Am I being lied to by a MB Dealer regarding a glo plug that won't come off?? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

b52rule · #16 01-15-2004, 09:01 PM

I've got a 95D with 160,000 on it. I did replace the flex disc at about 120k, it was cracked and slipping. The glow plugs are fine, as are the belts and bolts. I think it cost $450, but I had it in for fliuds, brakes, and an overall checkup. I'm also a mechanic and saw the disc while it was up on the lift. It was done by an indy

B52rule

#17 01-15-2004, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by b52rule
I did replace the flex disc at about 120k, it was cracked and slipping. ... I think it cost $450... I'm also a mechanic and saw the disc while it was up on the lift. It was done by an indy

I don't know how different the newer cars ar designed, but as a DIY'er I replaced my front disk for the $50 cost of the disk and 1/2 hour work under the car. It's no wonder they can afford to keep their shops so well stocked, they make a fortune off every coustomer! I bet the flex disk didn't cost more than $10 to make.

db07974 · #18 01-17-2004, 12:12 PM

Okay, at the risk of sounding like a woman, I just want to cry. Went to pick up my car this a.m. Recall that 5 glo plugs were replaced (glo plug #4 is frozen), new belt installed, new disc installed.

Turned the car on and, in addition to the car shaking when 1st started in the cold, which it did before I brought it in, it now makes this HORRID clanking sound when it starts and as it keeps running.

Additionally, my coil light on the dash does not work, i.e., you turn the key half way until the coil light goes out and then you start the car. This feature worked perfectly prior to bringing it in to Millenium Mercedes, now it is dead. Asked this young mechanic why and he said because Glo Plug #4 does not work. We told him that is not true because 3 glo plugs were not working before and it worked just fine, now only 1 is not working and it is broken?

This is a nightmare. This is (was) a gem car. Ran so beautifully, everything working on it. Bring it in to a mercedes dealer and $920 later, it clanks and does not light up.

We left the car there and did not pay for the repair. It is Saturday, but Monday the manager will be in and we will complain to him.

Please advise as to what went wrong. I feel like my beautiful 9 year old car which was close to perfect a week ago is now ruined.

Thanks in advance,
Diane

300TD · #19 01-17-2004, 07:14 PM

Sorry to hear of the continuing trouble. I have been to that dealer for parts only. I have no experiance with the service department.

It seems that you may be within range of the oldwick village garage. I have had minor dealings with them. I have also spoken to other MB owners who have had good experiences with them. Like I said in a previous post, they are right off route 78, not far from Milleneum. Might be worth your time and money to try an indy with a good rep.

I hope this helps.

fj bertrand · #20 01-17-2004, 07:33 PM

One cause of the clanking could be the pistons slapping the cylinder walls if the weather was real cold when first started.
How long did you let it run before you turned it back off? Its been colder in Jersey and could this be your first experience with real cold weather starts?

Yeah, I think its real bad to see that dealers can really mess up
and thank lie about it. Whatever happened to, 'first do no harm' or is that for drs only

db07974 · #21 01-17-2004, 07:57 PM

Thank you for your consolation. Yes, we ran the engine for approx. 15 minutes. The clanking got a little less but was still there. The young Saturday mechanic pulled on something that sits over the manifold to race the engine but it did not help. This is a nightmare.

kip Foss · #22 03-03-2004, 09:41 PM

A note from someone who has owned Diesels (GM) for 23 years. GM , apparently like MB, made the holes for their glow plugs the same size as the plug so that when the GP overheats and swells it won't come out. My solution, and I have changed many, many GPs is to grab the GP with a vice grip and pry it out of the hole. The ends of the GPs are very thin metal that will snap off. When this piece falls into the engine it does no damage. It is so thin that it is easily compressed and eventually gets blown out through the exhaust or burned up. I have probably broken off 10-15 plugs and have never had a problem. I doubt that the MB plugs are much different since they are both Bosch.

JHZR2 · #23 03-03-2004, 10:04 PM

I believe the pincil tips on our glow plugs are solid. Are you saying that it will send a solid piece of metal through the exhaust system? Do you have lots of annoying non-engine rattles from all those glow plug tips in your exhaust system

JMH

db07974 · #24 03-04-2004, 08:05 AM

Funny you should ask this. When I went to pick my car up after only 5 glo plugs were changed, there was a clanking sound that was really loud and had never been there before. I refused to take the car and left it there so that the manager could investigate what was done, dropped or not done. Also, my glo plug light on the dash was disconnected and they tried to tell me that it was because glo plug #4 would not come off. Since the light worked before with 3 glo plugs dead (including #4), I did not buy this. So, as I said, I left it there. Miraculously, they were then able to get the 6th glo plug off and change it. When I picked it up, all was okay EXCEPT now, in cold weather, a loud siren noise comes from the driver's side of the dash. The weather has been warmer so this has not been a problem. Will not bring it back to that dealer ever again.

P.E.Haiges · #25 03-04-2004, 10:25 AM

b52rule,

How can a flexjoint slip? If it was so bad that it came apart, the driveshaft might become disconnected but I don't see how it could slip.

I had a rear flexdisc come completely apart (all the rubber was gone) and I still made it all the way home from NC to PA, about 600 miles. Car was a 220D.

I do understand a front flexdisc failing can can cause extensive damage. However if you can't see the cord separating from the flexdisc, just the rubber surface cracking, it doesn't need to be replaced.

P E H

P.E.Haiges · #26 03-04-2004, 10:55 AM

I'm still wondering how the broken end of a GP could get into the cylinder. The holes in the end the pre-chamber going into the cylinder are very small and anything that could get thru these small holes could easily go out the exhaust valve.

I thought that a broken off GP tip could be removed from the pre-chamber by removing the injector and possibly removing the pre-chamber with out the necessity of removing the head.

I never had a problem removing a GP from the cast iron head MB engines. That's another reason I dislike aluminum heads. How many problems are caused by aluminum heads that are worth saving a few pounds in a car that weighs 4000 pounds.

P E H