BigB333

Is it possible to take your car back to Mercedes and pay them the 1300 dollars or whatever it costs to get automatic, and have them replace your manual transmission?

tommy

Any post-purchase retrofits of anything (Comand, for example, which has been asked before) will cost way more than getting it straight from the factory. And I seriously doubt that any MB dealership would even take on such a task. Don't forget that there are trim pieces, electronic sensors, etc. that would have to be replaced as well. I'm sure that it would be cheaper to sell your manny car, and pick up a new auto one, than to do what you're suggesting.

Why would you do that anyway? Unless you recently lost your left leg? If so, you have my condolences.

BigB333

lol ok, do you like your man transmission? I have heard alot of complaints about it on the c230

tommy

Yes, I LIKE it. Are you getting the C7? I haven't driven non-C7 and C7 back-to-back, but I hear that the feel is much better on the C7-equipped ones. Though I finally got my crx running enough today to take it to my shop to have them get it ready for this autox season; I've got a C's short shift on it - now, that's a manny that I absolutely LOVE. I don't think that the C230's manny is in the same league, but I think that Honda's shift feel is tough to beat.

I'm assuming that you took a fairly long drive in a manny c230? The shifting does loosen up some with a few k's on the odo. Of course, girly autos and me are like oil & water, so I've got a big prejudice against them, but even if you're indifferent, I'd still recommend the manny.

Did you order the car yet?

chronopassion

Yes, I guess you have come to the realization that the manual transmission on the C230 is simply not a good choice. Sorry if you regret you purchase of manual which is the way the majority of people who opted for it do. I would have preferred a manual, but one can clearly see on the initial test drive that the manny is not the way to go, of course. I also test drove a trade-in with 6,000 miles and the manny was even worse than the new one. So, I did not fall into the trap of thinking the manny would get better over time. It will not, of course.

Best advice is what was mentioned previously. Sell the car and just buy a new one. Possibly, your dealership might take it as a trade-in without too much of a financial loss since you intend to get a new one with more options.

Best regards,

CP

BigB333

No i have not got the car yet, but I really want manual... but if it sucks?

tommy

Where in the HELL did you get that overgeneralization? I don't think that I've seen that many posts b1tching about the manny.

Well, I guess that you don't believe me about my manny getting easier, then? WTF?

chronopassion

You're kidding right, Tommy?

Just go down a couple posts to:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...&threadid=6141

I do not know of anybody that has been complimentary of the manual transmission. If you are fishing for people to say it is good to increase your resale value, good luck.

Also, I do not know of any publication review that thought the manny was any good.

CP

tommy

Well, you do realize that there is a difference between saying that it's not a great transmission, and saying that you'd prefer an automatic, don't you?

With many people, a manny would have to be pretty bad to force them to go auto.

And actually, there was at least one review that was posted here at some point that said it was a pretty good manny. Though, (rationalization time here) I don't think that most reviewers give any Benz manny a fair shake, as they often seem to trash them just because they feel that all Benzes should have autos anyway.

BTW: even on this forum, that is a pretty small group of people with complaints. Look at the manny drivers who have had their cars awhile: Benzo, Rick, me, Lynn, Deb, renncpe, MarkL, etc: most of us have not said that much about how bad the tranny is, which indicates that we're lazy, or that you either get used to the manny, or it actually does get better with age.

avlis

Uhhh, excuse me for jumping in here, but I only see 1 person in that thread complaining about their trans (mdp 230k).

Mike E

bigB333,
Check the thread that CP linked above. There are more posts about the 6sp shifter in that thread. I've included my own commennts on that thread. You can check out my post to get some impressions from someone whose opinion of the 6sp is favorable.

chronopassion

Hi avlis,

Maybe I am reading the comments incorrectly. But on that referenced post, the follwoing seem to have nonresolved issues with the manny:

Mike T (only in reference to the German press, not personally)

speedfrk

avlis (even you comment about the need to stop with 1st as well as clunking)

hrh (short shifting technique needed)

Cullen (klunky)

mdp c230

MikeE (again trouble shifting in 1st without stopping)

All I am saying is that you do not have to act like the manual transmission is the Emperor's New Clothes. There are problems with any car, and the actual design of the C230 manny is average at best, of course. Now with that being said, I completely respect people's driving preference for auto or manual. If you want a manny, well that is what you are stuck with.

Best regards,

CP

jack230

I've driven plenty of cars with manual transmissions that suck, and the C230 just isn't one of them. When I test drove the C230, I drove a manual and an auto. If I could not have purchased a manual, I wouldn't have bought the car. Some people prefer manuals and some people prefer automatics.

I'm thinking that it's a little off base for someone to say that the C230's manual sucks simply because he or she prefers autos.

And the shifting action does improve somewhat after a few miles. I test drove two mannys--one with 4500 miles and one just off the truck.

revstriker

I too have driven MANY cars with manual transmissions, and I test drove the C230 (with about 4K). I would not buy this car with anything but the manual transmition. I did not have a problem with it at all.

btw - most manuals that I have driven have been stiff from time to time going into first from neutral, especially when cold. I have found that the best thing to do is to let off the clutch, and then re-clutch and try again. Same with reverse. As far as the "clunking" thing, I have not experienced that with the MB (at least, not any more than a normal manny).

My opinion of what I would buy is based on the fact that I like mannys better than autos, especially with an engine like the 2.3K. However, the MB auto IS a nice transmition as well, and I think for someone that isn't as "excited" about driving a manual as I am, they would be more than happy with the Auto. For my C320 of course, there was no choice.

Mike E

CP,
Since, in your most recent post, you referenced a very brief snipit from my previously posted comments regarding my personal impressions of the 6sp shifter, I would like to make sure that my intended meaning from that full post is presented here.

In that full post I provided more of an overall review of the 6sp shifter which included comments pertaining to those elements of the shifter that are less than absolutely ideal as well as comments about those elements of the shifter that are very desirable. The overall impression that I was communicating was that I very much enjoy using the C230 6sp shifter, inspite of the fact that there may be some room for improvement (but then what is there in life that doesn't have room for improvement). This is in comparison to the 5sp shifter in the Honda Accord which I still own and occaisionally drive and I think that Honda's shift mechanisms are held in consistently high regard.

Now I know how people feel when they are quoted out of context in the press.

Gary

I have no complaints with the 6 speed, Tommy is correct about the tranny loosening up with milage.
There is a "thunk" going into second especially when the car is cold, there is the same thing in my g/f's 2001 5 speed BMW 325 coupe.
I like this transmission - didn't like the auto at all.

I'm wondering if redline oil would help the transmission - it certainly helped my Miata

vadim

To me the manual was a VERY good choice. Looks like too many people get biased due to the auto press criticism of the coupe's manual tranny... which in turn seems to be just a re-iteration of one negative opinion of a lazy test-driver...

I had test driven 2 non-C7 coupes, and had no problem right from the get-go, now I have a coupe with the C7 package - it's even better. And - yes, it loosens up with mileage, although it wasn't bad when new, either.

Mine was built some time in Nov '2001 - not sure if they had done any mods to it by that time compared to early production.

jay

Exactly! Doesn't it all really come down to individual preference? Why is it that EVERONE seems to think their opinion is the correct one?

Yeah, I test drove both the manny and the "slushbox" (as some like to call it), and I bought the auto.... Fore one F*** reason... I hate to spend hours in traffic exercising one leg!

Lynn

I seem to be one of the few who have driven cars with and without C7. BigB333, if you decide on a manny, the C7 is a must. The throws are shorter and a whole lot less rubbery. The clutch engagement point is different and feels better, too. I think the problem with the reviews is that all the cars tested have been without the C7 package.

The Mercedes auto is an excellent unit provided you use it just as an auto. The manumatic feature is a silly gimmick. It has a huge delay between when you tell it to shift and when it does shift. I had an auto coupe for 77 days before I got the 6 speed, and the only use I found for the manumatic was to shift down a gear to maintain a constant speed on a steep hill.

vadim

Such is human nature.... I can hardly remember a person in my life who would express an opinion believing that it IS incorrect.

Spyke

People are critical of a tranny that balks when being put into 1st without stopping? Dang, I guess every car I've driven in the past 24 years is crap then...

Since I don't know the exact specifics behind each comment I won't rant, but in general it's best to be going as slow as possible before you downshift into 1st. It plays hell on the synchro if you're moving at much past a walking pace. I'm not saying you should lug 2nd or anything... but thin about what's goin on here. If the engine's revs are too low to match the speed you're in, then hooking it up to a low gear (like 1st) and expecting everything to mesh smoothly is a lot to ask.

I suppose I shouldn't be commenting though, it's never bothered me that some vehicles need a little finesse to get the smoothest perfomance. Plus, I only drove a C240 with the manny to decided on wich tranny, and it seemed fine to me

Mike T.

So Mercedes actually fits a different gearbox shift linkage to the Evolution package cars?!? And the clutch is different too?

I somehow find that hard to believe, economies of scale being what they are, but if there's any documentation to this effect from the manufacturer, could you please point me to it?

The only manual I drove was on a non-sport C 240 sedan and that shifter was at least as good as that of my Peugeot 405 (which is quite good). So if the non-evolution C 230 K Coupé shifter is the same as that of the 240 I drove, I'll be very happy.

Lynn

renncpe and Bos have the part numbers. Randy had his parts guys at Brumos look them up. Bos got the numbers when he was investigating to possibility of getting a third party to make short throw shifters. He dropped the project when the parts #'s from his dealer comfirmed C7 includes a short throw shifter. C7 cars also have a different exhaust system. In addition the the larger tip, C7 cars do not have a resonator.

I don't know how different the clutches are. The C7 engagement point is higher above the floor. Others have noted the the same thing. It also felt, at least to me, that the arc of the pedal travel was different.

avlis

Speaking of being taken out of context!

CP: "avlis (even you comment about the need to stop with 1st as well as clunking) "

Here is my full comment from the other thread that CP is refering to:
-------------
I have to stop completely to shift into 1st too. I get a bit of a "clunk" going into 2nd but it doesn't strike me as a problem. It's definitely not bad enough to constitute a tranny rebuild.

I prefer the positive mechanical feel of the MB stick to my wife's Honda. The Honda's stick moves almost too easily giving it feeling like it's worn out and loose. Maybe I've just gotten used to my MB....
------------------

Does it still sound like I consider the 6sp a bad choice!? Quite the contrary...

Cullen

I'm one of the listed people who 'complained' about the manual tranny before (klunky). My only complaint is that going from 1 to 2 isnt a very smooth path. Everything else is great. I learned to drive manual on a Miata, and I prefer this. I would still take the manual over the auto, even if they were the same price.