raffvieira

Took the car to the track for the first time today and could not run more than two laps before the water temp reached 280F and the computer automatically switched from manual to S+ and the car shifted gears dramatically slow. Outside temperature was about 74F on a dry sunny day. I then drove away and let the car cool down. 30 minutes later got back to the track and temperature went from 230F back to 280F and the whole thing happened again. Oil temp was reaching 200F (I was reading that of the AMG display option on the vehicle).

I am not a pro driver but have a reasonable knowledge about driving on a track and, since the car is pretty much new, I was conservative. Check engine light never flashed. Computer simply shifted transmission mode to S+ to avoid. Car has currently 5000 miles.

Is this normal? I assuming it is not...please help.

Thank you,

BFNYM156

I had similar situation before, but it was the oil temp reaching 277 F, coolant was only 216 F, then power was limited, tranny escaped from manual mode

gthal

I was at the track today myself. My car ran very well for many sessions without any overheating or other issues. My opinion is not normal.

theturkster

I have experienced the same thing. I made a post about it a few months ago. I had my car taken to the dealer and it stayed there for a week. all i got from them is an email saying that its a "known issue" and asking me to wait...

Case1906

Join the the club. A number of us have experienced this problem during track events. (It's not all cars or all tracks.) Very frustrating. It is still amazing to me that our cars have this problem. I understand that the Black Series has larger coolers to address the situation.

Absent a fix, the only thing that I can suggest to help is to avoid engine braking--downshifting to slow the car.

Has anyone added a larger tranny cooler or oil cooler to deal with this issue?

CoolBDPhenom03

Umm...okay...

That's not an acceptable response for me.

SonnyakaPig

Water temp seems really high compared to oil temp. If your oil temp was around 200°F then you couldn't have been pushing the car. Also maybe the trans got hot.

Merc63

My oil temp got to 129C which is 264F.

It wouldn't go over 264F though. We have a smaller track and less airflow. It was around 59F outside.

theturkster

I agree... they market these cars on the track! and i cant go two laps without car overheating.... this is really disappointing.

DuaneC63

C63 isn't a track car unless it's a Black Series. Not enough cooling or brakes for serious track work. If you leave in sport, don't use the paddles and turn the ESP off you have a chance of completing a few fast laps. Start using the paddles and the engine/tranny will get hot real quick. Leave the ESP on and the brakes will over heat trying to protect you from yourself. I've gotten the water temp up to 250f in a few minutes just messing around on some mountain roads.

rory breaker

Something is wrong...saying it "isn't a track car" is not it. People track these cars regularly and have for years without these issues. Heck, most have modded to push these limits even further. Something is wrong, this is not normal behavior.

sbce90

My car has also switched from M to S+ automatically. We had 20 minute sessions at a time on the track and I only had issues at end of the third session - Brakes getting a little squidgy and tranny switching to S+ mode. I assumed it was just to save the engine and/or gearbox from overheating and damaging itself so I had a chill session and all was good after that. Water temps were fine the whole day and oil despite getting warm at times >120degC, it quickly cooled down and was fine.

I have been totally happy with track performance of my particular car. I have had other friends who have only lasted a 2 laps at a time having gearbox issues/car rev limiting itself etc..

rory breaker

Ive never heard of this before MY2012 - maybe its specific to MCT?

Sher Judge

Not normal and we noticing a few of the same complaints coming from local South Africans, with the new facelift 2012 C63 models.

I'm quite sure it's a small problem, but one that needs urgent attention world-wide.

Ausmbtech

These engine run hot, especially oil temps but you have very very high coolant and relatively low oil temps. Something is definately wrong and needs to be addressed. take it back to the dealer and let them diagnose it.

stage350

I had the same problem, M to S+, lose power in second gear, and had to upshift to 3rd in order to get the car move! Merc should seriously look in to it. I think it's MCT transmission problem!

Case1906

The problem pre-dates MCT.

Serge944

It's just conservative programming, intended to prolong life of components. I don't think there's a "fix" other than adding coolers.

Even the gear oil in the manual box of my GT3 is water cooled. That car weighs 1000 lbs less and has way less hp/tq.

The C63 is not a track car.

clkwork

As others have stated you may have to add coolers to fix this issue depending on the track and your driving style. I don't think it's so much a "problem" more than pushing a street car beyond it's limits.

OrientBlue3

Oil temp has to be wrong. My car idles at 215 oil temp. No way that is right.

rory breaker

Totally disagree with the answer "its not a track car, if you want one go buy one".

In the purest form of a "track car" sure it may not be one. But when you've got commercials of this thing racing around tracks, you sell it based upon it's time at the ring, you make it the safety car, etc etc....it should be able to not overheat & shut down at the track, you've got to be kidding me. It doesnt need to be the most amazing track car in the world, but it should make it through a track day, come on!!

ZephyrAMG

Agree^^^^ but even the DTM safety car has mods up the wazoo. There are many members who have tracked their cars with success (albeit limited tracking time and limp mode occurring) and I think most of the track issues had to do with cooling which MB anticipated some mod for serious tracking...

Regardless, sad to say that so many cars are experiencing overheating so quickly...

I don't think the CLK63 ever had these issues because they were addressed for tracking specifically...

Point2Point

The track worthiness issue isn't unique to MB and the C63. Porsche's Cayman and Boxster (at least through MY2008) both suffer from high-g oil starvation and overheating power steering system at the track. Even the mighty C6 Z06 had oil starvation problems until the dry sump tank was enlarged in MY2009.

mfjp

Had the same problem in China. Was only able to run the warm up lap and the car overheats and needs to be cool down. Outside temperature was about 27C, very high humidity, water temp stay at 94C, but oil temp peaks out at 143C. At 135C, the car will change from M back to S. At 143C, the car will limit engine rev to 4000RPM. The worst problem is on the highway, it will overheat and drop into safe mode if you try to take 5th gear from 4000RPM right to redline.

I did send the car back to the dealer to be check up. They kept the car for 2 weeks and returned it with the manufacturer confirming the car is fine.

Is this a design problem of the car? Or did I get a lemon?

mfjp

I think I know why they bring in 10 C63 to the track every time for people to test drive and limit testing to 2 laps. These things just can take 2 laps (one warm up + one cool down) and they are done.