Stupid coffee mug

[novaalison23]

So I finally did it.. had my MB two 1/2 years. Filed out the papers for my 250,000 KM badge, and got into an accident today . No major damage to car thank freggin goodness, but..... grrrrrrr so heres what happened... this guy was driving like a maniac. So i was being careful driving around him. He sped off 20+ over the speed limit, and I lost sight of him put him out of my mind. (didnt notice a couple miles later he was right in front of me at red light) light turns green, he goes.... takes a sip out of his coffee mug (slams on the brakes doing so) and I ran right into the rear end of him. Of course hes hurt from the coffee mug SLAMMING into his mouth.

DAMNIT, why do people drive SOOO stupid. I admit my part of i should have seen him brake and stopped, but... damnit....
okay, so heres my damage, the strap the holds my bumper together snapped, any ideas on if this is a hard repair job?
Thanks

[rs899]

Kenni-

I'm not exactly sure what you mean about the strap that holds the bumper together. If you mean the chrome part of the bumper separated from the shock mounts, then the usual repair is to drill some holes and bolt it together from behind the rubber strip. If you mean the black center strip fell off, that is easily put back on. There is lots of info on both of these issues in the forum archives.

As far as people driving soooo stupid, funny, I said the same of a woman who rear ended ME in my 240D when I left a stop sign( obviously slower than her). It all depends on your perspective. My question to her was - Do you always go forward without looking where you are going? Since my left rear bumper shock was bad the car took some impact and will have to be pulled out- but I have lot of other bodywork back there anyway.

Rick

[novaalison23]

Originally Posted by rs899

Kenni-

I'm not exactly sure what you mean about the strap that holds the bumper together. If you mean the chrome part of the bumper separated from the shock mounts, then the usual repair is to drill some holes and bolt it together from behind the rubber strip. If you mean the black center strip fell off, that is easily put back on. There is lots of info on both of these issues in the forum archives.

As far as people driving soooo stupid, funny, I said the same of a woman who rear ended ME in my 240D when I left a stop sign( obviously slower than her). It all depends on your perspective. My question to her was - Do you always go forward without looking where you are going? Since my left rear bumper shock was bad the car took some impact and will have to be pulled out- but I have lot of other bodywork back there anyway.

Rick

this was diffrent, did you start going at the stop sign and then slam on your brakes to drink some coffee??

[rs899]

No, this was at a difficult point where a road comes to a "t" and everybody has to turn right or left and traffic is coming across at supposedly 55mph. When turning right, as we both were, there's only a few seconds of view time of the oncoming traffic. She was second in line behind me and I'm sure she was looking left and not noticing that I was hesitating for a good space in my anemic 240D.

Did I answer your question about the bumper problem? There really isn't a strap that hold the W123 bumper together. They are sort of glued together and if the shiny part gets pulled off the mounts, the options are to bolt it back together or gat another one at upullit for maybe $30.

Rick

[gilwave]

I don't understand why he needed to brake to have a sip of coffee.

BTW, for the longest time German automakers did not have cup holders in their vehicles, as they believed (rightly so) that driving is for driving, and drinking coffee is for Cafes. I bought a Jetta in 1985 and it drove me crazy not to have a place for my coffee.

Apparently they lamented when they realized they were losing sales to US and Japanese mfgrs who catered to the hustle-bustle lifestyle of American commuters.

-g

[novaalison23]

Originally Posted by rs899

No, this was at a difficult point where a road comes to a "t" and everybody has to turn right or left and traffic is coming across at supposedly 55mph. When turning right, as we both were, there's only a few seconds of view time of the oncoming traffic. She was second in line behind me and I'm sure she was looking left and not noticing that I was hesitating for a good space in my anemic 240D.

Did I answer your question about the bumper problem? There really isn't a strap that hold the W123 bumper together. They are sort of glued together and if the shiny part gets pulled off the mounts, the options are to bolt it back together or gat another one at upullit for maybe $30.

Rick

there are 2 black straps on the bumper, one on each side, and they seem like they hold the black front on. One of those snapped...


Im also a believer that driving is for driving, and drinking coffee (especially out of a thermos *which he was using* is for doing elsewhere.

[rs899]

Kenni-

I agree with you about "driving is driving". I see way too many people driving distracted with cell phones etc. Driving is about the most dangerous thing a normal person can do , and yet we get so good at it that we want to put it on auto-pilot.

The black strip goes all the way across the bumper and is held in a stiff plastic holder ( i guess the holder is 2 part?)that sort of clips thru the metal of the bumper. You have to re-attach the holder to the metal of the bumper - you push the pins thru the metal and slide the holder until the pins catch. Then basically roll the outer rubber strip back on the holder.

[novaalison23]

This story gets stranger and stranger... now my witness says " i dont know what color the light it" and "her car just "lurched" forward." My car didnt lurch forward. My tranny still jumps from first to second, there is no way i was going as fast as they said i was. My car cant go that fast off the start. Driver of the other car says he wasnt moving, BUT his car kept going forward after everything else stopped because his foot was on the pedal.

Someone says they think I might have been set up based on his driving before I hit him. How he cut me off ect. I dont understand this whole situation. I KNOW he was moving right before I hit him, and I KNOW my car didnt "lurch" forward, i hadnt been stepping on the gas that long.

Damnit, why is this ***** happening.