MB Specialists Bridgend ...UNHAPPY CUSTOMER

[Ginno78]

Ok Guys Really dissapointed with the work I had done recently By a so called Top MB Specialist

Had 6 glow plugs replaced, as they told me 4 were out hence the glow plug light coming on after car has started but still getting the glow plug light up and now they say its the glow plug relay....

The n/s/f ball joint has been replaced along with the front lower arm bushes as they advised but the car feels no different and still knocks when going over bumps.

And the thing im most annoyed about is the Turbo intake pipe seal has been replaced but they have cracked all the plastic pipe around the seal looks like jubilee clip has been over tightened, and they have just left it all cracked and the new seal visible, with more oil leaking than there was before they would have known they had done this and have just handed the car back to me....Will take pictures and call them in the morning

 

[WG M-B]

I would take the car back to them. Give them the opportunity to be fair with you and take it from there.

 

[television]

As above you must do that, you can tell them that they will named and shamed, but maybe they do not care

 

[Ginno78]

Ok guys an update...

I have spoken to them and sent pictures, apparently I should have been told when I was paying that the turbo intake pipe had been damaged when replacing the seal.

They put it back together the best they could and this information should have been relayed back to me that they were going to get a new part to fit....so break down in communication.

They were very apologetic and are taking the car back tomorrow to rectify things.

I hope they get it sorted with no fuss as I honestly thought I had found a good specialist in MB Specialists Bridgend to take both myself and my wifes Mercedes for services and repair

 

[Alex Crow]

For the knocking, suspect the roll bar link or link ball joint, often hard to spot, but make quite a din.

 

[EmilysDad]

Ok guys an update......

They put it back together the best they could and this information should have been relayed back to me that they were going to get a new part to fit....so break down in communication.

They were very apologetic and are taking the car back tomorrow to rectify things. .....

My sceptical head would say that they only 'forgot' to tell you because you went back to them having found their bodge. Had you not seen it, I'm sure they wouldn't have remembered & phoned you at a later date.

AIMHO

 

[JBell]

For the knocking, suspect the roll bar link or link ball joint, often hard to spot, but make quite a din.

This was the cause of a right hullabaloo on my car, an easy and inexpensive fix

 

[Ginno78]

My sceptical head would say that they only 'forgot' to tell you because you went back to them having found their bodge. Had you not seen it, I'm sure they wouldn't have remembered & phoned you at a later date.

AIMHO

Absolutely spot on and I made this quite clear to them when I spoke to them too

 

[Ginno78]

For the knocking, suspect the roll bar link or link ball joint, often hard to spot, but make quite a din.

Thanks Alex,

Such a shame you are not closer!!

Why is it so hard to find a reliable Garage these days where People take pride in their work!

 

[Cardinal Biggles]

Well, my CLS has just had a new glow plug fitted and ball joints replaced on front.

4 glow plugs in one go seems a lot. Your yellow engine warning light must have been on for a long time after starting to reflect four going. My own glow plug replacement was £65 incl to replace, fixed price. They replaced both ball joints as a pair. Mine had worn half way to MOT fail. When replaced I can tell you both my wife and I noticed the improvement in the steering, stability on roundabouts and road presence "feel" immediately. Im sure you should too. Im using Continental tyres.

Ball joints from MB dealer here would be £340 the pair, but I paid £85 as goodwill support from MB paid the balance. They also replaced some worn trim (my fault) foc. My A service was not cheap though at £239 - discounted from £300. An indie locally quotes £150 for the same service including the special premium oil.

So there is your answer. Many here praise the indies to high heaven, and often rightly so (my wife uses one), but if you are prepared to haggle with a main dealer for a private-car servicing discount, (but then still pay a bit more) it can still pay to use a dealership. And Im still getting Mobilo if I need it, and they will usually pick up and deliver the car so my day isnt buggered about with.

On an older car I might think differently, but so far Im happy with the service Ive had from MB Ipswich - 8 out of 10. (just a couple of minor grizzles re dealing with them have put grit in my Vaseline ). Car feels great. Which is what its all about at the end of the day.

 

[frstep]

Ok Guys Really dissapointed with the work I had done recently By a so called Top MB Specialist

Had 6 glow plugs replaced, as they told me 4 were out hence the glow plug light coming on after car has started but still getting the glow plug light up and now they say its the glow plug relay....

I had an indie in Bristol (not named, but I won't be using them again) replace 6 glow plugs on mine because Star told them to do it. They didn't test any of them and of course it made no difference. I had told the garage that ODBII had told me that the glow plug relay/control was faulty. And that, from my experience it was not one or two plugs out. It seems that STAR does not the fault in the control unit and assumes glow plug faults. Two other people on this forum have reported the same thing. Changing the relay cost me 1/2 of what it cost to change the plugs, and I did it myself in 15min, rather than 2 hrs round trip to Bristol.

I'm willing to bet that none of the glow plugs replaced on my car were faulty.

F.

 

[Naraic]

Agreed...how anybody with half a brain would think all 6 would just go at the same time.

 

[Ginno78]

Ok guys
I have since found out it is the Air mass sensor they damaged when replacing the turbo seal and it going to cost me another £268 to replace!!

I went absolutely mad at the garage, they tried to say it had gone brittle over the years and it was not their fault.....after causing a scene at the garage, they have agreed to supply and fit link ball joints/drop links for free (the source of my knocking suspension thanks for diagnoses Alex Crow the garage were incapable of finding out for themselves!!) and knock the VAT off the new mass air sensor....so its still costing me £200 more than I expected, Certainly will not be taking our 2 Mercedes there again they have lost my business....should they have offered to pay for the mass air sensor I would have continued using them...They have had £1000 off me since last month with service , Gear box change and these faults/cock ups etc etc thats the end!! and it still needs a glow plug relay!!!!

 

[prwales]

Sttutgart Garage in Pontypridd or SK Automotive in Llansamlet, Swansea, neither will rip you off.

 

[Alex Crow]

Ok guys
I have since found out it is the Air mass sensor they damaged when replacing the turbo seal and it going to cost me another £268 to replace!!

I went absolutely mad at the garage, they tried to say it had gone brittle over the years and it was not their fault.....after causing a scene at the garage, they have agreed to supply and fit link ball joints/drop links for free (the source of my knocking suspension thanks for diagnoses Alex Crow the garage were incapable of finding out for themselves!!) and knock the VAT off the new mass air sensor....so its still costing me £200 more than I expected, Certainly will not be taking our 2 Mercedes there again they have lost my business....should they have offered to pay for the mass air sensor I would have continued using them...They have had £1000 off me since last month with service , Gear box change and these faults/cock ups etc etc thats the end!! and it still needs a glow plug relay!!!!

Sadly the large intake trunking also houses the airmass sensors, which are permanently fixed. This means that instead of £20 for an elaborate plastic pipe, you pay for new sensors as well, which never fail!
Shame, poor design.

 

[Ginno78]

Alex is the glow plug relay an easy job? Thinking of getting one from Mercedes myself and fitting it...Do I need star or anything like that or is it a straight swap?

 

[television]

Alex is the glow plug relay an easy job? Thinking of getting one from Mercedes myself and fitting it...Do I need star or anything like that or is it a straight swap?

If you open it up you will more than likely find that it is full of dry joint and it just needs to be soldered up,,, I have done 6 and they all worked just fine

 

[WG M-B]

You will need star to erase the error afterwards. Were they the later type relays Malcolm??

 

[television]

You will need star to erase the error afterwards. Were they the later type relays Malcolm??

4 were on sprinters about 3 years old, I did 1 for Cole when I was down there once and another that came loose on its own, so I do not know

 

[WG M-B]

I have a couple here maybe i can send them on? MB charge over £100 plus vat for the stupid little box!!!!
The earlier ones usually blew the fused links inside. They could be repaired. would be interesting to see if the later ones can