How to Find an Honest Mechanic and Importance of MB Specialty - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

aklim · #16 02-04-2005, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott98

It's not all rocket science. If I needed an engine rebuilt then I would seek out a Mercedes specialist. But for everday repairs a highly skilled mechanic with access to service manuals should easily be able to fix most things on your car.

Scott

Repairs with the service manual is the easy part. Diagnosis is what I am more concerned about. You can take any mechanic and they can replace parts. For them to diagnose why this is doing that is what I think is harder. For instance, Gilly is a qualified MB tech. I would trust him to work on my MB any day of the week. However, if he were to work on my GM L98 engine, he might be able to do some things but as far as diagnosis, he might not be the greatest. Given time, I suppose he could come to the proper conclusion but he might not know all the little quirks of this engine whereas, I suspect that drunk and half asleep, he probably would do a far better job on my MB than I could sober and alert. Are the principles the same? Sure. All engines are basically "Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow." Would he know that at idle the pulse width of a L98 engine should be around 1.6 ms? give or take 0.2 ms? Probably not. Given time, I'm sure he could figure it out. That is why I send my MB to him and my L98 to Hitechmotorsport or Lingenfelter.

In an old carbed car or in say a 103 engine, all it takes is a couple of meters. However, the more complex cars get, the harder it is to just use a DVOM and a dwell meter to diagnose everything. That is why i want my tech to be familiar with the nuances of the car.

aklim · #17 02-04-2005, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott98

I definitely agree that a Mercedes trained mechanic is better than one who isn't and I will always take my car to a Mercedes trained person when one is available. However, I do most repairs on the car myself and I'm not a factory trained mechanic. I've rebuilt the front end, replaced shocks, installed a rack pin in the injection pump, adjusted my valves and even put a water pump on a 190 2.6 among other things all with the help of just the service manuals. These kinds of jobs aren't difficult and if you have the info in front of you that tells you how to do it, there's no reason you can't. Again, not all repairs on these cars are rocket science. Some are but many aren't.

Scott

In that car, I needed a couple things and I added a CD changer and it worked. In my 99 C280, I had to have an SDS convice the ECM that a CD changer was needed. There is a huge difference between those 2 cars in the diagnosis. With the 103 engine, all you needed was a dwell meter to set the fuel enrichment. With today's cars, you need more and more tools. Hell, I can't even put a CD changer in my car without the SDS. How am I going to time the injector pump on my car? I have to buy a $250 tool and try figure how to use it and what not.

aklim · #18 02-04-2005, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwitchKitty

You may talk to a MB specialist when you drop-off your car and then when it is rolled in the back a minimum wage hack actually turns the wrenches.

It is much easier to find someone to work on the older lower-tech cars. There is a good reason why people dump high-tech cars before the warranty period expires.

Be clear on the shop's policy for come-backs. What will they do if you pay a bunch of money and the problem is not fixed or if three other problems are created during the repair?

How do you figure? Every time I go to the back, none of my dealership techs are the minimum wage hacks. In fact, when Gilly was working at Zimbrick, I ALWAYS specify that I want him to work. So the service writer plans it around when Gilly can work. Now, if I need service work done, I tell the writer I want XXX to work on my car. When is XXX advailable? No, I don't want YYY.

People who buy high tech cars also do it for the Whiz-Bang features. Hell, I like the fact that my mirror slants when the car is in reverse. Cute feature. same with the memory seats. Do I use it to the point that I cannot drive without it? No. Is it necessary? No. Is it fun to have? Yes. After a few years, if I could affort it, I might get a better car with more toys. That is also part of the mentality. If I sell a car with a warranty, I could ask more than without too.

With a dealership or an independent, you have to know their policies. My dealership will not warranty the parts. I cannot expect them to warranty more than the fix since I bring in the parts myself. However, your parts and your labor, if it breaks within a year, the repair is on you. When I bought a fuel level sender from Zimbrick and they installed it, they paid when I had a prblem next week seeing as the part was bad.

Scott98 · #19 02-04-2005, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

In that car, I needed a couple things and I added a CD changer and it worked. In my 99 C280, I had to have an SDS convice the ECM that a CD changer was needed. There is a huge difference between those 2 cars in the diagnosis. With the 103 engine, all you needed was a dwell meter to set the fuel enrichment. With today's cars, you need more and more tools. Hell, I can't even put a CD changer in my car without the SDS. How am I going to time the injector pump on my car? I have to buy a $250 tool and try figure how to use it and what not.

Maybe I should have qualified my earlier posts. The cars that I am referring to are older models (i.e. early 90's and older). You are definitely correct in saying that the newer cars are much more complicated and require more expensive, specialized tools to work on. That's absolutely ridiculous about your CD player. There's no reason a car has to be that complicated. I put a new deck and CD changer into my car a couple months ago. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if it was a newer model.

Scott

aklim · #20 02-04-2005, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott98

Maybe I should have qualified my earlier posts. The cars that I am referring to are older models (i.e. early 90's and older). You are definitely correct in saying that the newer cars are much more complicated and require more expensive, specialized tools to work on. That's absolutely ridiculous about your CD player. There's no reason a car has to be that complicated. I put a new deck and CD changer into my car a couple months ago. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if it was a newer model.

Scott

That is because the CD changer is controlled by the radio deck which also has a tape player and a phone.

Inserting the CD changer without the SDS could mean it might work for a while but then it might not after a bit.

TwitchKitty · #21 02-04-2005, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

How do you figure? Every time I go to the back, none of my dealership techs are the minimum wage hacks.

Real easy, I thought it would be obvious that I wasn't talking about a dealership. But these days not much surprises me anymore.

By the way, I don't even want a cheap hack changing parts on my car.

Botnst · #22 02-04-2005, 07:48 PM

I read a whole lot about my car after I blought it. I read mostly on this website and learned as many buzzwords and common problems and terminology as possible. I talked to mechanics and listened to what they said about my car and was especially attentive to their opinions concerning M-B topics that get a lot of argument here.

The mechanic I use is an old fart about my age that has a 240D with a million miles on it and the original paint and engine (rebuilt 400K ago). The interior is rough and the car needs new paint. But the engine sounds great and his wife drives it all over the place. This told me he knows old cars; likes them; can keep them running way beyond natural life; and that his wife trusts his work.

His parts costs are about what you get on line. His labor rates are not extraordinary and he works deliberately and not very quickly. The work he has done was final--no messin' around after he did a job.

His one shortcoming is that he has a substance abuse problem. I would NEVER take him a car on Friday or Monday.

aklim · #23 02-04-2005, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwitchKitty

Real easy, I thought it would be obvious that I wasn't talking about a dealership. But these days not much surprises me anymore.

By the way, I don't even want a cheap hack changing parts on my car.

I still don't see. How do you know it is a min wage hack working on anything? If you drop off the car, don't you know who is working on it? I have gone to independents and I KNOW who is touching it because I request that person and I am there to make sure things go as planned.

TwitchKitty · #24 02-04-2005, 08:55 PM

I know because I know people who own and run shops and I know their reputations and I know their employees and I know what they make and I hear the inside stories and I worked in shops when I was in high school and why are being a pain in the ass about this?

aklim · #25 02-04-2005, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwitchKitty

I know because I know people who own and run shops and I know their reputations and I know their employees and I know what they make and I hear the inside stories and I worked in shops when I was in high school and why are being a pain in the ass about this?

OK. What I am saying is that if you know the tech is knowledgable and you ask for him, why can't you make sure it is he who is working on your car? I take time off to make sure that my car is worked on by whom I choose and I watch them.

IMO, letting someone work on your car without you ensuring that what you want is done is something like having sex with a blindfold. Once in a while, maybe. Certainly not all the time.

TwitchKitty · #26 02-04-2005, 11:28 PM

The question was: How to Find an Honest Mechanic and Importance of MB Specialty?

I posted some considerations and concerns in achieving that goal. What do want from me? I don't understand your involving me further in this.

Botnst · #27 02-04-2005, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

OK. What I am saying is that if you know the tech is knowledgable and you ask for him, why can't you make sure it is he who is working on your car? I take time off to make sure that my car is worked on by whom I choose and I watch them.

IMO, letting someone work on your car without you ensuring that what you want is done is something like having sex with a blindfold. Once in a while, maybe. Certainly not all the time.

I never have considered sex with a blindfold. Women, my hands, farm animals and extraterrestrials have entered my life or fantasy at various times.

But sex with a blindfold? Whoa....kinky!!!
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Oh you mean sex while WEARING a blindfold........Oh well.

I'm kind of embarrassed.

B