Auto Service

Exclusivity. Its a fabulous thing, really. A certain something, often built of superior craftsmanship, sometimes of smoke and mirrors, that makes your product special, enables you to sell it for a premium and ensures that your customers wont feel like one of the herd.

For a long, long time, Mercedes-Benz had that in spades. And it was built of superior craftsmanship. Those of us of a certain age can remember when Mercedes-Benzes werent especially pretty (the stunning 300SL Gullwing a notable exception), and werent especially fast (again excepting the 300SL), but sold to discriminating buyers for about two and a half times the sticker price of a domestic sedan or convertible in its size class because they werent simply engineered, they were over-engineered. This was a thing of value, likely to last far more than two and a half times longer than the domestic.

And as they became prettier and faster, and more expensive, a generation of car buyers became like little kids with their noses pressed against the showroom window pane...."someday...someday..."

And thats when the MBAs (or Germanys equivalent) spoke up. "Imagine if we could sell all those people the car of their dreams. Wed have to move into size and price classes we dont currently compete in, but we could do that by cutting out some of the unnecessary engineering. The materials dont have to be that good...they just have to be good enough. The price tags will be lower for some cars, but think of what well make in volume."

And thus began, in the mid to late 90s, Mercedes-Benzs pursuit of market share. They went from building the best car possible to building as many cars as possible. Loyal buyers noticed and began shopping elsewhere. New buyers, confronted with lesser and cheaper while looking down the hood at the three-pointed star began to wonder what all the shouting was about.

Well, lately, Mercedes has begun to show signs of finding the way back...building cars that look and feel like something special...and the E350 Cabriolet is one of those. Larger and more useful than the SLK roadster and significantly less expensive than the two-seat SL, the E350 is user-friendly and imparts a sense of premium goods from the moment you slide behind the wheel.

1. Press the + or - buttons on the vehicles steering wheel until the Time and Date menu appears on the digital display.
2. Press the Up or Down arrow buttons until the Clock, Hours message appears on the digital display.
3. Use the steering wheels + or - buttons to adjust the clocks hours digits to the current time. Press the small Reset button next to the analog clock to save your changes to the hours digits.
4. Access the vehicles Time and Date menu again using the + or - buttons on the steering wheel.
5. Press the Up or Down arrow buttons to cause the Clock, Minutes message to show on the digital display screen.
6. Set the minutes digits to the desired time with the + or - buttons. Press the Reset button next to the analog clock to save your changes to the minute digits. Note that the analog clocks hands will move to reflect the current time.

1. Apply firm pressure to your brake pedal the moment you receive an alert from the Mercedes ABS braking system, the moment you see an obstacle or when you notice the vehicle in front of you braking. On newer models of Mercedes, you will have a pre-safe braking system that can recognize obstacles in front of you. This system will alert you to the hazard by flashing a warning light on your dashboard to catch your attention.
2. Apply more pressure to your brake pedal to ensure enough pressure to stop. While Mercedes does employ pre-safe braking that may apply the brake for you automatically, this technology applies pressure to about 40 percent. In an emergency, you may need a lot more pressure than that to stop in time. In addition, pre-safe braking on your Mercedes will only intervene and apply automatic pressure if you are traveling less than 43 miles per hour (mph) and will recognize obstacles only up to speeds of 124 mph. If you are traveling faster than 43 mph but less than 124 mph, you will get the alert, but the system will not brake automatically.
3. Keep your foot on the pedal and continue applying pressure until your Mercedes stops. Do not take your foot off the pedal until the path ahead of you is clear. With the Mercedes ABS system, the brakes on your Mercedes will seem to push back at you, and you might feel some pulsating. This is normal and means your brakes are working.
4. Steer your vehicle if you need to while keeping your foot on the brake pedal until you come to a complete stop. With the Mercedes ABS braking system, you can steer while applying the brakes.

1. Park the car on a flat, level surface. Set the parking brake.
2. Locate the oil pan underneath the car. The oil pan is located at the bottom of the engine. Slide a drain pan underneath the engine to catch the used oil.
3. Unscrew the drain plug with a socket wrench. The drain plug requires a 13mm socket. Allow all the oil to drain from the oil pan (allow at least 10 minutes for all the oil to drain adequately). Tighten the drain plug to the oil pan with the socket wrench.
4. Open the hood to access the engine compartment. Locate the oil filter cap at the front of the engine. It will be positioned directly in front of the oil-fill cap.
5. Loosen the oil filter with an oil filter wrench. Pull the oil filter out by the cap. Ensure you have a pan to catch the excess oil dripping from the filter. Pull the old filter off the end of the stick, using an old rag--this will prevent from making a mess.
6. Insert a new filter onto the stick, pushing it in until it stops. Insert the filter/cap back into the oil filter housing. Screw the cap tight by hand.
7. Unscrew the oil cap located directly behind the oil filter housing. Pour in seven quarts of engine oil. Pull out the engine oil dipstick located by the oil-fill cap. Wipe the dipstick clean. Insert the dipstick back in to the tube. Pull out and verify the level. The level should be between the minimum and the maximum marks on the dipstick. If the level is below either of the marks, add additional oil in half-quart intervals. Check the level each time you pour the oil.
8. Start the car up and allow it to idle for five minutes. Turn the car off and let it sit for an additional five minutes. Check the oil level once more. Add more oil, if necessary.
9. Log the number of miles driven and the date the oil change was completed. Reference this for the next oil change interval.

1. Drive your Mercedes up on a set of car ramps and use a flashlight to inspect as much of the electrical harness wiring as possible. Most Mercedes-Benz vehicles manufactured between 1993 and 1997 have been known for having a faulty electrical harness that have caused fires or stalling out and loss of power while driving. If the wiring harness begins to disintegrate or degrade, have the entire harness replaced, as the problem will only continue to worsen, increasing the risk of driving the vehicle.
2. Disconnect the negative cable from your Mercedes C280 car battery and remove the throttle body hose clamp with a screwdriver. The throttle body is located between the intake manifold and the air filter cabin. Wearing rubber gloves and safety glasses, spray throttle-body cleaner into the air duct and use gentle brushing to dislodge any grime present in the component. If you hear cracking sounds coming from the throttle body when cold-starting the C280, you may need to replace the entire throttle body if the cleaner does not improve its performance.
3. Use an OBD II scanner to check the Mercedes-Benz engine troubleshoot codes. Locate the C280s OBD II terminal, which is located at the bottom left part of the steering column and plug in the OBD II scanner. Turn on the OBD II scanner and turn the ignition to the accessories position. Record the codes from the OBD II scanner and look them up on websites such as AutoZone or OBD II Codes.
4. Test electrical connections leading to any sensors that come up on the OBD II scanner before replacing the sensors themselves. Turn the ignition key to the On position without cranking the engine and apply the probes of a multimeter, set to voltage, to the electrical harness connection. If the connection reads between 4.0 and 5.0 volts, then the sensor needs replacement.
5. Clean your MAF (mass air flow) sensor if you are experiencing rough idling or stalling out. DIsconnect the MAF sensor, which is located between the air filter cabin and the throttle body, by using a Torx screwdriver. Unplug the connector and clean it with MAF cleaner. Allow the MAF sensor to air dry before reinserting it into the MAF housing. Replace the MAF with a new sensor if the engine continues to run poorly.
6. Use a computer with internet access to look for potential problems through TSBs (technical service bulletins) or recalls. Currently, as of 2011, there are no recalls on the 1995 C280. However, there are 56 TSB summaries, which could help point out areas to troubleshoot when experiencing problems with your Mercedes.

1. Insert the key in the ignition switch and turn it without starting the car. Pay attention to the display on the instrument cluster between the speedometer and the tachometer.
2. Press the lower left button on the left side of the steering wheel. There are four buttons on the left side of the steering wheel. After pushing the button, the display will reveal why the check engine light is lit. Usually it indicates that the car is due for service. Push the lower left button on the steering wheel again and the vehicle mileage will show on the display.
3. Press the lower right button on the left side of the steering wheel. This will again show the reason why the check engine light is on.
4. Locate the reset button on the left side of the instrument cluster. Press the reset button and hold it until the display reads To reset: Press reset button for 3 seconds.
5. Push the reset button again and hold the button in until the display indicates that the system has been reset. The display will also inform you of the next service date according to mileage.

1. Open up the hood of your Mercedes. Look underneath the hood and locate the access panel for the emblem, which is positioned towards the front of the hood, by the grille. Locate the bar-shaped clips that hold the emblem in place, as well as the bar-shaped hole in the hood.
2. Insert the needle-nose pliers into the hole and use them to hold the bar-shaped clips together tightly, then twist the clip 90 degrees clockwise, until the bar-shaped clips fit through the access hole in the hood. Pull the remnants of the old emblem out of the hood, using your other hand.
3. Hold the replacement emblem on the hood, so that the clips are aligned with the slot in the hood. Push the clips in place until they go through the hole. Hold the hood emblem with one hand and turn the clips 90 degrees, until the access hole and clips form a "+" sign. Look at the top of the hood and verify that the emblem is straight. Close the hood of the car.

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone. Tap Search and type mbrace into the search bar, then hit the Search button on the keyboard. Tap the listing for the app, tap the Free button, tap it again when it turns green and enter your Apple ID and password when the dialog box appears. The app appears on your iPhones home screen.
2. Sign up for mbrace on your Mercedes if your vehicle did not come with it or if you do not already have it. Contact your local dealer, or call 800 FOR MERCedes to speak to a representative about your options. Only models made after 2005 contain the necessary software.
3. Tap the app on your iPhone to open it. Enter your mbrace account number and four-digit PIN to log in.
4. Tap Vehicle to use the remote key, which appears on the screen. From here, you can unlock, lock and locate the car, or you can tap Assistance to contact customer service, finance, concierge or roadside assistance. Tap Dealer to view information about local dealers, or tap Account to view information about your personal account. Tap Send2Benz to search for a destination, enter a street address, find an address or drive to a preset friend.

Resetting Your Service Indicator Light
1. Put your key into your cars ignition and turn it to the first position. Make sure your vehicles mileage is showing. (The referenced website has instructions for all Mercedes models. These instructions are for the Models 221 and 216.)
2. Press and hold the telephone button on your steering wheel. Immediately press the "OK" button and hold them both down for at least five seconds. If done correctly the shop menu will be shown on your display.
3. Press the "Down" button on your arrow pad until you highlight the "Assyst Plus" option. Press the "OK" button.
4. Press the "Down" button until you highlight "Service carried out." Press the "OK" button.
5. Press the "Down" button until you highlight "Service due." Press the "OK" button.
6. Press the "Down" button until you highlight "Full service." Press the "OK" button. This should reset your service indicator light.

1. Insert the key and switch the ignition to position I.
2. Press the display button on the multifunction steering wheel until the B Service notification is displayed.
3. Press and hold the reset button located to the left of the instrument cluster until the B Service message resets.