Build Quality? - Nothing like this has happened to my Cavali

[Stewart Smith]

Signature warranty runs out in 2 months, so I took the beast into Rycroft in Stockton today for it's 63K service, and said "While it's in, can you check it over see if anything's going to go wrong with it a week after the warranty runs out".
Went back to pick it up - and apart from a complete brake reline (All pads/disks/shoes) being needed, which I will do myself, he had a nice surprise.
- Head Gasket is leaking, and rear diff seals have gone, the steering idler arm is goosed (?).
( Sulk, Sulk :-( )

My Cavalier hack has 120K miles on it, and has never missed a beat (Apart from last week's suspension incident which was Kwik-fit's fault), despite being servicing and maintained by my own fair hand

Is this unusual for a c-class?
Have I been duped by an image?

Regards,
Sulking of Hartlepool

 

[Stewart Smith]

Build Quality?

Update.
Today just gets better.
Priced up all the brake gear on europarts.com and with all disks/pads/shoes, front and rear, sticking with either OE or Genuine, It comes to £160. Not too bad I guess, but Greg, I'm glad you talked me out of that Grille!.
Shall carry on hunting round, I'm curious to find out what the Merc dealer price for this lot is.
All this to pay for and I haven't asked my missus for my pocket money for the 'lads' Le-Mans trip yet........

 

[Anonymous]

Build Quality?

Yes it's quite a shock....owning a C-class.  If you trawl these forums for problems you'll scare yourself silly finding links to prematurely worn brake disks, ball joints and head gasket leaks to name but a few.  

I think you'll find that your diff seals are covered under your Signature warranty - ours were and saved us £217 labour and £3.62 parts, exc VAT.

Lets hope that's your lot for another 60K !

 

[fuzzer]

Build Quality?

We had to replace the dif seal on our 95 c180 too . That was an £800 service ....

 

[Stewart Smith]

Build Quality?

Head Gasket should be a signature item too. Update tomorrow. Gonna ditch this three-pointer and by an omega v6  at half the price if it isn't.

 

[dave elcome]

Build Quality?

Speaking from experience, having had the misfortune to have to use Omega's for work on a daily basis, you will be disapointed, Brakes can easily be replaced, but my back still suffers the after effects of the Omega's, and we got rid of the lasy ones 5 years ago!!

 

[Shude]

Build Quality?

Koolvin will say "not again" when he reads this because I'm always whingeing about it...

After 3 years and 100,000 miles the exhaust manifold cracked *about 3 months out of warranty*.  The stealership cheerfully told me that it's "not uncommon" for the 230k engines, as the exhaust gases can be particularly hot.  The service guy also told me that an slk 230k was in a week earlier with the same problem and it cost the owner nearly a grand in total, not exactly what I wanted to hear.  It only came to £500 in the end, which is still kinda steep in my book.  I just swallowed hard and paid up, like you do.

 

[Frolicuk]

Build Quality?

Stewart

I'm in middlesbrough and have just bought a brand new SLK so I'd be very interested to hear how you get on with Rycrofts.

I got a good price on the car etc and didnt have to wait long ie 5 weeks but when it comes down to servicing ??

I personally prefer to do my own servicing etc or at least use mates in the trade who are always after a guvvie job.

I think that i get a much better job anyway and dont do it for the money saving.

I'm a bit concerned about the Merc electronics and diagnostics so may have to use someone else in the area if not Rycrofts.

Frol

 

[Stewart Smith]

Build Quality?

No complaints about Rycroft so far - I brought my own oil to them for the service and they didn't turn a hair - there's a scottish chap there who is really helpful and gives good honest advice. - I shall be going back. WIll give further updates after the big jobs are done.
Told him I would be doing the brake work myself (thus showing myself up to be an un-typically skint Merc owner) and he said he would sort out the parts prices for me - Car clean and nice when I get it back.  Nice people to deal with so far.

p.s. - Yer not in Hartlepool are you? - I got a new SLK up the road  to me.

(Edited by Stewart Smith at 5:14 pm on May 22, 2002)


(Edited by Stewart Smith at 5:16 pm on May 22, 2002)

 

[Andy]

Build Quality?

Hi Stewart

Wouldn't worry about the headgasket leak. Unless its under warranty. Usually most of the 111engines ie C180-230'S have this problem. I usually tell my customers. If its not leaking badly, ie dripping on the ground thereby causing the trouble an strife to complain about her newly block paved drive. Then don't worry.

Regards

Andy @ www.mercedesservicing.com

 

[Frolicuk]

Build Quality?

Stewart

No the car in Harlepool isnt mine.

Mines in the garage at home and was delivered on Monday. I'm actually working away in the Caribbean and the missus is too scared to drive it until I take here out a bit when I get back on June 1st.

I got lucky and only had to wait 5 weeks for the car since it was a cancellation and was the spec etc that I wanted.

Cheers for now.

Frol

 

[GaryC]

Build Quality?

how long have you drive your Cavalier?
what reg? I have a G-reg Cavalier, which almost give me all the problem which we could imagine!

But alturnatively, my Merc (E300) not giving me any big problem, beside of the usual worn parts......

 

[Stewart Smith]

Build Quality?

Had the Cav since 51K on the clock, now 116K, so done 60+K miles in 4 years with only 2 problems - Handbrake cable snapped due to misuse, (£5.45 to fix) and a trip to Kwikfit caused suspension problems. Its a superbly built car, being one of the last off the line, worth nothing so I keep it as a 'hack', it's just incredibly mind numbingly boring....
After being probably very lucky with the cav, my problem is I expected better from the three-pointed star, but I guess as the Merc is so nice to drive, I will persevere a bit longer. I guess doing disks and pads and stuff myself is no different on the Merc than on the Cav.
I'm just miffed cos I really wanted an older 300SL, but was persusaded to buy a newer Merc on reliability grounds.

(Edited by Stewart Smith at 5:26 pm on May 26, 2002)


(Edited by Stewart Smith at 5:36 pm on May 26, 2002)

 

[Richard Moakes]

Build Quality?

Vauxhall's can be real bad, I just got rid of a 1997 Omega 2.5

In the last two years the following has failed or been replaced.

Alternator
Cam cover oil seals x 2
Front disks (twice)
Front wheel bearings
Front shocks
Front wishbones
Thermostat / Housing (Combined unit)

Frankly, it was the worst car I have ever owned, and it seemed designed to keep the amateur mechanic out.

I just got a 1989 300E to replace it, and sure it's old, but it was designed to last, and even better it was designed to be maintenance friendly.

I can tolerate component failure, and I am sure that the Benz will have some of those, but what I can't tolerate is cynical design, which seems to be for the sole purpose of lining the dealers pockets !

Richard

 

[Stewart Smith]

Build Quality?

Yer probably right - I just wish I'd bought a 300E instead of a C-class right at this minute.
Maybe the same theory applies though. The cav was designed in the early eighties around simplicity, but later GM products are designed by a computer and far less reliable. Using the same logic maybe i'f I had bought a Merc designed in the early eighties maybe I would have less individual problems than the C-class? ( Forgive the ramblings - I am trying to talk myself into a mid eighties SL )