Galvanising Of Mercedes Cars

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
for my own information & self interest, what about the ML early 2006? And the SLK circa 2001?[/Q

Good information, thank you. I have a April 2003 SLK, probably made in late 2002, but rusting already! Just a few places, but the same as many on MB forums!! Under the boot lock above the number plate, to the offside of the o/s headlamp and a couple of blisters here and there. I complained to MB and told to take it for inspection at local MB. I haven't bothered as MB service record is only up to 2007 and they will wriggle out of any responsiblity for shoddy workmanship! I haven't seen rust like this on cars for twenty years!! Shame, because I love the motor. Owen.

The service history does not come into it
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #22
for my own information & self interest, what about the ML early 2006? And the SLK circa 2001?[/Q

Good information, thank you. I have a April 2003 SLK, probably made in late 2002, but rusting already! Just a few places, but the same as many on MB forums!! Under the boot lock above the number plate, to the offside of the o/s headlamp and a couple of blisters here and there. I complained to MB and told to take it for inspection at local MB. I haven't bothered as MB service record is only up to 2007 and they will wriggle out of any responsiblity for shoddy workmanship! I haven't seen rust like this on cars for twenty years!! Shame, because I love the motor. Owen.

You are wrong about the wriggling. They have fixed large numbers who have only had partial MB service records. So it is at least worth trying to see if they will fix. Stay calm, polite, non abusive as that seems to work best.
 

owenrich

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Your Mercedes
slk
You are wrong about the wriggling. They have fixed large numbers who have only had partial MB service records. So it is at least worth trying to see if they will fix. Stay calm, polite, non abusive as that seems to work best.

Good advice about staying calm. I will take it in and let you know how I get on. Non abusive, polite & calm, must remember that, but at my age I'm never anything else! Cheers. Owen.
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #24
The service history does not come into it

I'm afraid it does. On all goodwill repairs they look at age, miles, how long this owner has had the car and the service history. If it has full MB service history, they are more likely to help and to be more generous. BUT they also do help some cases where the service history is a bit 'patchy'. Each case on its merits but service history is definitely a factor they look at.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I'm afraid it does. On all goodwill repairs they look at age, miles, how long this owner has had the car and the service history. If it has full MB service history, they are more likely to help and to be more generous. BUT they also do help some cases where the service history is a bit 'patchy'. Each case on its merits but service history is definitely a factor they look at.

Thank you for clearing that up:D
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #26
Thank you for clearing that up:D

Confusion arises because if people qualify for MobiloLife then they are definitely covered for rust from the inside out (see T's and C's). pretty cut and dried if it really is that kind of rust.

BUT most rust repairs are being done under 'goodwill' which is inevitably less clear cut. MB have been pretty good IMO in excercising goodwill even on cars up to eight years old, but for a goodwill payment to be approved they take into account all the factors I have listed. Hope that helps.
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
Hi,

I recently bought a 54 (05) CDI 270 Estate and found some rust on the rear wheel arches. Took it into my local MB dealership and they measured the paint thickness around the wheel arches and backpanels. They told me the paint thickness should be between 70 and 120 microns from the factory however they measured up to 200 microns. The doors and other areas were all about 100 microns.

have heard this story before. don`t k now if it`s the dealers hustling, factory paint touch ups or disingenuous mb thickness tests but some one-owners-from-new who know no paint has been done have been spun this tale.
 

owenrich

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Your Mercedes
slk
have heard this story before. don`t k now if it`s the dealers hustling, factory paint touch ups or disingenuous mb thickness tests but some one-owners-from-new who know no paint has been done have been spun this tale.

Hustling/wriggling it appears it's what MB do! I have been told that a "Full" service history with MB is required and the car should be no older than six years before they will consider remedial work on the paintwork under guarantee! Owen.
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #29
Hustling/wriggling it appears it's what MB do! I have been told that a "Full" service history with MB is required and the car should be no older than six years before they will consider remedial work on the paintwork under guarantee! Owen.

You have been wrongly informed. You only need a brief search of the various threads to see that what you have been told is quite wrong. MB have spent a fortune putting matters right, have frequently repaired, and for free, cars without fullMBSH and have done so on cars at least back to 1998. You'll find them on this forum and the other main UK one and on the US forums.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
You have been wrongly informed. You only need a brief search of the various threads to see that what you have been told is quite wrong. MB have spent a fortune putting matters right, have frequently repaired, and for free, cars without fullMBSH and have done so on cars at least back to 1998. You'll find them on this forum and the other main UK one and on the US forums.

The whole thing should should have never happened in the first place,,it has cost them more sales than anything else
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #31
The whole thing should should have never happened in the first place,,it has cost them more sales than anything else

I agree. A tragedy which has cost them a fortune in remedial work too.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I agree. A tragedy which has cost them a fortune in remedial work too.

When a company gets very large,,it can take time for one department to talk to another. In the first place it would take 3 years for any rust to appear in most cases. At this early stage no call for alarm within the factory, and by the next 2 years its all in full swing. And 5 years is the time scale of the worst of it. I do hope to be still posting when these threads have gone away. The cars are just so nice to drive. My 220 mile home from the meet on Sunday was a joy, I know its the top of the range car, but it almost drove itself:D:D
 

mobig79

New Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2009
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Help Please

Hi,

Can some one help me please, the wing mirror on my C220 has stopped folding electronicaly, as soon as i pushed the switch to fold them while parking, i heard a cracking noise and then it stopped working. I had merc warranty but unfortunately like they normally do, they said its not covered 'you might have hit some thing' they say you have to replace 2038106576 Folding mirrior frame (costs 377.24). the part could be bought from euro car parts for 79.00 but i need info that how to replace it. and tools needed as my star bit set t15, t20 and T25 dosn't fit. so it might be some other screw driver. I can still hear the motor works but i can see the perating pully has broken its way out of the frame.

Please help.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Hi,

Can some one help me please, the wing mirror on my C220 has stopped folding electronicaly, as soon as i pushed the switch to fold them while parking, i heard a cracking noise and then it stopped working. I had merc warranty but unfortunately like they normally do, they said its not covered 'you might have hit some thing' they say you have to replace 2038106576 Folding mirrior frame (costs 377.24). the part could be bought from euro car parts for 79.00 but i need info that how to replace it. and tools needed as my star bit set t15, t20 and T25 dosn't fit. so it might be some other screw driver. I can still hear the motor works but i can see the perating pully has broken its way out of the frame.

Please help.

I have sent you the cover removing info,if you want more info please ask
 

owenrich

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Your Mercedes
slk
You have been wrongly informed. You only need a brief search of the various threads to see that what you have been told is quite wrong. MB have spent a fortune putting matters right, have frequently repaired, and for free, cars without fullMBSH and have done so on cars at least back to 1998. You'll find them on this forum and the other main UK one and on the US forums.


Hi, thanks for your comments. I will retry again with my local MB service centre and hope that you are right! I have trawled extensively through five excellent MB forums, both UK & USA, and your comments are the first postive ones that I have found. Most it seems, like me and the next post, complain!!
 

Dosco

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
3,942
Reaction score
5
Age
83
Your Mercedes
W211
and your comments are the first postive ones that I have found. Most it seems, like me and the next post, complain!!

People usually join a forum when they have problems/issues that they are struggling to get sorted and sadly quite a number relate to the attitude shown by the manufacturer or their 'agent' in helping to solve the problem.

As for Hawk he is without doubt MB's unpaid (;)) purveyor of positive prose on any issue relating to this marque of wonderful automobiles:lol:
 

owenrich

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Your Mercedes
slk
People usually join a forum when they have problems/issues that they are struggling to get sorted and sadly quite a number relate to the attitude shown by the manufacturer or their 'agent' in helping to solve the problem.

As for Hawk he is without doubt MB's unpaid (;)) purveyor of positive prose on any issue relating to this marque of wonderful automobiles:lol:

Having for the first time bought a Mercedes, which looks good, drives well & I love, it has been the various MB forums that have helped with all the "niggling" problems which undoubtedly they have. Obviously any marque's forum will be filled with questions on how to fix things. However, the rusting problem with Mercedes is a disgrace! The make alone should mean that this would never happen, but for rust to appear on six year old cars in 2009 is beyond belief. I appreciate that galvanization will, hopefully, have solved this, but for those cars made before 2003 the problem remains. Positive is good, but difficult when, as you say, the attitude is one of "hard luck"!
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #38
As for Hawk he is without doubt MB's unpaid (;)) purveyor of positive prose on any issue relating to this marque of wonderful automobiles:lol:

That is completely untrue. I give credit where it is due and criticise when warranted. See this post from me on another rust thread: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=39412&page=20
There was a problem during the 210 E class era. Mercedes admitted as much and has spent a fortune putting right many cases of rust under their goodwill policy.

It is unlikely to have been problems with the steel quality because we know only some cars were affected even within a model range. There are 210's round here, near the sea, which have done plenty of miles and yet little or no rust. Other 210's of the same age, from the same factory, have loads of rust. Very odd. Different primers and so on were used when they changed to water-based paints. Maybe some worked and others didn't. Who knows? But we do know there was a rust problem, after the change to water-based paints and until the change to full galvanising of all steel panels which began at the end of 2002.

Secondly we know MB have repaired many cars with rust, mainly cars up to 8 years old (and some older). They have done so under 'goodwill' and although they have preferred Full MBSH they have not always insisted upon that.

Third we know that they had a problem with traders and others buying rusty cars cheaply, and expecting MB to put them right so they could sell on at a profit. MB responded by saying you must have owned the car for 6 months before we will look at 'goodwill' repairs for rust.

Fourthly there is anecdotal evidence that cars with huge mileages are not given free treatment (I've heard cars over 175,000 miles are reckoned to be outside the ‘goodwill’ period). Some would say fair enough: I suppose they have had a good life.

BUT fifthly and lastly there appears to have been a recent change in policy that cars without full MBSH are being rejected for free 'goodwill' rust repairs. If this is so, I think it is a retrograde step by Mercedes, will lead to ill will with those affected, and will harm Mercedes reputation with many others.

Mercedes has few greater fans than me, but I am greatly disappointed to hear of people being turned down for free remedial work for a problem which all agree should never have happened. Nobody who buys a car of Mercedes quality and price should expect to have a serious rust problem in under eight years regardless of whether or not they have a full MB service history or not.

Hard times often necessitate hard decisions. But this is a bad decision. Mercedes should not go back on its obligations to customers who have been sold a seriously faulty product. It may not be a legal obligation, but it is certainly a moral one.
 
OP
H

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #39
Hi, thanks for your comments. I will retry again with my local MB service centre and hope that you are right! I have trawled extensively through five excellent MB forums, both UK & USA, and your comments are the first postive ones that I have found. Most it seems, like me and the next post, complain!!

Please see my posting above. Sadly, I believe MB have recently changed policy.
 

AIB understand your special Mercedes deserves a special insurance policy. We have a refreshing attitude to insuring high performance, modified, imported or classic and vintage cars and deal with the UK’s leading insurers. We offer discounts for length of ownership, where the vehicle is kept overnight and limiting the mileage and can also cater for those clients who need higher mileage and business use. To obtain a quotation please call the team on 02380 268351 or visit us atAIB Insurance
Top Bottom