Replacement thermostat .... non OEM

james2747

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E270 CDI 2003
I purchased a replacement thermostat last week for my E270 CDi 2003.
It was from Euro Car Parts so I wasn't looking for ultra cheap Chinese item.
When I went to fit it yesterday I was surprised to discover that the replacement stat DID NOT have the same fitting holes as the Mercedes item.
If you look at photo the hole on the top was there ... but not threaded. On original item this takes a bolt that holds a small clamp for the two fuel pipes.
The other hole arrowed (no hole on the new part) was for a fixing bolt on the original part.
I assumed I had got a duff part where the machining had been missed.
I took part back .... surprise, surprise all were like this.
Looked at parts from two brands, Circoli and Gates, neither of them had these two threaded holes.
I was just surprised that a supposed 'pattern part' can be produced without the same fittings.
The hole on top is important ... as it takes a clamp that secures fuel lines.
Has anyone else had the same issue.
I'm not keen on buying these 'commodity' items from Mercedes as they charge ridiculous mark-ups and are usually made by same manufacturer that supply Mercedes, however in this instance it would appear this is not the case.
 

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mercedes13156

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CLK 200 Cabrio and a Ford Kuga
The non threaded hole is fairly common, if not universal. I changed the thermostat on my C220CDi, (same engine, fewer cylinders), and you screw the fixing bolt into the blank hole and it cuts its own thread. The metal is quite soft. Same goes forthe idler pulley bolt on the waterpump.
 

Submariner1

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CL500 2009 5.5
I wouldnt trust any kind of 3rd party engine part.
I bet if you phoned Grangemouth you would find the difference in price was pennies.

My take if they cant even get the basic and very obvious mounting details correct ... what chance have you got the specifications is correct?

When I bought this car it had a service by a non MB Indy or Main dealer 39 miles before I bought it. ( all previous ones were MB Main Dealers.
I noticed the non MB Oil filter cost 14p less than my Main Dealers genuine part. With my std. 10% off the main dealer was cheaper!
Likewise the non MB pads were £8 more than genuine MB!
I just had the Main Dealer redo the whole service ... and treated that service as an oil flush!

Grangemouth also did me a Battery cheaper than Halfords rubbish, and only charged £5 delivery by UPS , beautifully packaged.
I couldnt even drive to my main dealer for £5 in petrol.
IMO always worth checking.

Admittedly I would buy bulbs from an authorised dealer as an Osram or Phillips bulb imo is no worse than an MB bulb.
But then one wonders, the car is 8 years old on all original bulbs!

However I think a lot of failed bulbs are due to people putting sweaty finger marks on the glass!
 
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Yugguy

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C220CDI W204 Elegance Comand
I bought the genuine stat for mine for 50 quid. I've found that genuine service parts and hardware for MBs aren't really any more expensive than other makes.

It's the electrical gizmos that cost.
 

mercedes13156

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I found that places like Euro Car Parts generally have the parts on the shelf on the day you want them, or c an have them by 10am tomorrow. Mercedes dealers tend to work on the basis of keep nothing on the shelf and you won't have to invest the money in advance. You order it in and pay for it then get paid within a day or two by the guy wanting the part. It keeps your overheads down and profit margins up. My local dealership has had to order in O rings for the fuel pipes for a C220CDi and wait a week, a two week wait for a wiper motor for a CLK, four week wait for a starter motor for an A Class and worst of all three weeks for wheel bolts. All easily available from a number of manufacturers off the shelf at Euro Car parts. A couple of quid either way on an apparently non OEM piece of kit is nothing to having to get the bus for a couple of weeks because your dealership is having to bring exactly the same common or garden parts from Germany, take them out of the original box and put them in a plastic bag with an MB sticker and part number on it. I've had parts delivered to the parts desk with the seal on the plastic bag still hot. I even once witnessed the guy in ECP taking the call from the Merc Dealer to see if he could supply the exact same parts they told me 15 minutes earlier would have to come from Germany. When he asked for the reg number to pinpoint the car, it was my car.
 

Yugguy

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C220CDI W204 Elegance Comand
The genuine stat for my 646 from merc newcastle was in stock, arrived in two days and had holes.
 

LostKiwi

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'93 500SL-32, '01 W210 Estate E240 (RIP), 02 R230 SL500, 04 Smart Roadster Coupe, 11 R350CDi
The degree of difficulty changing the stat is directly proportional to the likelihood I'll use a genuine one.

On my Smart Roadster its a b***h of a job which results in much skin loss so I will only ever use a genuine one (been bitten on this car already by a pattern one).
 

Paul1948

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It is strange that people think that MB makes all parts for all of their cars, no they are the same as any other manufacture, whether cars, engines, planes, trains, or any other multi part item, if they all made their own components every thing would cost a small fortune, The manufacturers have a spec they wish to meet and farm this out to specialists in their own fields to quote on the item required and theability to supply in the quantities required, they are then packaged in the relevant boxes or label attached just to bump up the prices for resale.
Having worked with major manufactuers for over 50 years I am no longer surprised at what is done to save an odd penny here and there by ALL manufacturers, alot depends on the factory and country the main item is made as shipping etc come into play in the pricing structure used so the same item can have many different makers.
 

LostKiwi

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I don't think it so much that people believe that MB make all their parts, it's more that by buying from MB there is a feeling of comfort that the part purchased is of a standard that meets MBs quality control as opposed to some unknown level of quality control.
 

Botus

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Mercedes dealers tend to work on the basis of keep nothing on the shelf


interesting delivery...
a big indie if he orders before 9 get them delivered by 11 (including random idler pulleys, drive belts, and suspension pumps
my merc dealer gets them next day before 10 if within the group and I only pay when picking them up
if I use grangemouth and they need to call it in... it goes Milton Keynes - grangemouth - and 30 miles back south of MK in 2 days
 

mercedes13156

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interesting delivery...
a big indie if he orders before 9 get them delivered by 11 (including random idler pulleys, drive belts, and suspension pumps
my merc dealer gets them next day before 10 if within the group and I only pay when picking them up
if I use grangemouth and they need to call it in... it goes Milton Keynes - grangemouth - and 30 miles back south of MK in 2 days


Don't forget that Mercedes Grangemouth is part of the Arnold Clark Group which is an extremely large network with immense buying power and the ability to order in bulk direct and very cheaply from the parts manufacturers rather than through Mercedes at Milton Keynes. It might all be coming directly from (say) Circoli's or Brembo's Factory. For the manufacturers, it's probably just a large customer order comprising a consignment of bits that will fit Mercedes, Citroen, Fiat and possibly other cars out of their warehouse, and delivered to Arnold Clark's distribution point. There's probably other parts that need to come direct from Mercedes which will have an MB Premium applied to the price, but it might be part of the reason that "consumables" are so cheap and easily available at Grangemouth.
 
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