Mechanic left the brake cap off reservoir 6 weeks ago - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Benzasaurus · #1 06-26-2016, 02:36 AM

I was showing my cars for sale yesterday and when we popped the hood on the sedan I immediately noticed that the cap on the brake reservoir was missing. I'm going back Monday morning and I'm going to give them hell.

But the receipt is from 6 weeks ago. What really pisses me off is the possibility they found cap lying around the shop and didn't call.

So how screwed is my brake system? Do I need them to be replacing the lot because of internal rot at this point? I have no idea how to convince them to do that given the date on the work. And now I feel nervous having them do the work itself!

The irony is that I took it in to them because I like a professional to take care of safety issues. This was the first time I took my car to someone in New Jersey after moving last summer. Jesus Christ.

And some forum members may have read my other thread about moving to Switzerland. I'm supposed to move in 2 weeks! Today a friend agreed to babysit it for me if it didn't sell. He has three children and was looking forward to Sunday driving it. The thought of them in it without any brakes...

tjts1 · #2 06-26-2016, 03:03 AM

I would just find a different mechanic and have them change out the fluid in the whole system. Shouldn't be too expensive or time consuming. Other than the fluid your brake system is fine.

Benzasaurus · #3 06-26-2016, 03:09 AM

Thanks for the reply. So you don't reckon the lines need replacing as a preventative measure? Or just not by them? I thought the moisture that will have come in would have damaged the lines or laid the groundwork by now.

I'm still kind of in shock tbh. Didn't notice when I took engine photos for the sale because I was looking at the camera. Looked back at the photos, there it is.

tjts1 · #4 06-26-2016, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus

Thanks for the reply. So you don't reckon the lines need replacing as a preventative measure? Or just not by them? I thought the moisture that will have come in would have damaged the lines or laid the groundwork by now.

I'm still kind of in shock tbh. Didn't notice when I took engine photos for the sale because I was looking at the camera. Looked back at the photos, there it is.

No, its not going to damage the lines that quickly since theres no O2 inside. Just brake fluid and some moisture. Get some fresh brake fluid in there and a cap and it'll be fine.

My old Neon (many years ago) was missing its reservoir cap for a couple of years until someone pointed it out to me. At that point I had no idea of the importance of the cap but the brakes functioned just fine through out. I'm sure the fluid wasn't fine and its boiling point was compromised and full of dirt but in normal driving the brakes always worked until the day I drove it to the JY.

vstech · #5 06-26-2016, 06:33 AM

Cap is vented
No worries.
Get a new cap.
Done.

Benzasaurus · #6 06-26-2016, 07:12 AM

Thanks to you both. Relieved it's not a big deal (unlike what Google told me).

I initially thought it wasn't a big deal yesterday and then everything I read at 2am said YOU WILL DIE or LINES ARE ROTTING.

Funny how that's all you find on the internet at 2am...

funola · #7 06-26-2016, 08:00 AM

No harm done. A little more dirt got in. Witout the cap and its low brake fluid switch, didn't the brake warning light come on? If not, It may be still laying on something with the wire connected to it and the switch activated simulating gòod brake fluid level.

funola · #8 06-26-2016, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funola

No harm done. A little more dirt got in. Witout the cap and its low brake fluid switch, didn't the brake warning light come on? If not, It may be still laying on something with the wire connected to it and the switch activated simulating gòod brake fluid level.

I take that back. Got mixed up with my VW where the low level switch is integral to the cap.

Junkman · #9 06-26-2016, 08:36 AM

Raising hell with a mechanic never helped me or probably anyone else. The really incompetent don't have the ability to fix it. The slightly incompetent don't have an incentive to fix it once you ***** and they realize that no more business is likely to come from you. The competent that made a mistake are apologetic, happy to correct and don't deserve to be *****ed at.

Benzasaurus · #10 06-26-2016, 09:24 AM

Ahhh, well, let me be clear. My giving them hell would go something like this.

"Hi... Wayne?"
"hello"
"Hi Wayne, it's good to see you again! Did you get out in your old Ford this weekend? The weather's lovely."
"Nerp, been busy dicking people's cars over."
"Oh, ok. You really should get out though. So, listen, I stopped by because I popped the hood on my sedan yesterday and the cap on my brake reservoir is missing."
[conversation goes one of two ways]
(1) "oh, you better get a new one."
(2) "OH, I have it right here. I thought I called? Sorry."
"Thanks, Wayne. So I'm a little worried because of all that rain we've had lately. I have the receipt. Is there any way you could flush the system and just fill it up with new brake fluid?"
"Umm... I'd have to charge you."
[A bit of back and forth]
"Ok Wayne, a bad Yelp review it is. Sorry you couldn't work with me on this."

And a bad Yelp review results. I'm not mean to people who give bad service, I just never give them my money again. With brakes though, I feel like he should make it right. Lol. My version of giving him hell is pointing out the error.

DieselPaul · #11 06-28-2016, 11:59 AM

BRING THE PAIN!

As everyone else said, your brake system is fine. It's a careless mistake, but its a fairly harmless one.

leathermang · #12 06-28-2016, 12:46 PM

Your brake lines are just fine...
if you have been changing out the brake fluid every couple of years as recommended...
suck the fluid out of the top with a turkey baster... put new in and bleed the brakes making sure all the lines are full of new fluid...
They may have left the top somewhere on the engine or wheel well...and it fell of as you were going down the road... so they may not have failed to call having found the cap at their location...

Benzasaurus · #13 07-05-2016, 03:43 PM

Just an update on how that conversation did go in the end—as predicted. "oh you better get a new one."

With the added: "It couldn't have been me because I don't even remove the cap when I do the brakes." The mechanic told me that he bleeds the brakes and refills them from below to prevent air getting into the system, so he couldn't have been the one who removed the cap. He didn't even open the hood at all, let alone check the condition of components under the hood.

So here I am, listening to him spin this while he doesn't look me in the eye for five whole minutes. He claims he never even opened the hood. He didn't make eye-contact during our entire conversation from him leaning over a truck in the shop, to me walking him out to the car and popping the hood, to him squinting at the engine and telling me it wasn't him, telling me how he doesn't even use the reservoir when he refills the fluid so he wouldn't have even seen the cap lying around his shop anyway, to taking down my number inside "in case he came across someone who had one for sale." Only once he had my number did he look me in the eye for a half second, before glancing away as he asked me, "do you want me to shut your hood or do you know how to do that?" Can't make this stuff up. Granted, I'm not a mechanical expert but I can shut the damn hood.

I'm always skeptical when people say someone was acting "shifty". But sweet Jesus, man, learn to lie better. Or maybe have less self-doubt. Or both. I'm hardly a CIA interrogator.

So a bad Yelp review it is, I think.

Thanks to Gskurka who offered to post me a new cap!

Case closed.

leathermang · #14 07-05-2016, 03:46 PM

WOW...that is the most amazing tale I have ever heard.....
no way , no how did he do what he claimed....
amazing...

Benzasaurus · #15 07-05-2016, 03:53 PM

That's what I figured. But it was so outlandish, so spectacular, so easy to disprove (by Leathermang) I thought he couldn't be lying. It must be my ignorance of intrepid brake bleeding methods. I'd never heard of it, but since I'm not a mechanic, there are lots of things I haven't heard of. So I didn't call him on it a second time. I did call him on it a first time, and he doubled down.

I'll just point out as well that I look like a 2nd grade school teacher on a bad hair day as well. I'm not some giant rolling coal with a bat named Lucille in the passenger seat. Nothing scary. I don't know why he didn't just offer to make it right.