[QUOTE=Graham;3591288]Interested to read your post. Presumably your are talking about Ottawa/Gatineau area? [QUOTE]

Yes.

[QUOTE=Graham;3591288]In our smallish town, we do have auto-electric rebuilders, Rad rebuilder, diesel injection shop. Not sure about wheel, but I know local dealer gets alloys refinished back to like-new, so there must be one. I think there are a couple of upholstery shops. [QUOTE]

Keep in mind what I wrote. I did not say all those services were not available, I was saying there are no dedicated and/or reliable local businesses offering them.

Do you know for a fact the radiator shops you mention actually still rebuild radiators? We have several "radiator shops" but they strictly supply and install new rads. One has removed its workshop and expanded into tire sales and AC repair. The other now occupies only 1/2 of its old building and sublets the rest.

Very likely the dealers in your area are sending wheels out to Toronto or Montreal. There are specialist straighteners/refinishers in both cities, more so in Montreal due to its notoriously bad roads, I would imagine. In fact the major Montreal wheel shop sends a truck around eastern Ontario once a week to pick up and deliver. My issue is with that arrangement, is that you then get two layers of markup for that job (dealer will typically mark up 40-50 percent for doing almost nothing).

We have upholstery shops, of course, but do you have shops that actually work on cars? Here you have to remove the seats yourself and deliver to the shop. If your shops have bays, then you are well ahead of us for that.

Of course we have diesel injection shops, but after hearing horror stories from both individuals and mechanics over battles concerning shoddy work, I would rather send my injectors to Greazzer or my pump to a US rebuilder (were I to ever splurge on a rebuild pump... not likely).

And I didn't even get into the body trade, which is actually blatantly corrupt in this region. I would call them lying whores, but I have nothing against whores.

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

The underlying issues with the handling of the toxic waste from radiator repairs has pretty much shut down the small shops doing radiator repairs. The costs of upgrading to environmentally "friendly" equipment is far beyond any possible profit for the small guys.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Hi Zach,

- I haven't checked lately, but in past I had a rad recored locally by Pat's Radiator. It could very well be more economical to replace a radiator these days, but when it comes to a specialty old style rad with copper tanks, recoring may be necessary.

- I seem to recall dealer telling me that the guy that refinished their used car wheels was a local one man show. I must ask about that some time. By the way, this place in Ottawa says they do that sort of thing. But may be more applicable to newer vehicles with expensive alloys?

- We have at least 3 auto upholstery shops, but they also do other stuff, like canvas and awnings as well as marine upholstery. At least two have shops with space to work on cars/boats indoors. I had seat covers put on my SL at a different place where I did have to take seats to them (but I wanted to do that anyway)

- Re body shops. As you will recall, I found the best possible guy to do the rust repairs on my 300D! (Last Chance Auto Restoration). Had small incident with my SL and had that fixed by a different local shop. They did a great job. Their main business is touch up work for car dealers so they are good at blending into existing paint. Luckily my job was covered by Hagerty insurance!

__________________
Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

All I was wanting was THIS done, based on recommendations of other forum members who had it done for $50 or whatever:


I would trust Sun Valley to rebuild a transmission in a Mercedes, but not the average transmission shop.

I almost never go to a mechanic or garage of any kind. Maybe once every couple of years, and I usually end up having to fix it myself anyway. That's the whole point--anytime I attempt to use a shop, they won't touch it, so I am forced to do it myself anyway--thus the point that they are useless to me.

And yes, I am a bit miffed that they won't do a quick job like remove a ring gear for $50 or whatever. I used to get it done for $10 in 10 minutes.

The whole point of this thread is that there is no sense having a mechanic do anything because they won't do it. The few times I reach out for help they won't give it (and I am willing to pay well).

Don't worry, I'm through complaining. People also lack empathy these days so I'm through hoping for a friendly ear.

__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

I also feel compelled to link this thread to 2 others as they all deal with connected issues.

Is The K1 Shut Off / Plate Non-Return Valve Necessary On A 722.3 Transmission?

I Took Apart The Valve Body And Don't Know How It Goes Back Together

I have to chip in here. I took a Bosch VE injection pump(off of a 1.6L VW diesel) to be rebuilt. The pump was whole and not disassembled in anyway. Just removed. Took it to a diesel injection shop. They said sure we can rebuild that. Get a call three weeks later to be told that they couldn't do anything for it because they didn't know how(all it needed was a new input shaft seal as it was leaking, but figured to have them give it the once over as it had 200k+ on it). I got back a box of parts. All I can say is, at least they got everything clean and didn't loose any parts.

Bernhardt, I had the same experience. I took an OM603 injection pump to a Bosch injection service shop that boasted they still had all the old Bosch testing equipment and could work on ANY old pump. The shop told me that they don't really like to use those old machines but could test it anyway. I got back a box of parts which was no good to me, they told me the pump was "bad" (no explanation of exactly WHAT was bad) and then they charged me $100 for their "test"! According to their website, they test pumps free of charge. All I wanted was for them to put it on a machine and bench test it for pressure, leakage, etc. as the service manual states. It seems always a disappointment.

__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

Holy crap. If I brought any part to a shop that told me they could work on it/fix it and they gave me a box of parts back, I would rip them a new one. And they charged you? Lol I would just about drive my car though their front window. People don't stand behind their work these days.

That is really odd, that an actual Bosch shop would/could not repair your IP. I personally know of a great shop in So. Cal. that has done a Bosch pump for my Mitsubishi, and one for a 617, and both reasonably priced. He has one of those "old" machines, and knows how to use it. I also have a local guy that runs an automotive machine shop at his house, and does the most awesome work I have seen. He has done several 617 heads for me (many shops will not touch any head with prechambers), and they look too nice to put back on the engine! I guess I am lucky enough to find a couple of good shops for the jobs I can't do myself. As far as replacing/flipping a ring gear, I had no idea that could be done. Although I have never needed to replace a ring gear, I will remember this if the need arises. However, I have several extra flex plates (auto flywheels) for a 617, so I may not have the need to replace just the gear should I get a bad one in the future....Rich

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)

LOTS of parts for sale!


EGR block kit
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/355250-sale-egr-delete-block-off-plate-kit.html

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

wow, a shop that services diesel pumps and accepts an original Bosch VE pump for a general checkup and service tore it down to "test" it? and handed back the customer a box of parts?

sounds like they are trading parts for markup only like 90% of businesses today.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Here's another example: I took my 300SD in to Discount Tire to have my tires swapped from the steel rims and mounted on alloys. They quoted me $80 for dismounting and mounting 5 tires.

I noticed that after a car was pulled out from the shop and parked, the person driving the car would come in the waiting area and tell the owner that their car was done. Then I saw them drive my car out of the shop and park it. No one told me it was done. Then some more cars were pulled from the shop and each of those owners were told their car was done. And then there was a lull. So I asked if my car was done, and they said, "Oh, yeah... I guess we forgot to tell you."

So I paid the $80 and went to my car. I noticed that they had only swapped out 4, not 5 tires. So I went back in and told them and they said that I was only charged for 4 tires. I told them that I specifically said 5 tires, was quoted $80 for 5 tires, and had even shown the mechanic the tires in the trunk. He said that they would have to charge me another $20 to change the 5th tire, whoever quoted me $80 for 5 tires was mistaken, and I was lucky they weren't charging me for a mount AND dismount because they were going to have to dismount the tire and then remount it on another wheel.

So I paid the extra money to have the 5th tire mounted. When I went to my car, I noticed that they lost my special metal valve caps so I went back in and told them and had them search for them. Then I went back to my car and noticed that they installed a valve stem that was too short on the 5th tire, so I had them swap it with a correct length one.

Then when I got home I found that the balancing weights were loose and sliding around on the rims. One fell off when I touched it. Utter incompetence.

__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

Also I sent some injectors to Fairchild Industries to have them rebuilt, but they all leaked. The owner promptly refunded my money, so I can't complain about that.

But, then I took them to the same shop that took apart the injection pump and left it in pieces for a simple test. Some of the injectors were leaking after and it took taking them back 3 times before they wouldn't leak.

The rebuilder told me it was because the lines were leaking at the injectors and I needed new lines and hoses. But this was clearly NOT where they were leaking, they were definitely leaking from where the two halves of the bodies connected. In his mind he was right and I was just a dumb customer. I made him redo them anyway, and sure enough, after he finally cleaned the mating surfaces properly this time instead of just rushing and slapping them together, they didn't leak. I watched him redo them and could tell that he had missed some carbon on the mating surfaces.

Sometimes mechanics get in too much of a hurry and then it backfires when they have to do the job over.

__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

It was a series of poor repairs done be a succession of shops that were both incompetent and dishonest that caused me to stop going to mechanics and learn how to do all my own repairs. This was back in 2005/2006, and I haven't looked back.

These days, I only go in for tires and alignment. The only non-tire/alignment repair I brought a ca in for in the past 9 or 10 years was to have a rear brake wheel cylinder (an old Subaru with rear drum brakes) swapped when I couldn't, for the life of me, get the drum off the hub.

As I said, all I go in for now are tires and alignments. But, recently, I had a screw-up with that, too.

Long story follows... apologies in advance.

(Cliff notes version - tire shop installed tapered lug nuts backwards, and I was lucky not to get into a deadly wreck as a result.)


Full story:

My wife took my winter daily driver (1995 Subaru Legacy - different Subaru than mentioned above) on a month-long business trip (maybe 2500 miles round trip?) back in early November. I was going to fly out from MA to Louisville, meet her for Thanksgiving at the in-laws', and we were going to complete the return trip together.

Before I flew out there, my car broke down - close to Louisville, thankfully. She got towed in the last 100 miles or so. She sent me photos and video of the damage (thank goodness for living in the information age). After a few days trying to diagnose while being 1200 miles away from the car, I determined that the lug nuts on the left front wheel had come loose (yes, I checked them before the trip), maybe 2000 miles after the wheel was last off, for reasons undetermined. The lug nuts were destroyed as the wheel flopped around. The studs were destroyed. Even the lug holes in the wheel were destroyed.

I canceled my flight and ended up driving out to Louisville solo in the Volvo wagon. I brought new spare rim (donut spare) for the Subaru, tools, new lug nuts, and new studs. I spent most of Thanksgiving out in the street installing new studs. Once that was done, I mounted up my full size spare.

So, that was all good. But, I needed the tire swapped from the now-bad rim to the good rim from the old full size spare. As the Subaru is AWD, all four tires need to match.

HERE'S WHERE WE GET TO THE RELEVANT PART OF THE STORY...

I took the Subaru to a local tire shop in Louisville as soon as they opened on Black Friday and had them swap the good tire to the good rim, and dispose my bald full-size spare and the bad rim. I got in first thing in the morning. They worked quickly enough and I was back in business.

I pulled a muscle in my back while swapping the studs, so I was in a lot of pain. I didn't look over the tire shop's work too well. As I was in pain and we were on a schedule, we ended up driving back together in the Volvo. I left the Subaru in Kentucky and returned for it 2-3 weeks later using the credit from the canceled flight.

The Subaru drove back without any difficulty, and I drove it all winter without any problem. Anyhow, a couple of weeks back, I finally got around to swapping my mounted winter tires out for my all-seasons. When I did, I found that the tire shop had installed the tapered lug nuts backward. The worst part is that I didn't notice and correct it myself when I paid for the car, or when I flew out to drive it home, or before I drove the car all winter.

So, I have to accept responsibility for not catching the mistake. But, still, a professional tire shop should NOT have gotten that wrong. Period.


Thankfully, no additional damage happened and I didn't get into an accident.

Ever been told by a young mechanic that he can't work on the vehicle because it has no data port?

I have. This was in the "big city". Also had an alignment shop tell me they could not align my w123 or my '90 D250 because the computer did not go back that far...

__________________
RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

99 W210 E300 Turbo Diesel, chipped, DPF/Converter Delete. Still needs EGR Delete, 232K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Gone and still missed...1982 w123 300D, 1991 w124 300D

I too have not had many positive experiences.

My parents Volvo V70 needed a fuel pump, it was one of those half the rear end needs to come out for access deals so they took it to a shop and when it came back the fuel gauge didn't work. Somehow they weaseled out of responsibility and it was never fixed.

More recently I went through a nightmare with my wife's Buick. The car is close to rusted out but runs and drives great with only 80k. It was my mistake to buy it without looking at the undercarriage. Anyway the inspection ran out so I took it to a shop, they failed it for the parking brake being rusted out (it was) a few minor things like wipers, and a rear strut which I was told was "hanging by the rubber and about to break and pop your tire, it'll be a $1,000 to fix everything."

So I fix the parking brake and rusted out fuel lines, etc. and take it to another nearby shop for round 2. It fails again with a completely new list of issues. I kept the print out from shop 1 since I had a feeling this would happen. So I ask the guy, how about that rear strut? Oh that's fine but your intake is leaking and your steering box is leaking, brakes are bad etc. Yeah okay but how about this print out from the shop around the corner where none of those things are mentioned? Then they went on the defensive and offered to not charge me for the failed inspection but I paid anyway because that's kind of how I am. Mind you the check engine light has never been on so both failures were purely "visual."

So the car becomes a lawn ornament for a year or so and then we eventually re-register it with a 10 day pass. I've finally got the hint that these city shops aren't to be trusted and take it out to a good ol' boy in the sticks. Voila! Passes on the first try, he even mentioned that the brakes look great.