Bought a lemon. Advice please.

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tombo5609

Active Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
98
Car
mercedes e270
In Feb of last year i bought a lovely looking e211CDI and drove it for a month before going away. on my return 2 months later a series of problems started which have just about P-----d me off.

On my return the car stuck in first gear and would not change. i took it to MBTech in Warrington who informed me of a list of problems that required sorting so biting the bullet I told them to go ahead and at the end recieved a bill for 2900 pounds but thought that at least I now had a properly sorted car which would last me many a year. Part of the work done was a gearbox oil and filter change.

I had barely done 300 miles when a juddering indicated torque converter problems. This was sorted out with a new converter for a bill of 700pounds. I have now spent 3600 pounds on a 3000 pound car. As you are all probably aware part of the job is a gearbox oil and filter change despite the fact that it had only been changed a few hundred miles ago.

I have only done a few hundred miles since the converter was changed and started to get gear change problems resulting in the car not changing at all. The panel indicator said it was a speed sensor problem.

I then took the car to a local garage who said that all indications where that it was the speed sensor and the would need to drop the gearbox sump and have a look.
I recieved a phone call to say that when they looked at the gearbox it was dry of oil and this would probably be the cause of the problems. Because of the cost involved they just renewed the oil, replaced the seals and handed it back. it now will not change gear.

The advice I need from you guys with more knowledge than myself is where do i stand now. I have written to The Converter Shop as they where the last to work on the car but as from now have recieved no response.

I have a feeling that all concerned are just going to say " It was all right when it left here mate".

I am left in a position that if dont get the job done with unseen costs I am left with a car with only scrap value after spending 4000 pounds to put right.. If I give a garage the go ahead and it costs me a couple of grand then I am left in a position that i will have spent 6-7 thousand on the same car.

I fel that somewhere along the road someone should take responsibility but not sure what I can do which is where I would appreciate the advice.

After owning Mercs for 30 yrs without problems you can understand why i am p----d off.:mad:
 
I am wondering if you have a leak elsewhere- perhaps in the flexible hoses leading to the gearbox fluid cooler pumping out fluid or the cooler itself?
Your problem is compounded by several companies working on the car.
MBtech Warrington
The Convertor shop
The Local Garage.
Did any of these organisations offer any warranty on their work?
 
Hi Grahame,
Thanks for the response but on each occasion i took it to the nearest garage as advised on the dashboard read out.

Two of them, MBtech and The Converter Shop where recomended on this forum.

Of course when I come from the garage in question everything is fine, for a couple of hundred miles.

What The problem is that once you start spending money on a car is where to get off. Each time you think it is OK then something else goes wrong.

This should not happen.

Tom
 
Could have been a leak that caused the initial fault. Did MBTech ever venture that the initial problems were caused by low fluid? If so then it might be inferred they should perhaps have looked for leaks in the total system. Your position might be strengthened if your local garage could find such a leak??? Its important to check this since it would appear fluid loss is occurring.
you may find this post useful- http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/88418-how-change-automatic-gerbox-oil-flush-722-6-box-2.html

ps not saying that this is the problem but there seems to be a common factor at play here which neither repairs appears to have addressed.
 
Last edited:
What year is your 211?

The early ones suffered from Glycol contamination due to Valeo radiatiors.
 
Both MBTech and The Converter shop checked for the Valeol radıator.
Tom
 
When I saw the title my first thought was.....go buy some gin and tonic......
 

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