Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

shark320

I had the same "thumping from the rear" on my 320 soon after I got it in April. I took it to the dealer who also heard it (every 5 - 10 mins) and they said it was the amplifier and replaced it immediately. Have had no problems since except below which I believe is unrelated.

Now I have one for the board which I think I read about here previously....just recently, last week or so, I am having trouble with my AM reception. It used to work fine and very clear (I am in a big city) but all of a sudden the reception (on AM only) cackles and is really bad. Any advice before I take it to the dealer?

Thanks much to all.

rowlandj

There is an antenna amplifier (in the headiner I think) that had to be replaced on my C. I had the same problem, reception was fine then degraded. Since the fix a few weeks ago all seems fine. I do notice a "dent" in the headliner now in the rear just behind the roof light but I can't remember if it was there prior to the repair. I don't know whether to complain or not as it is not too noticable and the fix could cause other problems.

JR

Presta

Dogcow,

I tried the key both ways. The electronic key should work in either position.

As I mentioned, The key unlocks the doors, so it's bigger than that "forgetful key" problem. I was cruising around Town Hall earlier and found this post which has me worried. This is exactly what happened to me this morning:

Sad Key Story by sandiegotom:
Following a member-guest golf outing yesterday, I was admiring a fellow golfer's new (900 Miles) CLK-320 convertible in the parking lot. When he set out to leave, the engine wouldn't start. Everything else worked normally when the key was inserted and turned, but the start sequence didn't start. Turns out this was the second time that this has happened to this guy - the first time, the car was out of commission for a week while a new ignition key module was flown in from Germany. We called Mercedes on his TeleAid and got a prompt, courteous, and concerned reply, but the best they could do was send a tow truck. The CLK-320 key setup appears to be identical to our C-classes. By the way, he waited 14 months to get his convertible.

sleake

My AM reception problem became apparent soon after I took deliver in October 2000. It took them a couple of days to identify the problem, which was a defective antenna part located under the headliner near the rear window, driver's side. It's been fine since they changed out that part. On another subject, my car is an early VIN #29143, which means the remote unlocking feature doesn't work. Previously, no one at my dealer had any knowledge of this problem. Today I took the car in for a couple of minor things and raised this issue again. As before, the service rep knew nothing, but he called up the head mechanic and, lo and behold...he now knows about the problem and has already installed the fix on a couple of other cars. He's ordering the necessary part which should be in tomorrow. Yeah! btw...hello to the regular folks on the board. I haven't posted much at all for a couple of months, but I do skim the posts regularly.
Sherrill

dawin

I bought mine from that site also. Their packaging was bad(shipped in the original box). My changer was damaged during shipment. Luckily my MB dealer replaced it under warranty.

mtroy

Wall St. Journal today compares the new Jaguar X with C320 and the BMW 330 and Audi A4. No comparison -- Jag runs weak and looks like a Ford Contour and gets much worse mileage than the C. Notwithstanding various headaches noted by some on this board (keys, antennas, chips, seat memories, disappointing service), there seems to be a consensus here that the car runs and looks great. The Jag obviously is meant to evoke the style of the bigger Jag S or XJ or whatever it's called, but fails. The C pulls of the baby S style perfectly. I am completely happy with the features, handling and styling and have no regrets. I checked out the Lexus ES article and pictures on Edmunds. I always thought the ES was better looking that the GS, but now they've made it look more like the GS. And, as we always knew, it lacks the quickness of the C320.

kishino

I just recently signed up for the MB powertrip. Has anybody here gone to one of those and how is it? also what do they let you drive and of course are there any freebies/gifts. Thanks.

tlam625

Hi Sleake,

Regarding your fix on the AM reception, can you be more specific on what was wrong with the
AM reception before the fix?
My wife who drives the car complains about occasional static on AM. It doesn't necessary be under electrical wire.

And what is the function or name of the replaced part (under the headliner)?

thanks

kenyee

check out my report on it at www.keysolutions.com/M-Class
It's great fun!

fuzzo

I signed up for the power trip in DC and I was on the waitlist. I never got a spot to go but I did receive an MB key chain yesterday with an apology for not having enough space for me....

sleake

I will have to look at the service order when I get home from work, before I can tell you what part was replaced. However, the symptom of the problem was severe static that occurred only when the car was in motion (never while standing still) and often triggered by going over a bump. It sounded very much like a loose antenna connection to me. At times the static was so bad that it completely interfered with radio reception and I would end up turning the radio off. Other times, it wasn't bad at all.

drew_

I have bad news :-(...looks like MB has decided to delay the availability of this option till fall of 2003, which would make it a MY2004 model. The '04 model allegedly get a slight facelift. I didn't want to believe the news about the 4-matic till I found out the same thing from my salesguy when I was at the dealership picking up my ML. Apparently it was more of a political decision (beats me what it was!) than technical decision. I'll try to see if I can learn more about this though.


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

bubba3007

Kishino, think Disney Land for adults (as one of the presenters said), think catered refreshments, commemorative caps,awesome presentations and demonstrations. Plan to drive C coupes, sedans, SLK, CLK, E, S, SL, CL, and ML as well as BMW, Audi, and Lexus. And if you get tired of driving, go for a ride with one of M-Bs drivers in an AMG for some Hot Laps. Other than that its just another car show. However, I drove nearly 600 miles (one way) to Chicago and would do it again any time.

Where will you be going to play? Be sure to bring back a complete report for the board.

Bubba

"... My friends all drive Porsches, I must make AMENDS..." J. Joplin

drew_

Here's a newly created discussion topic you may be interested in :-)

Why women love Mercedes-Benz cars?


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

4murphy

One of the many problems with my C 240 was a faulty electronic ignition switch. I had to have my car towed to the dealer. The part numbers are:
203-545-02-08 switch
203-766-41-06-9999 key
It took a week to get the parts, and it took the technican all day to repair.
It has been a while since I have posted to this board. I gave the C to my daughter; she loves the car and has not had any additional problems as of this writing. The car now has 6800 miles.
I am driving a 1997 Chevy Tahoe that gets poor gas mileage, but has never left me stranded.

michhala

>#4064 of 4065 Miki by drew_ HOST Here's a >newly created discussion topic you may be >interested in :-)Why women love Mercedes-Benz >cars?

Drew -- I went to the new group and was eager to be the first poster, but after many attempts I was not able to come up with anything to write about why women love Mercedes cars that was different from why men love Mercedes cars. Driving one feels mighty good -- the tradition, the elegance, the engineering, the symbol of success and achievement it represents -- all these things contribute to having Mercedes on our life list of things we would like to have along with the spaciously beautiful house, the perfect family, Louis Vuitton luggage, travel and precious jewelry (men usually buy watches after the basic jewelry; ladies never have enough). These material (except for perfect family) goals were established generations ago and we are still governed by them.

That said, I would welcome hearing from the men to let me know if their reasons differ that much from those mentioned above. In my heart, methinks that men truly have more of a love affair with their autos than do women (excepting me).

So -- is this a plot to get me outta here

Miki

weberamg

Hi All,

This topic may have been previously discussed, but I'm new to this board.
I was wondering what price people are paying for their C classes. Are people paying MSRP? Under MSRP? Over?
I'm in the San Francisco bay area and wondered if the price was location specific.
Also did people get their cars directly from their nearest MD dealer? Or did some use Internect resources such as CarsDirect.com? Or??

Thanks,

John
MB C240 6 Spd (planning to buy)

paul_p

John,

Although I did not buy my car there, I got an excellent deal on an extended warranty for my C230 from Courtesy Motors in Chico, CA. You might want to check with them for car prices.

I did buy my car as an end-of-the-year '00 model a year ago, from a dealer here in Atalnta. Shopped the price with dealers including NH and NJ, they couldn't come close so I bought it locally.

Found out later I could have got air miles by putting the balance on my Visa(s), then getting a loan to cover that (free round-trip ticket). Oh well, live and learn.

- Paul

acco20

Michhala, I think the comments you made in this post are a great starting off point for this topic. Just MHO.

michhala

acco20 -- A world of thanks for your positive feedback! -- 'tis reassuring.

Miki

fuzzo

I am in the washington DC area and none of the dealers are offering any sort of deals. After seeing one of the posts here by benz747, I ordered my car from the same place and got the free CD changer thrown in.

they lady to ask for is Marsha Bennett and she works for Valley motors in Baltimore. I know she handled orders for people in Texas.. so she may be able to help you out too....

genghis721

I was hoping that they would offer the C in a 4Matic version, but from the post above, I see I will have to wait. How disappointing. Guess it's off to the Volvo dealer...

Anyone have better news?

nyca

A story about MB production in Brazil:

http://www.latintrade.com/newsite/content/archives.cfm?StoryID=1301

bmms8

what do you guys think would be a better car between a c240 and a x-type 2.5??

benz747

I paid MSRP for my 2002 C 240; dealer just thrown in free CD, but if you can wait I would suggest let 2002 CARS come and seat at dealers lot and you will have good bargaining power -

ABOUT TELE -AID
today I planned a trip to Wheeling (from Columbus) and unfortunately I got caught in a thunderstorm there was literally no way to drive, very poor visibility and most of the CARS were parked on the shoulder with hazard lights on - I did same thing and drove my c 240 couple of miles and I gave up and I returned back home; I was surprised to found a voice mail on my Mobile from Mercedes Benz they said they received a alarm activation from my CAR and they told me exact location and they left message that if I have any problem I should call them; I NEVER ACTIVATED THAT SOS BUTTON; all I can think is a lighting could have done this !!

has any body been to similar incidence and being called by Tele - AID without activation of SOS

varig

I had read earlier that 4 Matic would be available in the 2003 MY (Fall 2002), that it was currently being tested with a planned release in Europe this Spring. If the 2004 MY release is correct, then I am also very disappointed. I was hoping that I could hold out another year, but 2 years is out of the question. Is the 2004 date really accurate?

mbnut1

What are your priorities?

bmms8

i know the jag has more hoprse power but that doesn't really mean a lot to me, but what would have better ride quality, inside amentities and, what would have more value

bmms8

if your 2002 c240 has a navigation system and tele aid, and there was a thunderstorm, that means that the nav read that there was a problem on the road, because its always connected to satelites..cause thats the way it is on the jag x-type, but how much do u pay per month for your mobile phone and stuff???

benz747

currently I am using pre-paid services by MB as my car is 2 weeks old, I have a option to continue subscription for $200 a year after that; My dealer told me that use Air Time to the minimum and use your cell phone !

and by the way I don't have Navigation system, over all I am impressed by the CAR; the MONEY I put it worth as the CAR drove clearly in that horrible weather ; I am glad I bought MB

bmms8

then i don't know why there was a message...maybe you hit it by accident, or when you pulled over, does tele-aid speak to you???, a real live person...if it did, then you probably didn't hear it cause maybe your volume was down, so you couldn't of responded...and if that is true, they see the problems with your car....and since nothing was wrong with the car, they just forgot about it...thats what my guess would be

tarik

I don't know how their offers compare to clair, but at least the application list looks to be comprehensive: http://www.discountcarstereo.com/OEM/MB.htm

Tarik

mbnut1

On ride quality and quietness the C-Class is in a league it's own, the X-type isn't close. The X-type feels more spacious. Valuewise depends on how much you value the all wheel drive. If you don't give the x-type any credit for the extra power then I think the C-clss is more car for the money because it is a dedicated rwd chassis rather than a modified fwd Mondeo. That's not a slam against the X-type it's just how I look at things.

c320buyer

If there is where is it? Twice now I have driven the C320 to reaffirm my contention that there is no way to accelerate quickly from a standing stop.Am I doing something wrong? It took off in 2nd gear no matter what it did. The sales guy seemed dumbfounded too. Ok current owners please let me know.

c320buyer

I can't bring myself to order the Comand system as it is fairly archaic compared to most of the new systems out there I would like to get an aftermarket DVD based system installed. Has anyone done this that could share their experience? Thanks in advance.

sleake

It sounds to me like the car is set in "winter" driving mode, in which case it is suppose to start in 2nd gear. Check and make sure the "S" button is pressed and not the "w" button. If this is the problem, then 30 lashes for your sales person who should have known this.
Sherrill

sleake

The remote unlocking feature is now installed on my early vin# C320. We tested it at the dealer and it works! However, when I first contacted MB customer rep by phone for the test, she looked up my car and said: "Sorry, but your car doesn't have this feature." This is the same line I was given when I called to ask about the fix several months ago...so MB is still being rather circumspect about this. I had to convince her that the missing feature had just been "fixed" which is why we wanted to test it.
Sherrill

zmeenow

HAVENT BEEN HERE IN A WHILE.. SO HI TO ALL THE 2001 OWNERS.. AND HI TO THE NEWBIES... ALMOST 20,000 MILES ON MY 240. COMMENTS PRO AND CON
WISH IT HAD A BIT MORE TORQUE WITH THE AC ON.. WELL SO IM USING THE SELECT SHIFT!
HAD AN ALMOST ACCIDENT LAST WEEK.. WAS READING DIRECTIONS ONE EYE ON THE ROAD.. GUY IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED... QUICK TAP ON BRAKE AND FAST SWERVE.. CAR WAS SOOOO WELL BEHAVED AND NIMBLE..THINGS LIKE THESE ARE THE INTANGEBLES THAT GIVE THE CAR VALUE.THAT 0-60 SPEC JUST DONT RELATE TO.CAR IS GREAT!!

michhala

Gary -- Thank goodness it was an "almost accident" Be careful out there!

I missed you.

Miki

zmeenow

thanks for the "misses"
yeah it was a close one... thank god i didnt have to find out the hard way just how good the crumple zone is too!

drew_

Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/mercedeschat.html

rainers

I was at the dealer today and they gave me a computer service copy of all the service work performed on my car since the day it was delivered. I took it and inputed it into My Garage Now when I have to pull up any record I just need acess to the internet to know what I am talking about. Pretty cool. I wish I could get My garage to reconize that I am on a Flex Schedule and not a 3000 mile service interval.

edarte

I have aksed this forum for help on this subject before with little response. Hoping for better results this time.

I ordered my C320 with leather back around May 28th. At that time delivery was supposed to be two months. Since then it has been delayed twice to the point now I am told not to expect it until the end of September !!

It is really hard reading about others getting theirs delivered in two months.

I know some of this is due to being lucky enough to pick up a cancellation or not getting leather (which I am told is causing a big delay).

But I would really really appreciate hearing from others who have ordered a C320 around the end of May with leather and when they took or now expect delivery.

Thanks in advance.

fuzzo

Has anyone gotten the MB mud flaps installed on their cars? I tried to see what they look like on the MB site but there weren't any pictures. i am yet to see a C on the road with mud flaps/guards on them. Does anyone know what they look like?

has anyone added them aftermarket?

habitat1

Can't help you on your order, but I was in a local Mercedes dealer in Virginia to check out a 2002 C32 two weeks ago and they had a few C320's in stock with leather. I got the impression they were even dealing on them.

If I were you, I'd cancel my order and get a 2002. Sounds like you caught the tail end of 2001 production. At this point, you'd be getting a 2001 almost after the 2002 model release. Why add depreciation insult to your injury?

jrct9454

Well, in the first place, it now WILL be a 2002, most likely, since production stopped on the '01s at the beginning of July.

As it happens, there IS a leather shortage as it applies to EU auto production right now, because of the hoof-mouth problem and all of the livestock that was destroyed as a result. No parts of these animals were salvaged - they were literally turned into powder. There are numerous people on the '02 C230K Coupe board who have ordered leather who are cooling their heels at this very moment because of this issue.

fuzzo

which dealer did you go to in VA? was it HBL of tysons? Did you get the see the c32's?

diwc240

Fuzzo, I saw 4 mud flaps installed on a Silver C 320 Sport model a week ago, looked very good and clean !! Wish I had my digital camera with me. I think it may be one of the Sales guys Dealer cars from my dealer (Millennium, NJ). I will inquire and see if I can get a photo.

Edarte, why do you want / need Leather ? The MB Tex material and leather inserts are indistinguishable (especially in charcoal...) IMO. I waited 3 months and did not order leather.

fuzzo

Were the ones that you say black or are they the same color as the body? Please let me know you do the picture? I would like to see it

Thanks in advance

diwc240

They were black, and looked really sharp on the Sport model, with the 5 spoke rims etc... I will post a picture if I can and let you know. I'll see if these are in stock and a Dealer installed option.