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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

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Comments

  • garykinggaryking Member Posts: 47
    Just got back from the C-Spot in Denver. Great fun! I put in 7 laps in the 320 Sport, and by the last time, I was at probably 9/10ths through the whole course. Didn't have anyone complain about me going too hard. At one point, one of the people there had to walk out on the course and tell one guy to speed up! The C32 ride was pretty impressive too. Love the sound of that engine.
  • mleskovarmleskovar Member Posts: 171
    To see if this forum is still kicking.
  • paul_ppaul_p Member Posts: 271
    I'm still here but I don't see as many people posting anymore. Wish I heard from John, I used to really enjoy reading his (and others') posts.

    Still have my Y2K C230 and love it. Pretty much through the initial break-in now at 10,500 miles. At my recent service (deemed an FSS-B), the dealer changed the oil, coolant, and brake fluid, all on MB. Awesome dealership - Holloway motor cars of Manchester, NH. I would recommend them highly to anyone.

      - Paul
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...but haven't had much time lately to be anything but a passive participant. We just finished a busy 3 months of traveling and relocating [from central California to Vancouver WA], and I just haven't had the time or energy to do much that wasn't related to the move.

    Our '02 C240 now has about 8k miles on it, continues to draw compliments from everyone who sees it, and still feels like a wise decision in just about every respect. It is a really good long-trip car, which is why we picked it over some of the less expensive and more reliable Japanese competition - great seats, wonderful ride, quiet and smooth, easy on the body after 500 miles. A fellow MB nut and close friend drove the car for us in caravan with our moving truck [an excellent Penske 26 ft International turbo-diesel that was virtually brand new], and he was raving about the C after two days on the road together.

    Problems to date have been documented here in the past: the car was delivered with an alignment problem that was fixed in the first week, and subsequently developed a differential leak that was traced to a plugged vent tube. So far [knock on wood], that is the whole story. I bought the maximum 7/100 extended warranty from the Sacto dealer [for $1690, over the phone, using the quote from the folks in Chico - my selling dealer promised to match any price I came up with] just last week, so I am hoping to keep this car longer than I usually do. So far, so good....
  • frenchy2002frenchy2002 Member Posts: 40
    Any chance that MB will release an all wheel drive C class with manual transmission? Thanks.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    No, there is no chance that MB AWD will be paired with a manual trans, certainly not in our market, anyway. For this you have to go to Audi or BMW [?] or Volvo or....
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    I've been thinking obout you as well. Nice to hear from you again.
  • kevinc5kevinc5 Member Posts: 204
    Has anyone atended this? Comments?
    Thanks
  • profvhprofvh Member Posts: 31
    Yes, I went to the Promotion in Houston Texas a
    few months ago. Well worth it. Good food and
    got to drive 2 different C class cars plus ride
    in an AMG car with professional driver. Anyone
    who can, should go.
  • paul_ppaul_p Member Posts: 271
    I attended the promotion (C-Spot drive party) in Foxboro, MA last month. It was a blast - lots of food, driving and fun. Register early & go if you can! Just don't take the course too fast or that lap will probably be your last for the day :) !

      - P.
  • sencsenc Member Posts: 44
    I'm considering buying a C again after having driven an ML for 5 years. One thing I don't like is that M-B seems to think we all are happy with vinyl seats with leather inserts. I prefer full leather but it's hard to find C's with that option. How do you all feel about the seats with leather inserts? The 2004's I saw look good enough but how will they hold up? do they get to hot? Did most of you get the std seats or opt for the full leather option? Maybe I'm getting cheap, but I just don't like paying $35k for a car with mostly vinyl seats. Even the E now comes std with only the leather inserts!! Yes, my '99 ML seats have alot of vinyl too, but they later went to full leather construction. My old 99 C280 had full leather. Am I expecting too much? The BMW 3 has a full leather option and most dealers order them with it. Any and all feedback on seats would be appreciated. I'm in NC where it does get hot and cold. S
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Here's one vote that considers the full leather option a total waste of money. I can find nothing to complain about with the current leather/Tex combination, and can't imagine paying extra for more dead cows. Just one opinion, of course...

    [And we just spent 9+ years in Sacramento, CA, which even has NC beaten for the number of days that AC is a real necessity...heat is another argument I find pretty much without merit - I can see and feel no significant difference between the leather/Tex combo and all-leather from MB - and yes, we've had both, and recently, in the garage.]
  • profvhprofvh Member Posts: 31
    I always thought that leather was preferable to
    vinyl of any type. I recently traded in a 1992
    MB 190 for a C Class. The '92 had 132,000 miles
    and it had MB Tex (or vinyl). The interior on the
    old 190 was absolutely perfect with NO sign of any
    wear the day I traded it in. The leather on my
    kids Honda and Toyota (much newer vehicles) is
    cheap and showing heavy wear with alot less miles.
    My replacement C has leather inserts. I do think
    the leather on the door panels look richer than
    MB Tex. The leather advantage is all in the
    visuals!! Incidentally, my observation is that
    the MB's (also BMWs)is Germany and Austria is
    overwhelmingly MB Tex.
  • cjs2002cjs2002 Member Posts: 341
    just to let you know ... I've been looking at cars for a little over a year now and I've researched nearly every car... and can vouch that the BMW 3 series too comes with leather inserts and you must pay for the upgrade to full leather... which by the way I think was a bit more expensive than the mercedes up grade... either way though I myself really can't tell the difference....
  • mac320mac320 Member Posts: 147
    Same passenger in a C240 with the leather inserts and a C320 with the leather option will notice a difference. This has happened several times. They experience a big difference in the level of . . . refinement? luxury? or whatever. They might not know anything about what all of the little details are that help to contribute to their overall feelings about the two cars, but they appreciate the difference: the leather option would be a part of that experience. As little as it is, the door treatment alone makes a big difference as far as what looks cheaper, and the seats with the leather option are a lot firmer.
  • marcegmarceg Member Posts: 8
    I'm considering purchasing the 17" MB wheels (the ones standard on the C230 Sport Sedan) for my 2003 C240 sedan. As you probably know, the C240 comes standard with 16" wheels which is what is on my car currently. I'm curious if there would be any noticeable downside to doing this - road noise, ride harshness, excessive tire wear, etc. Would appreciate any thoughts on this. Thanks.
  • marcegmarceg Member Posts: 8
    I found the brochure for the 2004 C-class online last week on MB's website. One interesting change I noiced was that only the front seats will have the leather inserts. The rear seat is completely MB-tex. Although I think real leather feels better (not as hard), the MB tex in my last C-class (1998 with 80k miles) was still in perfect condition - even the driver's seat.
  • sencsenc Member Posts: 44
    I still find it shocking that M-B thinks its customers don't care if they get leather or vinyl. In a premium car, I want leather! I also had a 1998 C230 with MB Tex and it was very hot and sweaty because it doesn't breathe. Maybe I need to shop for an Accord V6 which has leather or risk the 325I. Most of the new E series at my local dealer also have only the vinyl inserts-amazing on a $50k car. Maybe it is just perception, but for my hard earned money, I think I want leather for the front and back seats. What is M-B thinking??
  • g17g17 Member Posts: 45
    I have a '03 c230k sedan with the inserts, and have no problems. You have to remember that BMW and Audi all have the Leatherette as Std. BUT I do think there is no excuse for the E Class at 50K+ to have the fake stuff. The C is only in the 30-40k range, what do you expect?
  • mmedicimmedici Member Posts: 1
    Took my C230 for it's first scheduled maintenance off warranty (52,000 miles). I was pleasantly surprised when they called to tell me my oil gasket was leaking but they would change it free (I think this would regularly cost about $500-1000). So they kept it an extra day to do the extra work. The day after I picked it up, the three warning lights on the far left of the instrument panel came on: ABS and 2 others. The engine died about 5 minutes later (ON THE FREEWAY).

    By a surreal coincidence, a mercedes mechanic in a shop van from the closest dealership happened to be driving by. He stopped and told me he thought it was an electrical connection and then continued on his way.

    When I finally got a tow truck, they would only tow me to the local dealer (and not the one I use for service 10 miles away even though I pay Triple A extra to get long distance towing).
    After running diagnostics, the service dept. tells me it's the battery. Now I'm out $350. for their service.

    I have really mixed feelings: it was great that my usual dealer did the gasket for free, but shouldn't they have checked the battery--it was the more complete service.

    I'm ready to go back to Acuras.

    Any thoughts?
  • sencsenc Member Posts: 44
    I would have expected M-B to offer a better choice even in the $30-40 range. Granted today, that is not a high end range, but leather is easy to find in the BMW, Accord, the Jetta, Toyota, etc. No doubt their leather may not be high quality BUT atleast it breathes. The other poster is correct that for '04 the std backseat is ALL MB Tex. I think M-B must have decided they can sell cars on name alone. My mother has an '03 E500 (with ALL leather) and has had numerous little problems, mostly electrical; none have been bad enough to cause me or her not to buy M-B, but I just can't tell where they are headed anymore. Of course, my brother's '03 S55 has top notch everything, but for $100k it should! Maybe M-B isn't really committed to giving customers value at the <50k level after all. I just can't get used to the idea of paying $35k for a car with vinyl seats. I'll pay the extra $1500 for all leather, but they are EXTREMELY hard to find. I looked at all cars at Atlanta Classic Cars Sunday, and a couple of dealers in other cities, and all C sedans had std seats and nearly all E's had std seats with leather inserts. Sorry to be on a soapbox, maybe I should just keep my ML. Atleast the seats are MOSTLY leather....
  • jkurkjianjkurkjian Member Posts: 4
    My 2004 C320 wagon emits a ticking noise somewhere behind the dashboard. So far inspection reveals nothing. Has anybody else noted this noise? It is only noticeable at idle and is intermittent.
  • ahostahost Member Posts: 36
    We had a 2001 C320 with full leather that we later exchanged for a 2003 C320 without the full leather (due to other problems). I cannot tell the difference, except on the door panels, which is only a visual difference.
  • ahostahost Member Posts: 36
    Sourds like the fuel purge valve. All C-class cars have that problem, including both models we had. As far as I know there is nothing to do about it. In the 2002 model and later they put in some rubber insulation to reduce the noise, but it doesn't solve the problem completely.
  • rowlandjrowlandj Member Posts: 254
    There is a replacement purge valve that will prevent the ticking noise. Speak to your service advisor as this is a well-known problem and there is a known fix.

    I also had to have a stepper motor in the dash changed. It controls the vent positions depending on how you have your air-flow setup. This also make a ticking noise but it was much louder than the purge valve noise and was constant. I don't think this is the source of your problem, but I figured I would mention in just in case.

    JR
  • ahostahost Member Posts: 36
    According to my service department, there is nothing to do about it. Is your car a 2001 model? For the 2001 model there was a fix (and we had it done on our 2001 model), but they claim that in the 2003 model the problem has already been fixed -- but it only reduces the noise, it doesn't eliminate it.
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    What's strange is that, according to the MB web site, the following vehicles come with leather inserts for all front and rear:

    C230K Coupe
    C230K Sedan

    But these vehicles come with leather inserts only for the front, while the rear seat is entirely of MB-Tex:

    C240 Sedan/Wagon
    C320 Sedan/Wagon

    Curious in that the "cheaper" vehicles have leather (at least partial leather) in the rear, but not some of the normally higher models. Especially the C320.

    Seems like MB has hit a new low in de-contenting. No, I don't expect all leather given the price, and I know that MB-Tex is "really good vinyl." But spending in the $40k range for a C320 and getting a vinyl rear seat is not what you'd expect from MB.
  • rowlandjrowlandj Member Posts: 254
    Odd that the new ones show the same issue and there's 'no fix' for it.
  • jkurkjianjkurkjian Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the tips from all you guys. I'll take it back to dealer next week to see what they say about the purge valve and/or the stepper motor.
  • highrise_condohighrise_condo Member Posts: 16
    My '02 C240 has starting making a loud knocking noise from the dash when I start the car. It lasts about 1-2 minutes and stops. Even if I turn the car off and remove the key, the noise continues. Is this the stepper motor issue that Rowlandj describes in message 6614? Your thoughts please.

    I've had the car 23 months, 19K miles, and absolutely love it. Except for an axle issue when I took delivery, it's been flawless!
  • rowlandjrowlandj Member Posts: 254
    The best way I can describe it is it sounds like it's coming from right behind the ignition key and it has a consistent rythmic pattern.
  • hansenhansen Member Posts: 18
    I'm amazed-the review by Edmund's on the c 230 sedan almost implies that it may be a worthy opponent of a BMW!! I guess times change....
  • highrise_condohighrise_condo Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the info. Your description matches the noise exactly. I'm scheduled to have it fixed on Monday. Hopefully, it's no big deal.
  • mikebush80mikebush80 Member Posts: 1
    I love to work on cars and can not find a service manual for my C230. I need to replace the rear O2 sensor and need the manual to show me where it is and what the PN is. Any sources anyond knows of?

    Thanks
  • fsmmcsifsmmcsi Member Posts: 792
    The part numbers in many service manuals are out of date, so the best and easiest way to obtain a part number is to call or visit the parts department at a dealer.

    The seat leather / vinyl discussion brings out two issues. First, my suggestion is to go with the cloth. It is never hot like leather. Second, we were fortunate to buy a 2002 C230 with cloth seats and the color we liked a few months ago for well under invoice price. However, it is difficult for me to immagine buying any other M-B car, as the prices are far too high. Once the diesel E320 is available, the fuel savings and long life may justify the price, but it seems to be that the best way to buy an M-B is to purchase a low mileage used one.
  • tekmbztekmbz Member Posts: 1
    Did the dealer get rid of ticking noise yet? I have a brand new 2004 C320 with 600 miles on it and I started to have the same problem just after 2 weeks of delivery. Took it to the dealer and was told it was the fuel purge valve and to just drive the car for little while and the noise will go away. If not, they will replace the valve. I want to know if there is really a fix to the problem. Thanks.
  • nedzelnedzel Member Posts: 787
    Our 2002 C240 has leather inserts. I can't tell the difference between the leather and the vinyl. We thought about getting full leather when we ordered our car. Our salesman said it would be a waste of money. I agree with him. The vinyl is just fine.
  • limanliman Member Posts: 32
    is a personal choice. My 2000 C230K has full leather, and to me it was well worth the cost. Door coverings are nicer, seat backs as well. Really dresses up the interior. On the other hand I would not pay extra for an exterior paint color. Again, personal choice.
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    There is a bigger difference between the pre2001 with and without leather than the 2001+ models. The seats were completely different on the older cars. The only observable difference now is the door panels
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    Someone posted they purchased 3 years/50K of additional repair coverage past the factory warranty expiration for $1690.

    Is the extended warranty coverage exactly the same as the original factory warranty (all items that were covered duing the first 4 years/50K miles) and is it zero deductible?
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    I remember test driving a C230 hatchback a couple years ago and being very unimpressed with the sound quality of the Bose radio. I thought, if this is how the Bose system sounds, the stock radio must be really poor!
    Is there a significant improvement in sound quality between the stock stereo and the Bose stereo on the new C230 and C240 sedans?
    Does the Bose compare well with systems like the optional Harmon Karmon stereo from a BMW 3 series or stereos available in the Lexus ES330?
    I'm going to decide whether it's worth paying for the Bose upgrade or just keeping the standard radio and perhaps replacing the stock speakers with high-quality aftermarket speakers and adding an amplifier.
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    I know there is maintenance included for the first 50K miles, but what can you expect regular scheduled service visits to cost between 50K and 100K miles?
  • auroraborerauroraborer Member Posts: 4
    I own a 2001 C320 with 52k miles, mostly highway.
    It has always allowed me to go 10-12k miles before calling me in for a scheduled change, and never would be down oil between visits.
    However, since around 46kmiles, it is calling for a quart every 1k miles.
    The techs checked out the car and said everything is ok, that adding a quart every 1k of highway miles is acceptible for this car.
    It still has plenty of power and my gas milage is great. I don't notice any leaks, and no smoke from the exhaust.
    Anyone with more info dealing with this problem?
    The car is off warranty now, but the complaint was filed before the 50k expired and was told should any problems develop concerning this MB would cover it.
    Thanks for any help.
  • mleskovarmleskovar Member Posts: 171
    "a quart every 1k miles" is way too much usage but probably within manufacturer's specs. All the auto makers have VERY liberal oil usage guidelines....it's to their advantage. I also have 52K miles on an '01 C320 and it has never needed any oil between changes. The suddeness of your problem makes it sound like something broke. Even though you can't see smoke or drips it has to be going somewhere. Try pulling the plugs to see if any are oil fouled as a start.
  • mac320mac320 Member Posts: 147
    There's a problem. A normally cared for engine cannot be burning that oil. I cannot believe a tech would say that is within spec either.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Per the British press, the 2005 C-Class will be launched in Europe in Feb 2004. The interesting thing is that they're reporting that the C32 will not be dropped as originally thought. The C32 will be sold along side the new V8 C55 (360hp+) model. The new C-Class should finally get a standard in dash CD player, upgraded interior materials, tweaked front/rear ends and for the C55 AMG model a special front end similar to the CLK that might have a grille mounted star instead of a hood mounted one. The article didn't say when the facelifted C will go on sale here.

    M
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    Interesting. Maybe it will be here by fall next year. Since they are facelifting it next year, I wonder how long it will be before a completely all-new design C-Class comes out? The prices are so great right now especially after dealer discounting, so I hope these new features don't change that much. I suppose discounting will be reduced when the "new" C class comes out, but hopefully it will resume again within a few months.
    It's good that an in-dash CD is coming. However, one advantage to the cassette is that you can use a cassette adapter to connect an MP3 player.
    An AUX input jack would be a better solution, but 99% of cars do not offer any audio inputs on factory radios.
    Factory XM radio would be another nice feature, if that comes. If it had XM radio, I wouldn't worry about CD changers and MP3 players.
  • dunworthdunworth Member Posts: 338
    One quart for 1000 miles is within spec for most cars but is considered high usage. I remember when the mid 1980s E-class came out M-B techies talked about the engine's design which seemed to use a lot more oil than most engines. My neighbour's S Class uses a lot of oil as well with no obvious leaks. The car runs flawlessly otherwise and he has not had any reliability issues. Many smaller Toyotas like the old Tercels use a lot of oil as well.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    The New C is scheduled for release as an '06 model. It will be the first production car to utilize "everythig by wire" technology including throttle, brakes, and a host of other features.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    Mercedes is going to spend money giving the C Class a face lift for 2005, then they are going to completely replace it with a new design the following year?
    All the by wire technology is going to debut on the entry-level C Class instead of the flagship S or the SL?
This discussion has been closed.