Apparently Mercedes Didn't Make an OM616
 

Just had to share this..

So, just got back from a local MB shop to see if they tested and balanced injectors. This place always has a ton of W123s around so I figured they'd have to, they also only work on MBs. Anyway, I asked at the desk if they tested and balanced diesel injectors. She went to ask then came back and asked me what engine and I said 616. Then a guy who I figure was in charge came out and asked me what engine and I said 616 and he said Mercedes didn't make a 616 but they made a 606. I said no it's a OM616.912 12 and I still just got a look like I was out of my mind.

I guess you don't need to know the designation to know how to fix them but come on, really? I'm by no means an expert on anything but these days I often find I'm more of an expert than the experts on pretty much everything. It used to make me mad but now it just makes me laugh and shake my head.

That hapened to me with my Caddy... went to the dealership a couple of years ago to have them do a tune-up (yeah, I know... :/ ) and when the guy comes out of the bay with the car, he's over-revving it, so I have to stop him, like, whoa! what's going on here! then I got my hand under the dash and popped the emergency brake off... I'm thinking, really? at a Cadillac dealership? Makes you wonder sometimes...

dealerships for the most part have the most inexperienced mechanics. Once a guy gets experience, he gradually moves over in to diagnosis and repair, and used car repair vs warranty work, and is thus rewarded with an ability to make less money per job. He may be able to increase his hourly or flat rate fee, but gets less and less of the cake jobs, and less opportunity to rake it in.

The next thing is the experienced mechanic leaves and opens his own shop or works for a more profitable place. Dealerships are not profitable for a mechanic. Good place to start, but its rare that someone stays on for a career there.

I've found it to be the opposite around here. The independent shops seem to be crooks, while the dealer always gets the job done right. I know the tech at our local dealer, and he is awesome.

I have listened to some of the Dealer Machanics talking at the Bar and apparently the Service Managers often give his buddies the jobs that are easy to make money on.

How old was the guy? He may not have been born when the dealers were selling them new.

This wasn't the dealer, it was an independent shop that works on nothing but older Mercedes and always has a ton of W123s around. The guy was prob mid 50's so he was around when they were new. I'm pretty sure even my UBER-worthless Haynes manual gives the engine designation.

I don't know, maybe Mercedes should stamp those engine numbers on the block or something. Somewhere obvious would be good, like right on the side so it's easy to see when you're in there wrenching.

I'm really not trying to slam the shop at all. If I didn't do everything myself I'd still prob take my car to them but I just had to share my experience with those I thought could appreciate it.

Thats kind of scary though, are the 606 and 616 injectors similar at all? is it possible to set them for the wrong engine?
Thats such a fundamental thing that maybe it should be a concern. Maybe he was just having a senior moment. Hopefully he recognizes the 617 designation.


"I've found it to be the opposite around here. The independent shops seem to be crooks, while the dealer always gets the job done right. I know the tech at our local dealer, and he is awesome. "

Interesting. Around here the dealer actually recommends another shop to work on the older models. They won't even touch the 123s unless your really want them too, and made it clear that I would be paying a lot of money if I wanted anything done since research would have to be done.

I was just there to get nitrogen in my tires, but I appreciated their honesty, and of course, I had to show them how to put it in reverse and pull the parking brake. it was pretty entertaining.


"I have listened to some of the Dealer Machanics talking at the Bar and apparently the Service Managers often give his buddies the jobs that are easy to make money on."

One of my tech teachers once told me how he was the only guy back in the 70's in a hundred mile radius who was willing to rebuild a chrysler rear end at the time. Apparently there was some defect that had them coming in in droves. He was young he said, and the job was listed at 8 hours. he said the first one took him 14 hours, but he kept doing them, and eventually he was able to do one in 45 minutes!

He said that the other dealerships would send rear ends to him to be done, and in an 8 hour work day, he would do 9 or 10 rear ends and be paid for 80 hours of work! Thats a 400 hour work week!

He said that it was the worst possible thing from the standpoint of he was only 24, and now he had the ability to make a LOT of money fast and did stupid things with it. I guess at some point he must have burned through all the warranty work in the area.
he got so fast and good that other chrysler techs were not given the opportunity to do the work, it was all given to him, I guess rightly so if it was a warranty thing. Even the other dealerships. They could get the customer car back to the customer in a few hours if the schedule worked out, instead of the next day or later on.