Smart parts & dealers

[EmilysDad]

I phoned a local MB/Smart dealer last week to order trim clips for my Smart. I thought I'd described them pretty well .... there are 2 screws that hold the front lower part of the rear wings to the 'Tridian', these screw into a plastic fitting that clips into a sqaure-ish hole in the Tridian.
Went to collect them today & needless to say that they were wrong. So, let me see your EPC screen ..... sorry Sir, you have to wait there & I'll bring you a printed sheet.
Half a dozen sheets later & still not the right pictures.
Gave up!
I thought I'd try a different dealer, gave him a picture of the end of the sill where the two screws are. He disappeared & came back .... still no idea of what I wanted.
Gave up again!

Got home & found them inside 5 mins ...... https://webautocats.com/en-gb/epc/smart/f/fg/451331/60j/88/070/ item 40 & they don't answer the phone so I can't tell them I've found it.
I've spent more on diesel going to two dealers than the cost of the parts .....

 

[ajlsl600]

Modern methods keeping you waiting or hrs of hassle no issues for some traders today. I spent HR yest waiting to tell my insures about an accident where I had no claim, but someone else may try claim on my policy. To them.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

I try to find my new replacement parts first on line . Once i find the part, i then do a Google search on the part number to see if its a match to my car. .

 

[EmilysDad]

I try to find my new replacement parts first on line . ..... .

I'd tried ...

Using the part number doesn't exactly yield many results ....

 

[AndySlade]

Many years ago when my dad got a compny car (a Cortina 1600E), he gave me his Mk.2 Jaguar. The spare parts fella at H R Owen along the Western Avenue could give you the part number of what you were looking for, usually without referring to the microfiche transparencies. I remember one time he had a bet with fella in front of me in the queue, that he would guess part number without referring to catalogue. Long story short, guy lost the bet and had to put money in the charity box for the blind on the counter. No I did not take the bet, I just put something in the charity box.

 

[EmilysDad]

Many years ago when my dad got a compny car (a Cortina 1600E), he gave me his Mk.2 Jaguar. The spare parts fella at H R Owen along the Western Avenue could give you the part number of what you were looking for, usually without referring to the microfiche transparencies. I remember one time he had a bet with fella in front of me in the queue, that he would guess part number without referring to catalogue. Long story short, guy lost the bet and had to put money in the charity box for the blind on the counter. No I did not take the bet, I just put something in the charity box.

Microfiche .... that's a blast from the past!

Geoff retired from our stores a good few years back but he knew where 1000s & 1000s of parts lived on the linvars (multiple shelves that rotated vertically). When he had his awkward head on, which was frequently, he'd say 'no number - no part' despite knowing full well where the part was.
I caught him out once by inadvertently giving him the wrong part number (right numbers .... not necessarily in the right order ) He knew straight away that that number wasn't that part!

 

[ajlsl600]

Yup days gone... Guys knew job. And what they were talking about. Vnow it's computor down, computor says yes, but physically no, after driving 50 f miles. We can't find Yr data ( nor the f can I?) 100 passwords, most can't remember!
HOW things just ain't better...

 

[mioba]

The problem with the MB dealers and the people on parts is that they are mostly administrative assistants and know little about cars let alone parts for cars per se. I done some work on my sisters Ford and went to the ford dealers. The lady on parts was amazing - she knows parts by the technical name at the drop of a hat and as a bonus she is good looking (I might be in love).

I enquired about service for my W220 last wee with MB. Told the lady the mileage and that it was showing B service. She said do you want the brakes (disks and pads) replacing too. I said kindly - have you looked at them and do they need doing. I have a big rant about MB Nottingham regarding the brake booster recall. I will post on that thread accordingly.

 

[00slk]

Not all gone, I still have some Triumph parts on microfiche

 

[EmilysDad]

Not all gone, I still have some Triumph parts on microfiche

Microfiche was mentioned recently at work ..... younger lads had never heard of it & had to Google it

 

[AndySlade]

Just before I retired, I had to show some new young engineers around. They thought it very humorous when I showed them a draftsmanship drawing board, the type with integrated tee square. They said they had only ever used CAD on computer. God I felt old.

 

[peterws1957]

I remember trying to get an SL350 badge from MB Warrington. Gave full details to the parts guy who was probably 20 minutes in his back room. He eventually came out and asked if I was sure it was an SL350 because "it keeps coming up as an R230". I gave up.

 

[00slk]

Microfiche was mentioned recently at work ..... younger lads had never heard of it & had to Google it

I still use my for a more indepth view. I find the parts manuals sometimes don't have the smaller details you need to order parts. Plus they have a part number