Bought the car at 6pm, broken down in a lay by 30 mins later CL63AMG

[fabes]

I would do that if the offer he makes isn't adequate

You might get a better result overall without telling him what he already knows and let him (believe) he is making you the offer without pressure and from the goodness of his own heart (having slept on it)

You still then have plan B.....

 

[00slk]

When I bought my SL55 AMG it had a suspect flat battery though still started up after sitting for a while at the dealers, it raised a few electrical gremlins but mainly non functioning locks, roof, boot lid, some heater controls and cruise. After a short test drive a couple of things started to operate and the biggy was the roof worked. Though I was still able to use these 'problems' to my advantage in the deal.
Once I had a good battery fitted the next day everything was fine

Peter

 

[Steve@Avantgarde]

Called the dealer and he made up some guff about sold without warranty and I should take it to a garage and claim it then he'll pay it back blah. I'm aware that sales of goods act means he has to do something whatever crap he comes out with, thing is how easy will be to get him to lay up without letters, CC judgements, small claims etc... can't exactly drive it back to him as the car is stuck!

TBH he sold the car to me t very good price so suspect he wants to avoid taking it back and paying for any work done. I've paid for it now and have to get it to an Indy/dealer to get the thing started. I suspect you're right Bob, it's not been used and this was going to happen who ever bought the car. I paid £250 for a full inspection and it came back with a full bill of health so accept its just one of those annoying things. Mechanical stuff goes wrong. More concerned about what problem is and whether I can get it sorted - I've got a Warranty Direct warranty so a duff alternator is covered.

If he is a dealer there is no such thing as a trade sale anymore. He has to offer 3 months warranty as a minimum unless you have signed a waiver from that. He has to sort it out.

 

[growla666]

Let's see what My Indy comes up with.

Thanks for your views everyone - much appreciated. I'd like to try a softly softly approach recognising that dealers are their to make money and not lose on each deal. I know I got the car at a good price and had already set aside some funds for preventative maintenance anyhow - these are expensive cars that need care, fettling and use - the latter of which its had little of. A duff battery isn't going to deter me from owning and keeping the car and I suspect the dealer had little idea this was going to happen either. He's sold the car at a loss and is doing his best to keep that down to a minimum. He probably knows full well that electrical problems on these big Mercs = big money. I've texted them and let them know what's happening and will try to resolve the issue myself through my warranty company. My indy reckons the battery is a likely candidate so despite the cr@p start things can get better. Besides the car is gorgeous and I want to keep it not faff around handing it back to the dealer and fighting to get my money back.

 

[rexemper]

Hope you get it all sorted quickly and relatively pain free. Then you can enjoy your new car.

 

[davemercedes]

Hope you get it all sorted quickly and relatively pain free. Then you can enjoy your new car.

+1

It's always better when the sun's shining!

 

[Submariner1]

Thanks for your views everyone - much appreciated. I'd like to try a softly softly approach recognising that dealers are their to make money and not lose on each deal. I know I got the car at a good price and had already set aside some funds for preventative maintenance anyhow - these are expensive cars that need care, fettling and use - the latter of which its had little of. A duff battery isn't going to deter me from owning and keeping the car and I suspect the dealer had little idea this was going to happen either. He's sold the car at a loss and is doing his best to keep that down to a minimum. He probably knows full well that electrical problems on these big Mercs = big money. I've texted them and let them know what's happening and will try to resolve the issue myself through my warranty company. My indy reckons the battery is a likely candidate so despite the cr@p start things can get better. Besides the car is gorgeous and I want to keep it not faff around handing it back to the dealer and fighting to get my money back.

Having just been through the defective battery thing, despite it being genuine MB and brand new (made last week Dec 2016). I would not freak out, until you have a decent set of batteries on there. IMO (totally untrained in car electronics of course), but until you have a really good power source, a load of those failures are bollocks!

This low voltage caused an 8A battery drain, smashed the 850 cc capcity to 59A in under a day, despite being trickle charged to full capacity the day before (off the car). and churned out 4 pages! of STAR failures, many saying under-voltage but a load that were not so obvious. Plus refused to let the mechanic clear down 3 of the failures the first time.

My conclusion CLs need a really good power source. Well mine does.

Negative as I was about this car re the head bolts cam buckets issue etc. Honestly dont worry until the battery is changed.

Very sorry for you. At least I had the reassurance that before the defective battery the car started and ran beautifully for 5 months and had no STAR fault codes. You must be very worried.

Q1. How old is the batterry code ontop of the terminal like 06 09 ( June 2009)?
Q2 If you connect a voltmeter, when its on the Car what voltage is it?
Q3 if you can start it what voltage do you see then across the terminals.?

I hope it is just the battery(s)
I am not saying it is, but I was surpised how many failed STAR items a low voltage battery caused.
Fingers crossed for you.

 

[Xtractorfan]

Once you let someone else work at your car other than the emergency services.. AAman... The Dealer will claim that they, the other mechanic, caused the problems.. so be very careful what you do. it should go back to the guy you bought it from, or go to an indie with his blessing and he pays

 

[growla666]

Car is with a reputable indy not a dealer. They've not mentioned the AA at all. Will see what they say tomorrow after a weekends charge.

 

[growla666]

Having just been through the defective battery thing, despite it being genuine MB and brand new (made last week Dec 2016). I would not freak out, until you have a decent set of batteries on there. IMO (totally untrained in car electronics of course), but until you have a really good power source, a load of those failures are bollocks!

This low voltage caused an 8A battery drain, smashed the 850 cc capcity to 59A in under a day, despite being trickle charged to full capacity the day before (off the car). and churned out 4 pages! of STAR failures, many saying under-voltage but a load that were not so obvious. Plus refused to let the mechanic clear down 3 of the failures the first time.

My conclusion CLs need a really good power source. Well mine does.

Negative as I was about this car re the head bolts cam buckets issue etc. Honestly dont worry until the battery is changed.

Very sorry for you. At least I had the reassurance that before the defective battery the car started and ran beautifully for 5 months and had no STAR fault codes. You must be very worried.

Q1. How old is the batterry code ontop of the terminal like 06 09 ( June 2009)?
Q2 If you connect a voltmeter, when its on the Car what voltage is it?
Q3 if you can start it what voltage do you see then across the terminals.?

I hope it is just the battery(s)
I am not saying it is, but I was surpised how many failed STAR items a low voltage battery caused.
Fingers crossed for you.

Worried - umm not really yet, need to wait and see what indy comes back with. The car only reported 4 codes (listed in previous post) when the AA guy plugged in on Friday night - not the load the indy did on saturday. Bear in mind the AA guy had a Bosch diag computer not a STAR and he disconnected the battery terminals so that might have caused all the fault codes the following morning when my Indy guy connected his STAR. Lets see what they find out tomorrow before we start with "We're all dooooommmmed..." a la Dads Army!

 

[Kirbs]

Growla

Ten out of ten for your attitude towards this,not sure I could be like that,looking out for update and hoping that car and dealer do what they are meant to do

Thanks

Paul

 

[Craiglxviii]

Worried - umm not really yet, need to wait and see what indy comes back with. The car only reported 4 codes (listed in previous post) when the AA guy plugged in on Friday night - not the load the indy did on saturday. Bear in mind the AA guy had a Bosch diag computer not a STAR and he disconnected the battery terminals so that might have caused all the fault codes the following morning when my Indy guy connected his STAR. Lets see what they find out tomorrow before we start with "We're all dooooommmmed..." a la Dads Army!

When I bought my CL it too had very many (139!) fault codes. Almost all were caused by a known knackered battery and the rest by under use.

These cars really need the battery kept above 11.4V and used every week to prevent continuous deterioration.

 

[Submariner1]

Worried - umm not really yet, need to wait and see what indy comes back with. The car only reported 4 codes (listed in previous post) when the AA guy plugged in on Friday night - not the load the indy did on saturday. Bear in mind the AA guy had a Bosch diag computer not a STAR and he disconnected the battery terminals so that might have caused all the fault codes the following morning when my Indy guy connected his STAR. Lets see what they find out tomorrow before we start with "We're all dooooommmmed..." a la Dads Army!

Hmmm
Just looked at your AA fault codes again.
They do look awfully similar to mine, and were purely due to a defective battery.

I have a sneaky suspicion, if you slap on a new fully charged battery(s) your problems will all go away.

And as its an old car ( not being rude i.e. Like mine is ) I wouldn't see this as a negative at all, more, a good future investment to ensure she starts first time in the future.

Yes its a "glass half full attitude, but also based on it passing the recent inspection and the similar "spurious, non" faults mine conjured up".

 

[LostKiwi]

And as its an old car ( not being rude i.e. Like mine is ) I wouldn't see this as a negative at all, more, a good future investment to ensure she starts first time in the future.

2009 is an old car????? Mine are all positively Flintstone era then!

 

[mikestrivens]

Yeh! but the flintstone era cars are built to last.

 

[Craiglxviii]

2009 is an old car????? Mine are all positively Flintstone era then!

Think of them as proto-classics

 

[Submariner1]

2009 is an old car????? Mine are all positively Flintstone era then!

Only really meant relative to the issue.

Like I would feel a little more than a tad unluck if my battery went in year 3 or 4.
Whereas in year 7 or 8, a new battery is just a good long term investment

 

[Submariner1]

Yeh! but the flintstone era cars are built to last.

Good point ... I was looking at the components on my ABC system, heavens
Its more like the stabilisation system one would expect to see on a spaceship.

For all its complexity £3,200 as an option seems slmost cheap.

..... being an old sod ... I kinda wonder how bad could a decent stabilisation bar, a set of sports springs and a dam good sports damper be :-/
And cut out all this new fangled fagility ?

If I was buying one last new car to pamper and see out my retirement ... I dont think I would tick the ABC option button lol!

 

[John Laidlaw]

Good point ... I was looking at the components on my ABC system, heavens
Its more like the stabilisation system one would expect to see on a spaceship.

For all its complexity £3,200 as an option seems slmost cheap.

..... being an old sod ... I kinda wonder how bad could a decent stabilisation bar, a set of sports springs and a dam good sports damper be :-/
And cut out all this new fangled fagility ?

If I was buying one last new car to pamper and see out my retirement ... I dont think I would tick the ABC option button lol!

Coil over conversion is always an option

 

[LostKiwi]

Only really meant relative to the issue.

Like I would feel a little more than a tad unluck if my battery went in year 3 or 4.
Whereas in year 7 or 8, a new battery is just a good long term investment

I budget on a battery every three years. Anything beyond that is a bonus.
Lets face - they aren't exactly expensive and in many cases are only warranted three years anyway.