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I had sound recording test drives and driveshaft repositionings on monday and they confirmed that the diff has to be changed. Was ordered on tuesday morning and arrived today (thursday) afternoon. I have time to drop the car at dealer next thursday so will let you know once replaced.
I had sound recording test drives and driveshaft repositionings on monday and they confirmed that the diff has to be changed. Was ordered on tuesday morning and arrived today (thursday) afternoon. I have time to drop the car at dealer next thursday so will let you know once replaced.
They'll start with changing the driveshaft (Confirmed today).
The part is not available in Canada, it will come from Germany.
No ETA at this time - drove a new car 6 days, been 3 weeks in the shop since.
When will it leave? Your bet is as good as mine.
They'll start with changing the driveshaft (Confirmed today).
The part is not available in Canada, it will come from Germany.
No ETA at this time - drove a new car 6 days, been 3 weeks in the shop since.
When will it leave? Your bet is as good as mine.
I am so happy...... .... .... ...
Unacceptable. Totally understand your frustration. On the bright side, could be worse. I've had my car for just over a year and I've dealt with the following:
1) Rotors (and pads) on all 4 corners replaced in first month of ownership due to corrosion on the rotor hats, face of the rotors, etc. Rotors were black in color after 500 miles of driving. Horrible squeal and pulsing under braking.
2) Faulty injection molding on the steering wheel. Dealer tried to clean, but spilled isopropyl alcohol on my steering column, which resulted in my entire steering wheel and column being replaced.
3) Stains that look like sweat stains leeching out of all the leather door panels. Went away eventually after repeated cleanings with a microfiber towel dipped in warm water, although dark stains have been left behind (haven't gotten around to getting these panels replaced yet).
4) Windshield wipers over-travel and hit the black gloss trim on the edge of the windshield in heavy rain (loud CLICKING sound is the result).
5) One of my "biturbo" badges started to fall off; replaced.
6) Front reading light buttons don't work. Haven't gotten them repaired, as it would require ripping out all the lights and switches.
7) One of the driver's side floor mat anchor buttons fell off when I removed the mat to clean it. Glued it back on myself because the replacement part never arrived from Germany after waiting like 6 months for it.
8) The infamous differential whine/resonant ringing noise between 40-50 mph. Car has been in the shop for 12 consecutive days, and will be there until at least next Tuesday.
Approaching 30 total days in the shop for this calendar year.
Unacceptable. Totally understand your frustration. On the bright side, could be worse. I've had my car for just over a year and I've dealt with the following:
1) Rotors (and pads) on all 4 corners replaced in first month of ownership due to corrosion on the rotor hats, face of the rotors, etc. Rotors were black in color after 500 miles of driving. Horrible squeal and pulsing under braking.
2) Faulty injection molding on the steering wheel. Dealer tried to clean, but spilled isopropyl alcohol on my steering column, which resulted in my entire steering wheel and column being replaced.
3) Stains that look like sweat stains leeching out of all the leather door panels. Went away eventually after repeated cleanings with a microfiber towel dipped in warm water, although dark stains have been left behind (haven't gotten around to getting these panels replaced yet).
4) Windshield wipers over-travel and hit the black gloss trim on the edge of the windshield in heavy rain (loud CLICKING sound is the result).
5) One of my "biturbo" badges started to fall off; replaced.
6) Front reading light buttons don't work. Haven't gotten them repaired, as it would require ripping out all the lights and switches.
7) One of the driver's side floor mat anchor buttons fell off when I removed the mat to clean it. Glued it back on myself because the replacement part never arrived from Germany after waiting like 6 months for it.
8) The infamous differential whine/resonant ringing noise between 40-50 mph. Car has been in the shop for 12 consecutive days, and will be there until at least next Tuesday.
Approaching 30 total days in the shop for this calendar year.
This is incredibly unprofessional. How such an expensive car be so faulty. I would demand a new model if I were you. Could you elaborate a little bit more about the rotors and squeaking? I noticed some unpleasant sound when going reverse and having my wheels turned while gently pressing the brake (typical parking combination). I even have the sound recorded so they will look at it when I drop the car on Thursday for diff replacement. However I applied old school techniques regarding brakes in performance cars - floor the gas pedal then hard brake stop. Sound disappeared.
But we have to be honest here, things have to be going pretty bad in automotive industry when really expensive performance cars (I think we can count our cars as such, 4 wheels cost more than some small city cars) have so many issues.
This is incredibly unprofessional. How such an expensive car be so faulty. I would demand a new model if I were you. Could you elaborate a little bit more about the rotors and squeaking? I noticed some unpleasant sound when going reverse and having my wheels turned while gently pressing the brake (typical parking combination). I even have the sound recorded so they will look at it when I drop the car on Thursday for diff replacement. However I applied old school techniques regarding brakes in performance cars - floor the gas pedal then hard brake stop. Sound disappeared.
But we have to be honest here, things have to be going pretty bad in automotive industry when really expensive performance cars (I think we can count our cars as such, 4 wheels cost more than some small city cars) have so many issues.
I agree. I could've dealt with a few problems, but my car only has 4k miles on it. It's shambolic. My '13 W204 C63 . . . I had it for 5 years and never had to take it into service for anything other than annual oil changes and summer/winter tire swaps.
What I was experiencing with the brakes was a grinding noise, combined with a pulse/vibration through the pedal.
The C43's brakes naturally do "squeal" (it's more of a rubbing noise) a little bit when reversing at slow speeds. What I was dealing with beforehand was unbearable.
This is what they looked like after 500 miles of driving. Couldn’t not get the rust, corrosion, and ridges off despite the fact I was actively trying to bed in the brakes. Still couldn’t make an impact.
I agree. I could've dealt with a few problems, but my car only has 4k miles on it. It's shambolic. My '13 W204 C63 . . . I had it for 5 years and never had to take it into service for anything other than annual oil changes and summer/winter tire swaps.
What I was experiencing with the brakes was a grinding noise, combined with a pulse/vibration through the pedal.
The C43's brakes naturally do "squeal" (it's more of a rubbing noise) a little bit when reversing at slow speeds. What I was dealing with beforehand was unbearable.
This is what they looked like after 500 miles of driving. Couldn’t not get the rust, corrosion, and ridges off despite the fact I was actively trying to bed in the brakes. Still couldn’t make an impact.
Wow. My car has 16k km ~10k miles and my rotors and pads look like brand new. There's something seriously wrong there looking at your picture.
Unacceptable. Totally understand your frustration. On the bright side, could be worse. I've had my car for just over a year and I've dealt with the following:
1) Rotors (and pads) on all 4 corners replaced in first month of ownership due to corrosion on the rotor hats, face of the rotors, etc. Rotors were black in color after 500 miles of driving. Horrible squeal and pulsing under braking.
2) Faulty injection molding on the steering wheel. Dealer tried to clean, but spilled isopropyl alcohol on my steering column, which resulted in my entire steering wheel and column being replaced.
3) Stains that look like sweat stains leeching out of all the leather door panels. Went away eventually after repeated cleanings with a microfiber towel dipped in warm water, although dark stains have been left behind (haven't gotten around to getting these panels replaced yet).
4) Windshield wipers over-travel and hit the black gloss trim on the edge of the windshield in heavy rain (loud CLICKING sound is the result).
5) One of my "biturbo" badges started to fall off; replaced.
6) Front reading light buttons don't work. Haven't gotten them repaired, as it would require ripping out all the lights and switches.
7) One of the driver's side floor mat anchor buttons fell off when I removed the mat to clean it. Glued it back on myself because the replacement part never arrived from Germany after waiting like 6 months for it.
8) The infamous differential whine/resonant ringing noise between 40-50 mph. Car has been in the shop for 12 consecutive days, and will be there until at least next Tuesday.
Approaching 30 total days in the shop for this calendar year.
Wow! That is just incredible.
Difficult to accept given the price of these cars.
The simple fact Mercedes, given the prestige of the brand, puts such lemons on the road is jaw-dropping.
Should this be a single or rare unlucky occurrence....but reading various forums, it is not the case - they are more and more well documented, and one could expect Merc engineers to know how to read.
I seriously am concerned about the quality processes in place to manufacture these cars and even more, about the ineffectiveness and lack of customer service concerns.
A simple driveshaft (I do not know about the differential) not available in Canada, through a network of 58 dealership locations, and 11 warehouses and locations, is simply indicating Mercedes inability to respond to such occurrences and situations.
“The best or nothing” is their slogan. Well, nothing was the result so far.
I can officially tell you that my car will not go through the same process yours have gone through as I will not wait a year of multiple issues as such.
For me, it is inconceivable that 75-80K spent on a vehicle just turns into such a "lemon" type of situations and I will involve my lawyers sooner than later to cancel this sale and/or to get another car.
On a positive note, my dealership has been more than collaborating in trying to help the situation. They have been caring, and are obviously concerned about my perception of the whole situation.
The problem lies in Mercedes HQ and overall support of their dealership network which is SLOW, inefficient, and just not caring about end customers who pay the big bucks for such cars.
I am awaiting news today and will see what they will do to solve much quicker.
At this time, it took 3 weeks to validate that tires and rims are not the cause, of which, one full week to reposition a driveshaft 3 times to validate the unbalancing (nothing confirms this will fix the issue as you know). That is the result of the stupid process fixing by Q&A and emails exchange between the dealership every 24 hrs (hey one answer a day - we work soooo hard - no worries, we cover our asses says Merc )
I will feed this thread with all details as they come in.
Last edited by Eric Lessard; 09-16-2019 at 08:34 AM.
I agree. I could've dealt with a few problems, but my car only has 4k miles on it. It's shambolic. My '13 W204 C63 . . . I had it for 5 years and never had to take it into service for anything other than annual oil changes and summer/winter tire swaps.
What I was experiencing with the brakes was a grinding noise, combined with a pulse/vibration through the pedal.
The C43's brakes naturally do "squeal" (it's more of a rubbing noise) a little bit when reversing at slow speeds. What I was dealing with beforehand was unbearable.
This is what they looked like after 500 miles of driving. Couldn’t not get the rust, corrosion, and ridges off despite the fact I was actively trying to bed in the brakes. Still couldn’t make an impact.
Your pictures paint a thousand words. Whenever I see this, it is very obvious what happened. Let me tell you what happened. You can see the shape of the brake pad "rust spot" on the rotors. This happens when the car is in heavy rain and parked/not moving for a long time, and made worse if this cycle happens over and over. Or, the car is washed and left without moving and then perhaps washed repeatedly over a few days without moving/driving. I have own many cars where this exact situation has happened. It's not just your car, it's any and every car. I have had this happen many times, for example, leaving the car in daily rainy/stormy weather and going for a holiday, or a over-zealous family member washes the car everyday in the same spot while I'm vacation. I am surprised the techs did not pick up on this, they must not be very experienced! It is a very common situation.
Your pictures paint a thousand words. Whenever I see this, it is very obvious what happened. Let me tell you what happened. You can see the shape of the brake pad "rust spot" on the rotors. This happens when the car is in heavy rain and parked/not moving for a long time, and made worse if this cycle happens over and over. Or, the car is washed and left without moving and then perhaps washed repeatedly over a few days without moving/driving. I have own many cars where this exact situation has happened. It's not just your car, it's any and every car. I have had this happen many times, for example, leaving the car in daily rainy/stormy weather and going for a holiday, or a over-zealous family member washes the car everyday in the same spot while I'm vacation. I am surprised the techs did not pick up on this, they must not be very experienced! It is a very common situation.
Well... yes after rain or wash, you can-could see surface rust forming as brakes rotor are cast iron (which rust).
Normally, 2 street corners after applying a bit of brake, rust just goes away and pure metal is being brought back.
Obvious that these pictures were taken after a car ride. 500 miles, this is normal?
Let me doubt this one quite much.
Well... yes after rain or wash, you can-could see surface rust forming as brakes rotor are cast iron (which rust).
Normally, 2 street corners after applying a bit of brake, rust just goes away and pure metal is being brought back.
Obvious that these pictures were taken after a car ride. 500 miles, this is normal?
Let me doubt this one quite much.
Here’s a picture of the front and rear rotors of my Porsche that I replaced a few months ago. The car was washed and left without moving and then this was repeated 3 times. I’ve tried driving 300km so far and it’s been a few weeks. It’s almost impossible to get rid off. The pictures are after 300km and a couple of weeks of driving. It’s either replace the rotors or skim them. Extremely bad pulsing of the brake pedal and vibration when braking. Over 25 years of owning various cars, I can tell you this happens to any car.
Well after 40 years driving, I have seen this rather with old discs & brakes setup.
I personally have never seen as such on my cars in almost brand new brakes config +- 30 cars later in my life.
I am not trying to start a pissing contest here, rather just pointing in the direction that between "normality" and "problem", based on my experience, I have never run through such rust issue on 500 miles braking system.
Disc brake are one thing, but issues in this thread are regarding abnormal vibration and overall CS support from Merc.
There was/is enough issues described in the specific post that should we disagree on brake systems, it doesn't justify all problems, and lack of adequate support and quality at Mercedes Benz.
Here’s a picture of the front and rear rotors of my Porsche that I replaced a few months ago. The car was washed and left without moving and then this was repeated 3 times. I’ve tried driving 300km so far and it’s been a few weeks. It’s almost impossible to get rid off. The pictures are after 300km and a couple of weeks of driving. It’s either replace the rotors or skim them. Extremely bad pulsing of the brake pedal and vibration when braking. Over 25 years of owning various cars, I can tell you this happens to any car.
Yeah, no one in my situation was confused as to the cause (and I should add, my car was delivered that way, I keep my rotors pristine and even knock the rust off immediately after hand-washing the car). Appreciate the photos though. The entire faces of my rotors were in this condition, not just the area were the brake pads were. I have more photos. Just wanted to give an example.
It was just unacceptable to even sell me the car in that condition. Initially, I thought the rust was just superficial and would be removed after a few stomps on the pedal.
It turned into a nightmare where it never went away (I was doing repeated 60-0 threshold braking events on a nightly basis). The brake performance got worse and worse in terms of noise and instability. Not going to drive something where the brakes don't feel safe. It's not my fault they let the rotors deteriorate to that condition.
Also, not photographed was actual pitting and corrosion on the rotor hats (on the other side), which would not have been able to be remedied under any circumstances.
What everyone is still confused about is my differential noise and why my leather door panels are sweating out this substance every month:
Maybe a bad batch of glue or too much used during assembly? One of my best friends has been in auto body repair his whole career. One of the interesting things I've learned from him over the years that I had never considered was how many fumes and gasses are still released from newly manufactured/assembled interior car parts. Whether it be from foams in seats and dashes, to glues, plastics for wiring harnesses, etc. Stuff can take months to dissipate. I've noticed a couple spots like your pictures, but regularly wipe and dress most of my interior so I haven't paid much attention to it.
Maybe a bad batch of glue or too much used during assembly? One of my best friends has been in auto body repair his whole career. One of the interesting things I've learned from him over the years that I had never considered was how many fumes and gasses are still released from newly manufactured/assembled interior car parts. Whether it be from foams in seats and dashes, to glues, plastics for wiring harnesses, etc. Stuff can take months to dissipate. I've noticed a couple spots like your pictures, but regularly wipe and dress most of my interior so I haven't paid much attention to it.
All good points. Glad to know I’m not the only one that has dealt with the issue. I don’t use any leather cleaners or conditioners on my surfaces, so I ruled that potential cause out.
Like you, I’ve been able to wipe off the white residue with a microfiber towel dipped in warm water. The problem is, it leaves dark pattern stains behind. They’re less visible, but still unsightly.
Yeah, no one in my situation was confused as to the cause (and I should add, my car was delivered that way, I keep my rotors pristine and even knock the rust off immediately after hand-washing the car). Appreciate the photos though. The entire faces of my rotors were in this condition, not just the area were the brake pads were. I have more photos. Just wanted to give an example.
It was just unacceptable to even sell me the car in that condition. Initially, I thought the rust was just superficial and would be removed after a few stomps on the pedal.
It turned into a nightmare where it never went away (I was doing repeated 60-0 threshold braking events on a nightly basis). The brake performance got worse and worse in terms of noise and instability. Not going to drive something where the brakes don't feel safe. It's not my fault they let the rotors deteriorate to that condition.
Also, not photographed was actual pitting and corrosion on the rotor hats (on the other side), which would not have been able to be remedied under any circumstances.
What everyone is still confused about is my differential noise and why my leather door panels are sweating out this substance every month:
Im beginning to think your car had a dealer accident. Example of dealer accident is for example a car falling off transport ramp and landing on roof. Insurance will pay for fixing it and there is no record anywhere of it happening. Then car is sold as new one like nothing happened.
Regarding my car - differential was replaced today and noise is gone. Car „floats” over asphalt and is extremely comfortable like none I ever had before.
They also fixed brake noise wiem reversing and braking I had from time to time.
Ill post pictures of my rotors and pads in the evening for comparision.
Im beginning to think your car had a dealer accident. Example of dealer accident is for example a car falling off transport ramp and landing on roof. Insurance will pay for fixing it and there is no record anywhere of it happening. Then car is sold as new one like nothing happened.
Regarding my car - differential was replaced today and noise is gone. Car „floats” over asphalt and is extremely comfortable like none I ever had before.
They also fixed brake noise wiem reversing and braking I had from time to time.
Ill post pictures of my rotors and pads in the evening for comparision.
Outstanding news! Glad to hear it!
I have an update as well:
Dealer had to open up a case with Germany. Tried to replace the diff fluid first; didn't work as noise remained.
They had to order a new diff, transfer case, etc. and are waiting on the parts. May not have the car back for another couple of weeks.
Why wouldnt they give you the car back while waiting for parts to arrive?
On side note i have attached photos of my rotors. 16000 km.
Clean like brand new.
Diff. came in today, but they forgot to ship the fluid.
Will stretch into next week now, at least. The estimated time was not necessarily due to just waiting on parts, but also completing the repair and road testing the car.
I had them keep the car in the meantime because it’s a 6 week wait for a loaner car right now and I don’t want to lose the one I have.
My rotors after replacement:
With my luck, they’ll be trashed again due to exposure to the elements after the car was out of my possession for a month.
Doesn’t matter though. 0% chance I’m keeping this car.
I’m betting that some of those with replacement diffs will have symptoms reoccur with mileage - if there is in fact a design flaw.
Anyone able to produce a sound clip of this differential whine?
It's almost impossible to get on video because of the high-pitched, resonant nature. For me, it sounded a bit like "singing" wine glasses. Could clearly hear it coming from underneath/behind me when driving.
Check out the 38-42 second mark of this video. That kind of tone, but constant for me.
If you have it, it'll likely happen between 40-50 mph when providing just enough throttle to maintain speed. Mine was very throttle-conscious in this respect. Any letting off the throttle or accelerating and the noise/resonance would disappear.
After having a loaner, I also noticed/realized that the diff on my C43 was just extremely noisy in general, even when it wasn't making the unbearable whining noise. All I can hear in the loaner is normal tire noise. My diff was so loud in the C43, I never heard the RFTs.
The lead technician and Service Manager both drove the car and reported that the noise was worse with the new diff.
A 3rd diff will be installed on Wednesday.
Wow !!!!! Push for that repurchase!!!
I am seriously losing patience at my end.
Here is my status update as of September 27th.
It took a week and a half for the driveshaft to arrive from Germany. As expected, it didn't change a thing.
- I have been without my spanking new car for a month now. - Dealer is expecting new instructions from MB - Each time they try something, it's like 2 to 4 days to receive an answer (let's not rate the efficiency of the process here...) - They would want me to wait again another x weeks, for a differential change but honestly, I am not in the mood to help Mercedes get their act together and use me as an R&D lab. - We are entering a conversation to switch my car for another new one (Mercedes repurchase). Enough is enough. - The dealer has 2 more c43 units in the yard, but the problem is that they informed me the cars in their lot come from the same manufacturing batch and..... have the same problem (they drove test them, the same problem). - Ultimately, I am not ready to wait any longer for a solution and will try to switch for something that makes sense. - 2019 C43 are now a rare inventory item in Canada (Meaning inventory with cars that are well/similar equipped). Will I have to wait for a 2020 or choose another car in the AMG line-up. - I have owned C43 2017, C63S 2016, E63S 2018... the only thing left to try is E53 2019 or go SUV (Beurk) -The First choice would be to find another C43 without damn issues...
We'll see later today what they are ready to do. My mood : Pretty much around being totally discussed and fed up by the situation.
- General Manager at the dealership is a car lover a good common sense person. I have had a long phone conversation with him and agrees that the situation is unacceptable.
"I wouldn't drive this car" and "I have tried your car, this is absolutely abnormal and wouldn't want it for my own" were his words. This was appreciated.
- Informed me that he spoke with Germany and Mercedes HO this morning and they came out with 2 options/resolution (General Manager that call no bull**** with their brand always helps)
So,
- They will send another driveshaft, specifically made for AMG's product as normal driveshaft replacement is the typical C-Class 4matic that they install for replacement (Were is words - I just learned this one).
- He begged me for patience (he perfectly understands that I am at the end of it) and informed me that if this specific AMG driveshaft replacement doesn't do it, Mercedes has accepted to repurchase the car, and will allow for me to pick up another new one.
- He mentioned reserving a new 2019 C43 (as mentioned prior, quite rare in the country with same color choice and fully loaded options) from another dealer already in case of... and even provided me the serial number of it (different manufacturing timing).
- Given the actual circumstances, and the ongoing waiting time, Mercedes has accepted to offer all pre-paid maintenance schedule on the current car as long as I own it (If the problem is solved) and even on the new one, if we end up with a negative result with the second driveshaft they will install.
In all cases, I am happy to see Mercedes acting as the responsible luxury car brand I expect, and are making arrangements towards my "complete" satisfaction - That is the official version.
The truth (solely my opinion based) is to the effect that they do not have a choice, as my belief is that there' a lot more C43 with similar issues than willing to admit and this is getting to be an annoying problem to Mercedes-AMG too. Especially with a customer that has bought 3 other AMG in the last 3 years.
I will keep the post updated, but to all who have a similar issue, please DO NOT take the bad tires-balancing, Runflat tires or any other bad excuses from a dealership and just fo with the flow driving a car you are not happy with.
It is not acceptable to have a Chevy Spark having such an issue, even more, a car from a luxury brand that pushes "the best or nothing" as their marketing pitch.
No one should accept to drive a brand new car that is not functioning as one would expect a new and normal car should.
09-12-2019, 04:21 PM
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