C320 recurrent problems
 

We bought one of the first '01 C320 sedans. It arrived 4 mos after my wife ordered it while I was out of town. "Do I have to buy it??" she asked. "Of course not, its too darn expensive". So when it arrived, I bought it secretly and told her she was off the hook, -that "an employee dropped a pallet load of parts on the car, crushing it". ..."They feel bad, and are offering a new E320 -at cost - to make up for their error"; -I lied. So she got all dolled-up and I took her to see the "other car". What she got was her new silver C320 with balloons. "Merry Christmas"! (SHE LOVED IT.) We are looking at the new E-500 but, then it all began...

1. Transmission intermittently fails to upshift when turning from stops/accelerating into traffic. The dealership in Austin serviced the fluid level to maximum, but could not find fault with the tranny. -It happened again. I am very concerned MB Dealership will waste time, not fix it, and this might cause a serious accident.
(I bought MB because she was once in a roll-over and I want her to be safe) -- Any ideas?

2. Air Conditioning System "stops & hunts" often. It will just shut off, and start up in wrong mode, hunt, then come back to normal. It is very annoying. MB says "nothing wrong" with the system.

3. Repeated messages for "tail light bulb inop" when it is working normally. -MB needs to fix this with a software modification. Will they?

4. Remote entry inop -MB replaced transceiver. Fixed problem.

5. Front turn signal failed. MB replaced wiring harness. -Seems to be fixed.

1. Transmission intermittently fails to upshift when turning from stops/accelerating into traffic. The dealership in Austin serviced the fluid level to maximum, but could not find fault with the tranny. -It happened again. I am very concerned MB Dealership will waste time, not fix it, and this might cause a serious accident.
(I bought MB because she was once in a roll-over and I want her to be safe) -- Any ideas?

**Make sure your other foot not touching the brake pedal at all once you accelerate. Took me a while to get used to not "two footing" from a stop. Any application of the brake pedal will kill the throttle. Had a few interesting launches into traffic until I learned that.


2. Air Conditioning System "stops & hunts" often. It will just shut off, and start up in wrong mode, hunt, then come back to normal. It is very annoying. MB says "nothing wrong" with the system.

**Sounds like defective control. Make them replace it...

3. Repeated messages for "tail light bulb inop" when it is working normally. -MB needs to fix this with a software modification. Will they?

**I had that one too. I think they fixed mine with a download.

4. Remote entry inop -MB replaced transceiver. Fixed problem.

**Mine was weird too. They just repalced the seat control module. Now the easy entry/exit feature doesn't work. Back for another try...

5. Front turn signal failed. MB replaced wiring harness. -Seems to be fixed.


**MB has a very good warranty. Sometimes you need to make a little noise to be heard. I'm not saying be nasty. That has the opposite effect. Also, try another dealer....