eddieo45

I've learned over a decade of Benzes that I take the miles remaining far too literally, often seeing single digits and then only getting less than 15 gallons squeezed into the tank, but I still like to go to that screen as soon as the reserve fuel light goes on. The new CLK however seems to go to this non-informative state; what gives?

Yidney

It will show miles remaining long after the reserve fuel light comes on. But once it gets down to like 10 or 15 miles it defaults to that screen.

eddieo45

my CLK350 (2006) never did that, nor did 4 other MBs. Odd that my first MB V8, which is far more able to get down to single digit MPG, is the one that won't show single digit miles remaining.......

Yidney

I don't know what if any logic went into MB's decision, but one reason may be that the lower the number of miles left, the less useful or relaible the information is. Assume that the miles left is actually accurate - when it says 0 your engine sputters to a halt. Now suppose you are 9 miles from home cruising down the highway and it says 10 miles left. But you are getting off the the highway in two miles and the last 7 miles is city streets. As soon as you get off the highway the computer recalculates and your miles left drops to 3 or 4. So the information you got two minutes earlier was accruate, but useless. And that's without the computer knowing what time of day it is or how bad traffic is. So really, a symbol of your car at a gas pump that says "you're pushing your luck buddy!" makes as much sense as telling you that you have 10 miles left when you may only have 2.

user 823908234

My '07 R does the same thing, just a little different picture;

gaazmon

I wish they also had a gallons remaining display. That would probably be a lot more accurate since you'd just do the math in your head

Rudeney

Why let the tank get that low? It's not good for the system - the pump is cooled by being immersed int he fuel. I can count on one hand the number of times I've even seen a low fuel warning on my CLK. Now, the kid in her C240, well, she knows it's 5 miles from the house to Costco, so she likes to live on the edge.

Glyn M Ruck

Gallons or litres left to empty is possible with the system. You need someone with a Star in developer mode to switch on this functionality.

As models mature Benz seems to turn off some functions. I have often wondered if this relates to functions that generate customer complaints to dealers.

As Yidney says. The closer you get to empty the less accurate the distance left data is.

I would heed Rodney's wise advice. Aside from pump cooling there is always crap in the bottom of fuel tanks. The oil industry transfers it's tanks & pipelines to you the motorist rust particle by rust particle to say the least of other debris.

Also programming varies by market.

eddieo45

I tell myself I want to see how many miles I can get per tank, but it does come down to procrastination in many cases. I'll work on that.

I wonder if that's why my current CLK seems to lack both parking assist mirror tilt and tunnel mode.....

Glyn M Ruck

Could well be. My 2009 has both.

user 823908234

Can't trust the gas gauges on the bikes, so we reset a trip odometer to zero at fill-up. With experience, knowing the approximate range on a tank, works just fine. No "reserve" like the old days.

My 2004 CLK has park assist mirror. Is tunnel mode related to automatic headlights? I never use that, plus no tunnels in FL!

Rudeney

Tunnel mode is automatic closure (or opening) of the windows and sunroof using the ACC's RECIRC button. If the windows are down and the ACC is in outside air mode (i.e. not in RECIRC mode), if you press and hold the RECIRC button, it will activate inside air mode and close the windows and sunroof. Once you have done this, if you then again press and hold the RECIRC button, it will activate outside air and open the windows and sunroof. There is some logic to it - if you did not use "tunnel mode" to close the windows, then holding RECIRC won't open the windows when you turn it off.

user 823908234

Hmm, I think I remember reading something to that effect in the 500 page manual, 485 pages of which I forgot.
Besides, everyone agrees that you'll get a more in-depth and sensible answer from you or Glyn than from the manual.
Thank you, sir! I may have to try it out.

eddieo45

That's what doesn't work on my 2009, and I am well aware of what it is and isn't supposed to do. I became so used to express windows on my MB sedans and the C230 Kompressor had only front working windows. I hated holding the rear window buttons up on my first CLK and quickly got used to tunnel mode. For me, it's not so much about tunnels: I like to drive with all the windows open as much as possible, but when I get a phone call or enter a highway (or the occasional tunnel) I like that one-button solution and miss it dearly (as well as the back-up parking side mirror assist.) If it's something SDS can fix, it might be worth paying the stealership next time I'm in for something....

gaazmon

Good to know. I wonder if my indy would be willing to turn it on when i see him for my next service

I've been told they do when I purchased my 04 E320 back in 07 by the service adviser I talked to then. When they receive a certain amount of complaints, they take the feature out such as reverse tilt down mirror, REST, seat memory with key recognition, easy exit (when key is removed, the actual seat moves all the way back, not just the steering wheel moving up), and plenty of other things.

Rudeney

Actually, de-contenting is based more on cost-savings than customer complaints. Many of these features had user options to disable them, so if customers complained, they could just turn them off. But removing the feature can save money by reducing parts or making the same part work on different vehicles, and it can reduce warranty claims for parts that fail.

Rudeney

I looked at the owner's manuals, and "convenience open" (and close) is explained for CLK's up to MY2008, but the MY2009 manual makes no mention of it. I assume it was "de-contented". It could be a safety issue - the rear windows on the CLK do not have the auto up/down feature, so when a CAN signal is operating them, if someone puts a body part in the bath, they could be injured. Maybe instead of adding pinch protection, they just disabled this feature.