Carmax suprises me
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Joined: Jul 2006
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From: FT POLK LOUISIANA
1992 Toyota Corolla, 1994 Chevy C1500, 2002 C32, 2012 Prius, 2013 Toyota Sienna
Carmax surprises me
So Ive been having the jerky tranny prob since I bought the C32 from Carmax, about 6 months ago. Not too harsh but noticeable. I do have a Valeo Radiator made in 2001. Heeding advice from all the other posts I have read I took the car to the dealer to have the glycol test done. The Glycol test came up negative or less than 100mg. The tech said I had a stored fault for "P2502 Gear implausable or transmission slipping", which he cleared, I also had a warning of "Engine oil level too high". The dealer charged me $220.00 for the tests and said the oil level was .5 Ltr over causing Oil level fault. Carmax was the last one to change the oil. So anyway, I take my bill to Carmax to get reimbursed for the oil level being overfull and to have the dealer take out .5 Ltrs. Carmax payed for everything including the Glycol test. So with the check they gave me I cut my losses and bought a Behr radiator for $160.00. Carmax has also foot the bill for new rear pads and rotors, and new stabalizer bar links. I am surprised and I may just buy another vehicle from them. I just wont let Carmax mechanics touch my car.
Last edited by mdncn2762; Feb 15, 2008 at 06:55 PM.
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From: FT POLK LOUISIANA
1992 Toyota Corolla, 1994 Chevy C1500, 2002 C32, 2012 Prius, 2013 Toyota Sienna
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LET C32 2002
So Ive been having the jerky tranny prob since I bought the C32 from Carmax, about 6 months ago. Not too harsh but noticeable. I do have a Valeo Radiator made in 2001. Heeding advice from all the other posts I have read I took the car to the dealer to have the glycol test done. The Glycol test came up negative or less than 100mg. The tech said I had a stored fault for "P2502 Gear implausable or transmission slipping", which he cleared, I also had a warning of "Engine oil level too high". The dealer charged me $220.00 for the tests and said the oil level was .5 Ltr over causing Oil level fault. Carmax was the last one to change the oil. So anyway, I take my bill to Carmax to get reimbursed for the oil level being overfull and to have the dealer take out .5 Ltrs. Carmax payed for everything including the Glycol test. So with the check they gave me I cut my losses and bought a Behr radiator for $160.00. Carmax has also foot the bill for new rear pads and rotors, and new stabalizer bar links. I am surprised and I may just buy another vehicle from them. I just wont let Carmax mechanics touch my car.
I am pleasantly surprised also...
I am foremost cause they treated a man who defends their and our country with more then a respectful reinbursement...its people and businesses like these that stand out in my eyes...I am more then excited over the fact that Carmax acted so honorable to you my friend! You take your earnings and reinvest it right back into your country and they help by not making you spend so much in the same issues...I hope the tranny jerk doesn't get any worse I also heard that resseting ECU by disconnecting battery about 1 minutes helps to minimize it....keep reading about the tranny jerk and you might be the first to come up with a solution on how to fix it.
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
'03 C32
Glad to hear that it turned out well. I have long been fascinated by Carmax - they actually have lots of sweet cars at very reasonable prices.
They seem to be just learning how to deal with higher end cars though. Very hard to determine what option packages the cars have given the skimpy descriptions and the fact that Carmax can't possibly become expert at so many different makes.
But, bottom line is that customer service counts for a ton. And, it looks like Carmax understands customer service. Tip of the hat to them.
They seem to be just learning how to deal with higher end cars though. Very hard to determine what option packages the cars have given the skimpy descriptions and the fact that Carmax can't possibly become expert at so many different makes.
But, bottom line is that customer service counts for a ton. And, it looks like Carmax understands customer service. Tip of the hat to them.
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From: FT POLK LOUISIANA
1992 Toyota Corolla, 1994 Chevy C1500, 2002 C32, 2012 Prius, 2013 Toyota Sienna
Its so funny. When I originally went to Carmax to look at cars I looked at an Eclipse a E320 and a C32 and thought Hmmmm Mitsubishi or Mercedes....Mit or Benz? I am sooooo glad that I picked the C32. E320 Is way too Grandpa for me. Nice car though. Any way, for sure +1 for Carmax.
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2002 AMG C-32
funny..
I bought my C-32 from Carmax also.. and they were as good as Id have expected them to be..
However,my car has had a jerky,erratic shift since I drove it off the lot.. And a full throttle run leaves the trans in whatever gear it was in when you lift off the throttle..and it stays in this gear for sometimes a mile..at 5-6K rpms.
Wouldnt you know the local Knoxville Tn dealer cant duplicate the problem,even tho it does it every time Im in the car.
And it has a noticeable thump in the driveline on initial take off....
Is all this normal with the other-wise WONDERFUL car?????
I bought my C-32 from Carmax also.. and they were as good as Id have expected them to be..
However,my car has had a jerky,erratic shift since I drove it off the lot.. And a full throttle run leaves the trans in whatever gear it was in when you lift off the throttle..and it stays in this gear for sometimes a mile..at 5-6K rpms.
Wouldnt you know the local Knoxville Tn dealer cant duplicate the problem,even tho it does it every time Im in the car.
And it has a noticeable thump in the driveline on initial take off....
Is all this normal with the other-wise WONDERFUL car?????
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From: Keesler AFB, Gulfport, MS
C32 AMG
As for the tranny jerk, most of us have than nagging problem. Nothing has worked for me. Shortly after I purchased mine I kept it in the shop for over a month while they replaced the tranny, TCU, and I don't even remember what all else. I am convinced it's part of the "adaptive" learning causing the problem because it will go away when you clear it out but comes back like clockwork. Even after a tune, which eliminated the problem for a few days (same as clearing adaptations) the jerk came back strong as ever. I've learned to live with it.
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From: Washington, DC
2005 C55 AMG, 2010 VW GTI (Stage 1)
Its so funny. When I originally went to Carmax to look at cars I looked at an Eclipse a E320 and a C32 and thought Hmmmm Mitsubishi or Mercedes....Mit or Benz? I am sooooo glad that I picked the C32. E320 Is way too Grandpa for me. Nice car though. Any way, for sure +1 for Carmax.
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From: FT POLK LOUISIANA
1992 Toyota Corolla, 1994 Chevy C1500, 2002 C32, 2012 Prius, 2013 Toyota Sienna
Wow, this thread came back almost exactly a year from birth. Wierd. Even though the C32 is pretty much packed up for the Bavarian winter and driven only when the sun is out, it still kicks @ss all over most of the other things on the Autobahn. But hey, AMGC32-58, that gear holding problem isnt really a problem and was designed to do that as SilverBulletAMG stated. The tranny jerk......Its something we live with. Thump in the driveline sounds serious and I would take it back to CARMAX. You have a certain time (30 days I believe) for them to make free repairs. G/L and keep it on 4 wheels
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Miami, FL
1991 Toyota MR2, 2002 C32 AMG
I'd probably fill this page with numerous encounters with Carmax and their excellence. Carmax is definitely the place where I would get my next vehicle without a doubt. Don't be afraid to use your warranty!!! I practically have a new engine thanks to them!!!
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Joined: Feb 2009
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2002 AMG C-32
Actually I purchased the best Warranty they(Carmax) offered... but its only as good as my ability to collect. lol
Carmax throws their hands up,and the dealer,who drove it 4 days,says they cant feel anything wrong with it... even tho the Tech,and the Manager says they feel the thump on take off.... wtf?
I LOVE the car.. these things worry me as far as completly breaking after warranty expires. (btw..thats when the dealer says they know just whats wrong)
Carmax throws their hands up,and the dealer,who drove it 4 days,says they cant feel anything wrong with it... even tho the Tech,and the Manager says they feel the thump on take off.... wtf?
I LOVE the car.. these things worry me as far as completly breaking after warranty expires. (btw..thats when the dealer says they know just whats wrong)
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From: Diamond Bar & Anaheim, CA
2003 C-Class Sportcoupe
funny..
I bought my C-32 from Carmax also.. and they were as good as Id have expected them to be..
However,my car has had a jerky,erratic shift since I drove it off the lot.. And a full throttle run leaves the trans in whatever gear it was in when you lift off the throttle..and it stays in this gear for sometimes a mile..at 5-6K rpms.
Wouldnt you know the local Knoxville Tn dealer cant duplicate the problem,even tho it does it every time Im in the car.
And it has a noticeable thump in the driveline on initial take off....
Is all this normal with the other-wise WONDERFUL car?????
I bought my C-32 from Carmax also.. and they were as good as Id have expected them to be..
However,my car has had a jerky,erratic shift since I drove it off the lot.. And a full throttle run leaves the trans in whatever gear it was in when you lift off the throttle..and it stays in this gear for sometimes a mile..at 5-6K rpms.
Wouldnt you know the local Knoxville Tn dealer cant duplicate the problem,even tho it does it every time Im in the car.
And it has a noticeable thump in the driveline on initial take off....
Is all this normal with the other-wise WONDERFUL car?????
Thread Starter
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From: FT POLK LOUISIANA
1992 Toyota Corolla, 1994 Chevy C1500, 2002 C32, 2012 Prius, 2013 Toyota Sienna
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: So Cal
2007 E550
I bought mine from Carmax. The car was perfect. The experience was easy and would buy my next car from them. They had an E55 that was in great shape when I bougtht my E550. Here's one I saw today:
http://www.carmax.com/enUS/view-car/...5-cebbc6be1e56
http://www.carmax.com/enUS/view-car/...5-cebbc6be1e56
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From: Sacramento/San Gabriel/Riverside
01' C32o
hey guys,
i've also bought my car from carmax, and i got the maxcare extended warranty.
now i've got a question; when i bought the car, they told me that i could go to an authorized repair place, and carmax will take the bill as long as i pay a 75$ deductible. is this true? i have my paperwork in sacramento, so i can't go over them. would i be able to take my car to a mercedes dealership, have them fix everything, and then take the bill to carmax to get it reimbursed? or do i have to tell carmax that, and then they take the bill instead of me footing for it first. i'm a college kid, and there's plenty of crap i needa get redid, such as my engine wiring harness, sunshade, sunroof, etc. let me know, thanks guys!
i've also bought my car from carmax, and i got the maxcare extended warranty.
now i've got a question; when i bought the car, they told me that i could go to an authorized repair place, and carmax will take the bill as long as i pay a 75$ deductible. is this true? i have my paperwork in sacramento, so i can't go over them. would i be able to take my car to a mercedes dealership, have them fix everything, and then take the bill to carmax to get it reimbursed? or do i have to tell carmax that, and then they take the bill instead of me footing for it first. i'm a college kid, and there's plenty of crap i needa get redid, such as my engine wiring harness, sunshade, sunroof, etc. let me know, thanks guys!
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2002 AMG C-32
I take mine to the M-B Dealer,they diag. the concern,then call the warr. co. and its approved or not then. If you have a problem that Carmax can repair,the warr is lowered or done away with... I tried that,and they threw their hands up quickly. lol
It cost me 75 dollars to get a complete new rear window installed because the radio would go out when I hit the rear defrost... $1200.00 dollar repair!
It cost me 75 dollars to get a complete new rear window installed because the radio would go out when I hit the rear defrost... $1200.00 dollar repair!
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 396
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From: Morehead, KY USA
SLK55 AMG, E320 BlueTec, ML350, (formerly) C32 AMG, MR2 Turbo, HD-FLH-FSE, BMW R100RS, Ducati M900
Tranny Jerk
I am curious: How do you tell if your car has the Valeo Radiator or not? I know that most if not all the 2002 models did but they changed sometime in 2003. Is there a tag somewhere? I looked and cannot see one. My car is an '03 model.
As for the tranny jerk, my car is not doing the low rpm 1500rpm jerk that I hear described by alot of owners. When it is cold, if I back up and shift to drive quicky, there is a marked jerk forward when drive is engaged but it goes away as soon as the tranny warms up and I consider that normal, especially in the frigid weather we have had this winter. If I shift from reverse to neutral, pause for 2 sec and then shift to drive, the jerk is non-existent.
As some of the posters said, if you go full throttle and suddenly lift to zero throttle the tranny TCU programming goes into a sports shift mode and will hold the gear and not up shift for several seconds unless you lightly get back on the gas or as another posted, push the shifter to the right (I did not know that one - thanks!). It is assuming that you are going over an alpine pass and are needing the engine braking affect or that you are on a track day and are decellerating into turn 3 and will need to be in the lower gear to power out hard so you can draft-pass that pesky M3 you are following
When you drive the car very aggressively this actually works pretty darn good. Its not a manual gearbox but is OK.
Irish
As for the tranny jerk, my car is not doing the low rpm 1500rpm jerk that I hear described by alot of owners. When it is cold, if I back up and shift to drive quicky, there is a marked jerk forward when drive is engaged but it goes away as soon as the tranny warms up and I consider that normal, especially in the frigid weather we have had this winter. If I shift from reverse to neutral, pause for 2 sec and then shift to drive, the jerk is non-existent.
As some of the posters said, if you go full throttle and suddenly lift to zero throttle the tranny TCU programming goes into a sports shift mode and will hold the gear and not up shift for several seconds unless you lightly get back on the gas or as another posted, push the shifter to the right (I did not know that one - thanks!). It is assuming that you are going over an alpine pass and are needing the engine braking affect or that you are on a track day and are decellerating into turn 3 and will need to be in the lower gear to power out hard so you can draft-pass that pesky M3 you are following
When you drive the car very aggressively this actually works pretty darn good. Its not a manual gearbox but is OK.
Irish
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Posts: 3,560
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From: Sacramento/San Gabriel/Riverside
01' C32o
I take mine to the M-B Dealer,they diag. the concern,then call the warr. co. and its approved or not then. If you have a problem that Carmax can repair,the warr is lowered or done away with... I tried that,and they threw their hands up quickly. lol
It cost me 75 dollars to get a complete new rear window installed because the radio would go out when I hit the rear defrost... $1200.00 dollar repair!
It cost me 75 dollars to get a complete new rear window installed because the radio would go out when I hit the rear defrost... $1200.00 dollar repair!
i don't want them touching my car, and last time i had repairs, the same problems showed up. i needa do engine mount, alternator, etc etc.
