2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport: Gauge Match

I can't believe a Benz, in 2008, doesn't have a TPMS that tells you which tire is low. Unacceptable.

The Car Talk guys recommend this one:

http://www.shamelesscommerce.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=GAUGE

That is really unacceptable... this is a Mercedes, not an Aveo. If a freaking Cobalt can give you psi readings, this car should drive itself to the gas station and top off the tires for you.

I hate when a car has a TPMS but doesn't give you readings on what pressure you have. Or even worse, when a car does so but doesn't say which readings are for which tires. Like the 2008 Nissan Quest we have. It randomly mixes up the readings and you can't tell which tire each reading is coming from. I want a new pressure gauge too... I have one of those horrible free stick ones. I was real interested in one of these...

http://www.autoanything.com/driving-accessories/69A3322A0A0.aspx?kc=MERCNEXT&from_search=1

-Christmas maybe?

"..this car should drive itself to the gas station and top off the tires for you."

Classic, and so true.

It wouldn't surprise me if the C didn't have a TPMS that gives individual readings, Mercedes is characteristically slow to put technology on its less-expensive models (think keyless ignition, etc).

Still, I feel like this is something the car would have. Did you cycle through all the gauge cluster menus? It is not the kind of information you would find in the central COMAND navigation screen. The car's vitals are kept in the instrument cluster screen accessed via the steering wheel mounted controls.

My old school gauge has been pretty reliable, but I would like a nice digital one some day. I agree the GM (and others) system of displaying exact numbers and locations is much more useful. I check them every couple of days just because I can without getting my hands dirty. And if they start to go low, I top them off rather than waiting for that 25% threshold to trigger an idiot light.

I think that a Mercedes should offer actual pressures too, but it doesn't surprise that the C-class doesn't. I remember several years ago I was talking to a salesman about a C-class and upon sitting inside one (he was being pretty insistent) I was amazed to find that it didn't even have a CD player. I told him this and that I would have thought that in this day and age when GM put's CD players in ALL it's cars standard, that a Mercedes, even a entry level Mercedes should have that. This was in 2001 or 2002 and GM indeed was putting CD players standard in all but most models like a work truck or commercial application vehicle.

So I am not surprised that here several years later, on the low end models Mercedes is still not putting relatively inexpensive tech that other vehicles that cost 1/2 as much have... I'll bet it doesn't even have auto lights??

The 2007 Aura has a similar cheap system but it was updated for 2008 to give specific tire readings. We have a cobalt at my company and indeed it does offer readings for each tire. Typical MB "value" and another reminder how you are paying primarily for a badge when you buy a new luxury car, especially one from Germany.

pathetic.

I would check the spare tire pressure. Wouldn't this have a sensor in it as well, I know my 4Runner does.

I'm surprised you don't have a backup tire pressure gauge. I've got two or three backups in my garage, including the one on my air pump, plus at least one in each vehicle.

TPMS systems come in three flavors, and the key difference between each is location intelligence and display complexity.

The basic system that simply warns that one tire is low, but doesn't tell you which, meets the minimum requirements of the law, FMVSS-138.

In order to determine which "corner" of the car is which, initiators in each wheel well have to be built into the vehicle wiring harness and an icon that shows the 4 tires, like a door ajar icon shows doors, has to be placed somewhere on the dash.

To get to the next step, the pressure itself, (something ALL direct TPMS systems know in their electronic hearts but may not display), you have to combine the above initiators with a larger scrolling trip computer/display that can show the pressure and location of each tire.

It's a cost issue and a dash real estate/control complexity issue.

Why some low price cars can offer the most comprehensive version while more expensive cars don't, I can't say. Some manufacturers "got it", right away. Others were late to the party.

It's a new law. Give it one more generation and I think you'll see the comprehensive display in a lot more cars. Other the other hand, slumping car sales and cost cutting measures might make automakers like GM and Chrysler retreat to the basic display.

I really can't understand why Mercedes doesn't just copy GM products- especially Saturn. It's the quickest way to reach the pinnacle of automotive achievement. Of course, M-B would have to add some Chapter 11 experts to their legal department...

"I really can't understand why Mercedes doesn't just copy GM products- especially Saturn. It's the quickest way to reach the pinnacle of automotive achievement. Of course, M-B would have to add some Chapter 11 experts to their legal department..."

Only in the minds of the close minded do certain manufacturers do EVERYTHING better than other manufacturers. Considering GM's financial situation MB should be embarrassed they they can afford to put a more complex TPS in a Cobalt than MB can put in a $40k C class. The poor financial condition of US automakers doesnt excuse cost cutting by foreign rivals. I don't get your logic. MB is rolling in profits and thus we should expect less from them than from cash strapped GM. Makes no sense.

1487: Just curious, is there any way for those of us with 2007 Auras to get the full TPMS functionality with a system reflash, or is it a hardware issue?

I have no idea. Never looked into it. I suspect you cant get an updated version of the TPMS. Its just one of those updates that only comes with a 2nd model year.

"Only in the minds of the close minded do certain manufacturers do EVERYTHING better than other manufacturers"

Pot, meet Kettle. It's called sarcasm, and I'll leave it to you to look up the definition. No automaker does everything right, but GM does its best to do everything wrong, and will soon be in receivership as a result.

GM does it's best to do everything wrong and here we are looking a C class can't even tell you which tire is low. Hmmm... From what I can tell, MB's quality is equal or worse than GM's but at least GM vehicles give you a little value and a stronger feature set for the dollar.

"No automaker does everything right, but GM does its best to do everything wrong, and will soon be in receivership as a result. "

You are so right. What was I thinking? No competent vehicles to be found in a GM Showroom. I will be sure to disregard those 10Best, north American car of the year, MT Car of the Year and All Star awards.

"No competent vehicles to be found in a GM Showroom."

That's a pretty accurate assessment. GM still does an excellent job with full size trucks/SUVs, the Corvette, and a few vehicles that aren't built in the US(G8, Astra). And some of their crossovers hit the bullseye for non-enthusiast drivers. But overall most of the GM product line just doesn't measure up to the competition. If it did, GM wouldn't be looking at running out of cash in 90 or so days. And as for the MT Car of the Year, who can forget such groundbreaking winners as the
Chevrolet Vega?
Ford Mustang II?
Plymouth Volare?
Dodge Omni?
Chevrolet Citation?
Renault Alliance?
Lincoln Town Car?
Chrysler Cirrus?
Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Landmark vehicles all...

It gives no pressure numbers or has tire indicator because it's a different system. Actually there is no pressure sensors, the system just reads the rolling count of tires and compares it with the data when you have reset it. If the radius got smaller because of deflating it means the tire revolves more per distance and then you have a pressure warning. It must be well deflated before you get a warning because the radius change is very small. Therefore this system has nothing to do with the TPMS you are talking about. Usually the pressure monitoring systems have pressure sensors on the wheels which makes the use of TIREFIT (injection system instead of spare tire by Mercedes) impossible. Other factor is that these sensors are very sensible and in a regular tire change or repair they could be messed up easily.

By the way, the "they do everything perfect" BMW has also the same system as Mercedes as standard and similar to Mercedes, by BMW you have to pay extra if you want to monitor every single tyre with their individual pressures.

Sorry for the long post..

I have an AccuGage similar to the first link and the damn needle bent itself! (apparently when hitting the stopper after releasing the pressure with the "blow-off valve") Not a big fan of digitals either, bad experience. That said I do like my AccuGage, even with a bent needle. Got it at Advance Auto.

My 2002 E240 AV does display the tire pressure of each individual tire.

The problem is that since I bought it, there has not been a day when the Check Tire Pressure Monitor warning did not appear when I start the car. The dealer has changed the monitors 5 times and every time the warning would reappear immediately.

Just one of the MANY reliability problems we've had with the car.