Mobilo -a Summary

[Cole@MBS]

Should also say in your service book at the front!

 

[hawk20]

Hi Who does one contact, in a breakdown situation,have a 99 clk cab with full MBSH all from same dealer.should i have some paperwork with car?

My dealer supplies an MB keyfob and on the back is engraved the 00800 1777 7777 number. Just note that it is double zero 800 which is the international freephone number. You get somewhere in Europe but they all speak fluent English and so far I have found them very helpful.

We also get given a tax disc holder with the number on the back.

 

[Cole@MBS]

Well at least thats one number i can remember Hawk, dont no my home number but can remember that!!!

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Well at least thats one number i can remember Hawk, dont no my home number but can remember that!!!

Einstein did not know his own home either S-A-M. His logic was that he never telephoned himself!

 

[television]

Einstein did not know his own home either S-A-M. His logic was that he never telephoned himself!

I wonder if his phone ever rang a Bell

 

[littlebubb]

Well the good news is....

Mobilo life have agreed to do all 4 wheel arches, (we only noticed rust on 2)... that is if the car makes it through the major surgery Monday, we are taking for a 2nd opinion as we do not want to pay the £112.00 per hour charge for the 10.5 hour job to remove the head, (yes that does include putting it back, but does not include any diagnostics) so the total would be £1,120.00). So a MB service specialist we found (who are ****** excellent thus far) are taking in Monday to do more checks, when we rang them for a quote they suggested that we went back to our MB dealer and ask why they had not done them when the car went in to be checked as they said these tests should have been done as a matter of course to check the head, so our MB dealer took it back and no extra cost. I am hoping my some miracle that its not anything really major, apart from it feeling a little juddery when I am stationery you would not know there was a problem, in fact when I rang MB and said my car was not due for a service for 800 miles, they said that as I was not getting any warning messages it was ok so I drove it for another 500 miles before booking it in for the service. Do I sound bitter? just a tad! but will let you know if the car makes it.

 

[littlebubb]

so.. ......the car went in yesterday, we had a call within two hours saying that there was not a problem with the head, but by putting a camera down the injectors they could see where the problem was (2 stuck open so fuel was not getting shut off, which is why it was juddering, too much fuel was going in sorry I did not take the call so may not have it totally right, but I am sure you get the general idea) We took the option of having all 4 injectors replaced at a cost of £1000.00 including VAT, parts and fitting. Once the car is back on the road I will write to Greenoaks and ask for an explanation, as I was being asked to pay £1,120 to do a job that did not need doing, and then we would have still have had to pay for any additional dignostics and parts. As I said in my other post, this new garage advised us to take the car back to the MB dealer and ask them to do more checks before we took it to them, one of these was to check the injectors, which we were told had been done and that they were not the cause of the problem. They are also going to replace the front suspension springs at half the cost Greenoaks wanted. So providing the car come back all fit and well, you can guess where I won't be taking my car in future.

 

[littlebubb]

if anyone wants to know where this "new garage" is please message me, I do not want to seem as if I am advertising, but I have found them both very helpful and the advice they have given us has been invaluable (and saved a lot of money)

 

[littlebubb]

Good news, car picked up today, running like a dream now. All injectors replaced, full B service. I am delighted. Monday I am going to call Greenoaks, and just ask them to confirm that they tested the injectors (as they said they had done) and to confirm that the only thing left for me to do is to have the head removed and more diagnostics done, once this is confirmed I am going to request that they refund the cost of the diagnostic tests they have already charged us for, as they are clearly not correct. Then the real fun should start!

 

[television]

Please post who did the work please

 

[littlebubb]

The work on our car was done by MercMedic in Send, Surrey.

I honestly cannot fault them, when we picked the car up they spent a good 30 minutes explaining what had been done, why it had been done, showing us on wall charts and on the car what to look for etc. I know where my car is going from now on, it may be a good hour away from where we live, but it is worth it.

http://www.mercmedic.co.uk/
MercMedic Ltd.

Unit F Tannery Industrial Estate
Tannery Lane
Send
Surrey
GU23 7EF

Tel/Fax: (01483) 222741
Mobile's: (07870) 657971 (Duncan)
(07970) 728407 (Kirk)

 

[muller1]

. There is a 3 year warranty on the car. Mobilo comes as an addition and is a free breakdown service provided people keep up the MB service record. It also includes a 30 year rust guarantee since October 24th 1998. Prior to that there was an 8 year rust guarantee.
QUOTE]

You say the additional service is FREE I do not think so as it seems to me you pay for the "FREE" service every time you darken the MB dealers door.
There is an old saying which IS TRUE, "There is no such thing as free lunch" YOU or Someone else pays for it.
Do the Merc owing fraternity really keep their care for 30 years to be so paranoid about the service at only a Merc garage just to ensure a tyre change or tow.
I would not keep any car for 30 years firstly I would get fed up of looking at it, second it would not inspire total confidance for overseas trips towing a caravan, I would rather have an Indie serviced car no more than 8 years old at the most.
We are only speaking about cars not a life and death illness.
I do not wish to appear rude but it seems to me it is a status symbol to be seen at a MERC Dealers as if it were a badge of having MADE IT in the world.
I am not too proud to admit I use my cars as tools I do not abuse them but I would have them serviced at any GOOD REPUTABLE INDIE and keep my money and rather spend my savings on my wife or my Collie dogs well being.
I Know just call me silly and old fashioned but that is me to a "T".

Mike

 

[hawk20]

Why bother with MB servicing? Here are four good reasons.
• MobiloLife includes a 30 year rust guarantee, which at least on older cars is worth having as numerous threads show Mercedes doing what it says on the tin for those with FullMBSH.
• Free breakdown cover in UK and Europe. For me and my wife the AA want £150 per year for full breakdown cover and up to £100 for cover on trips to Europe. That on its own swamps the £60 I could save by servicing at an ‘indie’.
• Goodwill: if something serious goes wrong outside the guarantee period Mercedes frequently/often/usually make a substantial contribution to the cost provided that the vehicle has Full MBSH. Numerous threads on UK forums and US forums testify to this. IMO it is useful insurance. Some major jobs can cost £2,000 or £3,000 - a gearbox failure even more. And having Full MBSH and ‘goodwill’ behind you can be very valuable. Not in all cases. But certainly in many.
• Last but definitely not least have a look at this thread listing recalls and service campaigns on the new S class. And remember that the new S is probably the most reliable Mercedes ever straight from the oven. These are often modifications, software updates and other improvements which dealers are told to do to your car FREE when you go in for a service.
http://forum.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=163014

If you don’t go in, you don’t get them. And according to What Car there are thousands of cars that do not even have the serious recalls done (people move, lose touch or just don’t bother).

Friend of mine who never uses MB dealers had trouble with his 7 speed gearbox. Occasional clunky gearchanges. His 'indie' proposed some fairly major work on the box. I told my friend that there had been several free updates to the software on that gearbox and they would be done free at an MB dealer. He had his next service done at my local dealer; they fixed his auto problems free and all is now well.

 

[muller1]

Worried

Why bother with MB servicing? Here are four good reasons.
• MobiloLife includes a 30 year rust guarantee, which at least on older cars is worth having as numerous threads show Mercedes doing what it says on the tin for those with FullMBSH.
• Free breakdown cover in UK and Europe. For me and my wife the AA want £150 per year for full breakdown cover and up to £100 for cover on trips to Europe. That on its own swamps the £60 I could save by servicing at an ‘indie’.
• Goodwill: if something serious goes wrong outside the guarantee period Mercedes frequently/often/usually make a substantial contribution to the cost provided that the vehicle has Full MBSH. Numerous threads on UK forums and US forums testify to this. IMO it is useful insurance. Some major jobs can cost £2,000 or £3,000 - a gearbox failure even more. And having Full MBSH and ‘goodwill’ behind you can be very valuable. Not in all cases. But certainly in many.
• Last but definitely not least have a look at this thread listing recalls and service campaigns on the new S class. And remember that the new S is probably the most reliable Mercedes ever straight from the oven. These are often modifications, software updates and other improvements which dealers are told to do to your car FREE when you go in for a service.
http://forum.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=163014

If you don’t go in, you don’t get them. And according to What Car there are thousands of cars that do not even have the serious recalls done (people move, lose touch or just don’t bother).

Friend of mine who never uses MB dealers had trouble with his 7 speed gearbox. Occasional clunky gearchanges. His 'indie' proposed some fairly major work on the box. I told my friend that there had been several free updates to the software on that gearbox and they would be done free at an MB dealer. He had his next service done at my local dealer; they fixed his auto problems free and all is now well.

By what I am now reading, Mercs seem to be so badly made that you have to keep taking them back to the dealer just so that MB will rectify all the c*ck ups they have built in to the cars.
I would have thought that the last thing in my mind was always having the MB call out number in memory IN CASE.
To me a breakdown is the last thing on my mind as I keep my cars as well as I am able to and have no fear of breakdown and lets face it so what if it breaks down it is just an other adventure.This evening whilst helping out a friend I lost my power steering in my ML.
Did I call out MB ? NO my son and I at the roadside found the displaced hose, got some TQF and a long screw driver from an Indie for free, re fitted the hose, refitted and tightened the clip, topped up the TQF and drove the car back home.
Cost from the Indie, ZERO, NILL, NADA, NIX he would not take anything as he is the guy who services my cars Merc, Jag and wifes PEUGEOT.
I have Green Flag insurance for my wife and myself in which ever car we are in including Europe for £160 per year incl hotel, 5 days hire, hotel repatriation etc etc etc.
I do not think Merc would cover me for my Jag or any other car I decide to drive just think of a world where nothing ever went wrong, WHAT A BORE
I will only put my cars back to the dealer IF my independant garages (two of them) say that it is necessary and this saves me over £60 per hour worked.
Over a year this is a saving on labour alone of more than £750 minimum not including savbings on parts.
I had my ML in at a local body shop for a check over, small chips touched up and undersealed and a little rust taken care of as he is only 7 miles from my home as opposed to 45 for the nearest MB dealer and to suit HIS timetable not mine. My total cost was just under £250 all in.

As the saying goes EACH TO HIS OWN.

Regards
Mike

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Exactly the point I was trying to make on another thread! Mercedes are only willing to garuntee the paintwork for 30 years because you will already have PAID for the cost of any repairs necessary in the inflated servicing charges.
While at the second attempt the bodyshop [WBC Automotive in Bristol] have made a very good job of my wheel arches; the work which was paid for £1094
carries a maximum three year warrenty

 

[hawk20]

Exactly the point I was trying to make on another thread! Mercedes are only willing to garuntee the paintwork for 30 years because you will already have PAID for the cost of any repairs necessary in the inflated servicing charges.
While at the second attempt the bodyshop [WBC Automotive in Bristol] have made a very good job of my wheel arches; the work which was paid for £1094
carries a maximum three year warrenty

That is just not fair. Mercedes service charges (which BTW go to the dealer and not to MB) are no higher than any other premium brand. In fact, I found Honda and Volvo much dearer.

But no other major car maker offers a 30 year rust guararntee or a 'free' 30 year breakdown service.

 

[television]

That is just not fair. Mercedes service charges (which BTW go to the dealer and not to MB) are no higher than any other premium brand. In fact, I found Honda and Volvo much dearer.

But no other major car maker offers a 30 year rust guararntee or a 'free' 30 year breakdown service.

The amount of rust claims rejected outweigh and claims that do go through, and the whole point is they should not have used the crap metal in the first place on a so called premium brand.

The average car scrapped and going away on a transporter looks a darn sight less rusty than the bad MBs some 10 years their junior

 

[hawk20]

The amount of rust claims rejected outweigh and claims that do go through, and the whole point is they should not have used the crap metal in the first place on a so called premium brand.

The average car scrapped and going away on a transporter looks a darn sight less rusty than the bad MBs some 10 years their junior

Well I live by the sea -as you do- and there are lots of 210s round here with no rust problems so it wasn't the steel. In fact the problems came with the switch to water based paints which the EU insisted upon for environmental and Health and Safety reasons. Check BMW websites and you will see they had similar problems at the same time.

Some say that different primers and pre-treatments were used at different times and on different batches; some worked a lot better than others. In the end MB gave up attempts to solve the problems via paint technology and introduced full galvanising of all steel panels starting around the end of 2002. See my thread on this.
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=43408

 

[Rory]

In fact, I found Honda and Volvo much dearer.

But no other major car maker offers a 30 year rust guararntee or a 'free' 30 year breakdown service.

Mrs R has a Honda and it's not bad to service (and major services require quite a lot of work - valve clearances and awkward spark plugs - 8 in our Jazz - have to be changed). There's none of this "additional work" crap - everything that needs doing is included in the cost.

Last time they also renewed the pan-European HondaCare cover, although that might be a one-off. In reality, not much risk for Honda!

 

[hawk20]

Mrs R has a Honda and it's not bad to service (and major services require quite a lot of work - valve clearances and awkward spark plugs - 8 in our Jazz - have to be changed). There's none of this "additional work" crap - everything that needs doing is included in the cost.

Last time they also renewed the pan-European HondaCare cover, although that might be a one-off. In reality, not much risk for Honda!

Well in my experience they have the same 'additional work' as all good service engineers should. e.g. pads, discs, exhausts and all the usual things that wear out at uncertain intervals and are not part of the service.