jahquan3

I had my car(2010 E550) at my indy shop getting an overall diagnostic and some maintenance done over the weekend (brakes etc.). They said my transmission fluid looked a little low and everything else checked out. They advised they didn't have great experience with the trans system on MBs and that I should go to the dealer.
Reluctantly I made an appointment and go in this morning before work. MB's SA said I had a recall on the car in which they'd take care of it and they'd look at the transmission and top off the fluid etc.

Idk how long that should take but I guess the recall part will take most of day or a couple of days. So they gave me a 2016 E350 loaner. I was rushing to get to a meeting that I had this morning so I didn't really think much of any features. Normally I would've been extremely interested in every feature, I even would've popped the hood just to take a peek. I just didn't have the time at that point though.
However, I noticed the car is a little jerky after a stop and go. Then a light went off in my head it's the ECO feature I've heard so much about. Idk how each model feels but IMO it was definitely noticeable. It would not be a deal killer since I see the switch to cut it off but the overall power of the E350 is a deal killer to me. Other then that it's a beautiful car and handled pretty well in my short ride this morning. Depending on how long I have it I'll be able to make a better assessment down the line. Just chiming in since I'll probably never have a car with that feature and if so it won't be anytime soon

I must add MB's service department in Paramus NJ was extremely nice and depending on how all of this goes. I will take my car there in the future for certain items.

SteveE400

I don't know if it is the specific individual cars we have, or if it is model-specific, but the ECO feature on our GLK feels much more seamless and smooth than does the ECO feature on my E400. My wife leaves it "on" in the GLK, while I cannot stand it in the E400.


I guess I'm part dog, though, as I've been easily trained to just switch off the ECO function as part of my start-up process.

jahquan3

I agree with your logic, I'd definitely just get use to cutting it off every time. I went out for another ride on lunch and it felt borderline clunky at times.
I will say once I switched the E350 to "S" mode it had a lil more pep in it's step. It wasn't as bad as I initially felt it was as far as power goes.

SteveE400

I hear you about the E350 being less power than we wanted. That's why I opted for the E400, since there were no more new E550's left by the time I bought mine.


Now, put the E400 in 'S' mode and it is a real hoot! I can only imagine what the E550 is like (wait - I've driven an E63, so I know what the MB TT V8's can do. . . ).

jahquan3

I got a call that my car was done last night pretty late but I was still at work. I missed my car so I just took back the loaner since I was in the area still. I kind of wish I would've just kept it until this morning to really get engage with it more. I was signed off to keep it until today anyway. Next time, if I get something that new I'll just hold on to it for the day to evaluate it better. Beautiful car though.

thenew3

I don't understand why MB can't make the ECO Start/Stop remember the last setting. Instead you have to disable it every time you start the car.

in my wife's BMW, it remembers the last ECO Start/Stop setting, so if you don't want to use it, disable it and next time the engine is started it remembers and keeps it disabled.

SteveE400

I saw the reason mentioned in another thread -- the "feature" must default to "on" as that was what the manufacturer had to do in order to meet its stated Corporate Average Fuel Economy and/or EPA emission targets. They tested the cars with the feature in operation, so it had to stay in operation for the average user.


Thank the government for this one. . .

thenew3

BMW's feature also defaults to "on", so I'm guessing epa also tested it with the feature on, but BMW allows driver to disable it (just like MB) via a button, but it has the added benefit of remembering the last setting so you don't have to keep pressing it every time you start the car.

Unless MB implements something similar in the near future, my next car will not be an MB. I absolutely cannot stand the start/stop feature.

SteveE400

Good luck on that front. You never know what the next scatter-brained government-driven thing will be. You may have to settle for a 4-cyl S-class. . .

cc16177

I agree that it's annoying but I recently had an E350 loaner with eco start and even after 2 days it just became habit for me to disable it as I get in the car.

I have the "added benefit" of having to put my 2011 E550 in S mode every time I drive it, so i'm already in that mindset when I get in the car...

jahquan3

I rarely use S mode cuz my E gets out of the gate just too fast. Plus I only have RWD, so I end up burning rubber a third of the time in S Mode. So I just leave it in C unless I foresee someone trying to give me the business Lol.

SteveE400

Well, to each his own. I have had cars that had things that bothered me, but I doubt that I would rule out an obviously good choice just because I had to learn to push another button to have it work the way I want.


I reserve the "go/no go" decision for major things, like drive system. I will not buy a FWD car ever again. I draw the line there.

thefisch

Guess my 4matic keeps me from burning rubber in S mode. The only difference I notice in S mode is starting off in 1st instead of 2nd and higher shift points. My brother now has a 2012 E550 coupe and he says its a totally different throttle feel in S mode.

Arrie

Your indy shop does not know much of the MB E transmission at all. Wonder how they claim the fluid level looked a little low? There is no dip stick. The only way to check it is to remove the drain plug with the fluid at correct temperature. If just a hint of fluid comes out it is correctly filled. If fluid does not come out it is either exactly correctly filled or it is low but there is no way to tell how much low.

jahquan3

It's funny since MB asked me the same thing. How did STS know it was low? Their reasoning was similar but they said it can be correctly noted if it's high or low using a specific computer system. So MB asked me if they used a computer on it. I said IDK because I dropped it off and left it there all day. I didn't watch them as they did it.

Low and behold after MB ran their supposed computer test it was in fact a lil low. So STS either got lucky or had the same system or similar enough to test it. They simply didn't have the fluid on hand so they sent me to MB. I ended up paying $225 for trans diagnostic and some trans fluid and they topped off my oil as well since they said that was a lil low also.

Final item is the recall that they fixed which was the solenoid camshaft issue I believe. I have it on my receipt but don't have it in front of me right now.

FYI I either go to my neighbors brothers shop or STS, I call them both Indy even though STS/Mavis is a chain.

The G Man

When you come to a complete stop in C mode, does your gauge display say D1 or D2. Just wondering what gear my CLS starts at from stop while in C mode, the display reads D1, dealer say it starts in 2nd gear.

thefisch

Mine has E mode which is the same as C. My 2011 display does not show the gear number unless you use the paddles. They changed it in later displays to always show the gear number. I also read on here that they changed the tranny after 2011 so that both modes start in 1st gear now. That may be why your 2014 is different than my 2011.

beejAMG

i heard MB officials are having an emergency meeting to rectify this issue after they read this post. imagine the loss of profit they have to bear if you go to another brand.

El Cid

No, the governments (including European ones) just set the Corporate Average. The manufacturer decides how to meet the average.
DAG/MB decided to eliminate spare tires, add stop/start ECO, etc. so they could continue to sell very profitable gas guzzlers.

SteveE400

People. . . it is a BUTTON.


Push it (or don't) and move on.

The G Man

Thanks for the info.

jahquan3

^ I'm the same as @thefisch my "D" symbol doesn't display the gear either. I noticed when I was driving the 2016 E350 that it did display the gear next to the "D" #Pause

The G Man

Some of these people must push the button to change the radio station 20 times every time when they get into their car, but they this particular one push of the Eco button has everyone up in arms

PaulE550

Isn't it amazing how many people just can't push a damn button when they start the car? Of all the things to be concerned about, pushing a damn button isn't one of them.

El Cid

Not about pushing a button. It is about having to push the "damn button." For a radio or other audio, navigation, etc., you are choosing.
It's like having to push the "damn button" to close a window every time you get in.
And it is about MB requiring everybody to "push a damn button" so they can sell far more profitable cars that are gas guzzlers.