haydown
Member
17th January 2008 - Picture it - high winds - lashing rain - bitterly cold........you get the picture?
Travelling from Newbury Berkshire to Exeter Devon, important family event to attend. Set out early a.m. to enable some shopping in Exe.
Usual route taken, A303 - scenic and less stressful than M4-M5 - or so I thought!! Normal journey time circa 2 & a half hours, 120 or so miles, easy cruising in my E240 V6 estate.
Stopped at Sparkford services half way to Exe for the usual break. White smoke pouring from under bonnet - had a peek - strong burning smell and smoke coming off left bank exhaust manifold.
Obviously an oil leak emenating from above!
After "mooning-around" wet and cold for an hour, the "light flashed-on" in my brain & I tried my Mobilo Warranty rescue service for the first time; requested onward recovery to MB Exeter and a courtesy car to be available.
Mondial turned up within 45 minutes with a Transit Van and a car trailer towed behind - Ah well!! The big, heavy car was precariously-transported to MB Exe arriving after they had "closed" at 6pm. However, during the journey phone calls with MB/Mondial (?) and Exe established that they would await my arrival and a courtesy car would be awaiting. Missed the shopping trip! Ultimate journey time some 8 hours!
So relieved to be safely on terra-firma again in Exeter, I even tipped the Mondial driver 40 quid!!
The next day MB Exe undertook "a repair" - stating that they had determined where the oil loss was coming from and had replaced the left bank valve cover seal - cost £199.16 inc. VAT. Too late in the day to return home therefore stayed yet another hotel night in Exe and had a Harry Ramsden job for supper.
Next day, Saturday 19th; travelling back to Berkshire - just prior to stopping at Sparkford services for a natural break - you've guessed it!
Smell of oil and smoke in cabin - clouds of white smoke pouring out from beneath the bonnet!
Limped to Sparkford, straight on the blower to MB Rescue - (I now knew the ropes!) - Flat bed rescue lorry turns up within half an hour. The nearest courtesy car was only available within two hours - decided to leap in the rescue lorry cab and be recovered to home. Mondial had originally-intended to take the car back to Exeter - I said "No - back home"!
Arrived safely and comfortably back to Newbury, low on cash I only tipped this driver 20 quid! Mondial had in the meantime arranged for a brand new E240 courtesy car which was waiting on my drive when I returned home!
Monday came, MB arranged for my local dealership in Newbury to inspect the car that day. They did inspect - it was not a faulty gasket but three hairline cracks on the cylinder head that was leaking the oil!
A new cylinder head (left bank valve cover) & various small breather hoses were fitted and my car returned less the "White Smoke" - something to do with a new Pope? Total cost £327 inc. VAT. An expensive day and (two) nights in Exeter!!
I contacted MB UK and stated that I required a full refund plus compensation from MB Exeter. Negotiations ensued for a couple of days and a refund of the MB Exe invoice, plus another night in the hotel and my Harry Ramsden expenditure was eventually received - I wanted more, (compensation for stress, spoilt family event etc.) but settled!
Following my October 2007 post - "Catastrophic Engine Failure" - I then contacted Dronsfield Mercedes where I had sourced the current replacement engine. This engine had a 3 month warranty - but timing being what it is, the warranty had expired some 6 days prior to my journey to Exeter!! Dronsfield rejected my claim for compensation/re-imbursement - not surprisingly though.
That's it for now - except see my new post on "Engine Cut-Out Solution"
Travelling from Newbury Berkshire to Exeter Devon, important family event to attend. Set out early a.m. to enable some shopping in Exe.
Usual route taken, A303 - scenic and less stressful than M4-M5 - or so I thought!! Normal journey time circa 2 & a half hours, 120 or so miles, easy cruising in my E240 V6 estate.
Stopped at Sparkford services half way to Exe for the usual break. White smoke pouring from under bonnet - had a peek - strong burning smell and smoke coming off left bank exhaust manifold.
Obviously an oil leak emenating from above!
After "mooning-around" wet and cold for an hour, the "light flashed-on" in my brain & I tried my Mobilo Warranty rescue service for the first time; requested onward recovery to MB Exeter and a courtesy car to be available.
Mondial turned up within 45 minutes with a Transit Van and a car trailer towed behind - Ah well!! The big, heavy car was precariously-transported to MB Exe arriving after they had "closed" at 6pm. However, during the journey phone calls with MB/Mondial (?) and Exe established that they would await my arrival and a courtesy car would be awaiting. Missed the shopping trip! Ultimate journey time some 8 hours!
So relieved to be safely on terra-firma again in Exeter, I even tipped the Mondial driver 40 quid!!
The next day MB Exe undertook "a repair" - stating that they had determined where the oil loss was coming from and had replaced the left bank valve cover seal - cost £199.16 inc. VAT. Too late in the day to return home therefore stayed yet another hotel night in Exe and had a Harry Ramsden job for supper.
Next day, Saturday 19th; travelling back to Berkshire - just prior to stopping at Sparkford services for a natural break - you've guessed it!
Smell of oil and smoke in cabin - clouds of white smoke pouring out from beneath the bonnet!
Limped to Sparkford, straight on the blower to MB Rescue - (I now knew the ropes!) - Flat bed rescue lorry turns up within half an hour. The nearest courtesy car was only available within two hours - decided to leap in the rescue lorry cab and be recovered to home. Mondial had originally-intended to take the car back to Exeter - I said "No - back home"!
Arrived safely and comfortably back to Newbury, low on cash I only tipped this driver 20 quid! Mondial had in the meantime arranged for a brand new E240 courtesy car which was waiting on my drive when I returned home!
Monday came, MB arranged for my local dealership in Newbury to inspect the car that day. They did inspect - it was not a faulty gasket but three hairline cracks on the cylinder head that was leaking the oil!
A new cylinder head (left bank valve cover) & various small breather hoses were fitted and my car returned less the "White Smoke" - something to do with a new Pope? Total cost £327 inc. VAT. An expensive day and (two) nights in Exeter!!
I contacted MB UK and stated that I required a full refund plus compensation from MB Exeter. Negotiations ensued for a couple of days and a refund of the MB Exe invoice, plus another night in the hotel and my Harry Ramsden expenditure was eventually received - I wanted more, (compensation for stress, spoilt family event etc.) but settled!
Following my October 2007 post - "Catastrophic Engine Failure" - I then contacted Dronsfield Mercedes where I had sourced the current replacement engine. This engine had a 3 month warranty - but timing being what it is, the warranty had expired some 6 days prior to my journey to Exeter!! Dronsfield rejected my claim for compensation/re-imbursement - not surprisingly though.
That's it for now - except see my new post on "Engine Cut-Out Solution"
