PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

ksing44 · #40 03-03-2006, 05:36 AM

Everyone has helped me as I deal with my emotions with regard to my car. Even the people who simply say they don’t want to hear me complain have provided some guidance. The simple fact is that I am very attached to the car and I really planned to keep forever. I am just disappointed, so I am blowing off some steam to people I think understand what is like to really love to drive a car.

I really think it might end up OK, if I listen to one very friendly guy’s advice and just take a breath and work my way through it. As I said above in another post, the plan is to wait for a while and then ultimately do the head gasket, timing cover, and wiring harness. My plan is to have that work done at an independent mechanic and give up on the dealer. As I know I said somewhere in all of my posts, I can endure paying a couple of thousand per year. I just wasn’t prepared to pay 5, 6, or 7K this year. I am not saying I can’t afford to pay. I just don’t want to be a knucklehead and spend my money foolishly. The transmission thing really is very minor. In fact it might not be noticeable to anyone that simply took it for a spin or even a very hard ride. Even the shop foreman had to drive it a second time and pay very close attention, just to recognize that there was a small issue. Hopefully the AC will be fine, with the maximum being only a simple recharge for this summer. It was OK last summer after the charge and no leaks have yet been detected.

I am still a bit concerned about the engine cooling system, however, since I don’t know what happened there. The dealer replaced the water pump, thermostat, all of the hoses, along with flushing the system and replacing the serpentine belt. Everything seemed fine, but then I noticed coolant all over my garage floor. The little plastic nub on the radiator, where the breather tube connects, had just popped out. I saw that it was just a simple snap in piece and I just snapped it back on. It is still attached a week later, so I don’t know if that will reoccur. It was just one more thing. It was kind of the straw that broke this camel’s back, in terms of my emotional stability and faith in my car’s reliability. I was afraid the dealer had messed up the plastic radiator neck, which from what I have read on these forums is another poorly engineered weakness of my W124.

So anyway, thank you to everyone that listened and gave supporting advice as I blew off some steam about my car. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t car so much about it being broken or about possibly having to give it up. I think I am gradually getting to a better place, where I can accept the flaws in my car, but still appreciate its beauty. Although I may again feel the love for the car, I doubt that I will ever brag about the greatness of German engineering.