My First Mercedes, C class w203

[arzaam.bhatti]

now the second part of INH, i had gone there for getting new control arms for driver side and bushes for passenger side, i bought all brand new and OEM parts, INH do accept kabli parts if you bring them they do had kism ka kaam, i think they should refuse wrong parts. a jag owner had brought the clutch plate himself of his car but like is the most way with these things, he had brought the wrong part for his car but was adamant that this has to be installed and the car made a horrifying screeching sound every time it was started, unless you really know what you are looking for i would go for brand new part always and be done with for many years to come in a mercedes, but many times kabli parts do work if you know what you want or have some know how with shops.

the owner was telling me only 10% of people use brand new parts or wait for them many even though they own big cars themselves ask for jaguars so they can get the car back on the road.

after getting the parts the work was started. meanwhile there was a lunch break where i again toured around and made some interesting discoveries, many owners of cars simply leave the cars with INH to fix and then go away and the cars are at their mercy and they take a very relaxed approach towards it.
A mercedes sl500 had been standing for a week now with them, apparently the repair bill was so big the owner was turning up to pick the car, there was a mercedes cls badly damaged due to the rains and floods in lahore i saw the interior of the car the carpets and door cards were ruined and the engine was taken out of the car, it was looking sorry sight, there was a bmw 7 series of which they were taking 3 days just to change the transmission and despite having a transmission they still could not figure out how to attach the drive shaft etc. and neither were they very worried about it.

i made sure proper procedure were followed but even still they managed to slip the lug nuts of the wheels, i didn't allow them to use the gun but even the long torque wrench they were using i got to know was set to wrong torque, by the time i had intervened one hub had been damaged, one thread was repaired by them but i had to cough up for 4 lug nuts 5th one was okay and each lug nuts cots 750rs, ouch

otherwise job went well but again unprofessional attitude, it took more time to fix the hub then it did for the whole job and they would show attitude too, the owner also convientnetly disappeared. i also wanted a oil change to be performed, changing to 0W-40 but i was not impressed with them bringing oil filter in open with no packing, wrong drain bolt washer, this car uses a crush washer by the way made of copper, they wouldn't suck it via machine even though they had one, and the car takes 6 litre of oil and they only had 4 litre packs so 2 litres were ebbing wasted, so after seeing all that i refused to have a oil change and that upset the tech. he dissapered with the bill first and then didn't tell that it was lunch break time and at 1:05 after finding him i was told its lunch break and i would have to wait 1 hour till its over even though the cashier was sitting right in front of me doing nothing and everything was clear, he even looked at the bill and said its clear but i would do it after one hour, so a whole hour was wasted and if i had been told about it early i would have gotten it cleared early. so not a very positive experience.

however the job did make the car drive much tighter now, it felt much more nimbler and progressive especially when taking a long turn it felt more planted even if the road was bad. although the job wasn't stricly necessary and there were no noises or vibrations before and no noises now either but it felt satisfying but mind you not that much that a normal person would think i spent 59k and it should made a huge difference, the car was already fine but this was preventative maintainece before it failed completely or causes more wear on other suspension parts, plus bushes play a important role in making your mercedes still drive like a new mercedes and not like a shopping car. so

Total Cost breakdown for those who care

59k for new upper and lower control arms, brand new bushes the one which are already pressed in metal plus few misslaneous labour charges and 750rs each for a lug nut.

these were the old control arms and ball joint that were removed form the car, they also had a rather nice lather machine

[arzaam.bhatti]

another interesting thing i was saw was this s class whose front suspension had complete collapsed, in these pics there are bricks underneath it otherwise the tire had actually disspared inside the wheel wheel and only rim was visible when it was being unloaded form tow truck and front ires were completey jammed. also the driver side curtain and side airbags all were mysteriously deployed event hough there had been no impact or crash and car was complete scratch free. they had so much trouble just getting a jack underneath the car

the owner story was he hit a pot hole at speed and the airbag on that side popped up on their own and the front suspension collapsed. but how can such damage be done and both tyres were complete okay and rim were okay as well well no scratch or bent even.

i sat in the back of this s class, but coudnt take pics as owner was with me, just to see what its like when airbags pop, it felt really comfy and i felt like it would be just like hitting a pillow especially the side airbags in rear provided that the shell and car is okay!, however the bill on this car was going to be huge, the front aromatic ABC control shocks are 800 euros a piece plus all the front and rear curtain and side airbags on that side aren't going to come cheap

by the way i the whole experience despite the little niggles it felt really nice going to that place having a chat with various owners, especially in my future cars that i aspire to buy like bmw x5 in which i had a detailed tour and sat in and also many many people really liked my new tyres and inquired a lot about it. it felt like belonging to a elevated club and a surprisingly a good amount of people i chatted with said that they too read much information about parts and procedures online and simply instruct these guys to follow them, like anything you yourself have to have technical know how, you can't blindly rely on INH but at the end of the day it felt good to own a mercedes and be a part of that club of owners rather than just heading down to your local toyota or honda 3s dealership.

[omarabdullah022]

another interesting thing i was saw was this s class whose front suspension had complete collapsed, in these pics there are bricks underneath it otherwise the tire had actually disspared inside the wheel wheel and only rim was visible when it was being unloaded form tow truck and front ires were completey jammed. also the driver side curtain and side airbags all were mysteriously deployed event hough there had been no impact or crash and car was complete scratch free. they had so much trouble just getting a jack underneath the car

the owner story was he hit a pot hole at speed and the airbag on that side popped up on their own and the front suspension collapsed. but how can such damage be done and both tyres were complete okay and rim were okay as well well no scratch or bent even.

i sat in the back of this s class, but coudnt take pics as owner was with me, just to see what its like when airbags pop, it felt really comfy and i felt like it would be just like hitting a pillow especially the side airbags in rear provided that the shell and car is okay!, however the bill on this car was going to be huge, the front aromatic ABC control shocks are 800 euros a piece plus all the front and rear curtain and side airbags on that side aren't going to come cheap

by the way i the whole experience despite the little niggles it felt really nice going to that place having a chat with various owners, especially in my future cars that i aspire to buy like bmw x5 in which i had a detailed tour and sat in and also many many people really liked my new tyres and inquired a lot about it. it felt like belonging to a elevated club and a surprisingly a good amount of people i chatted with said that they too read much information about parts and procedures online and simply instruct these guys to follow them, like anything you yourself have to have technical know how, you can't blindly rely on INH but at the end of the day it felt good to own a mercedes and be a part of that club of owners rather than just heading down to your local toyota or honda 3s dealership.

@xulfiqar..
Any idea what happened?

[arzaam.bhatti]

@xulfiqar..
Any idea what happened?

i had already asked him in the ask Xulfiqar thread, sir commented that looks like the Active body control shocks failed and they cost 800 euros a piece, but its very unusual for the airbags to deploy, sir said that it might be due to some electrician messing up the voltage or wiring in some place, and airbags would be very expensive and rather difficult to fix

[Xulfiqar]

airbag replacement + module + tensioner systems along with upholstery etc would be in the ballpark of about 8000-10,000 euro.

[arzaam.bhatti]

heres a run down of interior spec specific to my car

5spd automatic transmission with touch shift

Cruise control with Speedtronic variable speed limiter

keyless entry with two smart keys and personalisation settings storage

4 power windows with one touch opening and all 4 windows and obstruction sensor

automatic rising upholder in centre console

front seats both driver and passenger electrical height and back controls,

front seats manual seat tilt and fore aft adjustment on both sides

Gear lever chrome insert and gear lever gaiter in nappa leather

Glove compartment – illuminated

Front door sill panels with ‘Mercedes-Benz’ lettering

Front centre armrest with storage compartment and height adjustment

Front centre armrest with ventilation

Multi-function steering wheel – controls audio and onboard settings

Outside temperature display

Rear seats folding split 60:40

Flexible service system indicator

Steering column – manually adjustable for height and reach

Alarm system with immobiliser and interior protection

Anti-lock braking system (ABS)

Automatic child seat recognition sensor

Central locking with interior switch, automatic locking and crash sensor with emergency opening function

Childproof locks – manually operated for rear doors and electrically operated for rear power windows

Dual-stage airbags – driver and front passenger, sidebags in front seats,windowbags for driver, front passenger and rear passengers, side airbags for rear passengers

Electronic Stability Programme (ESP?)

Foot operated parking break

First aid kit and warning triangle

ISOFIX child seat attachment points with top tether in rear

Remote boot release

automatic passenger airbag deactivation

weight sensors in front passenger seat

Audio 10 tape deck

Radio aerial integrated into rear window

7 Speakers with Frontbass and subwoofer in rear parcel shelf

Thermotronic Dual zone climate control with activated charcoal filter and Residual Heating.

i might have missed a couple:P

details and demonstrations on all these features soon, especially the instrument cluster is a wonder on its own

[InNoCeNt_DeViL]

10 k Euros -#

[arzaam.bhatti]

Here are some tricks and easter eggs i found in the car, these stuff is what really puts a smile on face and makes me think yes the engineers have really thought it out and have managed to fine tune these little details which what i think sets this car apart form anything else in the price. wouldn't you love to find and explore these features

Unlock pattern: Hold lock and unlock on your key simultaneously for about 6-8 seconds to change unlock pattern. The light on your key will flash twice 1) One click unlocks all doors 2) first click unlocks driver door second click unlocks the rest

Summer Mode: Holding the key next to the infrared sensor on the door then pressing and holding the unlock key will roll down the driver and passenger window including the sunroof - Hold Lock to close windows

Lighting: Opening the rear door only turns on the rear dome lights

Tunnel Mode: Holding the air circulation button will close your windows, after exiting a tunnel press and hold the button again and it will return your windows to the same open position which they were in previously

Heating: Cold out and want the car to stay warm? Well after turning your car off, press the EC Rest button and the A/C will stay on!

Dyno Mode: With key in the ignition turn it to the first position which is 1 click to the right. Then press the trip reset button 3 times. Using the "+" "-" controls on the steering wheel scroll down to "ESP Dynamometer Test" then make sure it is "on". Now start your car. I only tested this but from I saw it turns off the ABS and turn the ESP COMPLETELY off. So Careful with this.

Trunk: In the trunk, there is a flashing button which unlocks the trunk in case someone is locked in there.

Keeping it Cool: There is an A/C in the Arm rest. Put a pop in there during the summer with your A/C blasting and it will keep the drink cool! Make sure its not open!

Compartment-ception?: Open the glove compartment and there is another smaller compartment in there which will hold small stuff such as pens, pins, screws, etc!

Parking lights: On your headlight switch, to the left of the "0" also known as off position there are two more switches. One turns on the lights on the right side of the car and the other turns on the left side.

Rear fog lights: Many people do not know about this but a lot of European cars (if not all) are equipped with rear fog lights. When you pull the headlight switch, first click is for front fog lights, second click is rear fog lights. Please, use the rear fog light during foggy conditions or during a hazard because they are strong and will blind the person behind you.

Throttle Reset: First step on the gas pedal fully down to where you feel a bump. Then turn your key all the way without it starting the car on. Make sure your foot is still on the pedal. Now you wait for about 60 secs or so. After that, turn the key to the off position and take key out. Now you can release the gas pedal. Your car will now be more responsive to the throttle!

Service Reset: Turn your key to the second position. Bring up your ODO screen using the steering wheel controls. Once there scroll through til' you see the wrench icon. Press and hold the trip reset button for about 5 seconds. It will ask you are you sure you want to reset... Press the button one more time and the reset will be successful.
Im sure there is more but these are the one I can think of off the top of my head.

[arzaam.bhatti]

10 k Euros -#

Brand new parts aren't cheap anyway, a close relative of ours has a 2004 Mercedes Eclass and it has the automatic suspension and active body control dampers option, he couple of days ago replaced his rear shocks for 248,000rs for a pair including labour charges, so be prepared to cough up if something goes wrong god forbid

[Xulfiqar]

Here are some tricks and easter eggs i found in the car, these stuff is what really puts a smile on face and makes me think yes the engineers have really thought it out and have managed to fine tune these little details which what i think sets this car apart form anything else in the price. wouldn't you love to find and explore these features

Unlock pattern: Hold lock and unlock on your key simultaneously for about 6-8 seconds to change unlock pattern. The light on your key will flash twice 1) One click unlocks all doors 2) first click unlocks driver door second click unlocks the rest

Summer Mode: Holding the key next to the infrared sensor on the door then pressing and holding the unlock key will roll down the driver and passenger window including the sunroof - Hold Lock to close windows

Lighting: Opening the rear door only turns on the rear dome lights

Tunnel Mode: Holding the air circulation button will close your windows, after exiting a tunnel press and hold the button again and it will return your windows to the same open position which they were in previously

Heating: Cold out and want the car to stay warm? Well after turning your car off, press the EC Rest button and the A/C will stay on!

Dyno Mode: With key in the ignition turn it to the first position which is 1 click to the right. Then press the trip reset button 3 times. Using the "+" "-" controls on the steering wheel scroll down to "ESP Dynamometer Test" then make sure it is "on". Now start your car. I only tested this but from I saw it turns off the ABS and turn the ESP COMPLETELY off. So Careful with this.

Trunk: In the trunk, there is a flashing button which unlocks the trunk in case someone is locked in there.

Keeping it Cool: There is an A/C in the Arm rest. Put a pop in there during the summer with your A/C blasting and it will keep the drink cool! Make sure its not open!

Compartment-ception?: Open the glove compartment and there is another smaller compartment in there which will hold small stuff such as pens, pins, screws, etc!

Parking lights: On your headlight switch, to the left of the "0" also known as off position there are two more switches. One turns on the lights on the right side of the car and the other turns on the left side.

Rear fog lights: Many people do not know about this but a lot of European cars (if not all) are equipped with rear fog lights. When you pull the headlight switch, first click is for front fog lights, second click is rear fog lights. Please, use the rear fog light during foggy conditions or during a hazard because they are strong and will blind the person behind you.

Throttle Reset: First step on the gas pedal fully down to where you feel a bump. Then turn your key all the way without it starting the car on. Make sure your foot is still on the pedal. Now you wait for about 60 secs or so. After that, turn the key to the off position and take key out. Now you can release the gas pedal. Your car will now be more responsive to the throttle!

Service Reset: Turn your key to the second position. Bring up your ODO screen using the steering wheel controls. Once there scroll through til' you see the wrench icon. Press and hold the trip reset button for about 5 seconds. It will ask you are you sure you want to reset... Press the button one more time and the reset will be successful.
Im sure there is more but these are the one I can think of off the top of my head.

you forgot the carbon filter - it removes bad smells from the interior and the tow disable alarm which allows the vehicle to be towed away without the ESP engaging the brakes.

does your car have the auto dimming back and sideview mirror?

[arzaam.bhatti]

you forgot the carbon filter - it removes bad smells from the interior and the tow disable alarm which allows the vehicle to be towed away without the ESP engaging the brakes.

does your car have the auto dimming back and sideview mirror?

btw what Mercedes have you got sir, i never got to knew about your car, i forgot the charcoal filter, however i have seen majority c and e classes of this age without the advanced climate contral , they just have knobs for dual zone and no charcoal filter button neither a rest button, i love the charcoal filter its so effective in removing adours just have to turn on for hardly a few minutes.

for some reason i don't think mine has that as there should be a button for it next to the ESP button but it isn't there. and no i don't have auto dimming mirrors.

by the way do you know why three no badging on the side of my car like elegance or Avantguard. i think this car is one of those models where mercedes lets you customise the spec and japanese models are high spec any way. there are a few oddities, like i have the advanced climate control, electric seats auto headlights and painted door handles but no leather upholstery or leather steering wheel.

and Xulfiqar do you know the Merc E class i was talking about earlier with airmatic why from time to time it keeps failing. they have replaced components of the system three times, one time it collapsed from one side of the car, they said there is some balloon in the system which inflates and deflates and pumps air and that had broken, is there really a balloon? and sometimes the dampers woundnt change settings properly. whenever it collapses on side starting the engine does allow it to raise and be driven to the shop, while the s class coudnt be moved even while started.

[Xulfiqar]

I have an E320 built in 2000 - its a W210 model. US spec of course

rolls nice - its got about 173000 miles on it - approximately 276,000 kms - and is rolling strong and sweet. trans service was done 20,000 miles ago, some bits n bobs like new radiator, A/C clutch, bulbs here n there, new tires, new rear discs and pads - little stuff.

Japanese models like yours do not carry pet names, and MB are very strange with their features too and are very customisable, thats why you may find some cars with power windows in the front only or some with reall oddball interior colours.

the ABC does not go bad just because it feels like it, and did your relatives mechanics fully test the system, as in make the car do the rodeo dance and then test the residual control pressure. Its actually got air shocks on all fours which are fed from a central pump and there are some dampers in between to allow for shock absorbing too.

[arzaam.bhatti]

I have an E320 built in 2000 - its a W210 model. US spec of course

rolls nice - its got about 173000 miles on it - approximately 276,000 kms - and is rolling strong and sweet. trans service was done 20,000 miles ago, some bits n bobs like new radiator, A/C clutch, bulbs here n there, new tires, new rear discs and pads - little stuff.

Japanese models like yours do not carry pet names, and MB are very strange with their features too and are very customisable, thats why you may find some cars with power windows in the front only or some with reall oddball interior colours.

the ABC does not go bad just because it feels like it, and did your relatives mechanics fully test the system, as in make the car do the rodeo dance and then test the residual control pressure. Its actually got air shocks on all fours which are fed from a central pump and there are some dampers in between to allow for shock absorbing too.

high milage is nothing for a merc provided its maintained according to spec and yours masha allah would be a perfect example:), they also go to INH same place for service and by now you would have formulated a opinion about that place anyway:P, i don't think or they never told me that they checked it that way, they took 8 hours to replace the rear shocks only and removed the whole rear assembly from the car, does it really take 8 hours?? as it seems too long

[Xulfiqar]

there is a lot of work to replace the rear air springs and dampers on that car - the whole rear cradle needs to come down.

[arzaam.bhatti]

Next up i had the oil changed. the oil of this car when i bought it just had been changed hardly 200km ago and was new and mobil 1 5w-50 was used which i thought and got to know is a but too thick for this engine and in the pursuance of perfection went ahead and changed it to 0W-40 anyway as 1, because car isn't driven that lot and there are cold starts it would be best to get a oil which warms up the quickest and it also reduced 90% a noise at cold start that sometimes used to come probably of the valve lifters, plus 141000 isn't really high milage for a mercedes so went ahead. also it felt that oil level was a bit able the high mark.

when changing oil of this model couple of things you need to know, the drain bolt uses a crush washer made up of copper, the washer is what stops oil leaking and not the bolt, i had originally intended the oil to be changed form INH however at that time they didn't have the right washer were wasting 2 litre extra that i did not need, and were overly insisting to drain from below even though they had a machine to do the less messy stuff from the top and i think via machine oil is extracted better anyway or at least can be measured as it was first oil change, moreover they bought a open filter. keep these things in check

i had the oil changed from Mobil 1 authorised shop in pakistan which is in lahore defence, they drained from the bolt as well as used the machine as previous oil change was also done from INH and i didn't know if they had used the right washer previous time, i didn't want it to leak after a while, all the oil was completely evacuated and proper washer which comes with the oil filter packaging itself was installed, and from now on i would do th soil changes simply from above and no need to ever open the undersheilds and do it from the bolt. used mobil 1 0W-40, we added 5 litre of oil first and then i checked the oil level from the multi infer display, it told to add 1 more litre, that way it confirmed the capacity of 6 litre as well and i was ensured that the system was working, plus other owners of cars doing the oil change were also astonished that this car could actually accurately measure oil level while sitting inside. and its pretty accurate if you start the car and turn off and immediately tell it to measure it will give a error and you have to wait for the oil to settle and to get a accurate measurement, car also has to be level.

TOTAL COST of oil change + Mann filter was Rs, 10,500 so not a cheap deal but according to the FSS indicator it says oil good for 8000km, infact the counter is still at 8000 even after driving around the city. ideally because the filter is made out of paper i wont exceed 7000km or 1 year.

the car had Mann air filter and it was in good condition so didn't replace it, i don't remember its price i think it was around 5000rs something but it very long lasting along 20,000km

the car felt slightly more responsive and engine noise was smoother, plus more importantly the startup worrying noise had reduced and also low viscosity oil is better for the health of timing chain too in the long run, the lube tech was like sir bilkul naya oil tha par shoq ka koi mol nahi:P

[Xulfiqar]

for copper washers - I have not changed mine yet (3rd oil change done in my ownership) I just heat it up with a torch till its glowing a dull orange - then drop it in cold water, It will become soft again - you can literally bend it between your fingers.

I had a big jar of such washers when I was in karachi, always recycled them - the used one gets dumped into one container - when I had about 40 or so i just laid them out on a brick and heated them up and dunked them in water - brand new again.

when tightening - work the bolt back and forth as it contacts the washer face and then tighten it down a smidge past snug - it wont ever leak.

btw - dont blindly trust the oil level warning - its only set to warn you of low level if its down a litre or so.

[arzaam.bhatti]

Want to share some interesting experienced while I was at INH

This lady comes in her Mercedes c class and parked in the bay right next to me

She complained that the auto gear shifter was getting stuck many times in and out of reverse

The tech got in and sat in the driver seat to check it out and she immediately started screaming get out get out of the car now!
The bewildered guy get out of the car and asked what's wrong
She said how dare you enter the car with shoes on take them off now !

I found it hard to control my laughter while the bewildered guy stared with his mouth open and I was thinking do you drive bare foot lady? This is not your house

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[Xulfiqar]

does she actually drive barefoot? that is extremely dangerous practice.

btw was she wearing shoes at all? or was she also barefoot

[arzaam.bhatti]

Another guy young boy in his early twenties came in a 2014 Corolla here for some reason instead of rotors dealership
He wanted oil change and general tightning of bolts underneath the car

The funny thing was he didn't let them touch it and infact got under the car and did everything's himself and in the end gave money to INH for not doing a thing and very few nineties he would dust off a part of the body and give it a kiss!

I mean had hoti hai sure I am obsessed about cars but there's a line between mentally stable and pagalpan
A car is a car it can break down get stolen or get hit, we should not attach it so close to ourselves

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[arzaam.bhatti]

does she actually drive barefoot? that is extremely dangerous practice.

btw was she wearing shoes at all? or was she also barefoot

She was wearing shoes of course

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