Vdhroso

Hey everybody. Just bought my first benz ever and I am pleased to say I am now a benz believer. Thought I was a beamer guy but the merc is the way to go. Even though its my first mb I wasn't conservative about it. I purchased a 2013 C350 Sport Sedan with the AMG package. I plan on my doing a lot of modifications to this car. It didn't come with the lighting package so my first mod that i already got were obviously the HIDs. I'll post some pics of the car itself. I am hoping to do a few things to it over time:
1) I plan on throwing a C63 AMG grill on it.
2) I will replace the dual exhaust with the C63 AMG double dual exhaust.
3) I am going to paint the brake calipers red.
4) Getting tints also (just debating on how dark)
5) And last but not least, do an ECU tune on it to bump up the HP and torque to gain that extra edge on a lot of cars out there in the streets, specifically the 335i.
For the tune I came upon this place called Brentuning. Has anyone heard of them? Have any C350 owners tuned their cars? If anyone has any other ideas please feel free to throw them my way.

Doa

be carefull on the ECU chipping part, de V6 engine is not that robust and you will never get 335i performance out of the C350. unlike BMW mercedes clearly points people who want sportiness to the AMG models.

odus

nice start wish I had the money for a V6 model and Mercedes is the only car company I'm seeing with not much performance. Any VW or Audi you can tune Bmw for the most part same. Mercedes yea try again my friend so be glad you got a 350 and not a 250 like me.

JulianH

I would not waste your money on performance gains for the engine. I doubt you will see much of a gain in power.

The C350 is a naturally aspirated V6. The 335 is a twin turbo V6. It is very easy to increase the hp in a 335 because you can just get a tune that raises the boost on the turbos. For a naturally aspirated engine, the tune will do very little.

If you had gotten a model with one of the biturbo v8's, those can be easily modded for decent gains with a tune. An e550 or CLS550 for instance.

Vdhroso

thanks for the heads up guys. Maybe that's why i haven't really heard of anyone tuning their c350. i mean i'm pretty satisfied with the power it already has so even little gains would be fine with me but not really in a rush for that. Plus its RWD which makes it pretty fun to drive anyway. I would rather just work on making it look more aggressive with the AMG cosmetic upgrades like the grill and exhaust. and If i were to get a real AMG or any biturbo V8 I probably wouldnt even care to tune it since those are pretty much race cars anyway. And the C250 is nice but its just not the same without a V6 which is why im not really a fan of the CLA250 either. the 335i is a great car but bmw is overpriced IMO. With the C350 you get the most bang for your buck especially since it feels more luxurious than a 335.

odus

I feel ya I got a steal and the 250 is plenty for daily its actually quicker than I thought it would really be. Its a change from my stage 1 MK6 GTI that just wheel spin until 3rd so its at least usable. VW and AUDI can get a little too much torque so its a nice change to drive something and be comfortable and reliable.

Vdhroso

i agree odus. mercedes is a very smooth and comfortable ride. I use my C350 as a daily drive and i can't complain. since your 250 is turbod im assuming you can upgrade the performance on that pretty easy.

odus

they make a cone filter for the intake so nothing fancy there. and a piggy back tuner witch seems un reliable to me so not really. Im wishing there was a company like APR for these cars.

Vdhroso

i know renntech is a certified mercedes tuner but that's all the way in florida. did you install the lighting package headlights on your C250 yourself. they're nice

oaybar007

Beautiful car. You could even leave it be and it will still be amazing for a daily driver! Great color and options on it.

Ditto everyone else. The NA V6 isn't much for power but it gets the job done. The chassis is good otherwise and something that needs to be said more about the MB compared to other cars is that the fluid dynamics in design is there...aerodynamics. The styling of the car helps it cut through the wind with just a 0.29 drag coefficient. Nothing better than flying down the interstate and feeling how the car cuts through the air. Enjoy!

Vdhroso

Thanks man. Yea flying down the interstate feels like you're driving in a vacuum and the fact that there is barely any noise in the cabin just makes it feel like a true luxury car. A lot of people bash Mercedes for not being powerful but they forget that it's one of the most luxurious cars on the market. And if you really need sportiness, the AMG models are more than enough and you still get that Mercedes luxury.

Andriy242

Great purchase man. The car looks great and if you do tint the windows go for 35% up front and 20% on the back. That's what I did a few days ago and the car looks great. I will be posting pics later tonight for people to see.

As well as since it does not have the lighting package, if you ever put HIDs in halogen housing, I will personally come over and murder you!!!!!!Just spend the extra money and go this route
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/DEPO-2012-201...5a46b8&vxp=mtr

Vdhroso

Yea i was thinking the same for the tints. 35 in the front. 20 in the back. Has anyone changed their stock grill to the AMG grill? I also wanna change the rear diffuser and add the quad tips to the exhaust. If any one has experience with that please let me know how you did it?

edgalang

Congrats on the buy. As far as mods go, I would focus more on functionality than cosmetic. There are a few that accomplishes BOTH if you would like to change the "looks first".

Example 1: WIDER wheels.

This mod will prep you for wider/stickier tires later down the road, but in the mean time gets rid of the sunken wheel look as well as stretches your existing tires for max grip while widening your car's overall track width.

Example 2: Front chin spoiler.

Keep in mind not all spoilers are created equal, and there will be some that may actually increase drag, and/or may actually increase downforce (so this could be a hit or miss). HOWEVER...the one I got appeared to have increased the car's aerodynamics, REDUCING drag and thereby INCREASING my highway MPG.

The story is documented on this page...
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ghway-mpg.html

As a preview...this is a sample of my daily commute (assuming I hit no traffic) taken from the initial start of engine, to the parking lot in the office 32 miles away.


Also I'd bump the ECU tune higher up on your list (definitely higher than a grill replacement or any other "fluff" mods). Of all things you can do to a C350, an ECU tune will get you the most bang for buck, SECOND to only a good set of tires (which I understand most people would probably want to wear out their existing set first, so this can come at a later date).

BUT...even before the 2 mods above...The 3 other mods that I consider a PREREQUISITE on all the cars I own today and moving forward that I rank head and shoulders above all other mods are...

#1 TINTS (this has MANY benefits)
#2 A good (hardwired) radar detector (of all the mods this one easily pays for itself, even if you don't speed. When doing long drives, INTEL is KING!)
#3 Debadge the rear end. This should always be performed at the dealer even before taking final delivery of the vehicle. To me it trim is irrelevant. Anything from AMG to a base model 250, it will be debadged regardless. What is under the hood is my business.

For reference, I have a custom factory ordered 2012 C350 and this particular car plans to stick around to at least 2020. Good luck with your journey OP. This board has many benefits.

Vdhroso

wow those are good MPG numbers you're getting. With that being said I am now on board with getting that front chin spoiler. I usually get around 27 MPG on my way to work, but that 33.1 looks a lot nicer. As for the ECU tune i found a place that does it for a good price and just like yours it will increase my power up to 325hp and 296tq. Once my tires wear out I will def get wider wheels since it makes the car look meaner and adds functionality as well. After you got the ECU tune did you feel a significant difference or enough of a difference to be happy with your purchase?

edgalang

Difference? Most definitely...but where you will find the most difference is in the throttle response. However because I'm still on OEM tires, I'm still very conservative on how I drive and have NOT fully taken advantage of all the benefits yet...example, the removal of the 130 MPH speed governor the ECU tune is suppose to provide. Once I get all 4s on Michelin PSS, then I'll be more willing to open her up.

Vdhroso

that's awesome. I assumed the throttle response would be more responsive with that extra tq it gained. Also I've read alot about how an ECU tune can void your warranty. Would you say that's true? And How much did you pay for the front chin spoiler and was it easy to install or does it have to be done professionally.

edgalang

ECU:
If I were you I wouldn't necessarily jump the gun and advise you do a bit more homework and for you to determine that yourself. When in doubt...do nothing.

Chin Spoiler:
$450 and installed by myself. I had to purchase extra parts like double sided tape and better screws since the ones provided in the original package to me was unacceptable.

Vdhroso

for the 2013 model they do the tune a little differently. they have to drill a hole in order to get to the ECU so i'll have to wait a couple of weeks till they get a different method of doing it so it's basically invisible to the manufacturer. What are you getting for a 0-60 time after the ECU tune? For stock performance I hear it ranges from 5.6 to 5.9. I personally haven't measured myself.

HeliMX

What tune are we talking about here? Drill a hole? 325hp?

Vdhroso

ECU tune. Not sure what the method is currently but if it involves drilling a hole anywhere near my engine i will pass. and apparently you gain +23hp and +23tq putting you at 325hp and 296tq

alemac63

good buy