Wading through 30cm of water, Mercedes-Benz GLC users can lose 170 million
Many car owners in Vietnam have reported water seeping into the front differential of their Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 and GLC 300. The replacement cost is up to 170 million VND.
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But the problem is that the water level is only 20 cm high, when the car passes through, it creates waves that are higher than 30 cm, and water can completely enter the front differential of the Mercedes-Benz GLC. Even some customers who wash the undercarriage of their cars also encounter this situation.
Mr. HT, a GLC user, said that his car had never been in a flooded area. When he lifted it up, he saw a large vent near the front axle pressure control valve. When he sprayed the undercarriage, water entered through this hole and then to the valve.
"Just spraying the chassis can cause this problem. It's a bit unreasonable for a luxury car to be like this," said Mr. HT.
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| Structure of Mercedes-Benz GLC front axle pressure regulator valve. |
According to the principle, the valve will open when the pressure between the differential and the surrounding environment is different. For example, when the driver is driving the car into a flooded area, the water is colder than the temperature in the differential, causing the valve to open for about 1 second or less, then close when the pressure is equalized. The short opening process has created an opportunity for water to enter inside.
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| Differential oil has a coffee-milk color when mixed with water. |
According to the reporter's research, the GLC's front differential pressure control valve is a two-way pressure control type, so it does not have the waterproof function like some other SUV models. But for off-road players, even if the front differential uses a waterproof valve, they still have to "modify" it, pull this valve and place it with the engine compartment.
The front differential pressure regulator valve of the GLC assembled in Vietnam is no different from any other market in the world, but due to the frequent rainy weather in Vietnam and undercarriage washing, this situation has occurred. Water entering the front differential only occurs in the 4-wheel drive GLC line, and most commonly in the GLC 300.
Water entering the axle for a long time will damage the front axle differential. In the mild case, changing the oil costs about 2 million VND, in the severe case, replacing the entire differential assembly is very expensive because it is not covered by the warranty. About 125 million VND if replaced outside and about 170 million VND if replaced by a genuine manufacturer.
Many consumers are worried about this error, so they have gone to some private service workshops to "upgrade the breathing tube" for the front differential. The method is quite simple, just connect with a rubber hose, raise the pressure regulator valve up, and mount it inside the engine compartment.
The cost of installing a "snorkel" ranges from 250,000 VND to 1 million VND. However, there are warnings that this type of tube must be heat-resistant, because the engine compartment has a very high temperature when operating.
After many days of reflection, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam has officially spoken out through the company's official fanpage. Accordingly, the company has recorded this phenomenon, recommending GLC car owners to go to authorized service workshops for inspection.
The differential is a device that divides the engine's torque into two paths, allowing the two wheels to rotate at two different speeds, because when cornering the wheels are not in sync. On 4-wheel drive vehicles, the front and rear differentials also serve to transmit power from the engine to the wheels.