C350e owners club

[paulhx]

Emode unavailable and engine sounding rough

No dashboard warnings and the car will still take a charge but the emode is unavailable since Friday and in Hybrid mode it is only using the petrol engine, so poor economy and performance. :fail

Anyone else had this before and is there a way to reboot the system without the need to take the time out going to MB?

 

[Dodgy]

Not had it before, but I have heard somewhere that the petrol engine does need to be used regularly. How much have you driven since Friday? If it's more than a few miles this explanation doesn't seem relevant.


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[paulhx]

Not had it before, but I have heard somewhere that the petrol engine does need to be used regularly. How much have you driven since Friday? If it's more than a few miles this explanation doesn't seem relevant.


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Electric power cut out with an 80% charged battery on Friday afternoon. I drove the car for around 20 miles yesterday and the emode was still greyed out. Took it out again today and after about 10 minutes, it was back online as if nothing had happened.

The engine itself has had a lot of use of the past few weeks so it can't be that. It's due a service soon, so will mention it then.

 

[Dodgy]

Electric power cut out with an 80% charged battery on Friday afternoon. I drove the car for around 20 miles yesterday and the emode was still greyed out. Took it out again today and after about 10 minutes, it was back online as if nothing had happened.



The engine itself has had a lot of use of the past few weeks so it can't be that. It's due a service soon, so will mention it then.

Good luck! I don't know if it's just that we're all talking about it, but this car does seem beset with troubles.

My only gripe is the automatic emergency braking. Twice it's reacted when I've been following someone turning left off a 30mph road onto a side road when there's been no danger of a collision.


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[paulhx]

Good luck! I don't know if it's just that we're all talking about it, but this car does seem beset with troubles.

My only gripe is the automatic emergency braking. Twice it's reacted when I've been following someone turning left off a 30mph road onto a side road when there's been no danger of a collision.


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I've had the emergency braking at low speeds too! I tried to sell the positives of the technology to my passengers who had all grabbed something!

 

[Goldngin]

Electric power cut out with an 80% charged battery on Friday afternoon. I drove the car for around 20 miles yesterday and the emode was still greyed out. Took it out again today and after about 10 minutes, it was back online as if nothing had happened.

The engine itself has had a lot of use of the past few weeks so it can't be that. It's due a service soon, so will mention it then.

Had the exactly the same symptoms/ issue this week Paul. My cars been used loads with engine on too the past week or so. I wonder if might be something to do with the 12 volt battery needing charging, though don't really see why it should be low. It's got one hasn't it for the ancillaries?! Will see how things go.

 

[Crisp]

I've had the same symptoms twice now. First time the car went into limp mode after a couple of days refusing to use electric, dealer reset it and was OK.
2nd time 6 months later I took it to a different dealer and they found corrosion in the cabling from the socket so replaced.
No warning in car and green light when charging but dealer suggested it was logging faults during charging.

 

[Dodgy]

I've had the same symptoms twice now. First time the car went into limp mode after a couple of days refusing to use electric, dealer reset it and was OK.
2nd time 6 months later I took it to a different dealer and they found corrosion in the cabling from the socket so replaced.
No warning in car and green light when charging but dealer suggested it was logging faults during charging.

The dreaded corroded cabling!

I wonder how many c350es have been sold, because I've seen quite a few corrosion reports on here. I feel a poll coming on...

 

[TheCorm]

I've had the E-MODE unavailable when there is plenty of charge thing too but not for a while. Seems to happen more when it's damp, sometimes turning off the car leaving it for 5 minutes fixes, sometimes driving for a bit fixes.

 

[mardeman]

Had a strange one this morning.
came out to the car only 76% charged. I had set pre-climate and I think it worked, but the car was still plugged in.
Strangely when I got home last night it took some time (and a reset) before the Polar Charger started working. I hope that the charger is not duff again as I have already had one replaced.

 

[TheCorm]

I recently discovered why they say don't use an extension cable.

I bought a supposedly 13A extension and have been using happily for 6 months, with it getting to winter I had started using it set to 13A more.

The other night I wondered why the car had not emailed me to say it had charged.....looked at app....83% charged but "Charging fault" showing.

Went out and inspected things and discovered that I couldn't unplug the charger from the extension, it had basically melted around the live pin. After sorting this out I cut the cable thinking I might just put a new end on but discovered the cable was not thick enough to be 13A rated, looked more like a 10A rated cable which seems to happen quite a bit, Amazon are refunding me on the extension.

In the meantime I have made my own extension, the perfect length this time instead of a bit too long.....16A rated outdoor hi-vis mains cable, heavy duty plug and sealed outdoor weatherproof socket box so I have much more faith in it this time but will stick with 8A for now!

 

[Dieseldrinker]

I recently discovered why they say don't use an extension cable.

I bought a supposedly 13A extension and have been using happily for 6 months, with it getting to winter I had started using it set to 13A more.

The other night I wondered why the car had not emailed me to say it had charged.....looked at app....83% charged but "Charging fault" showing.

Went out and inspected things and discovered that I couldn't unplug the charger from the extension, it had basically melted around the live pin. After sorting this out I cut the cable thinking I might just put a new end on but discovered the cable was not thick enough to be 13A rated, looked more like a 10A rated cable which seems to happen quite a bit, Amazon are refunding me on the extension.

In the meantime I have made my own extension, the perfect length this time instead of a bit too long.....16A rated outdoor hi-vis mains cable, heavy duty plug and sealed outdoor weatherproof socket box so I have much more faith in it this time but will stick with 8A for now!

Don't be fooled by cable sizes on extension leads. In theory a 1.25mm cable can carry 13 amps but if used for a long duration partly coiled it will melt. That's why all extension leads carry a warning that they can only be used at their full rating when fully unwound. That allows the cable to cool down and dissipate its heat.

I think the recommendations are not to use an extension lead, largely because to fully charge a 350e takes a constant current for around 2 hours. Most extension leads are not designed to do that.

 

[wrighty senior]

Don't be fooled by cable sizes on extension leads. In theory a 1.25mm cable can carry 13 amps but if used for a long duration partly coiled it will melt. That's why all extension leads carry a warning that they can only be used at their full rating when fully unwound. That allows the cable to cool down and dissipate its heat.

I think the recommendations are not to use an extension lead, largely because to fully charge a 350e takes a constant current for around 2 hours. Most extension leads are not designed to do that.

The fuse in the plug should be rated low enough to blow before anything happens to the cable. Unfortunately a lot of extension leads are very poor quality and are also fitted with poor plugs that would not comply with BS1363. Most '13Amp' extension leads should have a maximum fuse rating of 10Amps (these will tolerate 12 - 13 Amps but will blow at higher currents or if there is a short circuit). A 13Amp fuse will not protect '13Amp' cable because it will not rupture until the current is typically 20% higher than 13Amps so the cable is at risk of melting and causing a fire before the fuse blows.
I only use a short BS1363 Approved '15Amp' extension lead with a 10Amp fuse in the plug and connected via a RCD socket.

 

[hyp3rtoo]

Hi all

A month into ownership and loving my 350e. Good amount of space in the estate, although I feel the E Class saloon boot as bigger, certainly deeper and wider but you'd expect that. Superb power from the 350e though and really nice to drive.

However, one problem arose today which I haven't been able to shift yet, the COMAND navigation appears to have died. Drove to Cornwall with no issues at all, parked up, unloaded the car of luggage and children and then jumped back in to do a run to the shops and the nav hasn't yet come back.

Basically it is stuck at the 'activating navigation, please wait' with the spinning globe but then goes black after that (the text remains onscreen) and never starts. The HUD shows the same text. Furthermore, when starting the car now I also get the 'traffic sign assist inoperative' error on the dash.

Have reset comand and left the car overnight in the hope it'll reset but to no avail. I've also driven to more populated areas in case it was searching for a signal.

I'm on Day One of our holiday in Cornwall/Devon and very annoying to have no nav!

Called the info support from MB but they didn't seem to be able to give any advice beyond 'come into a dealership' but I'm a long way from the closest dealer.

Anyone else experienced this or able to give any hints on how to fix whilst I'm miles from home/a dealership.

Thanks!

 

[hyp3rtoo]

Hi all

A month into ownership and loving my 350e. Good amount of space in the estate, although I feel the E Class saloon boot as bigger, certainly deeper and wider but you'd expect that. Superb power from the 350e though and really nice to drive.

However, one problem arose today which I haven't been able to shift yet, the COMAND navigation appears to have died. Drove to Cornwall with no issues at all, parked up, unloaded the car of luggage and children and then jumped back in to do a run to the shops and the nav hasn't yet come back.

Basically it is stuck at the 'activating navigation, please wait' with the spinning globe but then goes black after that (the text remains onscreen) and never starts. The HUD shows the same text. Furthermore, when starting the car now I also get the 'traffic sign assist inoperative' error on the dash.

Have reset comand and left the car overnight in the hope it'll reset but to no avail. I've also driven to more populated areas in case it was searching for a signal.

I'm on Day One of our holiday in Cornwall/Devon and very annoying to have no nav!

Called the info support from MB but they didn't seem to be able to give any advice beyond 'come into a dealership' but I'm a long way from the closest dealer.

Anyone else experienced this or able to give any hints on how to fix whilst I'm miles from home/a dealership.

Thanks!

Forgot to also mention. The traffic sign assist is also not working (assume that a part of comand online) but everything else in the comand system is working ok. Bluetooth/dab etc, all fine!

 

[Dodgy]

What kind of COMAND reset did you do?

 

[Dodgy]

Electric power cut out with an 80% charged battery on Friday afternoon. I drove the car for around 20 miles yesterday and the emode was still greyed out. Took it out again today and after about 10 minutes, it was back online as if nothing had happened.

The engine itself has had a lot of use of the past few weeks so it can't be that. It's due a service soon, so will mention it then.

I've just stumbled over a thread with information about other hybrids using the ICE. It sound like there are various controls in place to maintain the fuel and the engine:
- amount of fuel filled or used in the last 3, 6, or12 months
- average age of the fuel in the tank
- how recently a significant amount of fuel was filled in one go

Maybe you triggered something like one of these or you have a faulty sensor that triggered one of these...

 

[TheCorm]

The fuse in the plug should be rated low enough to blow before anything happens to the cable. Unfortunately a lot of extension leads are very poor quality and are also fitted with poor plugs that would not comply with BS1363. Most '13Amp' extension leads should have a maximum fuse rating of 10Amps (these will tolerate 12 - 13 Amps but will blow at higher currents or if there is a short circuit). A 13Amp fuse will not protect '13Amp' cable because it will not rupture until the current is typically 20% higher than 13Amps so the cable is at risk of melting and causing a fire before the fuse blows.
I only use a short BS1363 Approved '15Amp' extension lead with a 10Amp fuse in the plug and connected via a RCD socket.

My setup now includes:

RCD metal outdoor socket in front cupboard
16A rated cable
13A fused heavy duty plug
13A outdoor socket

I never used coiled cable, my old extension was 15m which was too long but I always ensured no kinks etc, the new one is 12m (cut to order) but I could have got away with 10-11m but not much extra length to kink or coil plus the cable is thicker so doesn't really do that.

To be fair to the crappy extension before it did survive about 300 charges, but about 80% were at 8A

 

[hyp3rtoo]

What kind of COMAND reset did you do?

The one that resets all your settings. Haven't found another route yet, even calling Benz and they only suggested switching the car off for a while...

 

[Dodgy]

The one that resets all your settings. Haven't found another route yet, even calling Benz and they only suggested switching the car off for a while...

The user guide is hilarious. Do you think the temperature may have been too hot or too cold for the system to work. If so, wait for the temperature to change. Really?

The questions I've seen people asking about this online seem to be for systems that use a DVD reader ("wipe the condensation off the disk"), but I think the C350e uses a hard drive.

I still use TomTom on my phone. Good luck!


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