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I think that I speak for Drew, Ken and others that we help each other and knowing this helps keep the forum going...
The good news is that we can read the specific posts we want and leave the others if we choose. I choose to try and help Bonnie because she really needed it and that was a good thing... would not have responded otherwise...
Bonnie's questions help others that would not ask. I'm sure that there were others that wanted more specifics on the Sport Package and got it from reading the various posts to Bonnie.
Let's leave it alone please and hope Bonnie returns.
Frank
Cool. You're the first one who has tried these on your ML. Any comments on road noise at highway speed, handling (pushing it through curves), firmness (do bumps feel harsher?), hydroplaning in rainstorms, snow/ice handling?
Please give us your impressions after a month ;-)
This is, (or was) a forum for technical discussion and commentary, its not a support group..if you can afford an ML you should know better , you should read the manual, you should question the salesman etc....
Goodbye and goodluck
If you have similar sound be sure to check it out. Mine may just be a one off. Since it did baffle the dealer as well as myself.
I hope this works. This is my first (1999) ML 320:
This is when we took delivery of our 2001 ML 270 CDI on 8 December 2000:
A few weeks later, the first big transport job: There's 400 kilos of IKEA furniture in the back and another 400! on the roof rack. The ML handled even this abuse in style:
And for something QUITE different: My SO, me, and her MCC smart cabrio microcar. Rumors have it that these are to become options on the Expeditions - instead of the spare ;-)
I hope the result comes through!
Birger
Just curious.
I have learned so much about oil, running boards, noises, creaks, rattles, squeaks, that I just cannot stay away and will be back for more...You guys are like drugs...addicting and I must say Birger....those pictures were great. I think that is why I will keep coming back for all you great ones who can post pictures...and if I ever learn how to do it...I will POST for you too.....
thanks all and I just can't help myself....I can't stay away...would only be cutting my nose to spite my face...so yes.....yes....I will be back for more....and if the guys who thinks I wine and complain doesn't like it....he better read over the boards to see who the whiner and complainer really is.......bon
I would also reccomend the Meguires Clay bar or Clay Magic as they remove an amazing amount of grit and grime that you can't see but can feel. If the car is a dark color follow the clay bar with something like Meguires Professional glaze #3 or #9 to eliminate swirls and then put the Zymol on (Carbon for dark, German paint).
Zymol's HD Clense is good, but is a finer product and takes more work. If you start right away, you could use that consistantly, but i have found that even brand new cars benefit from this three step process.
Good Luck.
Randy
Mike
Birger I am jealous, I wish we could have a diesel ml here in the USA. My ML430 sucks up the gasoline. My father-in-law, at my suggestion I might add, bought a new E300TD in 99 and loves it.
He never even thought of a diesel car, now he wouldn't part with it. I understand that they are in big demand on the used market right now.
Great pictues, it is nice to place a face with a name. Good luck your your new ML
Drew states that the front doors need one strip each or better put one package of the trimbrite trim which contains these 2 strips. The rear doors require 1.5 strips each (if you do the same as Drew) so this takes another full package and then one piece from the 3rd package... you will have an extra piece left over.
That's all I know... I have not installed mine yet because I'm waiting for a warm day so the trim is most flexible and has ample time to conform to door edge before freeze (this is my issue - it may not have any impact installing in the cold but I don't want to take a chance).
Hope this helps - Frank
With 11K now on the 320 '00 I'm still happy as a clam......no, more.
Driving from New York to Bawstin last Tuesday I got a chance to test (that makes it sound intentional) the electronic stability controls.
The rain was torrential -- like a tropical storm -- and Spike had us going about 60mph on the winding, water-soaked Saw Mill Parkway.
We came around a corner, ran right into a pool of water, and started to slide right off the road into the concrete center barrier. We were goners.
Spike's brown fur turned white.
The car had NO traction. We were ballistic, outside the envelope, about to become one with New York's public works, doomed.
And then, like magic, the little yellow triangle in the middle of the speedo started flashing, the tires grabbed the highway and presto! We were saved.
Thinking the only thing better than a good thing is more of a good thing, Spike hit the accelerator to find out just how fast we could go without dying.
Another slide.......and presto! Another yellow triangle.....only this time I told him to slow down and not press our luck.
The rest of the trip home was a nightmare of low visibility, torrential rain, spray from trucks, and creeping traffic.
But not us.
I think in any other car I wouldn't have dared drive within 15 miles an hour of the 75 I kept us at for most of the 220 miles.
With such a heavy downpour I was afraid of aquaplaning right off the road -- as saw five other cars had done in NY, Conn., and Mass., but I knew the car could handle the rain right up to where we would sail into the trees from lack of road contact.
It appears to Spike and me that the aerodynamics of the ML are superb.
On the dark side, Spike once again accidentally lowered a window when I was washing the car (with the engine on -- stupid) but so what? A little soap on the seat didn't hurt a thing.
My front air dam came adrift on the left side and is held on now with electrical tape, but it's winter! So what?
Oh, and as for parking in the snow.....
I found a parking spot at Madison and 80th, but it was full of snow. The ML just crunched right through it under the eyes of a meter maid. When I asked her if it was bad for me to have my right tires a little bit on the sidewalk she said, "Mister, if you can get in that space like that, you're welcome to put your tires on the sidewalk." Best of all, the meter was broken and, more better, after I left the spot and returned an hour later it was still empty -- no one else dared try to get in it. But Spike did it again!
My lame old Tahoe would have been sitting in the middle of Madison Ave.
So if you're wondering how winter's treating us, I can't think of a better car to be driving.
Glad the ML saved you.
Mark
Ometofu said:
"The road is really nasty in NC, and my Baby is is all covered up with dirt and salts, anyone know if there is any hand wash/self wash place around that I can safely bring my ML to wash..... grrrr
.... Happy New Year to my Asian Cousins on this board."
Go through the Lincoln Tunnel and go down the hill toward the Hudson, onto River Road going north toward GA Bridge. About two miles on the left is a fine hand wash. $12.00 for ML's AND, best of all, you can continue north on River Road another mile or so into Edgewater and on the river side find a GREAT Japanese market with zillions of different stores and VERY authentic food. It's
So authentic, I didn't even know what a lot of it was, and I once studied Japanese cooking.
----------
As re the doors auto-locking, I am in dread of this happening. For example, if I radio-unlock my doors but wait a minute or two before entering, they auto-lock.
On the other hand, you can't use a second key to radio-lock your doors if another key is in the ignition with engine running (to keep Spike warm.)
You can manually lock the doors, however.
Now, a really scary scenario:
You are driving at night, it's cold and rainy, and you get a flat on your right front tire.
You get out the spare, the jack, and do all that jacking stuff. The rain is pouring down and you have shut the doors and left the keys in the ignition. As you are removing the front tire you turn the wheel a half turn.
Guess what happens?
THE DOORS LOCK! (An anti-theft feature.)
I discovered this frightening fact the other day while doing what we all should do: READ THE OPERATING MANUAL cover to cover, ESPECIALLY the "Driving" section. It's full of interesting facts about ESP, ABS, and the rest of the M-B alphabet soup.
________________
Now, as re filling the tank:
With an 18.5 gallon tank that is just about empty, the gas station auto-fill stops at about 15.5-16.5 gallons. I once put in MORE than the stated capacity of the tank, and saw nothing spilling. The filler hose has to be slightly retracted to get all the gas in.
Keep a spare key in your wallet. I always used to do that w/ my Integra. I had a plastic key holder that made it feel like a thick credit card. I wish the ML spare key were thinner though.
I have a choice of 93 or 89 in my locale. 89 seems to work as well as 93, and I do not notice any of the dreaded pinging associated with too-low an octane when I fill up with 89 octane. I have not yet tried 86, as I would expect problems considering what the manual says.
This CD changer is huge!
BTW, looks like that swoopy rear end and rear roof spoiler doesn't do much to keep the rear clean. This guy really could use some rear mudflaps too:
I really like the HID system in my ML55.
I just purchased an additional SUV (2001 Yukon XL). There are several sources for plug in HID lamps with ballasts that fit the GMC. Is it REALLY that easy?
Sorry about being slightly off topic, but this board is much better with these types of questions.
TIA
Scott
Another interesting thing is although the X5 nav system is also made by Nav Tech, the ML and X5 dics are not interchangeable.
They also use a zillion maps for the US, and this means that if they drive from one zone to the next, the driver would have to get out of the car and change the disc in the back. What inconvenience.
David
Yeah, I know about the zilliion CDs that they have to use as well :-) Oh well, when one crosses the state line, time for a potty break and a CD change ;-). If the cargo area is filled with luggage (such as when one takes a trip across the country), that would be extremely inconvenient since the huge side panel, not just the relatively small in comparason one that the ML has for the CD changer, has to be removed.
Not as convenient to load CD's but looks like if they keep the same technology (or lack of) the NAV DVD unit when it becomes available eventually would be easier to retro than in the "built-in" ML configuration.
I like the running boards on the X5 pictured... It would be nice to see an option similar for the ML...I think I have seen a narrow running board for the ML made in Europe about a year ago. Someone on Ebay was selling them. I should have paid more attention...
Thanks for the X5 pic. I feel better now :-)
The odd part is the X5 looks like it has a wind deflector already, so it should be cleaner.
Nav system:
Out of curiosity, how many of you would pay $250/yr for a "nav/TeleAid" subscription? We were griping about how the MB system didn't use a DVDROM yet and I think Wolfgang mentioned that in Europe, MB was working on a system that had a nav system that used a wireless network to route you around traffic automatically. I.e., it contacted a server over the wireless network and the server gave you the routing/map info for each request. They're also working on a system of traffic sensors that feeds into the server in some countries like Japan.
As for the rear doors, since there is no clear demarkation like the top of the front doors, I lined up the rear strips so that they were level with the top edge of the front edge guards. If you have the double sealed doors, the rear edge guards will be overlapping a little. However, this has not seemed to be a problem.
Any questions, just holler! :-)
Drew
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Vans and SUVs message boards
As for the front diveplanes, you can remove them for the winter if you wish. It's only effective at (fast) highway speeds anyway.
Please keep the pictures to about 640X480 size though, so as to prevent them from skewing the screen width. Those of you using Photopoint.com won't have to worry since it automatically resizes any pictures to 640X480. The link to the owner's club section is: /direct/view/.eea42c9
Drew
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Vans and SUVs message boards
Out of curiousity, does your E-class have the same door hardware? I remember the E-class tested in the IIHS test as having its driver's side door come open in the late stages of the crash. (Though the M-class's door did NOT open in its IIHS crash test.)
FWIW, MB substantially revised the E-class for MY1998 (much like the MY2K ML revision), and again in MY2K. Both times, the structural modifications/improvements were made. However, the IIHS has not tested or reported this; they tested a '97 E420.
BTW, are you as interested in the IIHS '01 C-class crash test as I am? Here's something interesting. The new C-class coupe is only 15kg lighter than the C-class sedan supposedly because of the amount of structural fortification that MB added to make the smaller car as safe as the sedan.
Drew
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Hope this helps! If you do decide to go this route, let us know how both of these places fare.
2)Rear A/C vents of some sort even rear of center console would be OK.
3)Command vs. MCS Navigation/Stereo so it can integrate steering wheel controls.
4)Command with DVD would be especially nice - yet not likely!
5)Side curtain AirBags
6)Xenon Headlights across the ML line - not contingent on purchase of other options or packages.
7)ML500 would be nice
8)25 gallon fuel cell used across the line - Don't know what to say about the space hogging spare with this setup but I need more fuel capacity!
9)Super Charged ML55 AMG
10)The return of an M4 option with integrated brush guard and side steps (with steps this time!)
11)Updated Bose stereo with more speakers and tweeters in "A" or "B" pillars.
12)Auto Down AND Up windows.
13)Rear 1/4 window pop out feature available across model line not contingent on 3rd row seat option.
14)Skyview Roof available on ML55
Thanks for your time - Frank
If you look in the accessories catalog, you'll see the stainless steel runners that were part of the M4 pkg. They now include steps (looks like wraparound ones put on top..i.e., not indented). They're about $100 more than the chrome steps. The brush guard is also available (it's called the TypeII one) as a dealer installed accessory. I'm still trying to get pricing info on the guard and skidplate.
Better cup holders
Lockable glovebox
Electronic key
Mirror directional lights
Common rail direct injection turbo diesel
CDs/DVDs that are interchangeable with other MB model navagation systems
Better heating and cooling system besides the already stated dual electronic climate control
Shorter intervals for flexable service oil changes
Ever since I got to turn a car's steering wheel, Germany had a regional traffic announcement system (Verkehrsfunk). It either informed you about traffic jams and accidents every 30 minutes, or immediately in case of someone driving into oncomimg traffic on the Autobahn, or such.
Next was RDS, the Radio Data System, which allowed you to select radio stations depending on their genre (music type, news, classic...).
These systems are currently being upgraded by consolidating all their capabilities with GPS and wireless technology. First, car stereos could store traffic infos, which you selected by route. Now, they are being taught not only to guide you to a location directly, but quickly - by using the free road.
Information for this service is based on traffic surveillance systems, which are installed all over the place, letting a central computer know about traffic density, weather and speeds. Variable speed limit signs are also part of the whole setup, slowing down traffic which is about to enter a crowded area. The annoying part about this "big brother"-technology is that it sometimes seems to receive its information from outer space or downtown L.A., curtailing all the fun of wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...
@#*&%) radar cameras, watching over your law obedience!
Just thought you might be interested.
Bitten a few times before Tarik
I'm surprised that there offering the "Type II" brush guard as dealer installed. It is not a simple "bolt on" installation and any errors would be the dealers fault... they'll probably charge an arm and a leg to install such. I hope that there is some consistency between dealers pricing with this installation - Perhaps MB will publish suggested installation guidelines so we don't get screwed by the dealers.
Frank
BTW, looks like that swoopy rear end and rear roof spoiler doesn't do much to keep the rear clean. This guy really could use some rear mudflaps too>>
<<kenyee - 10:57am Feb 4, 2001 PST (#1534 of 1551)
Drew: Thanks for the X5 pic. I feel better now :-)
The odd part is the X5 looks like it has a wind deflector already, so it should be cleaner.>>
�
<<drew_ - 11:15am Feb 4, 2001 PST (#1535 of 1551)
Ken, I knew you'd like that picture! :-) It's a rear spoiler though, not a wind deflector. Perhaps John (Feng) could comment more as to what it's for? John, are you out there? My guess is that it's partly to reduce lift at the rear of the vehicle. >>
... from the above, why kenyee might think the original intent of drew's post was surprise over how the spoiler didn't keep the X5's rear clean.
All vehicles create aerodynamic lift due to relatively flat bottoms and curved topsides. Some more than others. The X5 has a sloped rear hatch which smooths the topside airflow and creates lift. The more sloped the rear hatch, the better the airflow over the top of the vehicle stays attached to the vehicle, and the more lift. The spoiler, as drew correctly suspects, does indeed disrupt this attached airflow, and detaches it, thus reducing aerodynamic lift. If any of you followed the Audi TT rear lift problems, this is the same principle, and the reason why a rear spoiler was retrofitted. How it compares to the M-class, is that the M does not have as severely sloped a rear hatch, and thus does not have good topside airflow attachment. This contributes to the high aero drag coefficient of 0.39, and also contributes to the dirtiness of the M's rear hatch. Interestingly, if there were no rear spoiler on the X5, it would probably have a cleaner rear hatch! Given the sporting bias of the X5, BMW probably felt it a necessity to reduce aero lift complaints, over cleanliness.
The ML's drag co-efficient of 0.39 is only bested (by a small margin) by a handful of SUVs...the RX, the X5, and the MDX, all at 0.36. Compared to a Jeep Grand Cherokee's 0.45 or the Honda CR-V's surpringly high 0.5 (!!), the ML is very aerodynamic.