from you. Thanks!
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/
I went here and got lots of good advice. The forum solved my swirl and wax problems. I am sure you will be happy. You got to read the forum it really helps.
Miki
If you ever find a wool duster, I would appreciate your letting me know.
>may often contain synthetic fibers,which will >cause very fine scratches on clearcoat paint!
Re synthetics -- I am trying to find someone who has used one of the microfiber detailing cloths so highly recommended by many of the car-care sites. Being synthetic, I am concerned they can scratch the paint, too.
Miki
maybe now that summer months are close.. and the temp goes up.. the shade may becaome more important...it does seem that the feature has found its way into many of the luxury cars..saw it often at the auto show
As I mentioned a little while ago, we are changing the names of some of our discussions to drop the various "Part" indicators.
Now that we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. Since this discussion can continue as long as anyone wants to talk about the C-Class, there is no longer a need for the "Part 6" that has been included in the discussion name. Down the road, that could confuse our newer members so I have removed it. I altered the name of the original C-Class discussion in the Archives to distinguish it from this one.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
I'm hoping the rear sunshade along with one in the front windscreen during the spring / summer weather will keep the heat down in the interior (and harmful sun rays) as my car is parked outside at work. I have not been able to just "crack" the driver's side window, it moves too fast even when you just touch the power window button down or up. I can tilt the sun roof up, but not too keen when chance of sudden thunderstorms roll thru frequently.
A friend's large rear window blew out last summer when she was parked outside and a thunderstorm rolled thru, Temp. changed from 90 F to 70 F and her vehicle was closed up tight. The rapid differential temp. & pressure change blew out her $500 window.
As Miki mentioned (BMW rear headrests obstructed rear view), I really appreciate the excellent rear window visibility in the C.
Djasonw -- Using to reduce glare of brights from behind will work for me. Such a great idea.
Zmeenow wrote:
> i just raise the shade... and send them a >message
On the other hand, Zmeenow, I might send the wrong message to the wrong tailgater who returns the message with a shot in the head.
Miki
For those who don't know, Zymol is a two step process. HD-Cleanse to clean and prepare the surface, followed by one of the various waxes. Carbon wax is specifically designed for darker colors. Yes, it can "fill in" some light scratches, but I have found that if you add a coat of Meguiars Show Car Glaze after the HD-Cleanse and before the wax coat, you can not only get a better "fill in", but also a dazzling shine to the finish..
>i just raise the shade... and send them a >message
>Miki wrote:
>On the other hand, Zmeenow, I might send the wrong message to the >wrong tailgater who returns the message with a shot in the head.
nyca wrote:
>A "shot in the head" for lowering your sunshade? >Maybe you should move out of LA.
Unless I misunderstood Gary's post, he raised his shades and then sent a message. I don't believe raising his shades was the message.
Appreciate your detailing info.
Miki
or"KISS MY MB's BUDDINSKI"
whew//lifestyles of the rich and famous????
Seriously, z, it cannot be that different on the East Coast (I am from Boston). I travel 90% of the time on freeways, where tempers can be short and you cannot choose who is driving behind or beside you. We surely are not the only city with gang members or crazies using freeways/highways, where it is better advised to not get involved.
Different on surface streets where you are not tied up in traffic -- before I send a "message", I want to make sure I can "send" and have a fast getaway!
Miki
The absolute best wax ( shine, depth, ease of use, swirl hiding, longevity etc.) is Pinnacle Souveran. I have used all of the waxes discussed on these boards. All I can say is try it once and you will understand what I mean.
keep your head down...!!!!
I've never heard of a shooting here as a result of road rage. The only weird one was some guy grabbed some lady's poodle and threw it into oncoming traffic...
I am considering my first MB purchase, a C320. The dealer is trying hard to sell me a demo with 1400 miles. they are offering 500 over invoice. As I have little experience with standard discounts, I am unsure if this is a sound deal. Any advice?
Also, After turning off the ignition and removing the key, the message center reads "one malfunction". The dealer states that this is normal and means nothing. Is this correct?
Thanks.
JR
This particular vehicle is also Amethyst. I also like this color. The purchase price is actually 3500 under sticker price. It includes packages C2 and C3 in addition to the sports package. My understanding is that for most German autos the discounts are rather conservative
This sounds like a ok deal, but as I mentioned this would be my first Benz. I have up to this point never spent more than around 15K for an automobile.
Thanks
This behaviour is one thing that really disturbs me, as it shows absolute contempt for other road users. I wish it was more heavily policed. People in BMWs and Porsches seem to be the worst offenders.
Mike
Other than that, it's been a lot of fun.
Robert