A Class W169 – Starter motor – big job to replace?

AndrewCS

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Would be grateful for input on this – thank you.

I have not been driving my (2005 petrol) A170 for some time and about a week ago, I thought I had better start her up and she would not turn. I took the battery for testing and was advised to replace it, which I did. I fitted the new battery and the car still would not start. I had it towed to a garage and I have just got off the phone with them as they keep promising to have a look at it and every time I phone, they have not looked at it.

They just told me that it could be a whole day job to replace the starter motor if that is what is found wrong. Any input on this with regards to time to fit the (if it is the starter) motor ?

The car does start when bump started and runs fine – just not turning from the key.

Many thanks in advance for any input.

Cheers
 

mattkh

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It may not be the starter motor. Search this forum. Also there is a lovely website by Albert Rowe with lots of pages about starting.
Which county are you in ?
 
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AndrewCS

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Hi and thanks for your input

I am in Perth, Scotland
 

LostKiwi

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I'm pretty sure you have to lower the engine on those to get to the starter motor.
 

Submariner1

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I'm pretty sure you have to lower the engine on those to get to the starter motor.

Technically you do.
Very expensive at main dealer circa £1400
Indys generally £1000

But the good news is there is a garage in London Hammersmith
That did mine for £375 with a geniune replacement Mercedes starter for £375!
The guy must have tiny, double jointed hands
- severn motors
‭020 8741 4510‬

We low loaded it 39 miles for £70
So worth it.
Has worked beautifully for a year now
A Class specialst ... its all he does.

Another MB design failure ... if they had just put a gasketed inspection panel in the passenger footwell to access the 2 hidden bolts it would be a 1 hour DIY job
 

LostKiwi

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Probably still cheaper to low load it to Severn Motors :-0
Or tell Mobilo that was your desination! ;)
Cheaper still to bump start it and drive it (with a full tank of fuel). Then if it stops call the big yellow taxi....
 

ZZZZ

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I too had my starter motor replaced last year (06-reg A200), although the symptoms were different - the car wouldn't start when hot, like after a long fast drive - first time it happened I had to wait for the engine to cool down (bonnet up, etc) to move away from a Shell forecourt ... :shock:

Book it in right away, and took to Terry at Wayne Gates - brilliant job, OE part, excellent value for money.

I have since replaced the battery, as the old one was ... old ;)

Also, as recommended above, Forrera at Sevan Motors is absolutely fantastic (personal experience), and knows everything there's to know about 168/169/245 models.
 

Uncle Benz

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It can be done fairly easily just by lowering the rear of the engine/gearbox unit and slipping your hands in from below. Small hands do help! I have the joy of two post lifts though, and doing this on the floor would be very hard.
Be careful ordering a new unit. There are two different types, and they differ electrically. They look very similar externally iirc. They are not interchangeable, and its an awful lot of work to find you have fitted the wrong one. Be careful ;-)
 
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AndrewCS

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It can be done fairly easily just by lowering the rear of the engine/gearbox unit and slipping your hands in from below. Small hands do help! I have the joy of two post lifts though, and doing this on the floor would be very hard.
Be careful ordering a new unit. There are two different types, and they differ electrically. They look very similar externally iirc. They are not interchangeable, and its an awful lot of work to find you have fitted the wrong one. Be careful ;-)


Thanks – I saw something somewhere, perhaps You Tube regarding the same - dropping the rear of the engine.

And also the two different starter models – one apparently has the immobiliser built in and has some sort of coding or something ?

My experience of starter motors is that it was quite common for the solenoid to stick / pack up.

Should I get a diagnostic done ? Would that determine if the starter motor or solenoid is faulty ?
 
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AndrewCS

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Technically you do.
Very expensive at main dealer circa £1400
Indys generally £1000

But the good news is there is a garage in London Hammersmith
That did mine for £375 with a geniune replacement Mercedes starter for £375!
The guy must have tiny, double jointed hands
- severn motors
‭020 8741 4510‬

We low loaded it 39 miles for £70
So worth it.
Has worked beautifully for a year now
A Class specialst ... its all he does.

Another MB design failure ... if they had just put a gasketed inspection panel in the passenger footwell to access the 2 hidden bolts it would be a 1 hour DIY job
 
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AndrewCS

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Thanks for the info but maybe a tad too expensive for me to have it towed from up here in Perth, Scotland :)
 

Submariner1

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Thanks for the info but maybe a tad too expensive for me to have it towed from up here in Perth, Scotland :)

True, but I worry for you ... as he was the knly one who could do it insitu.
And the price otherwise is horrific!
I even considered scrapping ours with 45,000 MB serviced miles on it, until I got his quote.

Or find a student, pay him to drive down. Fill her up and bump start it. Pay for him to have a day in London and drive it back.
Maybe someone with a girlfriend / friends in London etc.
 

Steve@Avantgarde

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Can usually do them in about 3-4hours. If you drop one side of the subframe, with a long extension you can go over the top and access everything you need.

PITA though.
 
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AndrewCS

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I’m happy to say that I got my car back yesterday

My usual local garage replaced the starter motor - £240 all in

They showed me the old starter motor, which was very rusty and had ceased. No idea how water got into that area unless going through one of the many potholes - a splash. With our roads being gritted a lot over the last couple of months that water is very corrosive.

I have taken a picture of the starter but not sure if photos are allowed here. Do I have to use an online photo album and post the link?

I still have to do the video of the pictures I took of the cam sensor replacement on my diesel A180

Just like to say ‘thank you’ for all the input and comments

Cheers
 

Uncle Benz

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I’m happy to say that I got my car back yesterday

My usual local garage replaced the starter motor - £240 all in

They showed me the old starter motor, which was very rusty and had ceased. No idea how water got into that area unless going through one of the many potholes - a splash. With our roads being gritted a lot over the last couple of months that water is very corrosive.

I have taken a picture of the starter but not sure if photos are allowed here. Do I have to use an online photo album and post the link?

I still have to do the video of the pictures I took of the cam sensor replacement on my diesel A180

Just like to say ‘thank you’ for all the input and comments

Cheers

Pleased for you, and a sensible price for the job. A lot of scaremongering on here...
 

Submariner1

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Pleased for you, and a sensible price for the job. A lot of scaremongering on here...
I wouldnt call it scarmongering when you have tried about 10 places and the price ranges from £700 no confidence in them btw to £1400.
Then I met Forrera. :)
 

ajlsl600

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I'm pretty sure you have to lower the engine on those to get to the starter motor.
rowe told me if petrol there is chance without lowering , from the top with various bits removed first not easy , make sure wife and family out for the day .no fun and sure to involve skin loss if diesel no way as armature and housing longer .also as said one starter has something to do wth imobiliser built in if buying from benz ensure its vin checked or they may not accept wrong unit back.
 
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AndrewCS

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Pleased for you, and a sensible price for the job. A lot of scaremongering on here...
Thank you

I am happy too that it was a sensible price
 

AMGeed

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I have taken a picture of the starter but not sure if photos are allowed here. Do I have to use an online photo album and post the link?

I still have to do the video of the pictures I took of the cam sensor replacement on my diesel A180

Its easier to use an photo host like Flickr or Imgur and post a link. Failing that you can upload a file from the box below right but I think you may need 30 posts to do that.
 


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