Santa Rosa Mercedes-Benz Auto Repair

Learning to drive a manual transmission was a necessity in our parent's generation, but today, we can get along fine without having to learn. However, it is a skill that most car enthusiasts would agree bring an excitement to your driving experience and a certain level of control. Manual transmissions seem to be on a decline, especially in luxury vehicles like Mercedes-Benz. There are still models within Mercedes that produce manual transmissions along with other luxury vehicle automakers, but technology is advancing to features like Tiptronic, and pushing the standard clutch required manual out the door. MERCEDES-BENZ MANUALS Mercedes' SLK-Class was released in 1996, standing for sportlich (sporty), leicht (light) and kurz (short). The name was eventually shortened to “SL” with the class of Mercedes added to the end of that, for example, “SLC” refers to a C-Class roadster. One of the “newer” Mercedes-Benz to offer a manual transmiss ... read more

The first Mercedes-Benz was created by Karl Benz in 1886. It was a three-wheeled, rear-mounted single cylinder engine “Motorwagen.” Since then, Mercedes have made numerous advancements in engineering and technology and remain an elite automaker. Just as Mercedes-Benz continues to innovate, your local Mercedes-Benz maintenance and repair shop: CK Auto Exclusive, continues to be a reliable source of taking care of your Mercedes. MERCEDES-BENZ HISTORY The Benz Special Touring Car in 1910 was the first to use four valves per cylinder, improving performance and fuel consumption. By 1921 Mercedes was already experimenting with a supercharged engine by pressurizing the fuel-air mixture. The early 1900s proved to be a highly innovative period for Mercedes' engines. They had even created a vehicle (1906 Mercedes Mixte) that ran partially on battery-electric power making it an early ancestor of today's hybrid technology. The mid to late 1900s proved to be a time of in ... read more

A Mercedes meets many needs such as luxury and style, but often what can be overlooked is towing capability. After all, the Mercedes' GLS class and Sprinter Van contain powerful best-in-class engines and are built for carrying large loads and towing when needed. With all that capability and capacity, most Mercedes-Benz owners that use their vehicle for towing don't know what their vehicle is capable of – nor do they know the impact towing has on their vehicle. WHAT CAN A MERCEDES-BENZ TOW? The Mercedes' Sprinter towing capacity maxes out at around 7,500 pounds and the Mercedes GL450 towing capacity maxes out at just about the same. The Mercedes-Benz GL class has other models like the GL550 and the AMG GLS 63 with a bit more horsepower but the towing capacity is relatively similar. Examples of items these Mercedes' might tow include: camping trailers, small ski boats, small horse trailers, personal watercrafts or a couple ATVs. Just take a look at this ... read more

When you drive a Mercedes-Benz you shouldn't settle for anything less than the best. But don't be confused when it comes to servicing and maintenance, sometimes the best can only be found in an independent shop like CK Auto Exclusive. Servicing your Mercedes-Benz comes with ownership and is an important factor when purchasing a vehicle. Service intervals are becoming longer as technology and materials improve, but this is also creating a false sense of security as some people forget and overlook their vehicles maintenance. Mercedes-Benz USA conducted a recent survey and found that 100% of vehicle owners desire that their car be maintained and serviced by a Mercedes-Benz master technician. Most people don't know that independent shops like CK Auto Exclusive meet this criteria with factory trained personnel. Using CK Auto isn't just for aged Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but also for new vehicles. When dealer pricing becomes costly, owners look for alternatives ... read more

There are a large variety of transmission types in modern cars today, rather than just stick-shift or traditional automatics of the past. Let's Explore some of the most common transmission types. WHAT TRANSMISSION TYPES ARE AVAILABLE IN MODERN CARS? Manual Transmission (MT)The standard transmission where gears are changed manually by the driver with a gear selector and clutch Traditional Automatic TransmissionTraditional automatics use a torque converter and hydraulic fluid to transfer power from the engine to the transmission. Gear shifting is automated and there is no clutch. Tiptronic TransmissionA tiptronic is a type of automatic transmission that allows for fully automatic gear shifting or manual gear shifting by the driver. Tiptronics use a torque converter rather than a clutch. Automatic Manual Transmission (AM)Automatic Manual or Automated Manual transmission is similar to a manual transmission- but gear and cl ... read more