C-H bond activation was studied in low pressure microwave plasma discharges in methane. Electron energy loss channels were analyzed in view of promoting vibrational excitation. The molecular dissociative recombination (DR) channel is concluded to play multiple roles in the hydrocarbon plasma chemistry. DR increases the electron temperature with input power density and simultaneously breaks the hydrocarbon chains. Depending on the ionic species considered, plasma density ne in the range of were estimated on basis of a Boltzman solver measured with Thomson scattering anchored the microwave discharges in a preferential regime for vibrational excitation. The best agreement with experiments was obtained when C+ is the dominant ion in the CH4 microwave plasma, formed through successive DR and charge exchange reactions from molecular ions.