2-many-carz

Greetings,

I have been lurking for a month now and have been enjoying the different perspectives on the new C-class. I purchased a C350 in steel grey with the MB-tex grey interior two months ago from Phil Smart in Seattle. This is my first MB and it replaced a ’95 Volvo 850. I loved that Volvo, but it hit 200,000 miles so decided it was time for an upgrade.

Since I already did the Volvo thing, I was leaning towards a BMW. Really liked the ’06 330i 4-door, but hated the interior layout. And the taillights looked like they velcro'ed them on as an afterthought. The new C-class interior smoked the 330i and it had much better taillights, too. Plus the power of the C350 rivaled the 330i. I never considered the C300, never even drove one.

To be honest, this is the most fun car I have ever owned. Yes, 60 to 106 is effortless. Yes, 106 to 0 is also effortless. And the handling is wonderful. I have no complaints, other than the fact that the speed limit around here is a mere 60 mph. I'm beginning to think that a trip from Reno to Ely, Nevada might be a good idea.

And yes, I am certain that MB produces cars that cost twice as much and are twice as much fun to drive. But I didn't buy one of them, so it's a moot point.

I changed my oil yesterday at 4500 miles. I am from the old school and I think the early years are very important to the longevity of an engine. Proper break-in, proper maintenance, and this MB may last as long as my Volvo did, and my Honda, and my two Toyotas, etc… I have always changed oil at 3000 miles, so I need to warm up to the idea of 13,000 mile oil changes. I can't go that long yet, but give me a year or two and maybe I can. Or not. Baby steps, I’m taking baby steps here.

Thank you Drop-a-Daimler for showing me where the oil filter lives. I would have spent considerable time under the car looking for it if it weren’t for your photos. Thanks for a great write-up.

For the record, I am a drainer, not a sucker. Six 8mm bolts and one piece of plastic is all I have to remove to access the drain plug. And I can do that. In my opinion, when you drain, you flush. Think of your toilet. Would you rather suck it out or flush it? Case closed.

Now for my question. I have an air vent in the glove box. It is in the upper left front and has a twist regulator. You didn't know that? Take a look, I bet you have one, too. So my question is, why is it there?

As I mentioned, this is my first MB, so maybe this has been around for years, I don’t know. I just can’t figure out why my papers, why my maps, and why my CD’s need a breath of fresh air. But maybe they do. Oddly enough, this air does not appear to be tied into the heating system. It has been cold up here in Washington lately and the heat has been on, but in the glove box it blows cold air. I just can't figure out a good explanation as to why that vent is there.

As this is my first post, and I usually don't speak on forums, I would appreciate any constructive criticism if I pulled any forum fax pas'. As I said, I'm taking baby steps here.

CarGuru

I believe it so you could place a bottled water there on a road trip as to save it. When you are ready for it expect it to be chilled and not warm?

-Ryan

chilledbenz

I'm under the impression its there to keep your electronics cool. If you have a six disc changer, it resides there. The ipod adapter is also there, so your ipod would be in there as well. If you don't have an ipod kit, the input jack is there and anything you plug into it would be in the glove box. Electronics and closed spaces don't mix, even if you don't think they get really hot.

V8 AMG

Doesnt the I-pod integration kit sit in the glove box ? If so, it should help it keep those devices run cool. In some of the older Benzes, you got airconditioning vents inside the centre console to keep whatever you want cool. I guess they have relocated it to the glovebox on the W204s.

CarGuru

That's a good guess too! My old 2002 Passat had this in the G-Box too and I recall the salesman saying something about it being there to keep your sodas, bottled water and snacks cool whenthe A/C is on? I also only say this as my Passat had an OEM trunk mounted disc changer?

-Ryan

MB Fanatic

Its there to keep things cold. These items usually are things like a bottle of water, some food or what have you. I use mine to keep a couple bottles of water nice and cold.

chilledbenz

Only reason I went with the electronics theory is because I didn't think it got cold enough to really keep a bottle of water cold. Not like the Dodge invention that has the slots for water bottles in place of a normal glove box lol.

Moviela

Hello 2 many, I am not sure why you feel the need to continue to service your car so frequently. Engines will run 250,000 miles with virtually no wear if you use the correct Mobil 1 and fleece filter. First, you car engine is as "broken in" as it will get when your car left the factory. Mercedes uses a planar honing process that flattens the peaks between the cross hatching in the cylinder walls. The rings are not completing the machining as in older cars. The factory fill oil is the same as the oil you buy in bottles. No additives are necessary, and are discourged, so the fleece filter is not compromised by undesirable solvents. There are many types of oil, but only those that meet the specification sheet from Mercedes should be used in your car. It must quote the sheet number on the label. Mobil 1 0W-40 is the easiest Sheet 229.5 oil to find. The fleece filter by Mann is also required for continued protection. You don't want to sludge that engine with the wrong oil or filter.

You are wearing yourself out draining the oil. There is contrary to popular thinking no advantage that opening the sump gives you. It actually causes a problem. First, it does not flush the oil system as in your toilet comparasion. There will always remain some oil in the nooks and cranies of the engine that will not drain. It is only a few ounces, and not significant in the 8 quart sump. Oil is a sneaky fluid that moves in ways most people don't consider with their limited knowelege of fluid dynamics and basic lubrication theory. Engineers at Mercedes use a machinists class A thread on the drain plug. This is an interference fit that causes the threads to rub against each other during the first mating. If you take the male thread out, it does not fit as well after that, and can leak oil. On your engine there is a copper sealing ring that is a back-up to the class A thread. So now, your case is NOT closed. If the plug comes out the ring must be replaced. It is crushed during assembly. There is a specified torque for this fastener, and the plug should be tightened in two steps, first to 75% of the final value, then to the final value. There is also a specified torque for the oil filter cap.

Sucking the oil out through the dipstick tube removes as much oil as draining it. The oil should be at operating temperature when removed. It is also cleaner and less prone to a spill. How do you know if the oil is at the end of its service life? Well, it is not how black it is, what it smells like, or how it rolls around on the tongue (just kidding about that>) What gets depleated in the oil is the additive package (which is about double in sheet 229.5 oil) and the only way to know if it is done is through oil analysis. Blackstone labs is the one I use. Costs about $ 20, and you know exactly what is happening in your engine. You only used about 1/2 the additive package in your oil, and you tossed it. You would not use half a tank of gas, drain it and refill, so why did you change the oil before it was done? Save yourself some money, and spend time driving your car and enjoying what a good roadcar can do.

lx Raven xl

My dealer told me the same here. There is no need for any change of oil. He gave me a service date ( that is after 1 year ) to come and get the car serviced. He also mentioned not to do anything on my own to the car except the wind shield fluids change. lol

Makes sense to me !!!

Cheers for the very detailed explanation Moviela!

2-many-carz

Very good argument, Moviela. But as I mentioned, I'm from the old school and admit that I need to change my way of thinking. I may get there, but for my own peace of mind I needed to dump that initial oil after what I considered the break-in miles. So I did just that, and now I am sleeping better.

Oil and filter were purchased from the MB dealer, Mobil 1 and Mann, so no worries there. The parts guy agreed when I told him that I needed to dump the oil. He said he can't go 13,000 miles either. Maybe he's a good salesman and was just practicing "the customer is always right" motto, then again, maybe not.

Cold air in the g-box for electronics makes sense. It never occured to me to pack a water bottle in there, though. My water bottle fits so nicely in the center console that I never considered hiding it in the g-box.

tanktube67

I like the way you explained but just to make it simple, syntetic oil has a longer life, lubricates better and keep the engine cooler.

MBfan21

That's pretty cool if they put a cool vent to cool your soda. What would make the car perfect is if they had a heated cupholder where you can keep your coffee beside you.

peabers

You can buy a $20K Dodge Nitro to get there.

My understanding is that the vent in the glove is to keep your electronics in a reasonable operating temperature. It's also for someone who need to keep some drugs/meds in there too (i.e., epi pens, etc.) from getting to hot.

stephensong

The only problem is the dealer does not know what it does, they did not know that it was in there. The owner's manual does not refer to it and if you were going to stick a drink or food in the glove box you would have to remove the CDs, manual, and all other things that live in the glove box.

inFiniTE LooP

ah yes, the good old Passats. Volkswagen finally figured out that it was a problem having it linked to the A/C controls so they fixed it 1-2 years ago. our cars, and their cars now, always keep the glove box cold, compared to before where if you turned up the heat in a passat the glove box would get hot too!

430752

You've got is all wrong. The glovebox vent is to chill your beer. Or maybe a Riesling.

Okay, before I get sued it is wrong to drink and drive. Or to drive and drink. Or, really to drink at all. Soon, that will be outlawed in bars and restaurants and casinos too. Oh, and driving is hazardous to your health too, soon that will also be outlawed in bars and restaraunts ...err, roadways where super-dooper versions of intelligent cruise and lane detection will drive the car for you.

But I digress, the glove box think is for chilling your beverages, whatever your choice might be. Somewhere I read it from Merc, but also referenced in some car buff magazines. I guess it could also be used to chill your ipod, but am not aware that ipods need chilling or otherwise run hot. Of course, as others have noted, it does only half a good a job at chilling as a car costing half its price, and there is no heating version in the glove box or center armrest area. But it is a Mercedes, so you must be impressed.

peabers

If you can fit a bottle of Riesling in the glovebox of the W204, I think you deserve to be allowed to keep it in there.

Normally, no... but if the iPod is locked up in a non-ventilated area, there is still no means to dissipate the heat from the mechanical components. I am referring to the "iPod Classic" here with the hard-drive inside, not the solid-state Nano's, Shuffle, or Touch.

Considering that the Germans are only finally cluing in on the North American's obsession with cup holders... I'd credit MB for putting in a pair of decent sized ones in the console. Wish they'd move the rear ones out of the arm-rest though.

wase4711

As a former Oil company "employee", you hit it RIGHT ON THE HEAD!!
Quit wasting money and natural resources, and don't drain the oil before the factory recommended intervals!!!

aowhaus

the glovebox vent has been around for a while on VW's and I loved it on my Passat. Not only for keeping a bottle of water cooled but also anything that could melt or spoil in your car while you're driving or parked for short periods of time after a drive. Like VW's the vent opening could controlled so you don't have to have the A/C or heat blown into the glovebox if you don't want to. It's nice to know it's there since it will help keep the iPod cool while it's plugged in there.

RLE

Keeps your Hershey bar from melting, among other things.

First car I know of to have a cooled glove box was the '78 Porsche 928.

spotless

Cooling in the glove box is very peculiar to me. It's not cool enough to get drinks ice cold, yet it's too much for electronics. As for "keep things cool in summer so things like CDs won't warp in summer" theory, if the car has been sitting under sun for a few hours, what is the point?


I remember when I first found out certain European cars came out with 10,000 miles oil change interval...or was it 8000? It's simply amazing, especially my hectic life style prevents me from going to the dealership often. However, do I need to check the oil level regularly? Won't the engine start to burn a bit of oil after awhile?

As far as break in is concerned. I think modern cars are more about training the ECU and helping the parts settle in. In the old days, you'd still get tiny bits of metal particles from machining process, so the cars had to be babied and fluids had to be drained to flush those metal particles out, IMO.

scottw

[QUOTE=2-many-carz;2522922]
To be honest, this is the most fun car I have ever owned. Yes, 60 to 106 is effortless. Yes, 106 to 0 is also effortless. And the handling is wonderful. I have no complaints, other than the fact that the speed limit around here is a mere 60 mph. I'm beginning to think that a trip from Reno to Ely, Nevada might be a good idea.


Congratulations on your purchase!! I bought my first Mercedes in 2001 and loved every minute of it. I am now on my third....a 2007 C-class sport with manual transmission. They are so great to drive that my commute to and from Manhattan everyday is a joy.

Word of advice....do not let the stories about Car and Driver make you mad. Let's face it...all the cars in this segment are great. It is all really a matter of taste.