Mercedes-Benz C-Class Care and Maintenance
wabends
Member Posts: 102
Has anyone bought the cleaning kits from the MB Collection site? If so, how do they compare with local stores such as Pep Boys?
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It came back with:
Phase I = Wash = Meguiar's Gold Class Premium Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner;
Phase II = Surface Prep = Meguiars Gold Class Clear Coat Prep & Swirl Reducer (more important for dark colors);
Phase III = Polish = Meguiars Deep Crystal System Polish
Phase IV = Protect = Meguiars Gold Class Clear Coat Car Wax
Phase V = Maintain = Meguiars Quik Wax
So I picked up 4 of the 5 plus Meguiars "Endurance" Tire Cleaner (at CarParts) and some Meguiars "Hot Guns" wheel rim cleaner at Costco.
Think it all came to about $60. Now I just need a weekend of good weather.
http://www.properautocare.com/wax.html
http://store.yahoo.com/classic-motoring/miracletowel.html
I picked up a pair of them at WalMart next to the Meguiars products they had and other waxes etc...
Think they are 12" x 12" and only $5 for two in a package.
The "90,000" micro fibers per sq. inch look good (dry or wet ?) to clean the dash (pickup dust via static ?) I have not tried them yet.
I've done some reading on micro fiber material. I use http://www.google.com and just type in micro fiber cloth.
http://www.seenontv.com/prod-pages/microfiber.html
Has anyone tried these "Micro-Fiber" cloths yet ?
BTW, I plan to use your recommendations on our two other vehicles and I will share the outcome with you.
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..
By jmsintx Post # 2695:
PINNACLE Souveran. PIN-312 8 oz. $69.US
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.
Request a catalog from: www.properautocare.com
Try going to www.meguiars.com and filling in the Paint Care Prescription form. It looks like it will accept Cdn postal codes etc...Based on that and a number of other factors (it will tell you what the "acid rain" is like in Toronto, etc...) it returns a detailed prescription for your model year car, clear coat paint etc...
Any of these excellent products: Klasse, Liquid Glass, Meguiar's, Mothers, Pinnacle, Zaino, Zymol will make the C shine beautifully. Cdn winters and road salt require frequent washing IMO... Ian
Lots of good advice.
http://www.mothers.com/carcare/carcare.html
The car was painted about a week ago. When do I apply a coat of wax to the repainted areas? Now, a month from now? 6 weeks from now?
TIA!
Wait at least a month. You need to let the thinner evaporate and this takes some time. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise!
Ward
I would consider a 1995 C220 again, but would want the extended warranty if it were offered to me. If you want more info about my C220 experiences, please e-mail me at paul_patti@hotmail.com
- Paul
- Paul
I knew when I selected the leather option that the leather would not wear as well as MB Tex, but I didn't expect to see severe wear indications after only 18 months and 20,00 miles. I've treated it every month or two with MB leather care, to prevent cracking, etc. I'm not a small guy, 6'1 and 200 lb, but I haven't had wear like this on any other car's upholstery. This seat reminds me of what my 1964 220S leather looked like after a dozen years.
Anyone else noticing early wear on their leather upholstery in a new C-class?
I have not noticed such wear on my 2000 C230, but it is not a daily driver.
I would hope that if you brought this to the attention of your service rep. that MB would replace it - as it wore out during the warranty period. I would also hope that the seats are actually more durable, and yours was perhaps a manufacturing defect.
- Paul
Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
Few other issues – I have requested my front girl to be changed – two bloody bubble have appeared on the silver (the dealership is getting that fixed); next thing – the driver seat moves slightly from side to side when I take turns and its bugging the hell out of me (the dealership is getting that fixed).
Next thing – the paint is so soft that it is prone to chips – another issue!
Anyhow, other then that – could some one please let me know if they are having problems with their trunk release? Today it would not open – then this evening it did! What is with that?
Great car, a just a few things issues – Always driven a Benz and will always drive one!
BTW I don't have it either, but it was not by choice.
- Paul
I truly believe that what the dealership is telling me is a bit of a crock! Would they be a detrimental affect on the engine – I do not think there would be a considerable drop in performance or reduction in mileage.
Your comments would be appreciated!
BP
Sold my '95 C220 at 41,000 miles. Current '00 C230 only has 6,750 on the clock with no significant problems to date.
- Paul
Hope this helps.
I believe the label on my fuel filler door (and certainly in the Operator's Manual) still says to use "Premium Unleaded Fuel Only."
- P.
So I'm curious to see what they do. Has anyone else had problems?
i had an older benz (87 300E) and i was always told to put a min octane rating of 91 in it. so i continued to do so.
however, i just bought another benz (97 C280) and while talking about gas, he said that even though it states "Premium Unleaded Fuel Only" on the dash board, that's essentially a German thing. 89 Octane gas IS premium fuel in Germany and throughout the rest of Europe as well.
Thus, i was told to not bother paying the higher price for what we here refer to as "premium"... consider the German's definition of "premium" as 89 Octane.
In fact, and surprisingly enough, my mileage actually increased. i've gone 425 mi (680 km) before the fuel light even came on. never made it that far on 91 Octane.
So, yes, 89 is fine (already confirmed this with the local Benz dealer) and you won't damage any of the fuel system components or give up horsepower or any other performance.
hope this helps.
good luck!
It's really a bad setup when you have an indicator light on but have no idea of the system to which the problem pertains. but, in most cases, that multi-function warning indicator is saying there is something minor that needs to be corrected. thus, the diagnostic testing fee is the most expensive part of the whole deal, in most cases. and you cannot reset the warning light without the dealer attaching the computer and resetting the system that has an error.
in my own experiences, it has always been some sort of sensor or electrical switch that weren't working at 100%... cheap to replace... besides the testing fee.
good luck!
In fact, the exact opposite is the case - the best motor fuel in Europe has higher octane than the most common [91 avg] available here.
Look, this is not religion, you can do whatever you want, but there are good, sound, technical reasons why MB specifies a min 91 octane fuel for this car. Using a lower octane has two effects, neither of them good: the engine computer will retard the timing to compensate, and that in turn has several negative consequences: higher fuel consumption, less power, and over the long pull, the chance for heat-related problems [using up spark plugs sooner, for example]. It's just false economy to drop 2 octane points in return for 10 cents a gallon.
Running this car requires certain expenses be borne - this is one of them.
Anyway, should this trigger a warning light in my head or is the car a pretty safe bet? It would be my first MB, but not my first euro car (that would be an Audi A4 four years ago).
Thanks in advance,
Wardoggie
NEVER BUY ANY MERCEDES, BMW, AUDI, PORSCHE, LEXUS, OR ANYTHING WITH EXPENSIVE PARTS AND REPAIRS WITHOUT A SERVICE HISTORY WITH COMPLETE RECORDS AND RECEIPTS.
If this car were a legitimate contender, it would have been bought at the auction by a Mercedes dealer, and sold as a Certified car. The miles on this car would make any dealer salivate, if they are legit and the car has no serious problems. My advice is to walk away, no matter how attractive the car sounds. At the very least, it needs a complete, top-to-bottom inspection by an authorized MB technician, including a full explanation of the warning lights.
Sorry I can't be more supportive - this smells bad, even over the internet....
It seems to me that if it were a trade-in, it might not get to the dealer network. Could that explain this possible gem?
Anyway, there are lots of great cars on the market. I will continue looking and if this one is still around in a few days, I will ask the sales guy(s) if we could have it checked out first.
Best regards,
Wardoggie
In any case, no matter where the car came from, I simply would never buy a newer MB without complete service records...OR...a bulletproof, comprehensive warranty...one or the other is a requirement, unless you yourself are a skilled mechanic.
My guess is that this would mean scheduled maintenance is due. Has anyone seen this before? I could just go to the dealer, but I'd at least like to know what the light really means first...
Thanks
I advise everyone not to buy a C-Class out of warranty.Even I tried GOOD WILL request no chance.
I like the C-Class as long as it is under guarantee
Overall this has been a solid reliable car, I had some niggles the first 18 months but all taken car of under warranty.