Is merecedes too troublesome ? - Page 33 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Lorenzo7 · #**481** 11-14-2004, 05:38 PM

I love Mercedes and there is no substitute when it comes to safety (and isn't that more important than anything else). I would take a side impact in my 1984 300SD anyday over any American or small Japanese car. That said, I had 1980 and 1982 Honda Civics that over 280,000 miles when I sold them both still running and legal. I had a 1989 Nissan Sentra with 225,000 on it when I sold it to a friend- everything worked even the a/c. My 1987 Toyota P/U had 240,000 on it when I sold it the other week, this was a work truck (and got worked hard) with 1/10th the maintenance needs of the MB. My mother's 1990 Honda CRX has 250,000 on it and has never even had to replace so much as the alternator (excluding clutch and brakes). My 300SD was my father's (original owner) who maintained it meticulously, and has been a great car to me but it does need REGULAR care to maintain that MB quality and reliability. And the cost factor is so much higher than the Japanese cars (what is more expensive to fix though, your car or your mangled up body after a wreck in a little tin box). I know this probably doesn't count for much coming from a guy trying to sell his MB though does it??!!

sdanville · #**482** 11-14-2004, 05:43 PM

then what would you replace it with ?
Volvo ?

yosshimura · #**483** 11-14-2004, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plink49

This thread has been going for far too long, and here is my reasoning: If you own a Mercedes Benz and are unhappy with it then why are you here at a site for enthusiasts for the marque? ........................... You do not have to own a Benz....if you choose to, then love it or leave it, but please stop whining!

Because, enthsusiasts, like you, and me, and everyone on one of these forums, are blind and overlook problems as "just maintainance" or "just upkeep" or "repair $ or $ for new car payment".... you know we twist problems to not seem so bad and come back for more potential problems down the line... Me, for example, on my third ovp.... after the first and/or second I was like "no prblem, just an ovp", then after the last one, I was like "f this POS, my former 74 pontiac was more reliable", now on my last ovp (I thiink, not sure, the car left me stranded), yesterday I was like "that's it, don't let me NOT sell the car, I have to sell it...." TOday, I am like, well, it ain't so bad , LOL.... and am accepting it

... and not calling it junk .,...

BUT when you look at it as a third person... they are not that reliable.... put it this way, I ran out of Tows on my aaa membership... and my g/f's FOCUS hasn't broken down one time, where my pristine, fully doc'ed 95 has let me down 4 times in 6-8 months..... Which I could just lease a new one or BMW

yosshimura · #**484** 12-07-2004, 09:23 PM

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=763478&posted=1#post763478post763478

That's my last problem.... WHen I bought the car (2nd Mercedes) I knew I needed to budget for "maintainance" ... no problem, but when the car starts leaving you stranded, no matter how simple the fix is, that is UNRELIABLE

. I am going out with some freinds this wknd, and even my g/f said "we can go in their car" ....

since my car left us stranded at the last concert we went to in the bad part of town where the parking was at!

SO how much do you say its OK on all these breakdowns for you guys? I am talking about items that break, don't just call it "maiintainance" type of things

Each time I fix something, I figure this is it... bam... another ovp, another relay

... fortunately its just been "inexpensive" type stuff

sdanville · #**485** 12-07-2004, 09:28 PM

I feel silly asking, like I should know this, bit what is an OVP that keeps breaking and stranding you ?
thanks

fahrgewehr2 · #**486** 12-07-2004, 09:44 PM

Yoshimurra,

If the same part continues to fail you, why not carry a spare to avoid being stranded? Or perhaps there is a root cause to your problem? a protection relay sacrfices itself for a reason...why does yours feel the need so often?

yosshimura · #**487** 12-07-2004, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fahrgewehr2

Yoshimurra,

If the same part continues to fail you, why not carry a spare to avoid being stranded? Or perhaps there is a root cause to your problem? a protection relay sacrfices itself for a reason...why does yours feel the need so often?

Well, as of last month I have been carrying a spare OVP, guess I need a spare FUel pressure reg... as well

which defeats the problem, like you said something is causing it.... as for the fuel pressure reg, 2 in six months, maybe it was just the fuel filter dirty (????) in 30K miles and made the fuel pumps work more and the relay was getting hot?? I don't know I am guessing.

As for the OVP.... I guess it did get fixed last in AUg,... the source of the problem (getting wet), as it hasn't gone bad again.... but I went through 3 I think by the time they discovered the leaking water...

Still, problems ...

sdanville · #**488** 12-07-2004, 10:03 PM

How many miles do you have on this 10 year old Mercedes ?

blackmercedes · #**489** 12-07-2004, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yosshimura

SO how much do you say its OK on all these breakdowns for you guys?

In about 800,000km's of MB driving, I have been left on the roadside once. My Dad also has been left once. In an 87 190E of mine, it was -42C and I had not used fuel line anti-freeze. The fuel filter is in a bad spot for freezing, and I ended up on the roadside at -42C. Not happy, but I didn't let it happen again. Dad had the alternator on his 190E fail and had to have a tow. My wife had the voltage regualtor fail while driving one of 190's and had to be towed. That's it. Our Mazda 626 has been towed four times in it's life, which is pretty good for 17 years. Every car might break down as it ages. Even the best Japanese cars have things that make them stop.

I understand having a car you won't trust. That sucks. And it happens, and it happens with all makes. The least reliable car I ever owned was an Acura.

If you really have to have a car that has the least chance of breaking down, a Corolla is probably the best bet.

Admiral Ahani · #**490** 12-14-2004, 06:39 PM

Hey,
I haven't posted on this forum in a while due to the fact that I bought a Porsche 944 and I've had Porsche on the brain for a while. Well, guess what? The porsche took me 5 months to get sorted out and fixed, and about 3 days after it was done (and I did a LOT of fixing) it just decided not to start for no apparent reason. The 300TD is STILL running. It's had a bad axle for about 3000 miles, and it's still going. I LOVE THAT CAR. Mom's porsche is breaking, dad's porsche is broken, dad's chevy is broken, my porsche is broken. Although, dad's benz is also broken

. No I'm not rich, we just have a lot of cheap cars. The only thing wrong with my dad's benz is the CRAPPPPY benz tranny. Benz can't make transmissions. Dad's 928 also has a benz tranny and thats the broken thing on it. The tranny on my 300td flares often, and the one on my bro's 300d slips all the time.

Moral of the rant: benz is awesome except for their transmissions. And the C class.

manny · #**491** 12-14-2004, 06:45 PM

I just love people whining about problems on their 20 + year old cars.
Maybe when you grow up you can go & design/build transmissions for M-B.
Btw. Noooooo problems at all with my " C ".

sdanville · #**492** 12-14-2004, 06:49 PM

so manny, if I am correct, you are whining about whiners.

ktlimq · #**493** 12-14-2004, 07:19 PM

Admiral Ahani,

Sorry for out of topic question.

I just want to know what flaring tranny means and what slipping tranny means.

I guess a slipping tranny rev's up at shift. But I have no clue what flaring tranny means.

psfred · #**494** 12-14-2004, 07:32 PM

That's funny, between my brother and I we have six Benz auto trannies, varying in age from 32 to 16 years of age, all with more than 200,000 miles on them, and the only problems we have had, are, litterally, two sets of leaking flex hoses to the cooler in the rad and a worn through steel cooler line.

I've personally been driving one or another of these cars for eight years, no tranny problems.

Your's must have been abused in a previous life, since I'm sure you are good about changing the fluid and filter on a regular basis.

Use synthetic tranny fluid next time, it's very nice.

Peter

Hatterasguy · #**495** 12-14-2004, 07:33 PM

Benz doesn't make good trans?

Since when? It is not uncommen for a trans in a W124, W126, or W123 to see 300k+ miles. Heck mine is up to 243k and I know the fluid was not changed from 80k-233k. But she still keeps on ticking except for leaking and a minor slip every now and then. Once I seal it back up I expect this trans to last close to 300k.

Now Ford makes a crap trans.