dnhill

I have a new E320 and have been unable to see tire pressure. I get the message that the TPMS is active and can reset it. How do I see the tire pressures?

Thanks in advance for any help given.

By the way, I did went to Stuttgart to take delivery and the process was smooth as it could be. It took six weeks to make it back here to Texas to my dealer.

dnhill

rkao

In the owner's manual, it states that in the U.S., no numeric tire pressure reading is provided. In Canadian market cars, the numeric pressure reading is provided.

Polar Bear

That must be another change in the late model cars. On the 2005, it does show the pressure for each tire. I wonder if this can be enabled with SDS?

I assume it only gives you the flat tire amber light on the clock if it detects a difference in pressure, or a red MFD warning.

Gullwing

The new tire pressure monitor is a simpler design, it will only tell you if the tire looses pressure, slow leak yellow message, fast leak is red. The normal message is what you see.

Diesel Benz

One should read the car data card to be sure what is installed. I assume you are referring to the tyre pressure warning option (RDW) versus tyre pressure monitor (RDK or TPMS). The first one works without sensors in the wheels.

I learned some time ago that US cars actually have an option for the "real" TPMS with tyre sensors but still without the pressure display in the instrument cluster. I actually understood this is the case for all US W211 cars.

If this isn't SCN coded (the instrument cluster unfortunately mostly is), one could most likely activate the Euro/Canadian display mode with SDS.

wmhjr

That's because MB knows that we in the US aren't intelligent enough to understand psi (or turn down mirror, tunnel mode, etc)

Barry45RPM

Its more like we in the US are smart enough to know when these items arent working properly, all the time. Don't forget, MB has been coming off a well deserved last place quality rating on pre 07 211's. They HAD to eliminate, turn off or hide certain features that would otherwise mar total owner satisfaction while they re-polished their quality reputation. Should the car have these features? Sure, but take if from me they were very frustrating in my 2004 211.

Whatever features are installed my 2007, work ALL THE TIME. It was the fastest way fo MB to zoom back to the top. Fix what you can, hide the others temporarilly, while you work on their new & better designs to be reintroduced later.

The "Had it all" reference in my signature doesn't only apply to the options I ordered in my 2004 car! Oh I'm so clever.

I can tell you my '04 and my '07 don't appear to be the same car from the same factory. Oh what a difference. Do I miss the Mirror Tip Down and the TPMS, and the DIC Oil Level Check and the drive dynamic active seats, and the parking sensors? Yeah... but they all gave me problems routinely. That shouldnt happen on what was a $69,000 E Class.

Polar Bear

Do you expect this stuff to be added back on the W212?

Is there a fit and finish difference between the two?

Yacht Master

Barry is 100% right the more options the greater operator error causes come backs and that counts in the reliability ratings.

It is a cycle, routine, Models run 7 years at MB. First year few options second year a few more, third a few more options and color and trim options, fourth year all the stops come out this is as good as it gets cause year five is a face lift year and the options disappear again, sixth year add a few back seventh year again as good as it will get cause the complete body change is underway.

Diesel Benz

I don't want to state my opinion on the smart car owners at this or the other side of the pond, except that so far I've seen more Smarts here and in Canada, just some starting to appear at the US

But I agree on the likely reason for switching TPMS reading off, there were quite a few issues with first TPMS units on W211 cars. The problems should have gone with the new Siemens system, aren't W221 cars showing the tyre pressure also in the US? Looks like MB switched them off when the system became stable.

rkao

I think this was discussed in another thread, but I wonder if this particular issue has something to do with the litigious environment here in the U.S. for tort cases. And hence why cars in the Canadian market gives pressure readings - assuming MB would not build cars for North America with different technology, I can only guess MB USA chose to 'turn off' this feature.

The Firestone/Bridgestone debacle would have certainly sent a chill down the backs of legal departments in auto manufacturers should the sensor provide false readings.

I really liked having the readings available in my previous '04 Audi A8L - it allowed me to anticipate potential problems, as it did when I found a slow leak in one of my tires; and it provided a reading in the trunk mounted full size spare too...pretty cool. With the current system on the W211, the warning could come when it's too late to save a tire.

wmhjr

This is in another thread. However I find it quite amusing that the reliability issues must only occur in the US, as the options are available everywhere else - including just a few miles north of us

Not buying it. And my turn down mirrors have always worked perfectly in my W208. I'll never know in my W211. Maybe if I drive to Niagara Falls they'll magically start enabling themselves....

BTW, exactly what options were added back to the '08 W211 that were not in the facelifted '07? I don't remember there being any.

dnhill

I appreciate the feedback. I looked in the manual and saw the tire pressures and did not read closely enough to see the Canada only wording. Thanks again.

dnhill

Diesel Benz

Of course the issues are not only on US cars. The point is pretty simple, the warranty period is much shorter everywhere else (mostly) and elsewhere owners pay them self for "minor issues" when the warranty expires. Obviously the ideal consumer protection isn't always for good (I believe it mostly is in the US).

glojo

I cannot explain why you don't have a visual display for tyre pressure monitoring, I find it a reassuring option and like it.

I love these types of threads and quite clearly Barry has his opinion and I have mine. In Europe the SBC system was loved, we had a more complex system compared to the US market with both SBC Stop and SBC Hold. There was very, very rarely any complaints, the loudest criticism coming from non owners or of course across the 'pond'. This system has now been replaced and hopefully it's replacement is better, but it is DEFINITELY cheaper to produce. If it were a flawed system then there is no way it would be used on the premier flagship vehicles still being produced by Mercedes-Benz.

Another strange idiosyncrasy is the centre console. I find the US version horrible and strange how it is only fitted to vehicles for that one country.

Can you now buy the 320CDI estate?

John
form a very windy Torquay

Barry45RPM

The US Center Console is all about the Cup Holders. Apparently the original cup holders were rejected by Americans as being too mechanical & not enough "cup holder". I wish there was a way to have the original console, but with real cup holders, but apparently there wasn't, so we got this one.

The real TPMS I had in my '04 was a welcome feature, but often times would fail and just display ---- instead of tire pressure, and would require a service visit & part replacement.... at least 3 times in 3 years. Not a good reccomendation of a Luxury car. Maybe Americans are less patient or less forgiving of flaws, or maybe we simply have more choices of Luxury Cars, but theres no denying the 211 had horrible quality ratings, and almost cost MB too much in Reputation.

We know they are capable of better than what MB delivered in the 03>06 211's here, but short term, whatever couldn't be made 100% dependable within their "Fix this car" time frame was turned off for dependability reasons. They'll all be back on the next model E Class... only they'll work.

As for SBC, Its a great concept, and when its working properly, its great. But when it fails, (and records indicate that they fail more often than desireable) there are virtually no brakes in the car... not a good thing. The hill holding feature is a non issue here. All the 211 transmissions are automatics here, and the cars simply don't roll back in the time between lifting your foot from the brake pedal and stepping on the gas.

Again, having owned both a 2004 and a 2007, the 2 cars are not even remotely the same as far as quality, and the visits to the shop on the 07 are non existant except for routine maintenance.

wmhjr

Where do people come up with this? You do realize that this is completely incorrect, right? The warranty in Canada (where these features exist) is essentially EXACTLY the same as in the US. I say "essentially" because it's 80k km rather than 50k miles - so it's a whopping 400 miles less.

Next?

PS: I'm still waiting to hear exactly what features were added back into the '08 that were in the '07. Since I'm picking up my '08 on Friday I can have fun trying to find them.

Diesel Benz

I thought the Euro SBC Hold was only available for auto tranny cars. The point isn't only hill-hold but traffic lights and similar too.

By the way, how is it with the current W221 in the US, the Euro cars have the hold feature even if it is differently implemented as the car does not have SBC brakes?

Barry45RPM

2007 Canadian cars had a TPMS system turned on while the US cars did not. I believe 08 US cars have the TPMS turned back on.

wmhjr

According to the '08 owners manual, US cars only get a warning if a tire loses pressure (dummy indicator). Canadian cars actually have tire pressure shown in psi.