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  #1  
Old 01-25-2001, 04:55 PM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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I have a C280, and I drive it very hard. I floor it often, accelerate fast, brake hard (when needed!), put the shifter into selective gears and sometimes hold it there at high RPM. I know all this is not necessarily good for my car, but is it bad for it? I am an acid oil changer; I change it between 2 and 3 thou miles. HOw hard is this on the transmission? I plan on having this car for a few more years, until about 175 thousand miles. Will I for sure blow my transmission by then? I also change the trans fluid between 20 and 25 thou miles, or whenever it gets more than a little discolored. Should I mellow out a little? Or can my car handle it as long as it's meticulously maintained? Thanks for the help guys.

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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #2  
Old 01-25-2001, 09:43 PM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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Location: Mission Hills in the City of San Diego
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Does anyone else drive like this...?
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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #3  
Old 01-25-2001, 10:14 PM
jeepguy
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David,
An old friend of mine who used to get 250K+ miles out of every car he owned once told me "easy on the pedals" is the key to getting a long life out of a vehicle. Drive the way way you want, but you will wear out many other components besides your engine and transmission driving it hard no matter how often you change fluids. I floor my 300TD once every now and then cause im told it gets the carbon out of the turbocharger, but besides that i baby all my cars. My 300D was owned by a 81 yr old man before me who drove it lightly. If you were in the market for another used benz in a couple of years, would you want to buy it from someone who drove it lightly or someone who thrashed it all the time?
Brett
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  #4  
Old 01-25-2001, 11:05 PM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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Location: Mission Hills in the City of San Diego
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Thanks for the info. Would love more input on this... Thanks in advance!
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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #5  
Old 01-25-2001, 11:46 PM
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Join Date: May 1999
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 1,565
Engine wear, obviously, comes from the moving parts, and the harder the drivetrain is pushed, the faster it will wear. There's also the issue of ancillary components handling additional loads than they would at lower rpm's, which will adversely affect longevity.

That being said, components also degrade as a function of time, and a babied car will see a lot of the rubber parts shot as they dry and crack over the years. I think most of the joy that comes out of having these cars in your garage is actually going out and driving them, and while I'm not constantly flooring the pedals in my car, I generally enjoy driving more aggressively than many other people out there do. It all depends on how each person balances their driving style with their expectations of the vehicle..

anthony
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  #6  
Old 01-26-2001, 12:07 AM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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"It all depends on how each person balances their driving style with their expectations of the vehicle.. "

VERY VERY well put Anthony!
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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #7  
Old 01-26-2001, 01:01 AM
longston's Avatar
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Location: Mark West, CA
Posts: 787
Dude! Yer 18!

When I was 18, I had a '54 Ford pick up truck, it was toast within a few months, Then I had a Triumph TR3. Damn nice car, for Brit iron. Wish I had it still. I went through cars like I went through girls, ALL Hard, & Fast. I wish I had the maturity at the time to appreciate them all, and I wish several of them were still around to enjoy now that I'm more mature. I can remember the best (of the cars AND the girls, but hey, this IS a car forum), a Black '57 Chevy Belaire with red interior, my lost love...

The problem with owning a Mercedes at your age (I know, I just lost your attention, and I'm not saying what you want to hear), is that no one has the sophistication and maturity to TRULY appreciate that kind of vehicle with only 18 years on their chronometer. Sorry, sad, but all too true.

Slow down. Stop and appreciate the car. Drive it with respect for the engineering, and a sense of what it could do if you need it to. But remember that it ain't a Camaro, or a 5.0 Mustang. You didn't buy a Mercedes to be a muscle car driver.

Or, sell it, and buy a series of "feelin' my oats, don't give an F, cars" that are all too disposable. Believe me, we've all been there, and you will be here all too goddamn soon...

I had a friend who owned a car lot. When he had someone with a car to sell or trade in that was "owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays", he would first look at the wear to the rubber on the pedals, then he would take it for a drive. And the first thing he did, after he got on the road was to check the "presets" on the radio. If they were all what used to be called "Top 40", or rock 'n roll stations, then he would decline, because he knew the car had been driven like a rented mexican mule.

When you are 18, you think that you know more than the old folks who came before you, that you will live forever, that you are bullet-proof, and invincible.

Don't worry about it, enjoy! It won't last forever...and neither will the car if you thrash it.

Take a driving course from a local race track that has a "Bob Bondurant, or Skip Barber" type course that teaches skid recovery, high speed pursuit, and how to handle a car in an emergency. Believe me, if you do, it will help you get the "bugs" out of your need for speed, and, more importantly, you'll learn to respect and appreciate your Mercedes.

All I can say, is that I am real DAMN glad that I didn't have a Mercedes when I was 18. I would still hate myself to this day for what I would have done to that car while I was still learning how to appreciate driving as more than just, what did you say? "floor it often, accelerate fast, brake hard (when needed!), put the shifter into selective gears and sometimes hold it there at high RPM"....

I won't continue to bore you with my safe driving, and accident avoidance lecture, but I really think someone should, before you get to see why that car was engineered so well.

PS, I thought a "Hottee" was a female babe...or is that a hottie?

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."
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  #8  
Old 01-26-2001, 01:22 AM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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It's HOTTIE, for the female babe. But in any event, we of course are on different levels here. My dad wanted me to appreciate my car, so I have to pay for half of it. I DO appreciate the car. I am OBSESSED. Sometimes, such as today, I just get a little carried away and just LOVE hearing the smooth inline six just PURR, so I drive it hard. But I take it back about driving it hard ALL OF THE TIME, I only drive it hard a portion of the time. Many times I am just a normal driver, but when I'm listening to music, per se, I just get a little spirited.
I know I appreciate my car because of the devotion I have to it. I pay for it (well half of it). I wash it once a week, wax it once a month. Every time I wash it I Lexol the leather. I wax the wood in the car for god's sakes!! I clean the engine and engine bay, I have had the carpets cleaned (proffesionally) a number of times. I diagnose all (only been two so far: intermittent wipers and overvolt relay) problems with car and order and install new parts myself. I change my own oil. I still have not yet figured out how to change transmission fluid. But I don't want to until I POSITIVELY know how to do it without blowing the car up, hehe.
So, yes, I am an 18 y/o male (damn insurance prices!), I do love driving my car and I do love driving it hard. I probably would have fewer problems if I were to drive more conservatively, but despite the fact, I do appreciate what MERCEDES-BENZs are, and I understand that we might be on different levels of appreciation here, but I appreciate it. My friends and family think I'm psycho. I have a friend with a 97 C280, and another friend with a 99 c230k, but they are both girls, so they don't really understand the way I do, as most of you on this website do.
Sorry to ramble, thank you and I appreciate the input.
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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #9  
Old 01-26-2001, 01:22 AM
MikeTangas's Avatar
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Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: So. Cal
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Along the lines of longston;

I knew I had learned something when I hit 30K one one set of tires. Called my Dad and told him he had to buy a set because "if someone who went through a set of tires every three month could go 30K, they must be good tires". That very set of tires went beyond 80K, and the only reason I got a new set was I was taking a driving vacation to Canada, and planned on logging 10K miles.

Tore through many a car and many a tire years ago. Yet, a good spirited run now and again is good for the car and the soul, keeps one young at heart.
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'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.
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  #10  
Old 01-26-2001, 01:37 AM
dtanesq's Avatar
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Location: Northern California/Western Washington
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zen......

I would only say that since a car is only a tool of a sort, one should be allowed the freedom to drive one's car in the manner in which it makes the driver the most happy and fulfilled. Though it once did, true inner happiness for me no longer comes from mashing the pedals, free associating with the shift knob and randomly engaging the ABS. If it does for you, young sir, please do so in a manner and a place where a mis-mash or incorrect association doesn't cause anyone or anyone's stuff any harm - including you and yours.

I got to drive a Mercedes when I was a little older than 18 but no less immature. It was a magnificent 6.9, and the owner, my teacher, was all too happy to let me shuttle it for him one afternoon. My passenger and I climbed in and at first I tossed, mashed, associated and slammed a little bit and then I realized that the machine had more than I'd be able to ask of it. It was humbling. I stopped treating that 6.9 as if I was Don Garlits and settled in to a magical and forever memorable low-altitude high speed flight across the Arizona desert, accompanied by a blazing sunset and the girl I thought I'd love 'til death. It was a 140 miles of incredible bliss.

It's 27 years later, and I still think about that car ....

Your C280 may not last long, but...what the hell. Enjoy it, but don't hurt anybody doing it.
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His:
2003 Dodge Durango SLT
2002 BMW E39 530i Sport
1988 Mercedes 300TE
Hers:
2003 Chevrolet Suburban
1999 E430
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  #11  
Old 01-26-2001, 01:43 AM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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Awww, thanks for the info David, love the name, btw.
ALso, I posted the same thing on MBCA and I got different answers... (kind of reversed between the two sites, so I expected).
ohh, come to think of it, I would post link, but you have to be a member... so I'll copy and paste some of it... as follows:


Subject: RE: Driving HARD
Name: Mark Harbeck
From: harbeck@lucent.com
Date: 25-Jan-2001


I have heard from people who are into sport sedan racing (using streat legal cars modified for racing) that even this kind of "abuse" does not have as great an effect on durability as you might think. Things like clutches, brakes, and tires obviously wear out faster, but the major mechanical components usually only seem to wear out about 10-20% faster than "normal" driving. Most of the wear in an engine occurs in the first few seconds after a cold start. Once warmed up there is very little wear. The auto trans might be a different story, but MBs were designed to be driven in what most Americans would consider a VERY hard manner...full throttle cruising, etc.It used to be said that German cruise control was a brick on the gas pedal :-)


Subject: RE: Driving HARD
Name: frank mulone
From: fmulone@mediaone.net
Date: 25-Jan-2001


Every time there is a shift there is slippage and friction to make it happen.Higher RPM and heavy loads make for more friction and slippage than usual.
How much quicker will it wear out is dependant on maintenance too.
If it lasts 2/3 of what it would have normally lasted it still may be worth it to you if you are having fun.
Then again sometimes even babying a transmission does not make it last what it should have.
It is not an absolute science and there are no guarantees, just odds, and the odds are working against you when working a transmission hard.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...just for the record...
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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #12  
Old 01-26-2001, 01:55 AM
JCE's Avatar
JCE JCE is offline
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At the end of the day, the sins you will regret most will be sins of omission (or so I'm told ). Along the same line, I read about a tombstone that is supposed to bear the inscription "I expected something like this, but not so soon".

Enjoy the car, in your own way, knowing there is always a price and a consequence, no matter what you choose to do or not do! Just make sure when your driving hard, you know ALL the possible prices, are willing to pay them, and don't inflict them on an innocent bystander, passenger, or oncoming vehicle. DO NOT end up like a student at the University I was at, who celebrated his new degree and fat job offer with just enough alcohol to fail a DUI, and just enough hard rock and hard driving to wipe out a women and her kids, head on, in front of her husband who was following in another car. The student survived, very little else did.

Final quote: "Old people like to give good advice, as solace for no longer being able to provide bad examples." (Francois, Duc de la Rochefoucauld)
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  #13  
Old 01-26-2001, 02:02 AM
dtanesq's Avatar
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I can't quite place the author, not vouch for the accuracy of this quote, but something to the effect...

In our old age, we must learn to have the courage to do that which children do without knowing.
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His:
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2002 BMW E39 530i Sport
1988 Mercedes 300TE
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  #14  
Old 01-26-2001, 02:07 AM
David C Klasse's Avatar
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Location: Mission Hills in the City of San Diego
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Ok, off topic. I will never, nor ever have, driven after drinking. I rarely go much over the speed limit, I can't afford another ticket, per my insurance. I just accelerate hard. I do appreciate everyone's input. I know that you all have been correct in many of your statements. Though I do not agree with it all, I don't want to dispute and end in a forum arguement. But you have all been quite correct. Aside from this, I have read on this forum, and other places that if you have a properly maintained car, it can be driven hard and will not reduce longevity by much; IT'S A MERCEDES. And was curious of other's feelings on this. I did not want my age to become an issue because that was not the question I wanted answered. But it has been interesting and I do appreciate all of your thoughts... keep it coming.
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2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #15  
Old 01-26-2001, 02:14 AM
dtanesq's Avatar
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I'm sorry. I waxed obscure, obtuse and obnoxious.

To be on point with your original question, I think driving hard is detrimental to longevity. Yours and your C's.

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His:
2003 Dodge Durango SLT
2002 BMW E39 530i Sport
1988 Mercedes 300TE
Hers:
2003 Chevrolet Suburban
1999 E430
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