C350 hesitation when moving off

[steve-V8s]

Had a drive in a 2010 C350 Diesel estate, silly MB parking brake and indicator stalk aside it would do the job for me but thought it was s bit hesitant when puling away. May just be something you get used to but when driving in stop start traffic or pulling out at a junction there seemed to be a delay between gently applying the throttle and moving forward. Didn’t notice the same thing when already on the move so could perhaps be the gearbox waking up from idle. Is the effect a fault or normal with this car, anybody know ?

[bmw320ci]

I had the same on my B200 sport Cdi you had a split second before it shot off and then the baby throwing her milk up as her head was been pushed back

I took mine back for refinement issues but was told they all sound like a bag of nails under load.

Got C63 now, now the wife throws up when I pull away in that lol

If I was you go and test drive another

I test drove the c350 Cdi estate weighing that over the 335d

I found you had to push the car to get it up to a cruising speed

[Moikey Fortune]

Is it an auto set in "E"conomy mode on the gearbox (not to be confused with that ECO mode)if so the car starts off in 2nd gear maybe that is the reason it feels hesitant?? Try using "S"port mode and see if it happens (it sets off in 1st gear in this case)

Cheers

Mike

[Aeroresh]

It's normal, it's just the standard merc thing of an inch of dead throttle pedal travel before it does anything. Becomes second nature after a while....until you drive a BMW or similar and remember what you've been missing!

If its 2010 car it should have both hill hold and also brake hold (you press the brake pedal a bit harder when stationary and it will hold the car on the brakes allowing you to take your foot off) upshot is you only ever need to use the parking brake when parked.

[steve-V8s]

I mentioned the issue on a Benz forum and it seems to be a common complaint with the 7speed auto box. Allegedly there have been some software changes to improve the delay but people report that it is still there with the latest version. The feeling is that the box disengages when stationary to reduce load on the engine and improve economy. Don’t think it is to do with pedal travel as you can lift off completely once on the move and there is no delay when reapplying the throttle.

Hadn’t really figured the Sport/Comfort/Manual mode button until I got out of town so can’t say if it only happened in C mode. Coming from a 530 sport I am not certain I could live with the delay and several other things that seem a bit lacking. I really wanted to like the C350 but begin to think it will have to be another BM. Why they still insist on using the stupid foot operated parking brake is a mystery. The car I drove was a 2010 version I didn’t encounter the hill assist but I would hope so, even small base model French stuff seems to have that fitted.

[anonymous-user]

steve-V8s said:

Why they still insist on using the stupid foot operated parking brake is a mystery.

If going for an auto version with hold-assist I don't know why anyone wouldn't love the foot operated parking brake?

The hold-assist is superb and I use it at traffic lights and on hills, meaning the parking brake is only ever used when doing just that, parking. Having it on the floor frees up space in the centre console for a handy storage box and armrest. It also means, on my car anyway, that there is no delay when pulling away as the car is in drive holding on the brakes, awaiting me mashing the loud pedal into the floor for instant go.

Hold-assist does however mean your brake lights are on when stationary, so I wait the complaints of those with sensitive eyes saying how they're fed up of having holes burned in their retinas from sitting behind cretins like me