Options
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Main: http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/pc/range.html
C-Class specific: http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/pc/saloons/cclass/newc/index.html
Tarik
Re: the radio reception. Mine works extremely well. Judging from the problem I had with my ML320 your antenna probably isn't connected. I had lousy reception in the ML320 until they replaced the headliner and connected the antenna. Now it works great! MB will tell you that you don't get great reception with their antenna, but that's just an excuse.
1. With A/C on, air is cold--not a problem with compressor.
2. Fan SOUNDS like it's operating properly (gets louder and blows more air, though still not much, at higher settings).
3. Not blowing a lot of air regardless of panel setting (recirc, defroster, floor vents, heat on, A/C on, etc.). Panel controls all seem to be operating properly (air gets redirected, changes temp, etc.).
4. Volume of air doesn't change with windows open.
Could there be a blockage somewhere in the system? The car is garaged and I live in the desert (no leaves or needles). There is a fair amount of blowing dust, especially in the spring. Could it be that the pollen filter is clogged? Where is that filter, anyway? I think they replaced the filter at 60,000 mile service. Is there something that otherwise regulates the amount of air entering the car? Anybody have other suggestions for repair/diagnosis? Any help would be appreciated.
Radman
Good Luck.......
While there I asked about the remote unlocking feature of my tele-aid as I have a pre 59000 VIN. Lo and behold, the service advisor said they had just received notification about a fix in the works for this problem. That's the good news. The bad news is they tell me my car needs a wiring harness and the part is on nationwide back order, so not sure when it will be fixed. I'm number two on the list at this dealer to have the work done. But at least they've acknowledged the problem at a local level and seem to have a plan in place to start to address it. We'll see how it goes.
Has anyone else heard about this? I know there were a number of us affected by this issue posting some months back, just wanted to give everyone an update on what I'd learned--since this board has been such a great source of information for everyone. . . .
One last note--had them check on the vibration when tires have been sitting overnight at 35-40mph that others have noted. . .the shop supervisor said the situation is normal and they all do that, a characteristic of low profile tires. Hmph. . .don't have the time or inclination to have the drivetrain replaced (as someone who posted earlier was pursuing) and since it goes away once the tires warm up, I'm letting it slide for now. . . but at least I've documented the problem on my car.
get 3 jack stands and jack the car up one night.
If you drive it the next day and it has no vibration, you might want to look at replacing the tires...
Thanks for your update. My zone rep has the update harness but has failed to deliver to my dealer here in Illinois though he told me this a month ago. I hope you're right but my enthusiam for this car is rapidly waining. (8 trips in for all the problems covered in this web site.)(6 months old with 6400 miles) Interestingly we also have a new Lexus in its first model year with only 1 visit back . I'm not sure MB has a good handle on this car or the S-class either. In 6 months this 320 is going to be traded. I just don't have the time to keep chasing these gremlins.
Best wishes
I just got off the phone with the dealer and he says that my c240 is "On the Water" and should arrive by June 16th.
Could someone possibly list the current issues/problems that they are aware of with the 2001 c240?
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Have a look at Post #2 in Photo Gallery (link at top of this page) Photo #21 of 42 or this link should take you directly to the Table:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1508702&a=11393668&p=41624815&Sequence=0&res=high
Last updated back in mid Feb.
I gave all the information I received from John(jrct9454) about tires and vibrations to my service manager.
If you remember, the service manager tested all 2001 C's(240&320)on the lot. Each had the same vibration between 30-40mph and each had a different manufactured tire. The service manager figured it had to be the drive shaft, since older E classes had defective drive shafts that caused vibrations.
Anyway, to make a long story short. They replaced the drive shaft, but it didn't fix the vibration.
After reading the Town Hall documentation I copied regarding tires and vibrations, the service manager order and installed 4 new Michelin MXV4 Plus tires on my car. Problem solved, No vibrations!
I'm not sure what the tires cost, they were covered under warranty.
Thanks John for all your insight and education!
I'd rather see a C convertible than the upcomming C Coupe.
As I mentioned before, it is rare for dealer personnel, even with all of their training, to have all that much real-life seat-time in their own new car lineup. Your symptoms sounded classic to me, but dealer people are led by their training to look at mechanical explanations before tires...whereas it is my experience that tire choices make more difference to the way the car feels than any other single piece of equipment.
Anyhow, hope the car can now live up to its potential to please...the chassis deserves better than the Conti and GY tires that are so often the OEM choices.
i just get why people are concerned about the comvertible,or the coup,or the model"speaking" to strangers passing on the street????
buy what you love! enjoy it! its your life!
Also would appreciate comments about the comfort (especially back seat) of the C on a long road trip. Although the E-Class has more room and available 4Matic, I'd like to save $10K with a C if I could.
Thanks
I just picked up a new C320 a few days ago with a shift knob that is Laurel wood, but has no texture and appears as being solid black. I contacted the dealer and asked if I could have my old shift knob back. They said I could, but it would cost me approx $100 to switch knobs (maybe a bit more) for the labor and would require a service appt and the car being left there.
Are the new C320's coming in with black knobs? Does it take that long to replace the shift knob that I could not wait for it? Does the price sound fair? Would I be better off buying a new one and bringing it to the dealer to install rather than switching knobs?
My thanks.
Miki
All he did was to rotate the bottom cap on the origina,l clockwise, and then firmly pull it out. To install the new shift knob, he did the reverse.
Jack
Miki, congrats on your new car! What a laugh; I doubt it's that difficult to remove the shift knob. There is probably some sort of ring at the base that you can twist of the shifter (that chrome piece is suspect), and then pull off the knob. For now, perhaps you should just take the original knob back and then maybe Tony (hoppyeng) can provide us with the instructions as to how he switched his shift knob.
Varig, as mentioned previously, the C-class 4-matic sedan and wagon will only be available late fall of 2002, along with the S-class 4-matic. I wish it was this fall, but according to what I've heard from various sources, the system is still undergoing the final stage of tests to make sure that it is troublefree. It will be available in Europe by spring of 2002.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
See Message #3317 for pictures.
Replacement is somewhat easy. 1st, pull off the chrome base ring panel holding the leather sleeve. Pry it up with your finger nails, no screwdriver or metal objects.
2nd, pull the ring panel and leather sleeve up to expose a platic nut (shapes like a cone) which secure the knob. Twist it counterclockwise and then pull the original knob off the shift rod. (may need to force to pull it out.
3rd, replace the original know with the wood knob. Make sure the chrome panel is put back in the righ position. (one side is straight and the other is
curved a bit) It needs to match the opening.
4th, push the wood knob (with leather sleeve attached down the shift rod until it stops and will not twist sideway. Install the cone nut to secure it.
5th, snap the chrome ring back in place.
You finish.
b) Is there a wait to get a 2001 car?
Thanks for any replies.
Sanjay Akhare
(newbie to MB and this forum)
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
My thanks, too, Tony -- I will bring your post to the service department
Drew -- Consider, however, that they have to remove the old shift knob from the first 320 and the new shift knob from the second 320 and then put the new shift knob from the second 320 on the first 320 and put the old shift knob from the first 320 on the second 320. That's got to take at least twenty minutes
Miki
I booked 2002 of cource MSRP, only I could get free CD from my dealer which is anyway a common feature now
to answer your second questions - 2001 models looks like to be already sold out (subject to last minute cancellation) - 2002 will be in production line in June 2001
rohit
dublin Ohio
If you can restrain yourself on options, this promises to be a true sub-$30k car, though what the dealers are going to order for stock could easily exceed that figure with all of the usual stuff they like to add. I'm thinking about an EU delivery on this car myself, but want to try one first. The latest iteration of the supercharged 4 cyl is SUPPOSED to be less thrashy and tractor-like than the version we saw in the W202 Cs and early SLKs, but I would have to try it before I can be convinced of this claim. In any case, an interesting package...
Next time I will go through Costco or maybe try in other neighboring states.
I have been reading/posting in this forum since 9/98 and have gone through a lot of information. I would say that generally, the majority of buyers have paid the full price. There have been a few exceptions, but not very many. MB seems to have a captive audience when it comes time for a purchaser to buy a C class sedan - and they (the dealers) act accordingly.
All that being said, I now have 25,500 miles on the car and it has performed flawlessly from the beginning. Most others have also had good luck. That does not mean however, that there aren't problems from time to time. I suggest that you read through the last few hundred posts, if you haven't already done so, to get a feel for what has been going on with others.
Also, many buyers have had to wait for the car to arrive. I waited for two months and merely bought one that was already built and ready for shipment from Germany. If we wanted a particular color and options, we would have had to wait for about 6 to 7 months. But, we took the polar white color anyway and harranged about it for a while. However,now we like it. You can see it at night - even during the darkest hour.
Good luck in your decision!
Has anyone experienced a ticking sound, more like a mild valve knocking sound, when the car is idling and if so, what was the fix?
Sanjay - Sometime ago, rs64 recommended Liquidprice.com It's a user friendly site where dealers place bids on your request. Some of the bids on the 2001s I have seen can be as low as $1,100 off MSRP.
------------------------------------------
"#3287 of 3341 Clicking by lancairman May 28, 2001 (11:08 am)... With regards to the intermittant ticking noted in my car and several previously: This turns out to be a design defect--nothing wrong with the car, but the fuel vapor purge valve is hard mounted to the driver's side wheel well in the engine compartment. When it activates, you can hear the sound of the valve activation through the frame (sure enough, you can feel the pulse in the hard tubes emanating from the valve with your head under the hood and the engine on). My mechanic fabricated a rubber standoff for the valve which as almost-not quite-eliminated the sound."
I have not driven this car enough to know if there are any problems or not. Drove it 100 miles on its maiden voyage on Sunday night. Sometimes I think there might be some distortion in the windshield, but not sure. I am also watching the temperature gauge -- it stays exactly where it should be (as illustrated in manual's pic) while driving on the freeway, but as soon as I get off it goes up slightly. There is no stop-and-go traffic to cause this, just slower speed. Since this is my second C320, I am more aware of differences. I also noticed the slight elevation when I drove the car home the short distance from the dealer in mild traffic.
I hope we both experience safe driving and no major problems with our new cars. On second thought, let me expand this hope to include everyone who reads this post!
Miki
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:
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/mercedeschat.html
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Recall that Visit # 3 was the oil change that they got wrong. Visit #4 was for a loose seat. Shop Forman: "It's supposed to be loose." Me: "That's ridiculous; the passenger seat isn't loose." Service Advisor: "We have to order the part; we'll send you a postcard when we get it in." Me: "Gee, isn't this a safety issue? And can't parts be shipped overnight from anywhere in the world?" Service Advisor: "Ok, we'll call you."
A week later, they call me. Me: "Please give me an appointment on a day when I can drive a MB loaner." Them: "Ok how about 10 days from now." Me: "Ok."
10 days later: "We're sorry we're out of MB's -- they didn't come back." Me: "Huh? What do you mean they didn't come back?" Me: "Whatever, give me my Taurus."
Later that day: no word on status.
Next morning: Me: "How's my car?"
Service Advisor: "Oh the factory sent us the wrong part, so we had to order another part."
Me: "Does this mean I have to wait another 10 days?" Me to myself: "Yeah sure it was the factory's mistake."
SA: "Oh no sir, we'll have it tomorrow."
Me: "Then why did it take so long the first time . . . . Oh nevermind." "Say, can you call me with a status report tomorrow."
The next day: no status report. Me: "How's it going?" SA: "I don't know." SA 4 hours later: "It won't be ready today." Me: "Can I trade my Taurus in for a MB?" SA: "They didn't come back yet."
What horrible service. I can't wait to fill out the service evaluation. They did fix the seat.
Me: I've never gotten a MB once as a loaner car in 2+ years of ownership and 2 cars. I got a Volvo once when I begged them, otherwise it's Intriques, Malibus, Exploders, etc.
Me: I think there is a MBUSA number you can call to complain.
Me: That dealer deserves a big fat zero on the service evaluation if you get one (70% of the time I don't). If you get a telephone evaluation make sure you deliver it in an Anne Robinson tone of voice.
My experience with loaners have been great for two reasons. First, if I don't like the car I speak to my service advisor or to my sales manager/or sales person. Second, I have also tried to go the other way by contacting the rental car company directly and inquire about their inventory. I have a great relationship with enterprise Rent a car here in the south bay and any time I needed a car loaner or even a car rental I get a special treatment.
The dealer's cost for renting the loaner for their customers is fixed at preset price of $50 dollars per day. oftentimes even that cost is subsidized by MB too. You have to ask for it though because they also have the option of giving you a ride to your home or work first. But if you ask for a loaner you oftentimes get it.
Cheers
is this correct