We have goodyear Eagle F1 tires on our 2000 430E class. We hate them. After only having ythe car less than a year, we hit a very small pot hole(we live in the south) and had to replace 2 tires!! Now one of the other originals is thread bare in only 14000 miles!!!! Anybody else with that problem? Also, the climate control system is faulty and the dealer says it is fine! The fan comes on strong and then light and fluctuates back and forth at will, no matter how high or low you have the fan setting on!!!
I didn't extend the warranty on my 99 ML320 in the first year and now I'm only eligible for the Chrysler warranty. Lisa Lehrbaum offered the 7 year, 75,000 mile (I'm now at 2.5 years, 49,000 miles) with $100 deductible for $2,085. Anybody have experience with the Chrysler warranty at Mercedes?
I've heard two different stories relative to a return of an E-class turbodiesel. I think I read somewhere that at least one TD model will make it to the states within the next year. However, a friend who is a leasing manager says that he believes it will be several years - i.e. not unti the US requirements for low sulpher diesel are implemented.
Thanks for the info re: oil changes. I'll call the dealer to ask for the correct oil weight. With the use of synthetic, I now understand the longer intervals. However, I still want to change it more often. The car is 18 mo. old. I guess your right donald02, the dealer should change it if I insist. What would happen if while gasing up, I had to put in oil? Would a gas station know it takes synthetic?, shouldn't this be in the owners manual?
Unless your car is relatively new, the requirement for synthetic oil probably isn't listed in your manual (MBUSA established the requirement in a service bulletin sent to dealers). Your dealer's service advisor should know the specifics.
As to donald02's tactic, good luck. Depends on service advisor, dealer, demand, market conditions and other variables. Also, there's no guarantee that the dealer ACTUALLY changed donald02's oil -- they may have just kept the car for a bit and returned it as is (they could be as bold as he is!). OTOH, if you BUY the service or bring your oil to an independent MB mechanic, you'll have better assurance that the oil change was done.
Once you change oil, keep an extra quart in the trunk in case you need to add oil at a gas station -- a very unlikely development.
judithb1, I feel for you on your climate control system issue. Others have listed it as a problem as well. Nothing is more insulting then when they basically accuse you of not knowing how your own car works when, in actuality, it is they that have no clue. This is not what I expect as a Mercedes customer. I just got my car back. The sad experience of the 2.5 days it took to get my car back is worth of it's own post. We'll see what mood I'm in today.
As stated earlier I just got mine back. It's been in 3 times in the last year. I'm on my second Fan Speed regulator (first time in they changed my AC compressor which, of course, didn't fix it and, of course, they didn't even check prior to my picking up the car).
When in failure the fan only occasionally runs. It will surge for a minute then stop. Happens in auto and Manual. When they tell you it's supposed to work that way, explain to them that you understand how your system works. You understand auto fan speed, auto temperature setting and auto vent control and that when you select a fan speed manually it is supposed to run at that speed. Oh, and when it's 90 degrees outside and 120 degrees inside and you set the system for 69, you expect the thing to run and cool off the car.
I experienced the same problem last month with my 2000 E320. The fan would not react properly to inputs, auto or manual. Fortunately, my service advisor is a real pro, and he knows automobiles, particularly Mercedes. When I described the problem, he immediately knew what was wrong. I picked up the car later that day after driving a 2002 C-Class loaner (the dealer's loaner fleet is all Mercedes!). No problems since.
I got my 02 E320 a couple of weeks back & want to change the standard headlights with a brighter one. Something to create a HID or Xenon effect .... err ... atleast something like that.
Can anyone help and point me in the right direction.? Are there bulbs that are available at auto stores that I can purchase & plug in.? Something like PIAA lamps, etc ...??? Are these bulbs better than the original ones.? Is it worth the money.?
You will have to decide whether you want a color temperature close to HID or simply a strong beam for better night driving. We had a long discussion about this subject last year in the After Market Headlights Bulbs Forum included within After Market Accessories . Initially I tried Hella's xenon filled bulbs which were fine but unreliable. Then after a long research I elected Philips Vision Plus bulbs which provide about 50% more light than the OEM (also Philips) with a noticeable super white beam. I procured them from Fosmo in the UK at the following address
I'm envious of your service experience. The service department of Holloway Motorcars in Manchester NH does not operate this way. Sadly there is little competition for this class of dealership in southern NH.
If I were you, I'd call the MBUSA District Manager. You can probably find contact info in your owner's manual. As a last resort, demand the info from your dealer. Mercedes dealers are constantly rated by MBUSA and get into trouble when they provide shoddy service or poor customer support. I'd be willing to bet that you get some satisfaction. I'd also keep a log of your experiences with the dealer.
Hope this helps. You're driving one of the finest luxury automobiles in the world, and the service of that automobile should reflect that fact!
I had real issues with the OEM headlights on my 2000 E320. In the first 750 miles of ownership, I encountered a black dog on a rural road. Higher wattage bulbs are not recommended.
Without changing bulbs, I found that adjusting the height of the aim produced a dramatic improvement. The factory aim is 2" below the height of the bulb at a distance of 25 feet on a level surface with 1/2 tank of gas. I raised the height by 2" and adjusted the lateral adjustment to preserve its original orientation. (Vertical adjustments result in a lateral change.)
The MB OEM H7 bulbs are very good compared to other bulb types. But I found the color of the OEM does not provide enough reflection at night. As soon as I tested the super white bulbs (Hella and VisonPlus)side by side with the OEM I discovered a striking difference. The additional reflection raises the safety level with a more comfortable drive. However these after market bulbs are no match to the OEM HID system which is very difficult to install outside the factory. Jean
Has anyone successfully installed a third party DVD navigation in the 2000 & up E Class. Please share your experience. I am looking for something that installs flush with the dash and retains the Wood doors. Pioneer has DVD navigation with motorized screens but don't know if those units will fit in. Thanks
I'm ordering a 2003 E500 and considering going with a 17" tire. My dealer is discouraging this move because of other customers having problems with these tires because they are softer and have to be replaced as early as 12000 miles. I find this hard to believe! Can anyone share their experience with 17" wheels?? rlsmith
Perhaps a Benz owner could help me with my dilemma. I purchased a 99 E 300 several months ago and have just got around to installing a Becker 2662 CD Changer. To my surprise, the original fiber optic cable had been cut by the previous owner when he removed the changer he installed. Or perhaps it was stolen and cut by the thief. In any event, for the unit to properly operate, I must have a fiber optic cable. My local Benz dealer is charging the paltry sum of $483 for the part I need. If anyone with a similar experience or practical suggestion could help, I would be most appreciative. My sincere thanks.
Unless I'm mistaken, 17" tires are standard on the 2003 8-cylinder E500. At least that was the case on the 2002 (and previous) E430.
My 2000 E320 came with 16" wheels and tires, and more than a year ago I upgraded to 17" with no diificulties and no ill effects.
Check the wheel/tire size of the 2003 E500 on www.mbusa.com under specifications and see what MB says. Your dealer sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about.
the e500 will come with the same style as the 2003 e320, but they are 17's not 16's like the e320. Got my HUGEE!!!!!!! brochure today, guys go pick it up. Pricing is coming on the 20th but clks pricing are already out. The new e is very very very very very very very nice though
I agree that the 17" wheels are standard on the E500 as they were on the 2000 and up E430. With regard to wear, they do wear a whole lot faster, however, to help mitigate this, one should keep 36# of air in the tires. I have a 2000 E430 that has the Goodyear F1's on it. While I don't like the F1's due to excessive tire noise, I have 16K miles on them and have about 50% wear. My Independent mechanic warned me to keep the higher tire pressure to offset the wear factor. The car performs better with higher tire pressure without sacrificing too much on ride quality. Hope that this helps. Wally
I am new to this forum and decided to give the new E a look after passing on the old E's because so many friends have had problems with cars and dealers.
Anyone have insigts into Mercedes 'recommitment' to quality after a decade of fumbles. How about dealership attitude changes.
Hi all. I just got an 02 E320W last week and am very pleased with the car. I bought the CD changer to go with the Bose radio package and am a little disappointed. First, when accessing the changer, there is no readout on the radio telling me the name of the CD and the name of the track playing. Just the generic "CD 3" and "Track 1." For a costly option such as this, I would expect the CD and track name, like is fairly standard today in automotive audio.
Also, I have noticed that the CD skips from time to time on bumpy roads (which is about all we have here in New Hampshire).
I'll call the dealer next week about these items, but I was wondering if anyone here has any insight into these matters.
Since I started looking at MB's, I am blown away by their relatively high option pricing versus what they provide for the money.
Is yours a trunk mounted player or in-dash? The MB site says that the trunk unit is designed by Alpine and is specially shock mounted!
One would think that a company like Mercedes that used to be a technology trend-setter, would at least be able to get common place automotive technology like CD players right and also have them work.
I hadn't heard about the CD issues in my research. I am now beginning to think that I should probably shop elsewhere, lest I end up with a car for which the majority of my money is spent on a great image and merchandising, not great functionality and reliability.
Suggest that you not base your opinion of the Mercedes E-Class on its optional (and admittedly expensive) CD player. Test drive the car and compare it's handling, drivability, comfort, styling and features to other luxury cars. You won't be disappointed.
Im a MB owner of 5 years and am looking at a 97 e420 with 66k miles. I took it out for a test ride the other day and ended up picking up my family. while I was waiting for them to get ready the car stalled in the driveway(driveway is sloped uphill). After restarting the CHECK ENGINE prompt came on a few minutes later. Later at the dealership the prompt continued to stay on even after I restarted. I realize that this could be caused by a number problems and the salesman commented that maybe I had seen the SEAT BELT warning (not likely).
Can anyone comment? Should I continue my search and steer clear of this car?
First I agree with your assessment about the seat belt warning. That shouldn't cause the car to stall.
If you still want the car I would suggest that you insist that they take the car into their shop and diagnose and repair the cause of the check engine light. I would also get them to warrentee the repair over a reasonable period say 90 days.
Your best bet with a used Mercedes is to get one with a Starmark warranty.
Thanks for the input. Ill check to see if there is a Starmark website for more info. What should I expect a reasonable Starmark warranty will add to the bottom line($1500-2000)?
In most modern cars the 'Check Engine' light reports that the OBD II diagnostic system has detected an engine operating problem.
If you have the car out and it happens again, take it to an independent mechanic ( if you don't trust your friends at the SeatBelt Salesman Central ) and have the mechanic read the problem.
The engine doesn't have to be running or the light actually on for the mechanic to get the condition that caused it. OBDII's are supposed to capture the problem code and save it to be read out.
Anyone doing a tuneup today has one of these readers and the connector is right under the dash in most vehicles.
The code is looked up and it tells the mechanic what is generally causing the problem.
There was a good episode on 'Two Cars Garage' on the Speed Channel a couple of weeks ago, where the 'Two Guys' used one to diagnose a problem. It turns out that the owner had ridden around with the light on too long and one of the fuel injectors needed replacing, which they did more or less 'as we watched'.
Taking any Used Car by an independent dealership for a 'readout' is always a good idea. Not all used car lots reset their inventory every day, so if there's any inkling of a problem, the OBDII (see www.obdii.com) is the way to go.
Now as to whether the 97 420 is a good buy or not ... go take a look at mercedesproblems.com and select E420.
There are quite a few case of 'check engine' problems.
If you cough up for a 'StarMark' vehicle then at least you know that whatever the dealer throws at the vehicle to fix it is paid for by someone else.
Personally, if you want a 1997 E420, I'd shop real hard for one owned by a MB lover who kept it real well and had very good luck with their service history. Make sure that they have the service books and its preferrably only serviced at one dealership. See if you can get the dealer to give you a corroborating print out on service history.
You should be able to locate a MB owner and make them a better offer than the dealers, who are only going to pay them wholesale.
Edmund's TMV pages show a 5K spread between dealer trade-in and lot price. And on top of that they want another 1.5 to 2K for a warranty.
Find one, well cared for privately, put the 7K in the bank and cross your fingers.
I'm not certain that 17" tires actually wear faster than 16" -- but I agree with the recent post about keeping higher tire pressure (36 psi, I believe) in the 17". I have almost 10,000 miles on the 17" upgrade tires on my 2000 E320 and the tread looks new. I keep at least 34 psi in them.
The new E320, like previous models, comes with 16" wheels/tires. The upgrade to 17" is well worth it!
Recent reports had the 2003 E320 a fraction of a second slower than the previous models. That info may or may not be accurate.
I really can't understand the logic here. What gives an MB customer the right to demand a free oil change at any time? Geez, you spend that much money for a car but can't spend a few bucks for an oil change.
I mean, it's like I go to the market and buy a nice aged steak, then I demand that they give me a free bag of potatoes at the threat of telling all my neighbors not to buy at that market because they won't give me a free sack of potatoes.
whats so bad in getting a free oil change.....damn man, i dont nkow you, but if you are that spoiled, your crazy. They are just doing extra work for you. You shouldn't feel that you should pay for it........they are trying to be nice, maybe your next benz shoiudn't even come with oil, that will make you pay for it.
Mercedes provides free oil changes for 4 years or 50K miles, whichever comes first, at 10K intervals. If you drive 10K miles per year, it's 1 year between changes and if 5K miles 2 years and so on. Oil additives become less effective over time and the oil can become acidic. Why then, shouldn't Mercedes change your oil FREE after say 9 months or a year? After all, they are still spending less than they would for someone who drove 50K miles in 4 years.
My post concerning a free oil change related to this time issue and not to getting a change whenever you feel like it. My dealer was very accommodating and encouraged me to bring it in for a FREE change at 11 months and 6500 miles. I wouldn't have anything to do with a dealer that charged under these circumstances.
Maui19, my insight into the matter is that if you're dealing with Holloway Motorcars in Manchester, save your breath, time, driving effort, etc.
1) the feature you're looking for is called CD Text. Very few OEM systems support that though aftermarket systems have had it for a while. The system in your car doesn't have it and there's nothing they can do.
2) interesting re skipping. Mine never skips (I drive on the same NH roads as you). One would think that it MIGHT be defective (or at a minimum improperly installed) but dealing with Holloway will result in: a) it's supposed to work that way. b) we couldn't reproduce it. c) stroke and a coronary d) all of the above
Outside of the service experience I'm sure you'll enjoy your new car.
I figured I was out of luck on the CD Text issue. I can live without it, but am used to seeing it in my other systems.
Clearly something is wrong with the changer. I am going to wait a few days and see if there are any other problems before I call Holloway. I hope I have a better experience than you, but thanks to your warning, I will be prepared for a-d. Thanks.
The only significant difference I've noticed running my 17" tires at 34 to 36 psi is a bit more of a "jarring" when I hit a good sized bump or pot hole. Otherwise, there's hardly any change or penalty in ride comfort, but the steering response, handling, road feel, adhesion, cornering -- all seem improved. I've never regretted the upgrade from 16" to 17".
bmms8 - I'm wondering why you thought you had to be so personally insulting to gdtobme about his oil change post. After all, it was just his opinion. To be honest,I think most dealers would laugh in a person's face if they demanded a free oil change regardless of mileage or time interval (that's MY opinion). That said, I'd love to have donald02's dealer! I change my oil (at my expense) every 5,000 miles.
However, donald02 may be wrong about Mercedes oil change frequency, based on my experience with my 2000 E320. When I owned the car for almost a year, with 7,000 miles or so on the odometer, I was getting notice on my car's computer that the A Service was due in almost another 10,000 miles. But after about a year of ownership (and with far less than 10,000 miles on the car), the computer suddenly indicated that the A Service was due within 30 days.
The point is that the first oil change (with the A Service) was done after about one year, and the car had far less than 10,000 miles on the odometer.
Now, with almost 13,000 miles on the odometer, the computer indicates that the B Service is due in 7,000 more miles. I'm sure that as I approach the second anniversary of ownership, the computer will tell me it's due around the two year point, regardless of mileage. My dealer's service advisor agrees and said that's normal -- the service (and oil change) intervals are set for about 10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.
If my service advisor and I are right, there's evidently no way that a Mercedes scheduled oil change would be every two years or more. Maybe donald02's dealer knew what he was doing when he agreed to the free oil change.
Nobody reall mentioned that the larger tires are intentionally made with softer rubber for better grip (and shorter life). I guess the assumption is that the aggressive drivers opt for the larger diameters. I don't see why tire makers can't make Michelin life expectancy in this size for those of us who don't normally take turns at 60mph. Maybe they do somewhere, but you have to read the treadwear rating, and as far as I know, you can only find that on the tire. I can't find that spec on tirerack's website. unless I'm blind.
By the way, I too have the Goodyear F1's and I love the tread pattern, and grip, but the noise is highly irritating. They DO let you take turns at 60 without so much as a chirp though.
I need to replace my tyres. Does anyone have a recommendation on the tyres I should get. I currently have Goodyear F1's (235/45/ZR17) and I have been thinking about getting the Michelin Sport A/S or maybe the Bridgestone Potenza S0-3Pole Position. Help would be greatly appreciated
You might also want to look into our active discussion on tires over in Aftermarket & Accessories. One way to find it is to type "tires" into the keyword search box on the left side of this page.
I was not aware that MB provided free oil changes other than scheduled maintenance. I have a 2000 E320 and I thought the only freebie is scheduled maintenance. Maybe I'm missing something.
BTW, if I had to pay for oil when I purchase the car, I'd pay for it if I really wanted the car, as long as I was not singled out. Why quibble over a few dollars after spending tons of bucks?
Hey, this is capitalism. I pay for the oil change so the service tech can buy the products my company manufactures and in turn I get paid a nice salary so I can shop at Armani and Bvlgari and replace my MB in a couple of years. That's my 3 cents.
just get the michelin pilot sport a/s period. I have had them on my e430sport for three months and love them. replaced the original continentals at 17k
I am looking at buying the new 2003 E class but a couple of my friends have warned me against buying from the first batch of a newly released model.
They seem to have had issues with the new batch of previous E class model. I am keen on buying the car ASAP and wonder if the bad experience with first lot is more of an exception than a norm ... appreciate your thoughts !
ssinhas72, part of me says just go out and do it, be the first one on your block w/the cool new car. However, my experiences with the service arm of the dealer here in NH have been far less than satisfactory. I would only recommend pulling the trigger on the new model once I have, somehow, satisfied myself that the dealer will do an excellent job of adderessing ANY and ALL issues that you have with your new car.
ssinhas72 I too was worried about buying the new E but after reading all the reviews regarding the changes that were made, many of them are from existing MB models so they are proven technologies. So I placed my order for the E500. It will arrive in late October. I can't wait.
Does anyone have experience self installing a cd changer for an E320. I have found the fiber optic cable but not the power connection which I was told should be in the same area.
just noticed that the rubber(silicon) seal on both sides of the windshield cowl of my 00'E-430 is totally dried out and cracking. Will be going to the dealer ASAP.
Has anyone else had this problem - in only 2 years. How about problems with other rubber exposed to the elements.
Comments
Does anyone have any more information? Thanks.
What would happen if while gasing up, I had to put in oil? Would a gas station know it takes synthetic?, shouldn't this be in the owners manual?
As to donald02's tactic, good luck. Depends on service advisor, dealer, demand, market conditions and other variables. Also, there's no guarantee that the dealer ACTUALLY changed donald02's oil -- they may have just kept the car for a bit and returned it as is (they could be as bold as he is!). OTOH, if you BUY the service or bring your oil to an independent MB mechanic, you'll have better assurance that the oil change was done.
Once you change oil, keep an extra quart in the trunk in case you need to add oil at a gas station -- a very unlikely development.
Hope this helps.
As stated earlier I just got mine back. It's been in 3 times in the last year. I'm on my second Fan Speed regulator (first time in they changed my AC compressor which, of course, didn't fix it and, of course, they didn't even check prior to my picking up the car).
When in failure the fan only occasionally runs. It will surge for a minute then stop. Happens in auto and Manual. When they tell you it's supposed to work that way, explain to them that you understand how your system works. You understand auto fan speed, auto temperature setting and auto vent control and that when you select a fan speed manually it is supposed to run at that speed. Oh, and when it's 90 degrees outside and 120 degrees inside and you set the system for 69, you expect the thing to run and cool off the car.
Demand that they replace the Fan Speed Regulator.
Best Regards,
BigRob.
Can anyone help and point me in the right direction.? Are there bulbs that are available at auto stores that I can purchase & plug in.? Something like PIAA lamps, etc ...??? Are these bulbs better than the original ones.? Is it worth the money.?
Thanks in advance for all help.
Magesh
http://www.powerbulbs.com/
Fosmo have a good and reliable service.
Beware the blue coated bulbs. Not only they filter part of the light but they will provide annoying reflection under the rain. Good luck.
Jean
Regards,
BigRob.
Hope this helps. You're driving one of the finest luxury automobiles in the world, and the service of that automobile should reflect that fact!
Without changing bulbs, I found that adjusting the height of the aim produced a dramatic improvement. The factory aim is 2" below the height of the bulb at a distance of 25 feet on a level surface with 1/2 tank of gas. I raised the height by 2" and adjusted the lateral adjustment to preserve its original orientation. (Vertical adjustments result in a lateral change.)
Jean
Thanks
rlsmith
My local Benz dealer is charging the paltry sum of $483 for the part I need. If anyone with a similar experience or practical suggestion could help, I would be most appreciative. My sincere thanks.
My 2000 E320 came with 16" wheels and tires, and more than a year ago I upgraded to 17" with no diificulties and no ill effects.
Check the wheel/tire size of the 2003 E500 on www.mbusa.com under specifications and see what MB says. Your dealer sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Hope that this helps.
Wally
I am new to this forum and decided to give the new E a look after passing on the old E's because so many friends have had problems with cars and dealers.
Anyone have insigts into Mercedes 'recommitment' to quality after a decade of fumbles. How about dealership attitude changes.
Thanks
Also, I have noticed that the CD skips from time to time on bumpy roads (which is about all we have here in New Hampshire).
I'll call the dealer next week about these items, but I was wondering if anyone here has any insight into these matters.
TIA
Is yours a trunk mounted player or in-dash? The MB site says that the trunk unit is designed by Alpine and is specially shock mounted!
One would think that a company like Mercedes that used to be a technology trend-setter, would at least be able to get common place automotive technology like CD players right and also have them work.
I hadn't heard about the CD issues in my research. I am now beginning to think that I should probably shop elsewhere, lest I end up with a car for which the majority of my money is spent on a great image and merchandising, not great functionality and reliability.
Im a MB owner of 5 years and am looking at a 97 e420 with 66k miles. I took it out for a test ride the other day and ended up picking up my family. while I was waiting for them to get ready the car stalled in the driveway(driveway is sloped uphill). After restarting the CHECK ENGINE prompt came on a few minutes later. Later at the dealership the prompt continued to stay on even after I restarted. I realize that this could be caused by a number problems and the salesman commented that maybe I had seen the SEAT BELT warning (not likely).
Can anyone comment? Should I continue my search and steer clear of this car?
thanks
Rick
8/11/02
If you still want the car I would suggest that you insist that they take the car into their shop and diagnose and repair the cause of the check engine light. I would also get them to warrentee the repair over a reasonable period say 90 days.
Your best bet with a used Mercedes is to get one with a Starmark warranty.
In most modern cars the 'Check Engine' light reports that the OBD II diagnostic system has detected an engine operating problem.
If you have the car out and it happens again, take it to an independent mechanic ( if you don't trust your friends at the SeatBelt Salesman Central ) and have the mechanic read the problem.
The engine doesn't have to be running or the light actually on for the mechanic to get the condition that caused it. OBDII's are supposed to capture the problem code and save it to be read out.
Anyone doing a tuneup today has one of these readers and the connector is right under the dash in most vehicles.
The code is looked up and it tells the mechanic what is generally causing the problem.
There was a good episode on 'Two Cars Garage' on the Speed Channel a couple of weeks ago, where the 'Two Guys' used one to diagnose a problem. It turns out that the owner had ridden around with the light on too long and one of the fuel injectors needed replacing, which they did more or less 'as we watched'.
Taking any Used Car by an independent dealership for a 'readout' is always a good idea. Not all used car lots reset their inventory every day, so if there's any inkling of a problem, the OBDII (see www.obdii.com) is the way to go.
Now as to whether the 97 420 is a good buy or not ... go take a look at mercedesproblems.com and select E420.
There are quite a few case of 'check engine' problems.
If you cough up for a 'StarMark' vehicle then at least you know that whatever the dealer throws at the vehicle to fix it is paid for by someone else.
Personally, if you want a 1997 E420, I'd shop real hard for one owned by a MB lover who kept it real well and had very good luck with their service history. Make sure that they have the service books and its preferrably only serviced at one dealership. See if you can get the dealer to give you a corroborating print out on service history.
You should be able to locate a MB owner and make them a better offer than the dealers, who are only going to pay them wholesale.
Edmund's TMV pages show a 5K spread between dealer trade-in and lot price. And on top of that they want another 1.5 to 2K for a warranty.
Find one, well cared for privately, put the 7K in the bank and cross your fingers.
Does the new E320 come w/ 16" tires?
Is the new E320 slower than the '02 model?
The new E320, like previous models, comes with 16" wheels/tires. The upgrade to 17" is well worth it!
Recent reports had the 2003 E320 a fraction of a second slower than the previous models. That info may or may not be accurate.
I mean, it's like I go to the market and buy a nice aged steak, then I demand that they give me a free bag of potatoes at the threat of telling all my neighbors not to buy at that market because they won't give me a free sack of potatoes.
My post concerning a free oil change related to this time issue and not to getting a change whenever you feel like it. My dealer was very accommodating and encouraged me to bring it in for a FREE change at 11 months and 6500 miles. I wouldn't have anything to do with a dealer that charged under these circumstances.
1) the feature you're looking for is called CD Text. Very few OEM systems support that though aftermarket systems have had it for a while. The system in your car doesn't have it and there's nothing they can do.
2) interesting re skipping. Mine never skips (I drive on the same NH roads as you). One would think that it MIGHT be defective (or at a minimum improperly installed) but dealing with Holloway will result in:
a) it's supposed to work that way.
b) we couldn't reproduce it.
c) stroke and a coronary
d) all of the above
Outside of the service experience I'm sure you'll enjoy your new car.
IOW what is the trade off in riding comfort when increasing the air pressure?
Clearly something is wrong with the changer. I am going to wait a few days and see if there are any other problems before I call Holloway. I hope I have a better experience than you, but thanks to your warning, I will be prepared for a-d. Thanks.
However, donald02 may be wrong about Mercedes oil change frequency, based on my experience with my 2000 E320. When I owned the car for almost a year, with 7,000 miles or so on the odometer, I was getting notice on my car's computer that the A Service was due in almost another 10,000 miles. But after about a year of ownership (and with far less than 10,000 miles on the car), the computer suddenly indicated that the A Service was due within 30 days.
The point is that the first oil change (with the A Service) was done after about one year, and the car had far less than 10,000 miles on the odometer.
Now, with almost 13,000 miles on the odometer, the computer indicates that the B Service is due in 7,000 more miles. I'm sure that as I approach the second anniversary of ownership, the computer will tell me it's due around the two year point, regardless of mileage. My dealer's service advisor agrees and said that's normal -- the service (and oil change) intervals are set for about 10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.
If my service advisor and I are right, there's evidently no way that a Mercedes scheduled oil change would be every two years or more. Maybe donald02's dealer knew what he was doing when he agreed to the free oil change.
Maybe they do somewhere, but you have to read the treadwear rating, and as far as I know, you can only find that on the tire. I can't find that spec on tirerack's website. unless I'm blind.
By the way, I too have the Goodyear F1's and I love the tread pattern, and grip, but the noise is highly irritating.
They DO let you take turns at 60 without so much as a chirp though.
But, from what I've heard, either choice will make you happy. Or not.
Go to tirerack and browse the opinions, or post the question on mbworld.org.
BTW, if I had to pay for oil when I purchase the car, I'd pay for it if I really wanted the car, as long as I was not singled out. Why quibble over a few dollars after spending tons of bucks?
Hey, this is capitalism. I pay for the oil change so the service tech can buy the products my company manufactures and in turn I get paid a nice salary so I can shop at Armani and Bvlgari and replace my MB in a couple of years. That's my 3 cents.
They seem to have had issues with the new batch of previous E class model. I am keen on buying the car ASAP and wonder if the bad experience with first lot is more of an exception than a norm ... appreciate your thoughts !
M
part of me says just go out and do it, be the first one on your block w/the cool new car.
However, my experiences with the service arm of the dealer here in NH have been far less than satisfactory. I would only recommend pulling the trigger on the new model once I have, somehow, satisfied myself that the dealer will do an excellent job of adderessing ANY and ALL issues that you have with your new car.
Good luck with your decision,
BigRob.
Has anyone else had this problem - in only 2 years. How about problems with other rubber exposed to the elements.