C320 versus C240
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From: Honolulu
MB C320
C320 versus C240
Last week I brought my C320 in for yet another round of repairs. Since I bought it, I have brought it in every 3-4 weeks. Things just keep breaking down or start ratling or squeaking all the time. Whenever I think "now the car is finally OK" another thing breaks down. Latest the rear sunshade. So, this time there was just a list of 5 problems they had to fix 
I think my car must have been assembled after a night partying 
. Usually it takes them 2-4 visits to fix a problem, but this time they said they wanted to get to the bottom of the problems and they have kept it for a week. On the other hand, then I got a brand new (33 miles) C240 as loaner instead of the usual Enterprise economy car. Actually I was impressed with the C240. I wonder why I bought a C320 
Although the C240 clearly has a somewhat slugish response to the throthle, it actually seems like the engine is quieter and smoother. Could it be that the C320 engine is more powerful but also more noisy? Or are '02 models better soundproofed than '01 models? Or is it just because it is new? Anyway, they shouldn't have given me a new model. Now I realized that my car has a lot of ratles and squeaks that I have just gotten used to. More things to complain about.
I think my car must have been assembled after a night partying . Usually it takes them 2-4 visits to fix a problem, but this time they said they wanted to get to the bottom of the problems and they have kept it for a week. On the other hand, then I got a brand new (33 miles) C240 as loaner instead of the usual Enterprise economy car. Actually I was impressed with the C240. I wonder why I bought a C320 Although the C240 clearly has a somewhat slugish response to the throthle, it actually seems like the engine is quieter and smoother. Could it be that the C320 engine is more powerful but also more noisy? Or are '02 models better soundproofed than '01 models? Or is it just because it is new? Anyway, they shouldn't have given me a new model. Now I realized that my car has a lot of ratles and squeaks that I have just gotten used to. More things to complain about.
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From: Gaithersburg, MD
2002 C240 6-spd (ret)
What kind of rattles and squeaks are you hearing? My 2002 C240 is about 9 months old and the only noise I would consider annoying is the very slight rattle of the passenger headrest sometimes. When I take it in for my "A" service in a month or so I'll let them check it out.
BTW, I've got a 6-spd which I think makes the C240 more responsive. I only test drove the auto once and I really don't remember much except it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be from what I had read.
BTW, I've got a 6-spd which I think makes the C240 more responsive. I only test drove the auto once and I really don't remember much except it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be from what I had read.
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From: Laguna Niguel, CA
Your car was built during Oktoberfest which in Stuttgart must be a year round event. This is when grown men that work in the MB factories wear Lederhosen, drink beer, party, drink beer, listen to Oompah music and did I say drink beer. There's not much you can do about it except enjoy them loaners. At my dealer they are all 320s (E320s, C230s and ML320s). There's a week in October when they finish Oktoberfest and start planning the next one. You need to have your car built that week but good luck, all the dealers know this and snap them up as loaners and their own cars.
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From: Honolulu
MB C320
It's difficult to locate exactly where the sounds come from, also because I noticed it more after getting the loaner. I just noticed that the loaner is amazingly quite when going over bumps, where my whole car simply is noisy when going over speedbumps and on bumpy roads. The sounds are composed of squeaks from the suspension (over speed bumps), a squeak from maybe the roof or the B-pillar (between front and rear side windows), and some rattles from the B-pillar (maybe from the seatbelts?). I will try to notice it more precisly after getting back my car.
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From: SF Bay Area
2002 C230 K
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
Your car was built during Oktoberfest which in Stuttgart must be a year round event. This is when grown men that work in the MB factories wear Lederhosen, drink beer, party, drink beer, listen to Oompah music and did I say drink beer. There's not much you can do about it except enjoy them loaners. At my dealer they are all 320s (E320s, C230s and ML320s). There's a week in October when they finish Oktoberfest and start planning the next one. You need to have your car built that week but good luck, all the dealers know this and snap them up as loaners and their own cars.
Your car was built during Oktoberfest which in Stuttgart must be a year round event. This is when grown men that work in the MB factories wear Lederhosen, drink beer, party, drink beer, listen to Oompah music and did I say drink beer. There's not much you can do about it except enjoy them loaners. At my dealer they are all 320s (E320s, C230s and ML320s). There's a week in October when they finish Oktoberfest and start planning the next one. You need to have your car built that week but good luck, all the dealers know this and snap them up as loaners and their own cars.
BT
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
C200 Kompressor
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
Your car was built during Oktoberfest which in Stuttgart must be a year round event. This is when grown men that work in the MB factories wear Lederhosen, drink beer, party, drink beer, listen to Oompah music and did I say drink beer. There's not much you can do about it except enjoy them loaners. At my dealer they are all 320s (E320s, C230s and ML320s). There's a week in October when they finish Oktoberfest and start planning the next one. You need to have your car built that week but good luck, all the dealers know this and snap them up as loaners and their own cars.
Your car was built during Oktoberfest which in Stuttgart must be a year round event. This is when grown men that work in the MB factories wear Lederhosen, drink beer, party, drink beer, listen to Oompah music and did I say drink beer. There's not much you can do about it except enjoy them loaners. At my dealer they are all 320s (E320s, C230s and ML320s). There's a week in October when they finish Oktoberfest and start planning the next one. You need to have your car built that week but good luck, all the dealers know this and snap them up as loaners and their own cars.
Guess odds are higher getting a "non-hangover-built" MB than a ditto BMW, which is built in the center of the Oktoberfest, Munich, which explains even more... 
Ps. The drink alot of beer during the Oktoberfest. Ds.
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ahost, you don't have one of them Brazilian built C320s, do you? Cause in Brazil, they have that "Carnival" celebration year round, 'cept the men wear thongs instead of lederhosen, and the Ooompha band is replaced by that "Imp-a-nema" music.
Seriously, as you know, the C320 is exactly like the C240, except for minor details other than the engine. They should ride exactly the same. At least you get an MB loaner...
Seriously, as you know, the C320 is exactly like the C240, except for minor details other than the engine. They should ride exactly the same. At least you get an MB loaner...
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From: Gaithersburg, MD
2002 C240 6-spd (ret)
Originally posted by PHYBENZ
MARKL
The way to fix that rattle is to just take out the head rest and pull the the bars a little farther away from eachother and re insert it and you will be fine...
MARKL
The way to fix that rattle is to just take out the head rest and pull the the bars a little farther away from eachother and re insert it and you will be fine...
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
C200 Kompressor
Originally posted by MarkL
I had read that in a service bulletin and tried it. But, when I tried to pull the bars apart, they wouldn't budge, but I stopped when I heard what sounded like stress in the top connection where the bars attach to the actual headrest. Have you actually done this?
I had read that in a service bulletin and tried it. But, when I tried to pull the bars apart, they wouldn't budge, but I stopped when I heard what sounded like stress in the top connection where the bars attach to the actual headrest. Have you actually done this?
