Hello,

Although not a newcomer to German cars or European cars in general, my wife's new 2005 C240 4Matic Wagon is our first Mercedes. We traded a 2001 Volvo XC and although the C240 is considerably smaller, it's significantly better in ride, handling and responsiveness. The 4Matic system is exceptionally good (this is my eighth vehicle with 4WD/AWD) and it recently got me over a mountain in a totally unexpected 6-inches of snow while every SUV I saw was sliding off the road or stuck. I was concerned that the C240 had less ground clearance than the XC, but it handled completely unplowed roads with ease.

I realize every car has it's quirks, but I wonder if someone could answer a few questions?

1) Is it normal for the indicators on the headlamp switch *not* to be illuminated? It seems to be the only control on the instrument panel that isn't lit up at all when the lights are on. That makes it hard to tell where the **** is set when it's dark (my wife prefers the "Auto" position, but I like the fog lights on).

2) Is it normal for the Homelink garage door opener to operate only when the ignition is on? This is really inconvenient--is there any way to program it for retained power like the sunroof?

3) Is there any way to turn on the rear dome light without turning on the cargo area lights? Since there are no rear passenger map lights, I sometimes need to turn on the dome light while driving, but the cargo lights are very distracting.

4) Is there any way to limit how far back the driver's seat goes when the key is removed with the easy-entry feature enabled? We like the easy-entry feature, but unless the rear passenger exits before the key is removed, they're stuck back there.

5) Does anyone know of a source of custom-fit floor mats with the Mercedes logo? The beige mats are so light they look filthy within days. We want to get something with a waterproof backing in a darker color (like taupe).

6) Does the optional rear cargo net have a pocket that can hold grocery bags upright?

7) What's up with the hands free phone package? It is so outrageously expensive that the dealers don't even want to sell it. Is there some kind of kit to connect an existing phone up?

Thank you!

Bob

 

If the homelink is hot w/o the key, an unscrupulous individual could gain access to your garage / home if the car is left outside. Just a thought...

 

I've had two other cars with Homelink and it was always hot in both of them.

I'd be happy if it just retained power like the sunroof, for a limited time or until you open the door. It's annoying to shut the engine off, then remember you have to put the key back in and turn the ignition back on to close the garage door...

 

So, uhmm, does anybody have any answers to my questions?