Mercedes C220 20,000kms Report. EDIT : 40,000 kms update!

[GTO]

Apparently the air-con problem was something pretty minimal. Period.

Auto Hangar cleaned up the system and set the gas pressure correctly taking only 3 - 4 hours for the entire job. Its been two days and the problem appears to have disappeared.

[mercman]

Originally Posted by NikN

I definately agree. I had the Carlsson chip piggybacked onto my 200cdi and a week down I started getting reports of a whole bunch of other users facing heavy overheating / traction related problems. out went the carlsson chip.
i wasnt going to wait for something to blow to have it fixed.

hey NikN, it surprising to hear that you have heard reports that customers who have fitted Carlsson products on their cars have faced problems relating to overheating / traction.

We are the authorised distributors for Carlsson products in India and have sold many Carlsson c-tronics to various Mercedes-Benz owners all across the country. However, no client has made any claims with us for any problems that they faced on their cars.

All Carlsson products sold by us carry an extensive warranty for defects like malfunctions, failures etc. However, we have not been informed of any problems on the units sold by us.

The Carlsson C-tronic is a path-breaking performance enhancement unit that offers the best of performance and safety. It is a TUV certified product made by a reputed tuner with years of R&D, and has been designed in such a way as that no damage would be caused to the car at any point of time. The unit is an intelligent unit and is designed in such a manner that upon detecting any problems on the cars ECU, it will shut down and the car will return to stock settings automatically.

I think you should get this information cleared from your sources before relying upon them. The unit is extremely safe to use, has no problems, minimises risk and maximises performance.

Happy Motoring!!

[GTO]

So the air-con problem resurfaced (inconsistent cooling) and the Merc was sent back to Auto Hangar. After a 3 day diagnosis:

Air-con compressor failed : 83000
Expansion valve failed : 13000
Receiver dryer (or something) : 10000

Am I glad that the Mercedes in yet under warranty!! This is the first major failure in my C220 yet (after the terrible C180) but a 1.xx lac repair job is still a lot for an 18 month old car, eh?

Plus the compressor is not available. So it will be 10 days before the parts arrive from Pune.

[Dippy]

These repairs are fine as long as you have your warranty. Once youre through with that its the " sell the merc after warranty is over" thing again.

Btw how come parts shortage . Was that the case during you C180 times too?

[Boom Shiva]

3 days for diagnosis? 10 days for spares? You sure there isn't a TATA badge lurking under that 3 pointed star?

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by GTO

Am I glad that the Mercedes in yet under warranty!! This is the first major failure in my C220 yet (after the terrible C180) but a 1.xx lac repair job is still a lot for an 18 month old car, eh?

Yes, especially when one has not stuffed the car instead it is just a routine part failure. If it happened out of warranty man that would've been a bummer!

Originally Posted by Boom Shiva

3 days for diagnosis? 10 days for spares? You sure there isn't a TATA badge lurking under that 3 pointed star?

Good one Boom!!!

[shuvc]

Isn't there any possibility of repairing the parts ? Do they have to be replaced as per Merc processes ?

[GTO]

These repairs are fine as long as you have your warranty. Once youre through with that its the " sell the merc after warranty is over" thing again.

Yes, especially when one has not stuffed the car instead it is just a routine part failure. If it happened out of warranty man that would've been a bummer!

I'm telling ya. Its been long since I have owned a Merc without warranty (The last 4 years have had it covered ). I am certainly NOT looking forward to the repair bills. Good news is that the Indigo will have a major role in reducing the Mercs annual mileage!

Btw how come parts shortage . Was that the case during you C180 times too?

Yup.

3 days for diagnosis? 10 days for spares? You sure there isn't a TATA badge lurking under that 3 pointed star?

How I wish. It would be problematic but atleast the parts bills would be shorted. Buttttttttttttttt this is a known issue with most high-end cars in India. Skoda, Honda, BMW, the new Camry...you name it.

Isn't there any possibility of repairing the parts ? Do they have to be replaced as per Merc processes ?

I honestly dont know. But I would surely prefer a replacement over a repair since its under warranty anyways.

[rahul_intlad]

Isn't there any possibility of repairing the parts ? Do they have to be replaced as per Merc processes ?

As long as you are in the warranty period best to get the parts replaced only be it mercedes or maruti.

From GTO's experience having a premium car in your garage is one thing,being able to maintain it is another[especially car without warranty].People going in for a second hand one should keep this in mind.

[jesal]

are these all parts as expensive abroad as they are here. AC compressor for 83000 is jokes. boy are we being ripped here.

[danlalan]

wow...i now realise how important it is to keep warranty...but my warranty is void already...as i have changed the ice setup for the car.but touch wood there arent any problems like yours(GTO).The people at merc had said at that time that if i do intend to change anything to my car it will void warranty and we really didnt care at the point of time..but after reading all this..it give me the shivers....as of now the only major work on the merc is a paint job..1.50k

[ajmat]

There is always the '"good will" clause where manufacturer's will look at premature failures beyond the warranty on a case by case basis.

Besides that, one needs to develop sources for parts beyond the dealer. Dealers charge the earth since they are in a monopoly situation, the same part from the component manufacturer is much less. Opera House area Mumbai can sort bits out so I understand

[GTO]

Agreed, Mercedes is pretty generous with the goodwill warranty and if all repairs are carried out at the authorised service centers, they are known to extend coverage for another 12 months.

@ Ajmat and Jesal : I should certainly look out for alternate parts vendors once the car is out of warranty. Would appreciate anyone sharing names of genuine vendors around Mumbai.

Lastly, this is the first in my 4 year experience with Auto Hangar that they had a slight glitch. I had put in a complaint of the 3 day diagnosis period which I thought was a bit much. The reply "We couldnt find your car on wednesday. There was some mis-coordination"!!!!!

[EVO6]

GTO,
Havent I said this Before !!!!
Wait till you car clocks 25000 to 30000 km then talk to me about A TROUBLE FREE CAR !!!!

Cheersss

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by GTO

I should certainly look out for alternate parts vendors once the car is out of warranty.

i.e if the new C doesn't tempt you by then