2008 C220 direction Indicator Switch

[Alex M Grieve]

One last try

My Dealer ( Stoke 0n Trent ) said he had replaced the switch last September but I saw no difference.
Should I believe him?
I'm grateful for the experiences given in this thread because I've been made to feel that I'm the only one with this problem and that I'm wasting their time.

Many things we do while driving we do automatically. When you stop to think about it, you get confused. (this is why drunk drivers get pulled over and breathalyzed - they are trying to impose their conscious inebriated will on a task which is normally done automatically, and it shows).

The "3 flash" option on my cars works by flicking the indicator switch up against the détente and releasing immediately. If you hold it against the détente, it will flash as long as you hold it, but stop immediately you release it.

If you flick and release immediately it should flash 3 times, but if you hold it there a moment too long it will disable the facility - even after one flash.

Give it one last try at that. It may be that the dealer does not use the facility, or that he too does it automatically. I think it has to be something simple at the root of your problem. It would be nice if we could solve it.

 

[nippa]

I'll try another dealer for a fix and then probably sell the car.

I haven't enjoyed the C220 - which may be down to having driven larger cars for most of the last 30 years - and I can't see me living with it for much longer.
I'm lucky in that I can afford to sell but quite frankly I don't know what to buy next.
The new E class is possible but I can't imagine that the controls are any better.

Mercedes Benz Customer Support have been useless.

 

[Rory]

Mercedes Benz Customer Support have been useless.

I feel my experience with W203 (my first MB) has been ruined by a combination of the car drifting (but it's more than that - it rolls on lock) to the left, made worse by the dealer first denying it then saying "they all do that, sir". The car is tiring to drive long distances as I'm battling with it all the time.

If you're looking for something else, pehaps the Jaguar XF? Getting rave reviews now it has a 3.0L diesel and its equipment levels make Mercedes look expensive.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I'll try another dealer for a fix and then probably sell the car.

Have you tried flicking rather than holding the lever to achieve the "3 flashes for lane changing" as outlined above?

 

[jberks]

I feel my experience with W203 (my first MB) has been ruined by a combination of the car drifting (but it's more than that - it rolls on lock) to the left, made worse by the dealer first denying it then saying "they all do that, sir". The car is tiring to drive long distances as I'm battling with it all the time.

There is a firm that claims to be able to fix this properly. Its just a setup issue.
I believe they're called "Wheels in Motion" and are in somewhere called Chesham. I believe all they do is set up suspension systems and allegedly they're the best in the business. May be a drag but if all other options have been exhausted.....
I too have had the "they all do that" line from a dealer. ****** annoying but yes, it simply means they don't know how to fix it. You just need to find someone who does. In my case it was a local indie but in your case you may have to travel a bit further.

 

[jberks]

Personally, I find such driver 'aids' a complete waste of time. On my elderly Citroën CX, the indicators don't even have 'self-cancelling' - you switch the indicator on when you want it on, then switch it off when you don't. Makes you think about what you're doing, not reliant on someone else's opinion of what you might need. No irritating self-cancelling halfway round going right at a roundabout, either

Sadly most drivers forgot to cancel manually, making indicators confusing to downright dangerous.
I like the aids. Ok, I don't always take advantage as sometimes its not appropriate but auto lights, auto wipers, 3 flash for motorway lane changes etc, just helps reduce teh workload when things get busy.
The downside is the number of morons that think that just because they have, say, auto lights, the don't have to operate them manually, ever. So, in fog etc they're driving around with no lights on. But then if I had my way, these people would be pulled over, sent into a carpark and made to sit there until the fog cleared.

 

[Rory]

There is a firm that claims to be able to fix this properly. Its just a setup issue.
I believe they're called "Wheels in Motion" and are in somewhere called Chesham. I believe all they do is set up suspension systems and allegedly they're the best in the business. May be a drag but if all other options have been exhausted.....

Thanks - I'm aware of them and will take it there next time I'm down South and have free time. Assuming they find errors then I intend to send my dealer the bill - that'll be amusing.

The dealer issue is because the car is on ServicePlus. They know I won't pay for it and they don't want to spend time on it either if MB won't pay them. I don't see why ServicePlus shouldn't pay - surely alignment is the ultimate wear and tear issue?

 

[nippa]

MB Customer care on the phone again confirming that they will do nothing for me and that what I see as defective is the way the system is designed ; no further components will be replaced.

Talking to a Tech over at Macclesfield yesterday ,he tells me that the new E Class is completely different.
I hope he's right . This afternoon I went to swap the car for a Volvo C70 or an E Class.

Looking at Rory's thread reminded me...
I once had a Volvo 440 that always pulled left.
I was told " It's because it was made for the other side of the road" . I think he was right.

I have only hated 3 cars during my lifetime.
1. Renault 9
2. Volvo 440
3. This new Mercedes C Class

and now that I have a measure of the dealerships and customer care it'll have to be a great offer to keep me with MB!!

Once again thanks for your input.

 

[television]

Do not spoil it for yourself by choosing the wrong car,,the new 212 is an amazing car