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Mercedes-Benz CLK (2005 and earlier)
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Comments
crikey, appreciate the conversion info.
Jay
1. Rearmost muffler heat shield rattles when door, hood or hatch closes.
1a. Heat shield hold down bolt loose, dealer retorqued bolt.
2. When manual seats are brought forward, carpet mats catch on seat sliders, rolling over and goughing out the foam backing and leaving grease marks on top of carpet mat.
2a. MBZ regional rep verified with 3 other like vehicles, he will relate to MBZ, they will notify dealer when a resolution is available so a warranty repair can be scheduled.
3. Aluminum trim in console is mismounted, about a quarter of an inch high on right side, near cupholder door.
3a. Service advisor pushed down hard on trim, it popped down into place and stayed.
4. Rear hatch rubbing body opening at bottom outside corners, leaving abrasion marks in paint on hatch and top of bumper.
4a. MBZ regional rep verified with 3 other like vehicles, he will relate to MBZ, they will notify dealer when a resolution is available so a warranty repair can be scheduled.
5. Front grill top mounting bolts loose.
5a. Service advisor tightened bolts.
6. Windows down feature with electronic key, need to be within 2 feet of car receptor to make windows operate.
6a. No resolution yet, dealer could not verify until I picked up car and demonstrated problem to him. While pointing key at receptor in door handle, locking/unlocking works fine, window up/down feature only works sporadically. Same results with either key, windows feature will always work when very close to car, but intermittenly when further away. Service advisor will check with tech and call me.
7. Rattle in passenger door.
7a. Dealer tech lubed/adjusted side panel by glovebox. Have not verified if rattle is gone yet.
8. Tires have 37 lbs of pressure all around from dealer.
8a. I haven't adjusted tire pressure yet, 32 lbs all around seems to be the accepted norm in my area. Mercedes recommends 28 lbs in front and 32 lbs in rear, but says additional psi is ok.
2002 C230K Hatchback Coupe, Alabaster White with Oyster Cloth interior, 6 Speed manual trans, Bose Stereo and 6 CD Changer.
I was greatly concerned with relibility. My take on the MB brand is that the C-Class is fine. It does best in consumer reports. the other classes are an issue.
So, while our Cs are not Hondas, let's hope their close.
Everything else sounds pretty minor, though annoying.
I decided to have the dealer install the CD- it's worth a couple hundred to me not to have to stress over screwing it up. I've got a few ride sheets from a local motorcycle club, so I'll probably be putting 500+ miles on it this weekend without actually going anywhere in particular (except some fun twisties).
Any nominations for the first disc?
There are the Benz songs
-- Janis Joplin: Won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz
--Fresh Prince- Summertime: "riding around in your jeep or your benzos, or in your Nissan sitting on lorenzos"
-- Pink's latest single: "I'll be lookin stylish in my Mercedes benz"
-- In a Mase and puffy daddy song it once said:Do Mase got the ladies, yea yea, do puff drive a Mercedes
But, I would vote for a great driving song. My favorite is "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane. Great raod trip song.
Cheers,
Beth
Bruce Springsteen "Glory Days"
Guns N Roses "You could be Mine"
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Wagner - Tannhäuser
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No.9
Mozart - Symphony in C, No. 41
Stevie Ray Vaughan Greatest Hits (1995)
Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs
2. Orff- Carmina Burana
3. Santana- Supernatural
4. Jim Steinman- Bad for Good
5. Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
6. Peter Gabriel- Passion (from Last Temptation of Christ)
After a nice long ride, I can definitively say that the Bose system rocks on pretty much any type of music. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the simplistic Bass/Treble control instead of an equalizer, but it's still very good. I played with the effects a little, too, and decided to stay with the "Driver" setting rather than "Ambient" or turning it off.
Anyone else nonplussed about the lack of better audio controls?
Track time, gotta get some track time lined up for early March.
I used to have high faith in MB until this C230, my 4th MB. I am thinking about writing them a letter to express my strong dispointment with their quality and service. Does anyone know any proper person and address at MB's higher hierarchy? I hope my voice can be heard!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
"I hope my voice can be heard!"
In addition to posting here, you may also want to copy/paste your message into our MB C230 problems & solutions discussion. Same goes for anyone else experiencing a problem, or that has come up with a solution. This will make it easier for others to find on down the line..., especially since messages in this discussion may have a tendency to get lost in the crowd. I hope things are resolved for you soon. Please keep us posted on your situation.
To everyone - For future reference, you'll find a direct link to this problems discussion in the Helpful Links on the left side of the page.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
Another song that mentions M-B is the Kool Moe Dee track "they want money" (Knowledge is King,1988)
'I'm drivin, benz one ninety two-point-five you know where to find me...' (warning: track maybe offensive to some listeners)
although it may not fit well with the Benz image...
Today, I got my after market leather and the seats were not perforated? Does the factory leather have perforated seats. TIA
(oh, BTW, the front seats look great, the back seats need some work)
Beth
(1) I loved it.
(2) Unforunately it is not a Honda or Toyota, but it's not a VW either (yeah!)
(3) I studied consumer reports on this car with great detail. The car IS recommended, although if you want trouble free it's not the same as Honda. MBs do have problems with the electronic systems though and given that the stats say you will have some problem with it in the life time of the car.
(4) You will get great loaner cars (E-class, CLKs) from the MB service dept when you need to take it in.
(5) If you get a car with issues, you can always sell it and this car will keep it's value.
I got my two weeks ago and it came with one tiny problem on it (a fuel gauge issue which seems common to c230ks) otherwise it will be fine.
You might want to check this link out. It was a thread I started about the very same issue on mbworld http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=3236&referrerid=0
Good luck
Beth
M
The old BMW 2002 was no beauty queen either, yet that didn't stop it from having its appreciators.
Some people only care what the car looks like and not how it performs. Thus, we get people who buy Firebirds with 6-cyl motors, and others who go for the flaming chicken decals. Its the age-old question of form versus function: do you have real substance, or are you a shallow poseur?
In any event, the only part of the car that gathers any "ugly" comments is the rear hatch view, and the only people who see that side are the ones buried in the car's dust. Maybe their real complaint is about the dust, not the car :-)
YMMV.
-hh
Odd maybe, but it is not UGLY. UGLY is the CTS, Avalanche, AZTEK, Echo...
I also never got the impression that this car was cheap. This is definitely no GM, Hyundai, KIA, DAEWOO, or the IS300.
And now, back to the subject of the MB C230. Thanks for your participation. ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
jjpeter
So I'm reading these boards and find people saying things about "electronic" troubles and whatnot. I am unable to find any literature like this online though. The C class has gotten rave reviews all over the place.
But I'm hesitant to buy a car with potential electrical difficulty. I keep cars 10+ years and don't think I should be forced into an extended warranty. All that fiber optic and electrical on the C230 seems nice, but worries me in the long term.
Links, URLs, please?
DT
Well, I've done a little more research. Consumer Reports does show the C class as reliable in some aspects. The main glitch seems to be electrical. This scares me. The last thing I want is some major system to go down after the warranty.
The C class seems to rely heavily on fiber optic technology. At least according to dealers I've spoken with, that's how lots of the electrical on the car works (eg., CD player). In theory, this is a good idea. In practice, it's pretty new technology for cars. I think I might wait and see how the 2002 trouble reports look before jumping in.
My Acura has *never* given me any trouble and I've driven it hard for 12 years and 115k miles. It's still a great car right now. I don't want to "upgrade" to something that's going to force me to drive to the shop.
DT
So you know, I love my car more and more everyday. Never felt that way about my Honda.
Cheers,
Beth
Delivery went fine. I haven't had much time to fine-tooth-comb the car, but I did find one mechanics wipe rag in the front radiator grill while a coworker and I were trying to figure out the routing of the air intake/filter/charger/etc. Is there an intercooler under the bumper in front of the radiator? There's also a trombone-type cooler in the front as well... probably oil.
I've been finding some quirks, such as that the owner's manual doesn't fit very well in the glove box (typical!), and that the computer display on the dashboard is initially very distracting to me when driving after sunset.
OTOH, I don't see why anyone has been complaining about the "agricultural" noise level of the engine: its fine as far as I'm concerned.
I've also found that my cloth seats are a bit firmer than the leather I test drove in the center cushion. IMO, this is generally a plus. It does effectively reduce the seat's side bolstering a little bit, but it also means that my belt-clipped cellphone doesn't get crunched into the same. The overall good fit & ergonomics of the seating pocket became evident today when I drove my Saab to work this AM (its snowing this AM and I don't have snows yet).
Coworkers were impressed with the comfort/ride, back seat room, and the Bordeaux color has been favorably received. During our lunch run yesterday, my highway velocity choice was completely ignored, which confirms its highway cruising and tracking.
-hh
PS: tommyp13...how much did EuroTire charge you for the snows/rims?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Metallic Paint (Bordeaux)
C4 - heated seats
C7 - 17" wheels
That's it. After Delivery, Title/Tags, Doc Fee, 6% NJ sales tax, and a 3.5% MSRP discount, the final drive-away price was $28.6K.
BTW, if anyone's in NJ looking for a salesman who will sell the C230K (or other MB's) for 3.5% under MSRP, my salesman was Mr. Reid Smith at Intercar in Newton, NJ. Good, professional experience all the way around, plus I also have a good inside line that the Service Department is top notch.
-hh
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Neither. Newton (note the spelling) is in northern NJ, up in Sussex County.
From the intersection of I-80 and I-287 (near Morristown, NJ; which is not to be confused with Moorstown in Southern Jersey), figure roughly an hour, first driving I-80W and then going North on Rt 15.
If you're familiar with the "Mountain Creek" ski area (formerly known as Vernon Valley/Great Gorge ski area), it is nearby.
FWIW, I believe that Mountain Creek advertises themselves as "less than 2 hours from NYC".
-hh
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
The package that Bill got for me cost a little over $800 with tax, but of course, I don't think that I really had any time this past winter to actually use it. If you want the actual figure, I can post it tomorrow (receipt is in glove box, and it's too damn cold to go out and get it).
Are you following the break-in recommendations, or blowing them off? I did the 1k break-in, but others think that it's overkill.
I'm currently following common sense for the break-in, as I haven't yet had the time to sit down and digest the owner's manual.
Insofar as the color/etc, the ironic thing is that as I was taking the car in through security this AM, I was greeted with a "Hey, this is Mike's car!" Turns out that one of our Security guards had also just picked up a C230K, same exact color...he's working the 12 to 12 shift, so I'll drop by for a visit later.
-hh
THanks
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD