The drive is level or slightly downhill, but the snow was 6-8" deep. I probably made about 10m before I came to a halt, but then couldn't reverse back until I'd dug out the wheels and got some wood behind the back wheels. I tried C and then going to manual with the paddles, but the wheels just spun. It must be time to read the manual again (as well as buying snow chains)
Our drive is short and the snow here is pathetic, as usual. Once we’d got going it was easy.
I think E might hold a lower gear than C, but it wouldn’t matter much in 6”+ of snow.
Are you on winter tyres? I can’t justify them for the conditions we get here and the distances I drive, but I hear very good things about them.
It you could just buy a shovel and put your back into clearing that drive. Good for the soul, I’m sure...
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Winter tyres: "Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen-1". I suspect my old Saab 9-5 auto Aero would have coped, but I'll never know.
It's quite snowy in the Welsh borders. Four of us spent over an hour digging out a car width down the (quite long) drive so some friends could start a journey home - my soul needs all the help it can get ;-)
It's quite snowy in the Welsh borders. Four of us spent over an hour digging out a car width down the (quite long) drive so some friends could start a journey home - my soul needs all the help it can get ;-)
Eagle
Active Member
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- Sep 11, 2015
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- C350e
Hi there
I know the answer to the ICE starting question. It should behave like this and is normal on a cold start. If you are interested in details, let me know and I'll write a few lines.
M
Even with pre-conditioning and in E-MODE, my ICE has started twice this week as soon as I turned the key. Both times, it switched off in less time than a minute. I’d be interested in hearing more.
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CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Use the paddles to choose a gear. I was going down a long hill and wanted to keep it in a low gear. Worked well.
I regularly use the paddles on long hills, the problem today was holding it in a high gear to move off from a standstill. I said earlier that the snow was 6-8" but, on reflection, I think it was nearer the top end of that range
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Hmmm. Thinking about it, it might not let you go in a higher gear than it thinks you need. Maybe ECO mode might start in second?
Eagle
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Well, here we go- the ICE starting in a cold morning is in fact a deliberate and well thought process. It is based on some assumptions and criteria (dictated by the environment) when the engineers programmed the Engine and Fuel Delivery management system.
Imagine a cold morning (below 3 degrees C) when the vehicle has been exposed to long hours of inactivity overnight. Then the driver starts the vehicle and (for sake of this scenario) demands an immediate high power (torque and BHP) from the engine-say motorway speed. The assumption is that exposure to long frosty hours, might have formed tiny ice particles in the tubing, hoses and ducts inside the engine compartment. Then bear in mind that this is a turbo charged fuel injection petrol engine. Demanding high power (speeding or torque request) must be delivered by the ICE and the HV Battery. Opening the throttle, opens the air intakes and fuel injection system in due course. There is a chance that ice particles are ingested into the air and fuel delivery system resulting in engine chocking and hiccups. This is why the ICE kicks in first even when the vehicle is still stationary. The aim is to warm up the engine block and dissolve any possible microscopic ice particles. This happens regardless of the cabin temperature. The software reads the outside temperature as well as internal engine block parameters. Therefore, even if you warm up the cabin and the seats, the engine block can still be in a very cold condition. The cabin blower incorporates electric heating elements as well as help from the ICE when it is warmed up. So, as you can see, this a managed situation which is coded into the engine control software for good reasons.
I hope this makes sense.
M
RTR1879
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- Mercedes Benz C350e Sport
Hi Rich.
Mine too is on order. Originally told October then 5th January, then 30th March and now 30th April. When that last date came through they asked me to confirm that I was OK with the blue accent deletions - the hybrid badges and the tint to the headlights and the brake calipers. I assume this is part of the spec for the 2018 facelift version.
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Thanks for that. Never thought about ice in the pipes! Another question for you. The battery pack has it's own cooling system and when you use pre-heat, you can hear this burbling away. Is any of this heat piped around the internal combustion engine to give it some warmth, or are the two cooling systems completely independent of each other?
Eagle
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- C350e
Hi Captin, thanks. The HV battery pack has indeed both warming and cooling mechanisms. There is an optimum temperature defined for the Lithium Ion batteries to operate in- both when charging and discharging.
The cooling system has its own piping, pump and expansion chamber. Nevertheless, as the systems are integrated, there would be some heat exchanges under the engine hood but not to a degree that would make a significant difference.
M
LeggySilverfox
New Member
Great info thanks. Makes sense and it’s good to know, rather than thinking that there I something wrong. I live close to a dual carriageway so often the first action the ICE sees is when I’m already doing 30+ mph and it kicks in. So in those circumstances it’s not warmed at all. Would be interesting to see how that affects engine wear.
Eagle
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Mercedes (as well as many other manufacturers) insist that if the engine is treated with care, it will return many more flawless times- especially for the first 1000 miles. From the physics and thermodynamic point of view, they are stating the obvious! This is also true for cold starts as the various engine parts are made of different alloys and materials. They expand, contract and react in different ways.
There are after market "engine block warmer" kits available for other hybrid vehicles like Toyota. This shows the importance of running the engine compartment in a near isotermic temperature in cold environment and winter times.
M
D
Deleted member 126969
Guest
Well, to answer my own question, just asked the service manager and the update is to correct a bug where certain engine error codes don’t generate a MIL when they should. The car also isn’t due for the starter fuse problem, nor to his current knowledge the airbag recall.
wrighty senior
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Did you remember to switch off traction control? In really slippery conditions the traction control is self-defeating; just kills the power. With traction control switched off the tyres will sometimes 'burn through' the snow.
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
I think you did well to get that far in snow 6-8" deep. Was the front spoiler ploughing the way forward?
Rich Dobie
New Member
Yes they possibly are. Just seems difficult to identify a clear date, but I assume that there will be a transition period between both the new and older versions. My date originally slipped from early March to 31st March and have heard no more. Interesting how your date continues to move to the right and mine “appears” not too. Possibly spec of the car (although mind is pretty standard - estate version). I’ve also ordered through a company car agent (Arval) which may also be a factor. Might also be that Arval just haven’t bothered keeping me updated!!!!
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Frozen Flap! 
At the weekend I had trouble closing the recharging outer flap. It wouldn't latch, but would just keep springing open. It seems the latch had frozen. The prong on the back of the flap would go in but nothing gripped it. I thawed it out with a hot air gun and then pushed the latch in with a small screwdriver and squirted some water displacing lube in. It's been OK since. Might be worth remembering if the same thing happens to you over this cold snap.
At the weekend I had trouble closing the recharging outer flap. It wouldn't latch, but would just keep springing open. It seems the latch had frozen. The prong on the back of the flap would go in but nothing gripped it. I thawed it out with a hot air gun and then pushed the latch in with a small screwdriver and squirted some water displacing lube in. It's been OK since. Might be worth remembering if the same thing happens to you over this cold snap.
See Autocar today for details on the C400 PHEV due post-July. An extra 41bhp from the electric motor AND a purported 31 mile all-electric range. If that is as reliable as the claim of 19 for the 350e it would = perhaps 15 miles, but I'd almost settle for that.