£4,000 to Replace SL, R230 Fuel Tank!!!

[mikestrivens]

It might be worth checking the labour rates outside London and the SE. Manchester Mercedes charges £66.50 per hour and my Indie charges £55. Other members on this forum have lower rates.

 

[erikhoffman]

Hi guys

I am in the UK and after nearly a year confronting MB about this fuel tank rattling noise we are now going to court next month.

I have a 6 year old SL 350.

I have investigated the issue for a few weeks and in the process purchased another 2 year old tank to show that the problem starts in the very early stage, and well within the warranty period by the year 2 some cracks appears on one weld and after 5-7 years it breaks off.

I have some internal photos and video to prove without a doubt that this is a manufacturing fault and not wear and tear.

I have also recorded a conversation with the part department and the guy said that they have already sold nearly 40 tanks in 2010 form one branch only.

He also confirmed that the tank had now been modified and this rattling will never happen again.

I need permission from all you guys on this forum related to this issue to give me your consent to present this thread in court.

Please email me back your name so I can get some power to add to the case.

You never know, if the judge decide in my favour this could be explosive.

I am currently in the South of France on vacation so when I am back in the UK I will attach the internal photos soon

Kind regards


Erik Hoffman
erikhoffman@live.com

 

[Mic]

Hi guys

I am in the UK and after nearly a year confronting MB about this fuel tank rattling noise we are now going to court next month.

I have a 6 year old SL 350.

I have investigated the issue for a few weeks and in the process purchased another 2 year old tank to show that the problem starts in the very early stage, and well within the warranty period by the year 2 some cracks appears on one weld and after 5-7 years it breaks off.

I have some internal photos and video to prove without a doubt that this is a manufacturing fault and not wear and tear.

I have also recorded a conversation with the part department and the guy said that they have already sold nearly 40 tanks in 2010 form one branch only.

He also confirmed that the tank had now been modified and this rattling will never happen again.

I need permission from all you guys on this forum related to this issue to give me your consent to present this thread in court.

Please email me back your name so I can get some power to add to the case.

You never know, if the judge decide in my favour this could be explosive.

I am currently in the South of France on vacation so when I am back in the UK I will attach the internal photos soon

Kind regards


Erik Hoffman
erikhoffman@live.com

Hello and welcome......I am sure everyone here wishes you every success. I have not yet got the problem but I expect others will help. Please keep us fully informed of how you get on.

Mic

 

[television]

Hello and welcome Erik, there are many more on here that have had this problem in other threads

 

[HaydnM]

Just a thought, there are some very stong magnets in the market, you be able to secure the baffel in place with one of these.

No sure if there is room to fit a magnet to the tank, as I know the tank is behind the seats in the boot area ? so you would have to check how much room there is around the tank.

But however the baffel will no longer be doing its job, but it would stop the noise & as long as you keep the tank filled up you should not have a problem.

This is a design fault & as such it is not a wear & tear part, but the chances of claiming something out of it outside the warranty period are slim, but I agree Merc Benz should pay in full for design faults, after all they designed the parts & some manufacturer made them to Merc-Benz design.

If it was a saftey item, they would have been made to do a recall, but the fact it fails & does not cause a problem is O.K, in the light of things.

Maybe if you put on the pressure enough, start a web page with a area for other Merc-Benz Sl customers to put likewise their comments & be able to get it to the front of Google, then I think you could just get that tank replaced free.

Merc-Benz do not like bad press

 

[television]

Just a thought, there are some very stong magnets in the market, you be able to secure the baffel in place with one of these.

No sure if there is room to fit a magnet to the tank, as I know the tank is behind the seats in the boot area ? so you would have to check how much room there is around the tank.

But however the baffel will no longer be doing its job, but it would stop the noise & as long as you keep the tank filled up you should not have a problem.

This is a design fault & as such it is not a wear & tear part, but the chances of claiming something out of it outside the warranty period are slim, but I agree Merc Benz should pay in full for design faults, after all they designed the parts & some manufacturer made them to Merc-Benz design.

If it was a saftey item, they would have been made to do a recall, but the fact it fails & does not cause a problem is O.K, in the light of things.

Maybe if you put on the pressure enough, start a web page with a area for other Merc-Benz Sl customers to put likewise their comments & be able to get it to the front of Google, then I think you could just get that tank replaced free.

Merc-Benz do not like bad press

This thing all started after complaints from customers that you can hear the fuel sloshing around with a half to three quarters full tank on fuel so MB added another baffle to stop this and it is the added baffle that breaks loose,

There is no room along the rear of the tank but a little on top

 

[grober]

IS THERE ANY PROBLEM OTHER THAN A NOISE? IF NOT FOR £4,000 IN A 5-7 YEAR OLD CAR I WOULD LIVE WITH IT. If it was anything but but a high end Merc other manufacturers would simply laugh at you and say buy a new one.

 

[television]

IS THERE ANY PROBLEM OTHER THAN A NOISE? IF NOT FOR £4,000 IN A 5-7 YEAR OLD CAR I WOULD LIVE WITH IT. If it was anything but but a high end Merc other manufacturers would simply laugh at you and say buy a new one.

Sadly the clanking sound it makes is not good, every bend and bump it clanks away, not just one clank as the fuel takes time to settle again after every bend or bump.


I did say on another post that a friend of mine removed the pumps assembly and pulled the baffle out.

Early cars up to 08 2002 do not have it, you just put up with the sound of fuel sloshing around instead

 

[Bolide]

I'd spend a couple of hundred quid on these and get on with my life

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Motor...eeks_Easy_Pour_Fuel_Tank_Baffle_/1545/0/23019

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Rappey69]

you can get foam inserts too, which stop the fuel sloshing around and take up virtually no space

 

[Mic]

I'd spend a couple of hundred quid on these and get on with my life

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Motor...eeks_Easy_Pour_Fuel_Tank_Baffle_/1545/0/23019

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

These may act as baffles but do you think they would double up to stop an existing semi-departed steel baffle from flapping and rattling?

Mic

 

[television]

you can get foam inserts too, which stop the fuel sloshing around and take up virtually no space

Yes the foam used in modern water beds is something that could work as the offending baffle is near the pump hole.


If anyone thinks that we are being over fussy, please remember that on our cars the boot is not sealed off very well and neither is the top of the tank, so any noises in the boot are heard very loud

 

[Cole@MBS]

Did one last week, still have the old tank at work, although not a hard job, it do take some time to do, got another one booked in next week, seems to be getting worse as they get older..........

 

[television]

Did one last week, still have the old tank at work, although not a hard job, it do take some time to do, got another one booked in next week, seems to be getting worse as they get older..........

Well every SL from 08 2002 should keep you busy

I cannot have that fault

 

[Cole@MBS]

Well every SL from 08 2002 should keep you busy

I cannot have that fault

You won't until I drop some bits of metal into your filler neck malc

 

[television]

You won't until I drop some bits of metal into your filler neck malc

Thanks I look forward to it:grin:

 

[CycleSi]

This happened to my SL55 and my local MB dealer replaced it under warranty as it was "a known fault".

As long as the OP has a MB Tier 1 warranty it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[carnut13]

This happened to my SL55 and my local MB dealer replaced it under warranty as it was "a known fault".

As long as the OP has a MB Tier 1 warranty it shouldn't be a problem.

what year is yourcar?

Would the foam solution not interfere with the fuel sender float?

 

[CycleSi]

1) April 2004.

2) Don't know.

 

[Dosco]

what year is yourcar?

Would the foam solution not interfere with the fuel sender float?

I would keep a good ear open for this fault on yours can't be too much longer before it happens