SL320Newboy
Member
Well where do I start?
A couple of weeks ago I came back from holiday to a dead car. Battery absolutely flat. I found the cause - the micro switch that tells the light in the boot to come on / go off was damaged due to me probably being careless when taking out a bag. The plastic cover for the microswitch was nowhere to be seen so I must have clunked it good and proper. Oh well there you go - I repaired the microswitch metal lever (bent it back into shape!) and phoned the RAC to come and help me jump start the car. The RAC mechanic put the jumpleads on but the car absolutely refused to turn the starter motor. He then spend about 2 hours trying to get my car to start, eventually identifying that the fault in the MB immobiliser (the Foxguard alarm immobiliser also fitted was working perfectly). "Sorry mate" he said "we're going to have to take your car to a MB dealer to sort this out". So we did.
Predictably, it's about here that things went very pear shaped.
I told the MB dealer (SG Mercedes Swansea) that the MB immobiliser had a fault and needed some loving care. The auto electrician at SG then booked 14 hours into diagnosing the fault over a 3 day period before proudly informing me that there was a fault with the MB immobiliser and fixing it in about 30 mins!!
Result - a 900 quid bill (they charged me for 8 hours) and a rather p*ssed off customer (me).
Moral of the story -
1) be careful when taking bags out of the boot of a 90's SL.
2) the bloke from the RAC seems to know more than the experts at the main dealer (frankly the RAC came out of this fiasco smelling of roses).
3) As even walking past a MB main dealer without averting your eyes results in wallet shrinkage - allowing them to play with your car for 3 days to tell you something you already know results in wallet meltdown.
I'm now determined never to allow my car near SG Mercedes again (I can tell you're surprised) - I've been told about a Mercedes specialist independant on the Bracla industrial estate, Bridgend - anybody used them? Are they OK?
cheers
A couple of weeks ago I came back from holiday to a dead car. Battery absolutely flat. I found the cause - the micro switch that tells the light in the boot to come on / go off was damaged due to me probably being careless when taking out a bag. The plastic cover for the microswitch was nowhere to be seen so I must have clunked it good and proper. Oh well there you go - I repaired the microswitch metal lever (bent it back into shape!) and phoned the RAC to come and help me jump start the car. The RAC mechanic put the jumpleads on but the car absolutely refused to turn the starter motor. He then spend about 2 hours trying to get my car to start, eventually identifying that the fault in the MB immobiliser (the Foxguard alarm immobiliser also fitted was working perfectly). "Sorry mate" he said "we're going to have to take your car to a MB dealer to sort this out". So we did.
Predictably, it's about here that things went very pear shaped.
I told the MB dealer (SG Mercedes Swansea) that the MB immobiliser had a fault and needed some loving care. The auto electrician at SG then booked 14 hours into diagnosing the fault over a 3 day period before proudly informing me that there was a fault with the MB immobiliser and fixing it in about 30 mins!!
Result - a 900 quid bill (they charged me for 8 hours) and a rather p*ssed off customer (me).
Moral of the story -
1) be careful when taking bags out of the boot of a 90's SL.
2) the bloke from the RAC seems to know more than the experts at the main dealer (frankly the RAC came out of this fiasco smelling of roses).
3) As even walking past a MB main dealer without averting your eyes results in wallet shrinkage - allowing them to play with your car for 3 days to tell you something you already know results in wallet meltdown.
I'm now determined never to allow my car near SG Mercedes again (I can tell you're surprised) - I've been told about a Mercedes specialist independant on the Bracla industrial estate, Bridgend - anybody used them? Are they OK?
cheers
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can't check for missing batteries you have to wonder 