lperakis: Sorry to hear about that. Sounds really weird. The only time I've seen that is when the other guy is partway into the intersection and the light changed to red so he has to back up to let the other traffic go. It doesn't sound like what happened though. Hope the guy doesn't tell his insurance company that you rear-ended him...
You might want to leave a bigger safety gap in the future to be able to avoid guys like this. You're supposed to be able to see the bottom of their rear tires.
I have both the trunk floor net and the one that goes across the back sill. The one on the floor was very easy to install once I located the metal rings.
However the rear one was very frustrating to install. After a couple of false starts I finally figured it out. I love having the thing and find it to be very useful. It's another thing that really ought to be standard equipment on a car like this. The directions are quite confusing and I was also installing it in the dimly lit garage of my building which didn't help. Unfortunately I installed it a couple of months ago and don't remember off the top of my head exactly what I did, but I can take a look at it later and see if it jogs my memory.
Why does Mercedes, and many other manufacturers, insist on installing trunk carpeting that is a "magnet" for gathering up tiny pieces of "stuff"? Having gotten tired of vacuuming and hand picking this stuff out of my C320 trunk carpet, I ordered and installed the WeatherTech vinyl trunk liner. Although their web site (www.mats.com) does not list the 2001 C-class, they do have it, but only in black at this time. It cost $89.95 plus $9 shipping. The fit is very good, and it leaves the storage wells aft of each wheel uncovered for access. I did have to cut slots for the four D-rings (two forward, two aft) that hold the trunk cargo net hooks. I was surprised to learn from an earlier post that these D-rings are not in the Cs without the fold down rear seat. Maybe it's considered a safety item so that items in the trunk won't be hurled forward into the passenger area in a sudden stop with the rear seat down (assuming you tie the items down)!
As for installing the rear athwartships cargo net (which I find very handy), throw away the confusing directions. The plastic "rivets" come out in two pieces, the "male" rivet, and a "female" expanding receptacle (am I allowed to say this?). You discard the male part and put the female receptacle part back into the rectangular hole in the trunk trim piece, and then screw the plastic post with the net hooks into the receptacle. The post screw expands the receptacle, locking it into the trunk trim piece.
I can't imagine much meaningful change in a one-year-old car. As far as resale,an economic question,I'm a little surprised how often this comes up.If money is made an issue,reselling any car with meaningful life in it is always unwise. So I would say buy the 2001 and plan on keeping it long enough to where condition is the yardstick of a car's value,not its year.
I was wondering what type of unleaded fuel is recommended for the Mercedes vehicles. I live in the Toronto, Canada area and I've heard that unleaded fuel from certain gas stations is not recommended because of certain chemicals in the mixture. Is this so?
I ordered my 2002 C240 (black with oyster interior, automatic) on March 24 with an ETA of September or October. The contract specifically states, "price increase is not to exceed 4% or the customer may cancel order". I've never ordered a vehicle and had to wait that long, nor have I have ever imagined ordering a vehicle not knowing what the exact price will be, let alone paying MSRP. The supply and demand forces are certainly being applied with a vengence.
I live in Nashville, TN. State Tax here is 8%. I forgot how the State Tax comes into place on a new car. For example, if I buy a $35,000 (MSRP) car and make a down payment of $20,000, does the State Tax count against the MSRP or the MSRP minus the down payment?
Sales tax is paid on whatever the purchase price of the car is, before any trade or down payment or anything. In some states the tax rate on new vehicles is less than the general sales tax rate. Here in VA I think the sales tax on cars is 3% while the sales tax in general is 4.5%
I also noticed vertical ripples in my windshield. Somewhat difficult to detect, but there! I am surprised no one else has mentioned this unless we are the only ones. I notice it most when the car is stopped, looking at a vertical object such as a narrow fence post and then moving my head back and forth. Does not really bother me, but I did notice it.
Thanks to all who responded, especially Sandi... Your answer made perfect sense, and assured me that there was no way I could have figured that out from the instructions. That forum is very helpful. I am furious at having paid $75 for that oil change. Let me mention again this was at AUTO STEIGLER in Encino. I happened to be in another part of SoCal, so I stopped in at House of Imports (where I bought the car). They installed the darn thing for me in two minutes for free, as opposed to the $40 that Auto Steigler wanted. One more thing: Did you know when you drop your car off for service and they give you a car, you'll get a Taurus or GrandAm unless you called ahead to specifically request a MB? That was a surprise, since the dealer made such a big deal out of saying that they give you a MB. My guess is that you have to call a month in advance to reserve your MB loaner. Enough griping: Car's great; no problems.
What brand of fuel have you heard has added chemicals that may be harmful? Pretty much every gasoline depending on your region regardless of make can come from the very same refinery. The tank truck driver just fills up and adds his companies secret ingredients to the tank before delivering to the gas stations. The only brand I've ever been leery of are the ones with 10% Ethanol, though I have used them on occasion. I thinkMohawk and Petro Can use it. I've never had any problems even using regular and midgrade once in a while, but never a tankful. Be wary of the no-name independant stations that have low price "premium" you'll probably find the octane rating isn't min.91. but more like 89.
It's like Catch 22--you have to do everything twice, at least at my dealer. As of next week, I will have had the car for less than five months and had it in four times. First, it had to go in because the rubber weatherstripping around the driver's door hadn't been installed properly. After a day, they told me they had to order the part, and I'd have to bring it in when the part arrived. Now, like so many others, my keys are acting up (i.e., not locking or unlocking the doors), so I'm told I have to leave the car there. After another day--during which my loaner was the cheapest model Corolla--they tell me that they have to order keys, and I'll have to bring it in next week. So, the questions are: (1) why don't they keep spare keys at the dealer, and (2) do I really have to leave the car for a day for them to order keys? The service advisor's answer to the first question was that the keys have to be programmed somewhere else before the dealer does additional programming. Is that right? Does anyone know? There was no answer to the second question. I guess people who can afford to buy MBs aren't quite bright enough to know when their keys are malfunctioning. Oh, and they said $90-$100 for an oil change (before the first free one) and the rep claimed to have never before heard about the problem of remote unlocking not working in the first 59,000 Cs. What a company!
It seems Mercedes makes nice cars, but the quality isn't what it used to be. The Germans are good at design and engineering, but let's leave manufacturing to Toyota. I get a kick and a bit concerned reading postings on the little problems people are having with their Benzes. At the same time, it concerns me because I am in the market for a new C or a used 95-96 S320. Check out this web site. It has great info for the MB fan.
It's more the dealerships. MB doesn't police them and weed out the bad ones enough. No idea how Lexus does it, but they seem to be doing a better job. Acura seems to be doing a lousy job :-)
Same thing happened to my wife about two months ago. Truck backed up into her. She couldn't reverse as there was a car behind her (this was at a traffic light, the truck was in the curb lane). Nothing she could do. Luckily she was driving our Chevy Corsica at the time. Had to replace the hood, grill and front bumper. $2000, their insurance paid, what a hassle. Acted like they were doing us a favor. Good you had the police come out. I would have the repairs done at your MB dealer. Good luck.
no ripples in my windshield i feel bad for those of you that are obviously getting ripped off by your dealerships ,getting overcharged for oil changes!! its really bad!!!.Again if anyone is in the north jersey area take your car to prestige in paramus.. they are fair,considerate,and very professional.I would complain to corperate.. theres nothing involved in changing oil other than minimal parts and labor... if it were a private garage, gouging the consumers,you would be justified notifying your local TV stations' consumer affairs reporter.
PK, thanks for your reply. The gasoline I am referring to is from Petro Can. A friend of mine with a 95 E320 was told never to use fuel from that station. I've heard the same thing from others as well....
Admittedly,no one has asked me,but my point is rather than ponder a C-class resale value if it is sold prematurely,it would make far more sense to stretch if necessary and buy,say,an E-class and keep it far longer.Change is good,but buying a nicer car than you thought you could afford is better.
From time to time, there has been a discussion of problems with the remote transmitter. On my four-month E430, I had been having recent problems in that the remote seemed to work, maybe, only 80% of the time.
Thinking it might have something to do with the battery, I checked the owner's manual and bought the right size battery. I followed the directions described in the manual and removed the battery compartment. To my surprise, there were two batteries. I replaced one of them and tested the transmitter for the blinking red light. It didn't work. So I put back the original battery. Since then, the transmitter has worked 100% of the time.
My theory is that the problem was not the batteries, but the connection. I suspect when I was fooling around with replacing the batteries, I inadvertantly improved the contacts.
Hi, Cannot understand why you would have to leave your car at the dealer to get a new key. My keys went bad the first day - 3 days later I got one new key - they spent about 5 minutes in the car programming it. Two weeks ago I got two new keys so now have three all together. Also took less than 10 minutes. I also use Prestige in Paramus and very impressed. They washed my car and it had some grease on it - took about 10 minutes removing it - no charge. As for Lexus, I had two Gs300 - got the first in a and the dealer was great. Another in 98 and dealer OK but not like at first. Now the same dealer is like a Yugo place (If there were any left). lexus is not like they use to be. I have gotten to love my C320 and so far the people at prestige have been great. Was surprised though you do not get Mercedes loaners- at lexus you always got a Lexus. While I waited for my car to be washed several people were complaining about the wait for the Loarner. Have a great weekend.
I ordered my C240(auto,C-2,C-3,Bose,CD-changer,Capri Blue)and it arrived this week. As my sales person was doing the final paper work they realized the car came in without the Bose system installed! This is a major disappointment. They have an audio technition they contract with and we had hoped he would be able to upgrade the system. He is reluctant to make any changes to the system due to the fiber optic network in the car because he wasn't sure how well the system would respond. We've explored other options including searching for another car and changing a car in the production line to fit these options. All to no avail. If we order another car it will be delivered sometime in late July (albeit a 2002) according to the dealer. They are willing to drop the price on the 2001 car by $500. They also suggested I could go to a third party (high-end audio auto audio store) and have the system upgraded so it has a fuller, richer sound than the basic system. Has anyone had any experience with this? I'm afraid it could be the beginning of alot of issues. Of course, I could buy the car with the basic system and move on. I love the car and I'm going back to the dealer tomorrow to see if I can live with the existing system. I've enjoyed the owner's club and have learned alot over the last few months.
I have just ordered a c320 in Capri Blue as well, yet I've never seen this color in real life. Do you mind posting the pictures for me? That is if you decided to go with it.
Concerning your audio situation, the only thing I can suggest is for you to go and listen to it yourself. Try both, one with Bose and one without, and see if the difference is acceptable to you. If not, then for one thing, I WOULD NOT go for after market stuff, I wouldn't want people to mess around with my new C. Plus, I don't know what the warranty situation would be after you have something done to your car. I might be old fashioned, but it is what I honestly believe. Just my 2 cents.
>I love the car and I'm going back to the dealer >tomorrow to see if I can live with the existing >system.
jjen,
You should have everything you want on your new car and not have to "live" with an audio system not of your choice. The Bose system is a joy -- the sound is magnificent. You might have regrets somewhere down the line if you do not get the Bose. I am not sure of pricing for the 2002, but this is a mistake on the part of MB. In a perfect world, you should have the car as you ordered, and if not available, it should be a 2002, It should be priced the same as the original 2001 ordered, and you should not have to compromise by taking the 2001 with the basic system.
I purchased a 320 in December and let myself be talked out of Xenon lights. Every night I drive it, I regret my decision. It just happens that I am expecting another C320 the end of May and it will have the Xenon.
On Thursday I was driving slowly when my new C320 lost engine power (I thought it was going to stall), some warning lights came one for a second or two and then they went off and the car regained power. I dropped it off yesterday and they said they could not find anything (no fault codes were stored) and (of course) could not reproduce the problem. Has anyone else encountered this problem?
Also, I had it in on Thursday for the seat memory problem. I told them I needed new keys before I came in, but they seem to be totally clueless that the new keys resolve the memory problem. The were able to reproduce the problem, and they said they've never seen it before and were not sure what the problem could be. To their knowledge, the new keys would not fix the problem. However, they were ordering me new keys to see if that will fix the problem. Am I correct that the new keys also fix the seat memory problem? I'm sure that's what I have read on the message boards.
I'm starting to get somewhat concerned about my new purchase. It's really a bummer given the cost of the car and that this is suppose to be my "mid-life crisis" toy (broken toys are never fun).
of themselves. They want the C to compete with the BMW? Yeah, right. It is a beautiful car, but it's what's under the hood that counts. I will never buy an automatic. MB insistence on putting the 6 speed in the underpowered 240 is a colossal mistake. Are the marketing people at MB that stupid??? Don't they realize people like stick shift cars because they want their power on demand. Their stubborness is apparent not only in their decision not to put the 6 speed in the 320 but also in their decision to continue to put cassette decks in their cars. Who even uses a cassette deck anymore?? Just another obvious way for them to gouge another 800 bucks out of the customer. I love the looks of this car, but the fun of driving is important to me, and a large element of that is power. Until MB gets its act together, I think I will have to unfortunately look elsewhere.
..considering how many c's are showing up day by day....i'd say mb has hit the bullseye. this car is not neccessarily for the beemer "speed racer" type..no power is NOT everything..theres safety,comfort,style...if its power ya want..get a maxima.. great little 6 less money..the c?..its a bit more sedate,low keyed,and classy .but... hey to each their own.
don't be upset with the $40 cost of the cargo net. It costs over $100 for a smaller net for the Mercury Sable station wagon! Therefore, as a percentage of car cost, the MB cargo net is a steal.
never good news to hear about an mb owner having multiple problems... but for the grace of god go I.have had so few problem..and all minor at that..that i feel guilty!.. the few times ive been in the service reception area of my dealer.. or in the waiting room(has large windows so customers can see work bays)other than cars (c 240,or 320)getting prepped for delivery.. i dont see any being worked on.so i get the impression that on a % basis... its not a major problem/and there are a lot of c's showing up now in my area
>Also, I had it in on Thursday for the seat >memory problem. I told them I needed >keys >before I came in, but they seem to be totally >clueless. that the new keys resolve the memory >problem. They were able to reproduce the >problem, >and they said they've never seen it >before and >were not sure what the problem could >be.To their knowledge, the new keys would not >fix the problem. However, they were ordering me >new keys to see if that will fix the problem. >Am I correct that the new keys also fix the seat >memory problem? I'm sure that's what I have read >on the message boards.
Robert -- Perhaps you could be more explicit as to your seat memory problem.
I wish I had a magic wand to wave and make your 320's problems go away, but I can only repeat from my many previous posts that related to my seat memory. I purchased my C320 in December and it came with seat memory problems. The dealer told me then they had never heard of such a thing. They also advised me at that time that by disabling the "exit" feature, the seat memory would work better.
As far as the key function being directly connected with all this, I have seen this written by some knowledgeable people and it does make sense. However, I have not heard this reasoning from my MB Service Dept, but then again they can only do what they can do.
>considering how many c's are showing up day by day....i'd say mb has hit the bullseye. this car is not neccessarily for the beemer "speed racer" type..no power is NOT everything..theres safety,comfort,style...if its power ya want..get a maxima.. great little 6 less money..the c?..its a bit more sedate,low keyed,and classy .but... hey to each their own. >
Obviously, power is a concern to many MB owners. That is why they opt for the C320, or drool over the upcoming C32. It's unfair to make me out to be some power craving driver when all I want is the pickup that many automatic drivers here have. Speaking as someone who prefers a manual transmission, I am simply stating that MB is missing the mark with this segment of the consumer. I do a lot of city driving and prefer the power on demand ability of the manual, coupled with the larger engine, to get me out of tight spots or around slower traffic. I have no interest in a Maxima or any other boy racer. I just think that MB should have addressed their mistake in not putting the 6 speed into the C320 in the 2001, by making it standard on the 2002. I feel like I speak for a lot of consumers in this segment when I say MB has made a marketing boo-boo and is losing customers that they might have otherwise had.
the c240 will probably account for the largest percentage of the c class sales(already does!)... just as the 280 did in the past... of course there are always performance versions of the c,but it has never accounted for most of the sales what benz is doing is segmenting their market and your needs just arent met by THESE 2 models. might not be a bad idea to just wait a bit for that"performance"model in the c class.. and get all the power you need.. in addition to all the other benefits of owning a benz c.the 240 and 380 are for the "common folk".. your requirements for performance transcend that!
I apologize for ever doubting MB. They are perfect and do not make mistakes. I must have been crazy to ever question their rationale of putting the manual in the weaker powered car. May God forgive me. Again, my most sincere apologies!!!!!
as a person involved in sales. and marketing.. i understand why mb is segmenting their product narrowly.... you may not agree with their strategy.... but.. i see c's popping up all over now..both 240's and 320'so it must be succeeding. though some people.. including some reviewers have stated their disappointment with the lack of a stick in the 320.. in general.. it hasnt deterred the CONSUMERS confidence in mb.. theyre buying them like hotcakes.. you can question everything.. but.. as any sales and marketing person would do when assesing the rationalle and results a marketing plan... i look at sales volume. i pass the results on the road every day now.for gods sakes buy a beemer!
We just purchased a new '01 C320 and have been having some strange problems with it ... wondering if anyone else has encountered this and what the dealer's fix might have been.
I'm sitting at an intersection waiting to make a left turn. I step on the gas and begin the turn. At first I get a normal response but then the engine drops back to idle, as if the accelerator linkage had broken or something -- the car just drifts to a stop in the middle of the intersection. There were honking horns, squealing tires, everything except the impact. Fortunately, no one was going very fast.
I pressed the accelerator to the floor and got no response. Put it in park and back in drive. No response. Finally I had to put it in park, turn the car off, and restart it and all was well.
The previous day, I had a different problem -- maybe related, maybe not. After driving for a good half hour or so with cruise control, I dropped out of cruise control to make a stop at an intersection. When I went to resume cruise, it wouldn't engage. Tried to set a new speed, and it wouldn't engage. Finally I pulled over by the side of the road, shut the car off, and restarted it. Again, all was well.
The dealer claims the car is fine, primarily because they can't see any hard error codes on their computer, and can't reproduce the problem. The sense I get is that if they can't repro the problem they won't even try to fix it. They tried to get me to take it back but having only owned the car one week and having purchased it for the vaunted MB safety, I told them I don't want the car PERIOD if I can't have the basic comfort level of knowing I'm not going to have this happen again -- perhaps sometime when I have an 18-wheeler bearing down on me.
The cruise control thing is dissapointing but it can be lived with. It may never even happen again. But I don't like taking that kind of risk with the engine refusing to respond. Not sure if I like this "fly-by-wire" design and the "if the computer doesn't see it it doesn't exist" attitude of the service people.
Had anyone else had this problem -- if so, what was the fix?
Thanks for any insight or advice you can provide. The dealer has a tech driving the car around this weekend hoping the problem will occur for them but I think that if they don't solve it by Monday morning they are going to expect me to take it back and take my risks.
MB has gone to an electronic throttle, rather than a physical connection. These symptoms sound like the drivetrain computer has had a problem - and yes, that should get logged in the on-board diagnostic computer memory, but obviously it didn't. And no, I am not shocked that the service people are clueless - they are training a whole generation of mechanics now where they can only do what the "system" tells them to do. Real diagnostic / problem-solving skills are going the way of the dodo bird.
This problem fits a whole family of symptoms described on this board over the last 6 months; bottom line: great design, lousy execution, especially on the whazoo electronic doodads. There are a lot of unhappy owners in Germany who do not like being used as beta-testers for the electronic gadgets to which MB [and BMW and nearly everyone else] has become addicted. The difference with the Japanese is that they seem to test this stuff a lot more thoroughly before releasing it to customers. And, spend more time and money training the dealers....
>MB has gone to an electronic throttle, rather than a physical connection. These symptoms sound like the drivetrain computer has had a problem - and yes, that should get logged in the on-board diagnostic computer memory, but obviously it didn't.
Actually the dealer explained to me how the computer records error codes this way:
1) When an error occurs it is placed in memory as a "soft" error code.
2) If the error occurs a 2nd time it becomes a "hard" error (that they can see with the dealership computer.
3) If you shut the car off before the error occurs a second time, AND the power on self-test shows no problem with that same error, AND the error doesn't occur again during the second drive (before you shut the car off the next time), then the error code is discarded and there is a "clean slate" with respect to that particular error code.
4) Therefore, a very intermittent error will never be seen by the diagnostic equipment.
In addition the dealer admits they had another C series in the shop just last week that had a similar acceleration problem (not a complete cut-out, just sluggish on starting out) -- they managed to reproduce this problem and force the error to be recorded by goosing the accelerator very hard. They then fixed the offending sensor but the problem persisted. They then on advice of Mercedes changed out the crankshaft sensor, FOR WHICH THERE IS NO DEFINED ERROR CODE IF IT FAILS. This fixed the problem with that car.
The problem is, reading between the lines, I don't think MB will reimburse the dealer for a warranty repair unless it's "substantiated" by an error code report. This policy, applied in a tone-deaf manner, is very unwise. The existence of a code may substantiate a problem but the absence of a code by no means "un-substantiates" the problem -- particularly considering that an error has to occur just about twice in a row to even be detected!
We feel that we are in the position of proving we're not liars. Not exactly a good foot to get off on.
I experienced the same thing yesterday, and I was in the fast lane of a four lane highway. Fortunately it was right after a "gaper delay" and traffic was just getting back up to cruising speeds. I stepped on the gas and there was no response, looked down at the dash board and all the lights were on indicating that power was off. I still had enough momentum though to coast slowly over to the right lane (after a few blaring horns and apologies) and pull over. I somehow assumed it was a transmission problem and I was somehow in a "limp home mode", so after waiting a few seconds I got it started again and drove slowly off the highway onto a local route to try and get to my destination from where I could get in touch with roadside assistance. Engine cut off a second time a few minutes later after which I immediately called roadside assistance. I wasn't really near home base and an attempt was made to connect me to the nearest dealership, which they did. To cut a long story short, an hour and a half later nothing had happened and when I got in touch with the assistance center again, someone suggested cleaning my key, well the infrared port, which I did and was able to make it home without any further incidents. So far so good. I am not sure yet if I am a candidate for new keys. Other than yesterday though the car has been wonderful, even though now I have to admit I feel better driving with at least 2 sets of keys.
Do you have lots of house keys on the C key? On the ML, if you do that, the transponder loses contact w/ the sensor in the key slot...the computer thinks you yanked the key out and shuts the engine off...
Don't be offended/mad when someone says "there is no error code to substantiate your claim". That does not mean that they don't believe you 100%. It's just a statement of fact. Next time someone makes you feel like you have lied just say "I understand, pretend like this is pre-computer diagnostic days. These problems still occurred, do what you did then." Unfortunately I believe the technology is more sophisticated than we are. Shoot me for saying this, but someone has to pioneer new technology. Mercedes is known for that. After 25 years as a manager in the computer service business I can honestly say that people have better things to do than waste time making up fantasy failures and demanding a fix for them. Also, I can honestly say that manufacturers take reports of failures very seriously. Just be persistent and provide as much information as possible.
bgrommes wrote: >After driving for a good half hour or so with >cruise control, I dropped out of cruise control >to make a stop at an intersection
Drew,
While breaking in a new car is cruise control recommended? When I brought home my C320, I remember being told that it was preferable not to use until the car was broken in. The reason being that it was better to use different speeds.
i did find out that you can accidentally shut the car off while its traveling...in gear! but i turned it back on!i also dont have anything but my hiuse key in the fob..but then.. i was never one for carrying 35 keys around...
"Never operate radio transmitters equipped with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. without being connected to an external antenna) from inside the vehicle while the engine is running."
Later in the same page, it mentions "portable telephone" and CB radios.
Am I reading this wrong, or this saying that you can't use a cell phone inside the car?
P.S. Just drove home in my new Brilliant Silver 320. Can't believe how smooth the ride is.
Comments
Sorry to hear about that. Sounds really weird. The only time I've seen that is when the other guy is partway into the intersection and the light changed to red so he has to back up to let the other traffic go. It doesn't sound like what happened though. Hope the guy doesn't tell his insurance company that you rear-ended him...
You might want to leave a bigger safety gap in the future to be able to avoid guys like this. You're supposed to be able to see the bottom of their rear tires.
However the rear one was very frustrating to install. After a couple of false starts I finally figured it out. I love having the thing and find it to be very useful. It's another thing that really ought to be standard equipment on a car like this. The directions are quite confusing and I was also installing it in the dimly lit garage of my building which didn't help. Unfortunately I installed it a couple of months ago and don't remember off the top of my head exactly what I did, but I can take a look at it later and see if it jogs my memory.
As for installing the rear athwartships cargo net (which I find very handy), throw away the confusing directions. The plastic "rivets" come out in two pieces, the "male" rivet, and a "female" expanding receptacle (am I allowed to say this?). You discard the male part and put the female receptacle part back into the rectangular hole in the trunk trim piece, and then screw the plastic post with the net hooks into the receptacle. The post screw expands the receptacle, locking it into the trunk trim piece.
Happy trunkin'...
Tom
As far as resale,an economic question,I'm a little surprised how often this comes up.If money is made an issue,reselling any car with meaningful life in it is always unwise.
So I would say buy the 2001 and plan on keeping it long enough to where condition is the yardstick of a car's value,not its year.
I ordered my 2002 C240 (black with oyster interior, automatic) on March 24 with an ETA of September or October. The contract specifically states, "price increase is not to exceed 4% or the customer may cancel order". I've never ordered a vehicle and had to wait that long, nor have I have ever imagined ordering a vehicle not knowing what the exact price will be, let alone paying MSRP. The supply and demand forces are certainly being applied with a vengence.
Sometimes people get board with their cars and want another one.
IMHO, over 70% of people feel this way.
So resale would be a legitimate question.
I live in Nashville, TN. State Tax here is 8%. I forgot how the State Tax comes into place on a new car. For example, if I buy a $35,000 (MSRP) car and make a down payment of $20,000, does the State Tax count against the MSRP or the MSRP minus the down payment?
Thanks!
Pretty much every gasoline depending on your region regardless of make can come from the very same refinery. The tank truck driver just fills up and adds his companies secret ingredients to the tank before delivering to the gas stations. The only brand I've ever been leery of are the ones with 10% Ethanol, though I have used them on occasion. I thinkMohawk and Petro Can use it.
I've never had any problems even using regular and midgrade once in a while, but never a tankful. Be wary of the no-name independant stations that have low price "premium" you'll probably find the octane rating isn't min.91. but more like 89.
http://mbspy.bacosys.be/mbquality.htm
i feel bad for those of you that are obviously getting ripped off by your dealerships ,getting overcharged for oil changes!! its really bad!!!.Again if anyone is in the north jersey area take your car to prestige in paramus.. they are fair,considerate,and very professional.I would complain to corperate.. theres nothing involved in changing oil other than minimal parts and labor... if it were a private garage, gouging the consumers,you would be justified notifying your local TV stations' consumer affairs reporter.
Thinking it might have something to do with the battery, I checked the owner's manual and bought the right size battery. I followed the directions described in the manual and removed the battery compartment. To my surprise, there were two batteries. I replaced one of them and tested the transmitter for the blinking red light. It didn't work. So I put back the original battery. Since then, the transmitter has worked 100% of the time.
My theory is that the problem was not the batteries, but the connection. I suspect when I was fooling around with replacing the batteries, I inadvertantly improved the contacts.
As for Lexus, I had two Gs300 - got the first in a
and the dealer was great. Another in 98 and dealer OK but not like at first. Now the same dealer is like a Yugo place (If there were any left). lexus is not like they use to be.
I have gotten to love my C320 and so far the people at prestige have been great. Was surprised though you do not get Mercedes loaners- at lexus you always got a Lexus. While I waited for my car to be washed several people were complaining about the wait for the Loarner. Have a great weekend.
They have an audio technition they contract with and we had hoped he would be able to upgrade the system. He is reluctant to make any changes to the system due to the fiber optic network in the car because he wasn't sure how well the system would respond.
We've explored other options including searching for another car and changing a car in the production line to fit these options. All to no avail. If we order another car it will be delivered sometime in late July (albeit a 2002) according to the dealer. They are willing to drop the price on the 2001 car by $500. They also suggested I could go to a third party (high-end audio auto audio store) and have the system upgraded so it has a fuller, richer sound than the basic system.
Has anyone had any experience with this? I'm afraid it could be the beginning of alot of issues.
Of course, I could buy the car with the basic system and move on. I love the car and I'm going back to the dealer tomorrow to see if I can live with the existing system.
I've enjoyed the owner's club and have learned alot over the last few months.
I have just ordered a c320 in Capri Blue as well, yet I've never seen this color in real life. Do you mind posting the pictures for me? That is if you decided to go with it.
Concerning your audio situation, the only thing I can suggest is for you to go and listen to it yourself. Try both, one with Bose and one without, and see if the difference is acceptable to you. If not, then for one thing, I WOULD NOT go for after market stuff, I wouldn't want people to mess around with my new C. Plus, I don't know what the warranty situation would be after you have something done to your car. I might be old fashioned, but it is what I honestly believe. Just my 2 cents.
jjen,
You should have everything you want on your new car and not have to "live" with an audio system not of your choice. The Bose system is a joy -- the sound is magnificent. You might have regrets somewhere down the line if you do not get the Bose. I am not sure of pricing for the 2002, but this is a mistake on the part of MB. In a perfect world, you should have the car as you ordered, and if not available, it should be a 2002, It should be priced the same as the original 2001 ordered, and you should not have to compromise by taking the 2001 with the basic system.
I purchased a 320 in December and let myself be talked out of Xenon lights. Every night I drive it, I regret my decision. It just happens that I am expecting another C320 the end of May and it will have the Xenon.
Miki
Also, I had it in on Thursday for the seat memory problem. I told them I needed new keys before I came in, but they seem to be totally clueless that the new keys resolve the memory problem. The were able to reproduce the problem, and they said they've never seen it before and were not sure what the problem could be. To their knowledge, the new keys would not fix the problem. However, they were ordering me new keys to see if that will fix the problem. Am I correct that the new keys also fix the seat memory problem? I'm sure that's what I have read on the message boards.
I'm starting to get somewhat concerned about my new purchase. It's really a bummer given the cost of the car and that this is suppose to be my "mid-life crisis" toy (broken toys are never fun).
Oh well, life goes on.
Robert
this car is not neccessarily for the beemer "speed racer" type..no power is NOT everything..theres safety,comfort,style...if its power ya want..get a maxima.. great little 6 less money..the c?..its a bit more sedate,low keyed,and classy .but... hey to each their own.
Robert -- Perhaps you could be more explicit as to your seat memory problem.
I wish I had a magic wand to wave and make your 320's problems go away, but I can only repeat from my many previous posts that related to my seat memory. I purchased my C320 in December and it came with seat memory problems. The dealer told me then they had never heard of such a thing. They also advised me at that time that by disabling the "exit" feature, the seat memory would work better.
As far as the key function being directly connected with all this, I have seen this written by some knowledgeable people and it does make sense. However, I have not heard this reasoning from my MB Service Dept, but then again they can only do what they can do.
Miki
this car is not neccessarily for the beemer "speed racer" type..no power is NOT everything..theres safety,comfort,style...if its power ya want..get a maxima.. great little 6 less money..the c?..its a bit more sedate,low keyed,and classy .but... hey to each their own.
>
Obviously, power is a concern to many MB owners. That is why they opt for the C320, or drool over the upcoming C32. It's unfair to make me out to be some power craving driver when all I want is the pickup that many automatic drivers here have. Speaking as someone who prefers a manual transmission, I am simply stating that MB is missing the mark with this segment of the consumer. I do a lot of city driving and prefer the power on demand ability of the manual, coupled with the larger engine, to get me out of tight spots or around slower traffic. I have no interest in a Maxima or any other boy racer. I just think that MB should have addressed their mistake in not putting the 6 speed into the C320 in the 2001, by making it standard on the 2002. I feel like I speak for a lot of consumers in this segment when I say MB has made a marketing boo-boo and is losing customers that they might have otherwise had.
you may not agree with their strategy.... but.. i see c's popping up all over now..both 240's and 320'so it must be succeeding.
though some people.. including some reviewers have stated their disappointment with the lack of a stick in the 320.. in general.. it hasnt deterred the CONSUMERS confidence in mb.. theyre buying them like hotcakes.. you can question everything.. but.. as any sales and marketing person would do when assesing the rationalle and results a marketing plan... i look at sales volume. i pass the results on the
road every day now.for gods sakes buy a beemer!
I'm sitting at an intersection waiting to make a left turn. I step on the gas and begin the turn. At first I get a normal response but then the engine drops back to idle, as if the accelerator linkage had broken or something -- the car just drifts to a stop in the middle of the intersection. There were honking horns, squealing tires, everything except the impact. Fortunately, no one was going very fast.
I pressed the accelerator to the floor and got no response. Put it in park and back in drive. No response. Finally I had to put it in park, turn the car off, and restart it and all was well.
The previous day, I had a different problem -- maybe related, maybe not. After driving for a good half hour or so with cruise control, I dropped out of cruise control to make a stop at an intersection. When I went to resume cruise, it wouldn't engage. Tried to set a new speed, and it wouldn't engage. Finally I pulled over by the side of the road, shut the car off, and restarted it. Again, all was well.
The dealer claims the car is fine, primarily because they can't see any hard error codes on their computer, and can't reproduce the problem. The sense I get is that if they can't repro the problem they won't even try to fix it. They tried to get me to take it back but having only owned the car one week and having purchased it for the vaunted MB safety, I told them I don't want the car PERIOD if I can't have the basic comfort level of knowing I'm not going to have this happen again -- perhaps sometime when I have an 18-wheeler bearing down on me.
The cruise control thing is dissapointing but it can be lived with. It may never even happen again. But I don't like taking that kind of risk with the engine refusing to respond. Not sure if I like this "fly-by-wire" design and the "if the computer doesn't see it it doesn't exist" attitude of the service people.
Had anyone else had this problem -- if so, what was the fix?
Thanks for any insight or advice you can provide. The dealer has a tech driving the car around this weekend hoping the problem will occur for them but I think that if they don't solve it by Monday morning they are going to expect me to take it back and take my risks.
This problem fits a whole family of symptoms described on this board over the last 6 months; bottom line: great design, lousy execution, especially on the whazoo electronic doodads. There are a lot of unhappy owners in Germany who do not like being used as beta-testers for the electronic gadgets to which MB [and BMW and nearly everyone else] has become addicted. The difference with the Japanese is that they seem to test this stuff a lot more thoroughly before releasing it to customers. And, spend more time and money training the dealers....
>MB has gone to an electronic throttle, rather than a physical connection. These symptoms sound like the drivetrain computer has had a problem - and yes, that should get logged in the on-board diagnostic computer memory, but obviously it didn't.
Actually the dealer explained to me how the computer records error codes this way:
1) When an error occurs it is placed in memory as a "soft" error code.
2) If the error occurs a 2nd time it becomes a "hard" error (that they can see with the dealership computer.
3) If you shut the car off before the error occurs a second time, AND the power on self-test shows no problem with that same error, AND the error doesn't occur again during the second drive (before you shut the car off the next time), then the error code is discarded and there is a "clean slate" with respect to that particular error code.
4) Therefore, a very intermittent error will never be seen by the diagnostic equipment.
In addition the dealer admits they had another C series in the shop just last week that had a similar acceleration problem (not a complete cut-out, just sluggish on starting out) -- they managed to reproduce this problem and force the error to be recorded by goosing the accelerator very hard. They then fixed the offending sensor but the problem persisted. They then on advice of Mercedes changed out the crankshaft sensor, FOR WHICH THERE IS NO DEFINED ERROR CODE IF IT FAILS. This fixed the problem with that car.
The problem is, reading between the lines, I don't think MB will reimburse the dealer for a warranty repair unless it's "substantiated" by an error code report. This policy, applied in a tone-deaf manner, is very unwise. The existence of a code may substantiate a problem but the absence of a code by no means "un-substantiates" the problem -- particularly considering that an error has to occur just about twice in a row to even be detected!
We feel that we are in the position of proving we're not liars. Not exactly a good foot to get off on.
All I have with my keyfob is the steering wheel club key, as well the trailer hitch lock key. Nothing else.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
>After driving for a good half hour or so with >cruise control, I dropped out of cruise control >to make a stop at an intersection
Drew,
While breaking in a new car is cruise control recommended? When I brought home my C320, I remember being told that it was preferable not to use until the car was broken in. The reason being that it was better to use different speeds.
Miki
"Never operate radio transmitters equipped with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. without being connected to an external antenna) from inside the vehicle while the engine is running."
Later in the same page, it mentions "portable telephone" and CB radios.
Am I reading this wrong, or this saying that you can't use a cell phone inside the car?
P.S. Just drove home in my new Brilliant Silver 320. Can't believe how smooth the ride is.
Enjoy your car I do mine!