Mercedes-Benz W204 Coupe - AMG Sport Plus...Diesel

Mercedes-Benz W204 Coupe - AMG Sport Plus...Diesel

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Discussion

Sheepshanks

32,922 posts

120 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
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joropug said:
There's no wiring! Mercedes went to the extent of fitting bulbs into these holders but omitting the wire. There are various lighting packages and mine seems to be without.
Did they have a red reflector as the lens? Maybe they're fitted when the door cards are made so they just stick the same housing in them all.

In my W203 the underdoor lighting doesn't do much - I didn't realise it was even there for years.

Does your front surround lighting work? Needs to be dark and possibly the light switch set to auto.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
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Decided to fit some LED reverse bulbs. Pros, look good, brighter visibility. Negative, DAB cuts out when they're on! Fortunately not a big deal, but wouldn't use them for a permanent bulb.




joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Did they have a red reflector as the lens? Maybe they're fitted when the door cards are made so they just stick the same housing in them all.

In my W203 the underdoor lighting doesn't do much - I didn't realise it was even there for years.

Does your front surround lighting work? Needs to be dark and possibly the light switch set to auto.
Yeah it's all there just not connected. Fronts I think are just the DRL I think unless you know otherwise

Sheepshanks

32,922 posts

120 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
quotequote all
joropug said:
Yeah it's all there just not connected. Fronts I think are just the DRL I think unless you know otherwise
On mine (but note it's a W203) the front fog lamps come on. Which now and again results in abuse from old people when I unlock the car under a petrol station canopy.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
On mine (but note it's a W203) the front fog lamps come on. Which now and again results in abuse from old people when I unlock the car under a petrol station canopy.
No front fogs on these! But DRL replaces them , so that makes sense.

N111BJG

1,092 posts

64 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
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I had a C204 250D, sport plus from new. We liked it a lot & was going to keep it at end of PCP but was Opal Red & it suffered the usual paint problems so needed a full respray, so sent it back.
Otherwise it was a great car & no other problems at all, enjoy yours.

ZX10R NIN

27,703 posts

126 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
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I'd say you want to go for the 19's, the OH had these on her C63 but with black inserts.


ZX10R NIN

27,703 posts

126 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
quotequote all
joropug said:
Decided to fit some LED reverse bulbs. Pros, look good, brighter visibility. Negative, DAB cuts out when they're on! Fortunately not a big deal, but wouldn't use them for a permanent bulb.



I fitted LED's on my CLK & they work like alternating strobe lights when I select reverse.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
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These seem ok - had the same ones on my F30. I had the bulb test strobe on the F30, but coded it out with Carly. Haven't checked if these do on the Merc.

The 19s look really nice but think aftermarket requires suspension mods, whereas OEM or OEM style I can leave height be.

AlonzoHarris

121 posts

125 months

Sunday 20th October 2019
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Nice car op. My wife has a W204 C180 premium plus. Really nicely specced cars. Odd that the puddle lights aren't actually lights. My wife's car has the puddle lights in door and also has lights in the door mirrors and ambient lighting in the door handles and door pulls.

Does your car have those lights? Just thinking they may have been some sort of light package as an option.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Sunday 20th October 2019
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AlonzoHarris said:
Nice car op. My wife has a W204 C180 premium plus. Really nicely specced cars. Odd that the puddle lights aren't actually lights. My wife's car has the puddle lights in door and also has lights in the door mirrors and ambient lighting in the door handles and door pulls.

Does your car have those lights? Just thinking they may have been some sort of light package as an option.
Nope none of them ! I have been hoodwinked. It does have the adaptive xenons though.

MTK1919

755 posts

214 months

Sunday 20th October 2019
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Nice looking car in white. How are you finding the build quality? I've had minor rattles here and there (mainly from switches), but otherwise it's OK. I love having an alcantara wheel, but it's a pain keeping it fresh!

Here's mine.











joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Sunday 20th October 2019
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Well that's rather nice !

Build quality seems very good to be honest. The dash creaks a touch but is cured by pressing in the radio area every now and then. I have a small creaky rattle at the rear I think is the parcel shelf but have yet to recruit the Mrs to drive it whilst I search !

Overall I'm impressed, it's worn pretty well so far.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Sunday 3rd November 2019
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Did a bit of maintenance on the Merc today, In the form of air filtration.

In getting quotes for the upcoming oil service, I am pretty disgusted how much specialists are charging for filters. For perspective, a local specialist wanted £220 for an oil change and inspection (Mercedes themselves are £217), or for £350 they'll do the full service. When I asked what it included: Cabin filter and key battery.....utter joke, £130 for a filter and 10 mins of labour.

So for the princely sum of just £45 I was able to do both the cabin filter and the engine air filter and will go to mercedes for the hypothetical stamp for oil.

Cabin filter is pretty straight forward if fiddly, the underside of the glove box comes down with a few torx screws, the filter itself has a sliding latch (which is a bh) and a couple of metal clips (which are a bh) - the clips you can do without so I threw them away.

The filter itself looked in pretty good shape to be honest (old on right) but they are different brands so might not have been that colour to start with.









Next, air filter. To access you need to remove engine cover, undo the ECU bolts (torx, but 8mm fit over!), Unclip the wiring and then remove 6 torx on the air filter cover.

I gave the air box a wipe as it was quite dusty inside, the old air filter looked like it was due so it wasn't a wasted effort.

I finished the job with a wipe down of the plastics, it's a well sealed bay as it keeps very clean.

A few £ saved for an hours work.












joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Sunday 3rd November 2019
quotequote all
Rattles.....for what it's worth Mercedes have put together this car pretty well. I have been chasing however, a most irritating rattle from the rear.

Initial investigations led me to the emergency triangle bracket. It's pretty loose and a clip has broken, but alas it was not the cause. With the triangle affixed it does not move or rattle as the triangle keeps it tight.



The search continued and after recruiting a driver, I had a suspicion on my back seat travels that the third level brake light was the rattler.

With the added pressure of a folded jiffy, I was able to determine that the difficult to remove rear light bar is the cause, and it really is bad having recently removed the jiffy to confirm.



I've seen some videos online on how to replace the bar which appears to be a single unit. I will investigate when the weather is better and see if there is a way of tightening it without stripping the shelf.

Open to any suggestions here!

I have also fitted a brodit phone mount but opted for a swivelling magnet instead of a phone holder. Works brilliantly and is nicely placed from the driver's perspective.



And as it's my first Mercedes I'm still finding nice little touches. I thought my map lights were broken when testing them in the day, but at night realised they are underneath the rear view mirror. This has the added benefit of zero glare from the bulb itself given its lower than the position of your eyes. Nice.



Sheepshanks

32,922 posts

120 months

Sunday 3rd November 2019
quotequote all
joropug said:
And as it's my first Mercedes I'm still finding nice little touches. I thought my map lights were broken when testing them in the day, but at night realised they are underneath the rear view mirror. This has the added benefit of zero glare from the bulb itself given its lower than the position of your eyes. Nice.

Can you read a map by those lights? In mine they're the ambient lighting - they're very subtle, I can barely tell they're on.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Sunday 3rd November 2019
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Can you read a map by those lights? In mine they're the ambient lighting - they're very subtle, I can barely tell they're on.
My map is in my dash smile

But yeah they are low light but that's ideal it means you can use them without impacting vision

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Tuesday 3rd December 2019
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Small update:

Just had a service, the first in my ownership. Amazingly I phoned around specialists and they worked out more expensive than Mercedes themselves.

One specialist who I wanted to use wanted £220 for an oil change and check/top up or £350 for a full service - I asked what extra you get and it was a pollen filter and key battery!!!

Mercedes were £220 + 80 for brake fluid, with a £10 saving online if you pay up front. The service was pleasant, the work done well and a bonus of there being another MB notch on the service history's bedpost. Even bigger bonus, they replaced the pollen filter and key battery and didn't charge me for it. I was a bit confused by it, as it wasn't stated in the online quote. Annoyingly i replaced it myself a few weeks before so I got no benefit.

On the downside however....the automated car wash they put it through has seen an end to my significantly corroded/battered alloys. They are literally falling apart now so in going to get a 4x wheel refurbishment in gloss black with black simplified centre caps.



I found a car on eBay that has the same wheels in black, it's a terrible photo and the centre caps are all wrong but think it will be the best option as I don't want the cost of diamond cutting only for it to happen again.





Glossy version of these maybe:


Not angry at the dealership at all they were already ruined but I will decline the car was next time !

On Sunday the car was spotless, today it looks like this:




Thanks to a considerable drive on one whole tank. The last few miles were worrying me a little but just about made it! The long distance performance of the Merc is brilliant, it surpassed even my 530d. Comfortable, economical and capable. For those who care, the F30 320d manual I had previously did the same round trip at 60mpg (both indicated, both are 2mpg optimistic )



Couldn't be happier with it, more to follow once I get the wheels sorted!


Bonzo1930

191 posts

57 months

Wednesday 4th December 2019
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Ouch the wheels are looking very sorry for themselves!
Recently had mine refurbished as they were starting to look a little tatty although not as bad as the diamond turned finish which is not very durable, just chose to stick with the standard factory finish but had the calipers done as well to make it a bit more eye catching

joropug

Original Poster:

2,599 posts

190 months

Wednesday 4th December 2019
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I had not considered a caliper paint job but now I am!

The rears have been painted black in the past I think but the finish is wearing off.

Hmm not sure I'm brave enough for a colour but black or silver worth considering