Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

mattshobe

has anyone heard any rumours about the 4Matic system coming to any member(s) of the C line?

if not, are there any "spy sites" that you folks regularly tune in for news about forthcoming MBUSA developments?

-- spike in chicago

zmeenow

i think yes... late 2002... drew anything more recent on the 4-matic?

ricric

I also experienced power loss problem twice, but I didn't know that it is a common problems, I thought it is normal because I figure out it is unlikely for mb to experience this kind of situation, until I read most of the cases occured to some people.
All I do when the the power is loss is, I shifted the transmission to Neutral for about 2 seconds, and then I shifted it back to Drive again. The car then start moving again.

zmeenow

i have 13,000 on my c240.. never a power loss..i wouldnt consider it in any way normal,or safe if it were happening to me..

mleskovar

I consider this a feature and should be standard on all automobiles!! Hands off phones are even suspect of distraction.

nyca

A handheld does emit RF, but it's just like the rule that says you can't use them on a plane because they could interfere with the electronics, it might be true if you were pressing the handset up against the ECU in the car, but under normal circumstances it's not an issue really. This cell phone ban is the latest "craze" to try and take away more of our freedoms. By far, I see more people distracted by eating/drinking and applying makeup then I do by talking on the phone. Any activity distracting you in your car, from eating, drinking, reading, loading a CD, etc that impairs your driving to the point that a police officer observing it feels you are a safety threat should be enforced, rather than having a bunch of new laws making crimes out of talking on the phone,drinking coffee, etc.

If Niki Taylor's driver had been reaching for a $5 cup of Starbucks latte, do you think it would have gotten nearly as much media attention?

zmeenow

Howard Stern is a major distraction in a car.They gonna ban him? nooooooo

theonlyroberts

Has anyone else been experiencing the center of their windsheild developing an outgassing film. I have washed the inside of the windshield with hot,hot water and vineager and it looks beautiful. Then I start driving the car and within 5-10 miles, it develops this film in the center right above the grille in the center of the dash board. If I wipe it off with a towel, it comes back within minute of the car being used.

--Dale

mleskovar

I'm more worried about someone taking away my freedom to live than your freedom to talk on the phone. Hand held cell phones and driving are a proven hazard, that's why laws against them are proliferating. Gamble with your own life.

mleskovar

Yea, I experience the same thing. I'm thinking it has something to do with the AC and a moisture buildup in the dashboard air vent ducting or AC plenum.

tammara

Ken/Drew

Thanks Guys, but heeding to much earlier postings, I had actually bought one of those detachable key rings even before picking up the car. That way I was always able to isolate the key before starting the engine which was the case when it happened. Feels so surreal and I am still in lala land. Hope it doesn't happen again.

anido

Ok, let's say I won't use my cell phone while driving, because it's unsafe. But this is saying that any passengers cannot use it either because the RF emissions might interfere with the car's electronics. It sounds like no-one here thinks that would be a serious problem.

I don't have the COMAND option. Is there any way to hook a cell phone to the car's existing microphpne/speaker that comes by default with the car, since TeleAid uses it?

zmeenow

great qeastion! I havent,as of yet ,any problems with cell phone/fob key

Andy98

Has anyone purchased the MB sports package with the C240? Specifically, what is the level of traction in snow given the higher performance tires? This is a problem with other sedans (i.e. BMW) and I was wondering what to except with the MB. Thanks. This board is a wealth of information.

tarik

It sounds like no-one here thinks that would be a serious problem.

Just because noone thinks it is, doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist, right?

The mentioned situation is always a possibility within our submerged-in-radiation-world. By no means am I an opponent of today's electronic communication (rather a constant user), but the use of cell phones on airplanes is prohibited for a reason.

I am sure you have heard the (unfortunate) stories about airbags deploying out of the blue, ABS warning lights flashing "for the fun of it", ECUs failing because it is sunday afternoon, radar detectors beeping like crazy while you pass automatic mall doors - lots of these events can be contributed to electromagnetic influence of some sort. The reasoning for EMR (electromagnetic radiation) doesn't always seem logical, but its existence cannot be denied. A cell phone's signal, albeit rather small, can surely be an additional factor in these incidents.

I am pretty certain that the main reason for even mentioning that issue in a car's manual is fear of litigation. Engineers can't always predict the result of their doings any more - think of SW problems (seat memory, sunroof, keys, just to name a few). BMW had to deal with this issue a decade ago, being one of the pioneers in stuffing cars with electronic gizmos. Nowadays, even the not entirely correct routing of a few wires within a car's body can lead to malfunctions, since those wires act as an external antenna and introduce unwanted signals into the vehicle's control. MB has been moving to fiberoptics for this reason, and also to eliminate some weight.

Basically, it seems to be a safeguard on the manufacturer's part to mention the possibility of a cell phone setting off whatever (mal)functions in a car. Makes me rethink the term beta-tester...

Tarik

gerrymurray

Hi,
With all the faracas over the water-based
paint and the paint-chips on the hood and the
leaning towards getting a bra etc....
...has anyone considered getting their
new car coated with an enamel clear coat so as
to _preserve_ that showroom finish and, somewhat,
minimize chips n scratches on the original
surface.
?
Gerry
(Awaiting his 2002 black C-240, c3/c6)

lancairman

My new 2 week old C320 has a soaking wet passenger rear floorboard and mat; odd since we have not had any rain for 2 weeks, have not carried any fluid in the car, etc. Is this a condensation leak coming from somewhere? Anyone else with this problem?

Also, I have a tap,tap,tap at idle which comes and goes--anyone know about this?
lancairman

jmsintx

What may be happening is that the HVAC drain to the outside of the car is blocked and the condensation from the A/C is draining to the lowest point via the air duct to the rear passenger footwell.

jjen30

loy --
Thanks for your advice on my audio issue. I ended up purchasing the car -- and I'm very happy with the performance so far (day three).
I don't have any photos of my car yet to post, however, if you go to message #2365 spndx has posted a few photos of his capris blue C240. He had a great photo on #2339 but it appears it no longer exists there. I love the color and so far I've not seen any on the road yet. Good luck!

dl7265

I HAD A CAR ONCE WITH A LEAKY TAIL light LENSE DID SAME THING AND IT RAN DOWN TO FLOORBOARDS just another idea,...

DL

sleake

I just got my car back from the service department and noticed this (for the first time) as I was driving out. I also noticed that someone had set the A/C controls on "LO" which
corresponds to about 60 degrees and had the blower on high, apparently trying to cool the car down VERy quickly. I assumed it had something to do with that (freon maybe?) and haven't yet tried to clean it off.

loy

jjen30

Congratulations on your new purchase!!! And also certainly very glad to hear that you are happy with the car. Can't wait to pick mine up in mid July.

In addition, thanx for pointing out where the pics are. Funny thing is I did remember seeing those pics before, just didn't remember that they are Capri blue. Too bad the color doesn't show very well, nonetheless I got the idea. Also, I agree with you that there aren't that many c's in this color around, and that is one of the main reason why I chose it. Currently have a black car (so no more black, want some changes), like the silver a lot (probably my first choice) but too many of them on the road, I can just enjoy seeing other people drive them, good enough for me

dbn7

I also have a 2week old (C240) and love it!! However I also have that "tap,tap,tap" at idle that comes and go's!! Is this just a characteristic of the M.B engine?? Drew??

rmelk

Have a C 240 with 900 miles. Have had three incidents where after stopping car it begins to rough idle and almost stalls, then suddenly accelerates. Have also had several stalls and other episodes of rough idling cured by putting car in neutral. I think the three episodes occurred because my foot was off the brake as I was about to accelerate (no, my foot was not on the gas pedal). Wonder if it happens more often, but unrecognized because my foot is on the brake. MB making several modifications. They have even put a newly designed fuel pump in newer cars. Now changing fuel filters. This could be serious. Luckily I didn't hit anyone or get hit. I've also posted this at the MBWorld Web site and have had several responses of a similar problem. Mostly C 240's with automatic, but also a C 320. Please advise if you know of similar problems. MB is still at a loss and I've been driving loaners more than my car!

zmeenow

13,000+ miles no hesitation..no stalls..no acceleration... mine was one of the 1st c240s manufactured.... i got delivery in october.i have automatic.
the "problems" with my car have been minor... and have been fixed promptly by my dealers service dept.

fuzzo

I have been reading about some of the problems people have been having when they are stopped.

Are all these on the cars with auto transmission. Can someone tell me if they have heard of these or similar problems for the manual transmission

thanks in advance

p996

What is the production date of the cars that
are having surge and stall problems?

rmelk? What does it say on the inside of your door? What is the production date?

itaback

Well, after 2,300 trouble-free miles with my C320 sport, I too have finally encountered key problems!! Out of nowhere, the key I had been using will not lock the doors. The red light on the key turns on when I press the button so I don't think it is a battery issue. The key does start the car.

What is the bottom line with these key problems?? Are people getting new keys?? If so, is that fixing the problems??

Thanks.

drew_

Don't miss the weekly MB Tuesdays chat at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10pm Eastern! All MB fans/enthusists/owners/potential owners are welcome to participate. Hope to see you there!

Click on the link below to enter the chat at the times above. Note that the link to the chat is always near the top of this page, just under the discussion topic title:

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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

sjsubum

My car is a C240/Auto with about 2000 miles, purchased in February. I also have problems with one of the keys. The key would not lock/unlock but it would start the car. When the problem first appear, the key would only work half of the time. Shortly after that it stopped working completely. So I started using the other key. I was at the dealer a few days ago, so I tried to show them the problem key, but it was working fine. One day after that, it went dead again. Other than this minor problem I love the car.

fredtwd

I had a similar problem (I think I replied to you on MBWorld.org). I collected all recent posts similar to my experience and forwarded them to my local MB service manager. Based on one of the posts I forwarded (Edmunds post #2943) and a similar problem they previous encountered, they will be replacing the crankshaft sensor.

I pick up the car this Thursday. I will send an update (it only happened to me once, so it will be difficult to determine if it is fixed immediately).

Hope this helps.

Robert

drew_

TOPIC: Tues., May 8th "My vehicle is better than yours because..."

sascuderi

I will be replacing my wife's car soon and was considering the new C. (I drive a 2000 Infiniti I30 which has not had any problems and I am use to the having Japanese cars which work fine from the start.)

My question is, are the electrical problems I am reading unusual or just the "normal" for the Benz?

anthonyv1

I suggest you go back and scan the last 2 months of posts. The C is a beautiful looking, comfortable car, but it has its share of problems that your wife might not want to deal with. These include:

- ignition keys not working
- Trunk not opening
- excessive brake squeal
- sudden stalls
- Paint chipping

Dealers will cop to none of this until you have purchased the car. Then they will have to deal with it after you buy it. Obviously theres a certain charm to driving a brand new model; just wanted to let you know about the flipside.

Good luck with your decision.

lillyk

Hello,

I'm preparing to purchase a 2002 C320 and was wondering if I bought an aftermarket CD player/changer, whether the integrated controls (on the steering wheel) would work? Are there other integrated functions that might not work?

Are there any pros/cons to buying the factory CD player?

Thanks!
Lilly

fuzzo

I am curious to know as well if this is normal for a new release or if the C is just having some bad luck.

I have never owned a MB... i've always had japanese cars ...and I haven't had any problems with them except for routine maintenance. ... so I don't know much about MB's/german cars. I did have a 3 series for a while but it had an untimely death a month after I got it. that car didn't give me any problems.

spndx

Well, it's been three weeks now since my Capri Blue 6spd showed up at my dealer, exactly one month after I dropped it off at the Hotel Bayerischerhof in Munich.

All in all a great experience. The car showed up in perfect shape. I had to drive it around for a few days here with the German plates (hey, it took me awhile to get to the DMV, OK??)

I saw a couple of posts earlier about the Capri Blue. I really like the color. It looks black at night, and a definite blue under direct sun (what does the Midnight Blue look like I wonder??).

Only issues so far:
* A couple of deep chips after driving 1600 miles, including 800 on the Autobahn at VERY high speed;

* Krazy Key thing. One of the keys cannot be set to control the easy exit feature. It can only move the steering wheel up upon removing the key, no matter how it is set through the dash computer. The other key controls everything fine.

Great car - now if I could only get out of traffic long enough to actually drive it.

htma1

We dropped our new C240 off in Sindelgingen on March 30, and it's still on the boat. The ED guys say it's due in Jacksonville May 18th, and they will take "6 to 8 working days" to turn it around in port vehicle processing before it's trucked here. The sales agent told us to expect 42-45 days for delivery, but it's looking more like 60 to me. Sure wish it had arrived in just 4 weeks like spndx in #2987!

404c

Do you have any photos of your Capri Blue car with the German plates (I assume they're the smaller "US-sized" ones)? I know your motivation for driving with them around here - my Dad and I drove his (then) new 1972 Peugeot across Canada on Dutch plates. That sure was a conversation stimulator when we stopped.

I'd like to have a look at your car and the plates (F and R), as I really like that colour and have yet to see a Capri Blue C in sunlight. I also like Wedgewood Blue, but that's another story.

zmeenow

though the electrical problems may or may not be typical of 1st yr german cars problems,paint chips is a problem that shows up on several other sights,such as bmw3 series,and acura tl.also,brake squeal i certainly dont consider a mechanical problem of any major type. i see many more c's on the road now.. and this board is but a tiny % of the total c population.to take this microcosm as "typical" i think would possibly be an error.
and again, my 240 delivered in oct.. is virtually flawless in performance

djasonw

Hey.. that ED guy..would he be BOB DOLE? LOL.... seriously folks... I've had my C320 Sport for nearly three months. I have around 4800 miles and have had not ONE problem as mentioned on this board. Only one little tiny problem which will be addressed when I bring it to Prestige for my 5000 mile oil change. That has to do with the steering wheel being at 11:55 when going straight. Other than that... NO PROBLEMS.

anthonyv1

Why wouldn't you take this microcosm as "typical"? It's filled with people from all over the country (even world). It is a perfect sampling of C's from every corner of the planet. As I am still considering the C (i plan on taking a 6 spd out for more than a spin around the block) with special order color and metalic paint, I will not be happy if it begins chipping away just as I drive it off of the lot!!! That's over 1,600 bucks for paint, and excuse me for wanting it to stay on the car. If the chipping is a problem that is endemic of the car industry, then Mercedes should take the lead and apply clear bras or whatever it takes to ensure that the paint chipping does not continue.

I find it very humorous that no matter what problem happens with these cars, the consumer is supposed to roll with it because it's a Mercedes. How much of this garbage would you tolerate if it was a Toyota, or a Hyundai. Very little!!!!

zmeenow

all points well taken..but a better,and much wider sampling would include more than just the 20 or so regulars,and then the people that float in and out from time to time...i agree that it would be nice if mb bmw,acura,and whomever else could come up with some cost effective remedy for the paint chipping problem that seems to be plagueing the car industry.include a bra? at what cost? better paint is obviously the answer.. and as of yet.. it doesnt exist.
the electronic problems that seem to be cropping up are,as i said more than just annoying! they are a safety problem and i WOULD be furious~
but as of now my car has been flawless as djasomw's..there are,i am sure, many happy owners that either dont know this board even exists,dont care..or see it as a place to mostly air problems.. and are content to spend THEIR time more constructivly.. that is.... driving and enjoying their cars!

hoppyeng

I have the C320 since 1/2001 and have no problems at all -- like the ones expressed by others. No squeaky brakes, smart keys are working fine, no power cutoff and surge, etc. Is this the norm or I am lucky with my C320?

Gas mileage is great after 3300 miles. Got 29 mpg on a recent trip from Washington DC to Cleveland.

rmelk

Thanks to all who replied re: unintended acceleration. My car was built around February time frame. Can't give exact date since car is still at dealership. Will hunt down message on crankshaft sensor. I'm only aware of problems with automatic. Only one complaint with C 320, several with C 240. fredtwd - good luck, let me know if they've fixed it!

fedssocr

It is a bit unsettling to see some folks having so many problems. But I agree that the users here are not necessarily a statistically useful sampling. I've had my car since early Feb and have not encountered any problems with it. However, I also drive very little (only about 1100 miles so far) so it's possible I just haven't driven it enough yet for trouble to materialize.

I suspect that every make and model has its share of these problems. If one were to read every board on this site or visit every site on the Net devoted to people airing their problems with their cars, you would probably never want to buy any car ever. I had a '90 Acura Integra that I loved. But it has its problems like window seals that didn't seal very well after a couple of years and created lots of wind noise and water leaks. The check engine light also had the annoying habit of coming on while I was driving on long trips, yet no actual problem was ever uncovered by the service department. My '95 Accord was a great car that was pretty much problem free although I'm sure other Accord buyers had cars with trouble.

michhala

>Why wouldn't you take this microcosm >
>as "typical"?

Anthony -- Because IMHO a large percentage of posters to any board come there because they have a problem and require some input. Therefore, you typically see more reports of problems, than reports of satisfaction. This is not to say that the happy and satisfied people do not read the posts; but they are not as motivated to submit one.

Miki

mleskovar

Condensation from the AC drips from above my driveshaft on to a body cross member, through a hole in the member to the ground directly beneath the center armrest. I'm wondering if the water is routed and venting correctly. I wonder because sometimes I get condensation on the inside of the front window directly above the center vent. AC is supposed to remove moisture from inside the vehicle.

p996

If you could go back in time...would you step up to the plate again and buy your C?

If not, what would you get?

ctic

Anthony's slams of MB are typical of many posters that I have seen in all the MB topics in the 1-2 years I've been here.

They put MBs up on a pedestal and then list out problems that they see and say "Would you tolerate it if it was brand X?"

The fact is that MB is the most solidly built car and satisfying car I have ever driven, and I would never go back to a Honda or Toyota. It's like going to a 5 star restaurant and saying "You have to wait in line here, I'd rather go to McDonalds where I don't have to wait."

If it wasn't for the "fact" that anthony says he's going to "buy" one, I'd just say he was a typical MB basher.